Cultures and Empires of West Africa

Refer to the passage from "The Wise Fool.”

One day the mother went to her garden and there found a baby with very long hair lying on its back under a big tree. It was crying and kicking. It looked hungry and neglected. The woman fed and nursed it, and soon it fell asleep. She worked all day on the farm and no one came for the baby. When night began to fall, the woman took the child home with her. Again the next day nobody came for the baby, so she cut its long hair.

Which word describes the structure of this passage?

• causal

• comparative

• sequential

• descriptive

Read the West African proverb.

Cross the river in a crowd and the crocodile won’t eat you.

What is the moral of this proverb?

• Crocodiles hunt in crowds.

• There is safety in numbers.

• Crossing rivers is dangerous.

• The safest place is on the land.

Read the passage from "The Wise Fool.”

One day the mother went to her garden and there found a baby with very long hair lying on its back under a big tree. It was crying and kicking. It looked hungry and neglected. The woman fed and nursed it, and soon it fell asleep. She worked all day on the farm and no one came for the baby. When night began to fall, the woman took the child home with her. Again the next day nobody came for the baby, so she cut its long hair.

Which detail about the baby from the passage is an opinion?

• “The woman fed and nursed it.”

• “It was crying and kicking.”

• “The woman took the child home.”

• “It looked hungry and neglected.”

What contributed to the fall of the Ghana Empire?

• Natural resources ran out due to overtrading.

• People changed as a result of cultural diffusion.

• Invaders destroyed important trade routes.

• The government favored certain groups over others.

What is an example of cultural diffusion?

• people of the Ghana Empire practicing Islam after interacting with Arab traders

• Moroccan troops capturing the city of Gao after invading the Songhai Empire

• Askia Muhammad constructing universities and schools in the city of Timbuktu

• Mansa Musa making a pilgrimage to Mecca and displaying the wealth of Mali

Why did ancient West Africans believe in ancestor worship?

• They hoped to protect their ancestors from animal spirits.

• They thought that their ancestors had the power to help them.

• They hoped that their ancestors would be brought back to life.

• They wanted to make sure that their ancestors were not lonely.

Who built the first mosques in West African cities?

• Islamic scholars who wanted to practice their religion

• warriors entering the region from Central Africa

• merchants from Spain and Western Europe

• West African kings who wanted to create strong trade centers

Which statement best describes the Sahel?

• It is the largest desert in the world, and it covers most of North Africa.

• It is the region between the Sahara Desert and the African savanna.

• It is a dense tropical woodland located in the Congo River Basin.

• It is a savanna in East Africa that is home to the world’s largest wildlife migrations.

Which statement best describes how human activity has affected African savannas?

• The overfishing of waterways has reduced the food sources for many species.

• he replanting of forests has reduced the amount of grassland.

• The clearing of large areas of trees has destroyed forest environments.

• The overuse of grasslands for herding and farming has made the soil infertile.

What is one of the key purposes of African folktales?

• to teach moral lessons about how to live or be

• to describe events in the order they happen

• to share stories with other cultures

• to separate fact from opinion