home

//Simba and Nala// is a Wikispace to help you learn about medieval Africa. You will need to complete the activities in this wiki by March 20, 2012.

First let's take a look at some of the vocabulary, places and people you will encounter as you read about medieval Africa.


 * Vocabulary:** plateau, griot, dhow, clan, sultan, Swahili, extended family, matrilineal, oral history


 * Places:** Ghana, Mali, Timbuktu, Songhai, Axum, Makkah, Benue River


 * People:** Sundiata Keita, Mansa Musa, Sunni Ali, Olaudah Equiano, Ibn Battuta, Askia Muhammad, Dahia al-Kahina, Nzinga

Click on the picture of Simba. Use the activities to create your own set of vocabulary cards. You have been given 24 index cards. As you scroll through each term, write the word on the front and the definition on the back. Next add an illustration to the front or a clue to help you remember the term. For example, when I think of Mansa Musa I think of M&Ms. This helps me to remember that Mansa Musa was the king of Mali, the only African kingdom we will study that begins with M. Then play the games to help you learn the words.

Geography
Let's take a look at the continent of Africa. Africa has rain forests, savannas, or grasslands, and the world's largest desert, the Sahara. The kingdoms which arose in these areas were greatly influenced by geography. Use the **Landscape** activity on the link to find out more about each [|geographic] region. Use the landscape map, the map below, and the maps in your book to help you create your own map.

Challenge yourself. See how fast you can complete the physical map of Africa [|puzzle].

African Kingdoms
Today the continent of Africa has 53 independent countries. This is very different from Africa in the middle ages. At this time there were several kingdoms that were in power at various times. Click on the map and read about the kingdoms that arose in West Africa. As you can see each successive kingdom took over land that belonged to the previous kingdom and then expanded its own kingdom. Click on the map to get information about the West African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai, the kingdom of Benin, the Central African kingdoms of Congo (Kongo), and Great Zimbabwe, and the kingdom of Axum. In your notebooks, write 5 interesting facts about each kingdom. = = =Gold and Salt Trade= Gold and salt were very important to the West African empires. Click on the links below to read about the Gold-Salt trade in West Africa. Next, click on the camel to hear a rap about the gold and salt trade in medieval Africa. Then create your own poem or rap about the gold and salt trade and its importance using this information and information from the book.

[] [] [] []

Stories and Legends
A legend is a story that comes down from the past that is popularly regarded as historical although not verifiable. Every culture has legends about leaders or warriors such as King Arthur from England, Mulan from China, and Joan of Arc from France. The human heroes in many legends are often based on real people whose feats have been embellished so that the heroes have become larger than life. The story of //Sundiata: The Hungering Lion// is one such legend from the kingdom of Mali. Read the story of Sundiata in your textbook on page 454. As you read, look for examples of the cultural values that are stressed in the story. After you have read the story please complete the following activities.

1. Go to the Values page on the navigation bar on the right side of the screen and respond to these questions: What values are stressed in the story of Sundiata? Are these values universal? In other words, do all cultures stress the same values? Give examples. You must post your own thoughts, then respond to at least one other post. 2. Work with your classmates to create your own legend about an eighth grade hero. Add at least one piece of story to the one that has been started. A group has been set up for you in the Projects Page.

Mansa Musa's Pilgrimage[[image:http://africa.mrdonn.org/landform_deserts.gif width="192" height="80"]]
Mansa Musa was a great king of Mali. Although he allowed other religions, He worked to make Islam stronger in his kingdom. In 1324 he made a pilgrimmage to Makkah which allowed the world to see the riches of his kingdom for the first time. Read about his [|pilgrimage] and watch the Mansa Musa powerpoint. Then follow the [|route] of his travel to Makkah. Use this information to create a travel guide or picture book about Mansa Musa's journey. See directions in your packet.



The African Diaspora
The African Diaspora is the sreading of African people and cultures throughout the world. View the powerpoint presentation and read about [|African culture] and pages 474-476 in your text book. Create a mini-book about the African Diaspora.



Getting Started

 * Click on the edit button above to put your own content on this page.
 * To invite new members, click on **Manage Wiki** and **Invite People**.
 * To change your wiki's colors or theme, click on **Manage Wiki** and **Look and Feel**.
 * To set who can view and edit your wiki, click on **Manage Wiki** and **Permissions**.

Need Help?

 * Click on the help link above to learn more about how to use your wiki.