Enhanced Scope and Sequence - Virginia Department of Education ...

Grade 3
Additional Activities
Read and discuss teacher-selected nonfiction books on the West African Empire of Mali.
Create a map with students that traces the trade route from the deserts to the gold and/or salt mines in West
Africa.
Discuss the forms of government in Greece (direct democracy) and Rome (republican form of government or
representative democracy). Use a Venn diagram to compare these to the Mali Empire ruled by kings.
Simulate a role-playing activity for each kind of government—kings, direct democracy, and representative
democracy.
In a chart, have students compare and contrast physical and human characteristics of the three ancient groups
of people from Greece, Rome, and the West African Empire of Mali.
Discuss the importance of the locations of these ancient places along the Mediterranean Sea, the Nile River,
and the Niger River.
Have students write postcards or travel brochures about what it is like growing up in the West African Empire
of Mali.
Provide students with a Venn diagram using three interlocking circles to show similarities in professions
among ancient Greece, Rome, and the West African Empire of Mali. Students could use pictures to represent
each occupation.
When studying the West African Empire of Mali, invite a local storyteller to share folktales from the past.
The public library usually has access to this information.
Have students retell a story that they’ve heard from an older family member, or read a library book and have
the students retell the story to a group of younger children.
Have students compare and contrast the kings of Mali to the pharaohs of Egypt.
Discuss the importance of Timbuktu and how a king influenced the changes in language and built a university
with a large library containing Greek and Roman books that made Timbuktu the center of learning.
On a map of Africa, have students trace the trade route from the gold mines of West Africa to the salt mines
of the desert.
In cooperative groups, have students create a poster of the West African Empire of Mali. Include information
on government, geography, economics (trade), natural resources, and Timbuktu.
2010 History and Social Science Standards of Learning Enhanced Scope and Sequence
Virginia Department of Education 58