Geography of West Africa

Ghana

West African Culture

To what extent did trans-Saharan trade lead to Ghana's wealth and success?

Ghana: A West African Trading Empire

Objective

Multiple Choice

a method for representing part of the surface of the earth on a plane or surface is called...

• distortion

• a projection

Multiple Choice

The Mercator Projection was originally used for __________, which is WHY Google Maps uses it today.

• knowing the actual size of countries

• navigation

• size of the earth

Multiple Select

Which of following are languages that could be heard of the continent of Africa? [Select ALL that APPLY]

• English

• French

• Swahili

• Arabic

Multiple Choice

How many languages are spoken in Africa?

• 4

• 400

• 500

• 1,000 +

Griots: West African Storytelling

Griots

Who are they?

Definition:

❖

Storytellers/Musicians/Poets
who maintain a tradition of oral
history in parts of West Africa.

Why are griots important?

❖

Griots keep track of a people's’
history and developments over
time.

❖

This history may never be
written down so the griot is
crucial to keeping the records
of the past.

Kinship Groups

West African Culture

●

Kinship:a connection
among people by blood
or marriage.

○

Very important in
West African culture.

●

Decisions by elders
affected the group.

●

Acted as the
government.

Clans

West African Culture

● Clans:a set of

kinship groups within
a common ancestor.

○ Usually acted

similarly to
kinship groups.

● Set of cultural rules.

Multiple Choice

Storytellers/Musicians/Poets who maintain a tradition of oral history in parts of West Africa.

• Kora

• Griot

• Kinship

• Clan

Multiple Choice

a connection among people by blood or marriage...

• Kora

• Griot

• Kinship

• Clan

Multiple Choice

a set of kinship groups within a common ancestor...

• Kora

• Griot

• Kinship

• Clan

How many countries would fit inside its boundaries?

So how big is the continent of Africa?

• Vegetation Zone

• Savannah

• Sahara

Geography of West Africa

• ​Create a Legend:

  • Desert

  • Savannah

  • Rainforests

• Choose a different color for each vegetation zone.

• Trace / Fill in each area.

Africa: Vegetation Zones