Teacher Resources for Instructional Planning


Grade 8, Social Studies Std 13.1: Tracing the spread of language, religion, and customs from one African civilization to another

Lesson Plans: Trekking to Timbuktu: Timbuktu's Golden Age of Scholarship After completing this lesson, students will be able to: 1) identify the empire of Songhai and describe Timbuktu's role in its economy; 2) understand how Timbuktu became an important spiritual and intellectual center of Islam; and, 3) describe the Islamic schools of Timbuktu. The Beginnings of Civilization in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush This activity is aimed at sixth graders, however it can be modified for eighth-grade. In the lesson, students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush (around present day northern Sudan and Ethiopia). Egyptian Symbols and Figures: Scroll Paintings This lesson introduces students to the writing, art, and religious beliefs of ancient Egypt through hieroglyphs, one of the oldest writing systems in the world, and through tomb paintings. Hieroglyphs consist of pictures of familiar objects that represent sounds. BBC: The Story of Africa Among the topics covered are the rise and fall of empires and kingdoms, the power of religion, the injustices of slavery, and the expansion of trade between Africa and other continents. Features audio segments.

Resources: The links below are from the first link in this standard's "Additional Resources (above)," entitled "Medieval Africa Kingdoms and Web Resources" Multi-media Africa Archives Timeline of African History to 1500 Islam and Indigenous African Culture Ghana: Civilizations in Africa: Ghana Mali: Dogon People Mansa Musa Sundiata Annenburg/CPB Projects Exhibits Collection: Collapse of Empires Mali Mali and Songhai Songhai: Annenburg/CPB Projects Exhibits Collection: Collapse of Empires Mali and Songhai Saharan Trade: A Link Between Europe and Africa
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