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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Trekking to Timbuktu—student version

http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=508

A lesson plan for grade 7 Social Studies

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In the eight lessons of this EDSITEment curriculum unit, students will learn about the geography of Mali and the cultures and economies along the Niger River, find out about the three kingdoms that evolved in ancient and medieval West Africa, discover how Timbuktu rose to become the most important city in Islamic West Africa, and find out what is being done today to protect the city’s antiquities.

This is a student’s version of the lesson plan overview, in which students take the role of the makers of a TV travel adventure show and research Timbuktu as a potential location for an episode of the series. This lesson incorporates primary source material from EDSITEment-reviewed websites.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 7

  • Goal 1: The learner will use the five themes of geography and geographic tools to answer geographic questions and analyze geographic concepts.
    • Objective 1.02: Generate, interpret, and manipulate information from tools such as maps, globes, charts, graphs, databases, and models to pose and answer questions about space and place, environment and society, and spatial dynamics and connections.
  • Goal 2: The learner will assess the relationship between physical environment and cultural characteristics of selected societies and regions of Africa, Asia, and Australia.
    • Objective 2.01: Identify key physical characteristics such as landforms, water forms, and climate and evaluate their influence on the development of cultures in selected African, Asian and Australian regions.
    • Objective 2.03: Examine factors such as climate change, location of resources, and environmental challenges that influence human migration and assess their significance in the development of selected cultures in Africa, Asia, and Australia.
  • Goal 4: The learner will identify significant patterns in the movement of people, goods, and ideas over time and place in Africa, Asia, and Australia.
    • Objective 4.01: Describe the patterns of and motives for migrations of people, and evaluate the impact on the political, economic, and social development of selected societies and regions.
    • Objective 4.02: Identify the main commodities of trade over time in selected areas of Africa, Asia,and Australia and evaluate their significance for the economic, political, and social development of cultures and regions.
  • Goal 5: The learner will evaluate the varied ways people of Africa, Asia, and Australia make decisions about the allocation and use of economic resources.
    • Objective 5.01: Describe the relationship between the location of natural resources, and economic development, and analyze the impact on selected cultures, countries, and regions in Africa, Asia, and Australia.
  • Goal 7: The learner will assess the connections between historical events and contemporary issues in Africa, Asia, and Australia.
    • Objective 7.01: Identify historical events such as invasions, conquests, and migrations and evaluate their relationship to current issues.
  • Goal 8: The learner will assess the influence and contributions of individuals and cultural groups in Africa, Asia, and Australia.
    • Objective 8.01: Describe the role of key historical figures and evaluate their impact on past and present societies in Africa, Asia, and Australia.
    • Objective 8.02: Describe the role of key groups such as Mongols, Arabs, and Bantu and evaluate their impact on historical and contemporary societies of Africa, Asia, and Australia.
  • Goal 11: The learner will recognize the common characteristics of different cultures in Africa, Asia, and Australia.
    • Objective 11.01: Identify the concepts associated with culture such as language, religion, family, and ethnic identity, and analyze how they can link and separate societies.
  • Goal 12: The learner will assess the influence of major religions, ethical beliefs, and values on cultures in Africa, Asia, and Australia.
    • Objective 12.01: Examine the major belief systems in selected regions of Africa, Asia, and Australia, and analyze their impact on cultural values, practices, and institutions.