Africa - Troup 6-12 Teacher Resources

Unit Essential Question: How do geographic, government, economic, and
historical understandings influence Africa?
Concept 1:
Geography
Lesson Essential Questions:
1. Where are the major physical
features and nations of Africa
located? (SS7G1a-b.)
2. How do physical features impact
the people of Africa? (SS7G3a.) (how
the Sahara, Sahel, savanna, and tropical
rain forest influence trade, where
people live, the type of work they do,
and how they travel in Africa)
3. How do environmental issues
impact Africa? (SS7G2a-c.) (include
water pollution and the unequal
distribution of water in irrigation, trade,
industry, and drinking water; poor soil
and deforestation in Sub-Saharan
Africa; desertification from the Sahel to
the rainforest)
4. How are Africa’s diverse cultures
similar and different? (SS7G4a-b.)
(explain the difference between
religious and ethnic groups; the
diversity of religions within the Arab,
Ashanti, Bantu, and Swahili ethnic
groups)
TCSS Africa Content Map
Concept 2:
Government/Civics
Lesson Essential Questions:
5. What are the similarities and
differences in leadership, voting
rights, and personal freedoms in
Kenya, South Africa, and
Sudan? (SS7CG2a) (the
governments of the Republic of
Kenya, the Republic of South
Africa, and the dictatorship of the
Republic of Sudan)
6. How does gender affect access
to education in Kenya and
Sudan? (SS7CG3a.)
7. How does government
stability impact Africa’s fight
against AIDS and famine?
(SS7CG3b.) (government stability
impacting the distribution of
resources)
Standard(s): SS7G1a-b; SS7G2a-c; SS7G3a; SS7G4a-c; SS7CG1a-c;
SS7CG2a; SS7CG3a-b; SS7E1a-c; SS7E2a-b; SS7E3a-d; SS7H1a-d
Concept 3:
Economics
Lesson Essential Questions:
8. What are the similarities and
differences of the economic systems
in South Africa and Nigeria?
(SS7E1c.; SS7E2c.) (Include where these
countries are located on a continuum
between pure market and pure
command economies, and the system
for exchanging currencies)
9. How do economic factors
influence African countries?
a. specialization (SS7E2a.)
b. trade barriers (SS7E2b.)
c. physical/human capital, natural
resources, and GDP (Nigeria and
South Africa) (SS7E3a-d)
d. literacy rate (SS7G4c.)
e. entrepreneurship (SS7E3d)
Concept 4:
History
10. How did European
partitioning affect Africa?
(SS7H1a.) (its contribution to
conflict, civil war, and to artificial
political boundaries)
11. How did nationalism lead to
independence in South Africa,
Kenya, and Nigeria? (SS7H1b.)
12. What role did Nelson
Mandela and F.W. deKlerk play
in the end of apartheid in South
Africa? (SS7H1c.)
13. What is the impact of the
Pan-Africa movement on the
continent of Africa? (SS7H1d.)
TCSS 7 th Grade Social Studies Document last changed: 23 May 2011 1

Vocabulary 1:
Sahara Sahel
savanna tropical rainforest
Congo River Niger River
Nile River Lake Tanganyika
Lake Victoria Atlas Mountains
Kalahari Desert Egypt
Kenya Nigeria
South Africa
Sudan
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire)
ethnic group
religious group
Arab
Muslim
Bantu
Swahili
Ashanti
Christianity
inanimate object
desertification
deforestation
scarcity
unequal distribution
Human capital (education/training)
Natural Resource (oil)
Population distribution
TCSS Africa Content Map
Vocabulary 2:
Parliamentary democracy
Monarchy
Republic
dictatorship
Constitutional Monarchy
Federal Republic
Republic of Kenya
Republic of South Africa
Republic of Sudan
Voting rights
Personal freedoms
AIDS
famine
Unitary**
Confederation**
Federal**
Autocratic**
Oligarchic**
Democratic – parliamentary,
presidential**
monarch**
President**
Prime minister**
** Taught throughout each unit
Teacher Information to include during lesson
Vocabulary 3:
Nigeria
South Africa
Diamonds
Gold
Uranium
Oil
standard of living
literacy rate
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Pure market**
Pure command**
Mixed economy**
Continuum**
Specialization**
Trade barriers**
Tariffs**
Quotas**
Embargos**
Exchange rates**
Currency**
Human capital (education/training)**
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)**
Investment**
Capital (factories, machinery, and
technology)**
Entrepreneurship**
Vocabulary 4:
Partitioning
Nationalism
Apartheid
Pan-African movement
Nelson Mandela
F.W. deKlerk
South Africa
Kenya
Nigeria
Artificial boundaries
TCSS 7 th Grade Social Studies Document last changed: 23 May 2011 2