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August 30, 2006
Thursday, August 31st: African Civilizations
African Civilizations Chart
We will go over the chart that you had to complete (or attempt to complete) for homework. I will have you record your ideas on the board and then we will talk about whether or not these groups of people were civilizations.
Slavery in Africa
Depending on how much time we have left, we will start talking about the European slave trade. We will begin by analyzing a series of images associated with the slave trade. I will put you in groups of 2 -3 and have you answer four questions using the images. You will turn in your answers, so be sure to do your best work.
Homework
1. Your first geography quiz will be on Tuesday when you come back from the long weekend. It will cover the underlined cities and countries. DON'T FORGET TO STUDY.
2. Complete the two readings that I handed to you at the end of class. One of the readings provides you with some background information about the slave trade. The other discusses reparations for the descendents of slaves. Make sure that you determine whether or not you support reparations. We will debate about this policy on Tuesday.
3. If you need to finish up your civilizations chart, do so this weekend. It is due on Tuesday.
Posted by kmurr at 8:04 PM | Comments (0)
Wednesday August 30th: Civilization in Africa and in Your Mind
African Geography
We will finish our notes from yesterday.
Civilization Through Art
Your assignment for today was to draw a picture of the word civilization. Let's discuss your drawings and your definitions as a class. Our goal is to develop a working definition of the word civilization.
Now that we have our own definition, let me offer you a definition that is found in the textbook World History. Let's compare this definition to our own and critique it.
Lastly, let's think about why the word civilization is so important. Use the following questions to guide your comments.
-Why is the word civilization an important word in our world?
-What is a person if they are not civilized?
-Is it important to be considered civilized? What happens to groups of people if they are not considered to be civilized?
-Is it important to be civilized?
Ancient Civilizations in Africa
For the purposes of this activity, we will use the textbook definition that we have been discussing. Investigate the Wonders of Africa website and the BBC information on Ghana, Mali and Songhay. (The links for Ghana, Mali and Songhay are on the right side of this page.) Fill in the chart that I handed to you in class. You must analyze Ghana, Mali and Songhay. Then, you must choose a fourth civilization or set of civilizations from the Wonders of Africa website. Your choices include the Black Kingdoms of the Nile, the Swahili Coast, the Holy Land, and the Lost Cities of the South. In total, you will analyze four potential civilizations.
The information on the websites doesn’t match the categories in the chart perfectly. You may need to “read between the lines” to find information for each box. Additionally, you may not be able to fill in every box. Just do the best that you can!
Homework
1. Your yellow map is due tomorrow. Don’t forget that your first geography quiz on the cities and countries is next Tuesday.
2. Complete the African civilizations chart. Remember, don't spend more than forty to sixty minutes on this assignment. Get as much done as you can.
Posted by kmurr at 9:18 AM | Comments (0)
August 29, 2006
Africa Statistics Continued
Syllabus Questions
Do you have any questions about the syllabus? If you do, I will answer them right now!
Complete Our Discussion of Africa Statistics
For homework last night you were asked to finish guessing what each column represented. We will look over these last few columns right now.
Africa's Future
Using the conclusions you drew using the above data, begin to think about the future of Africa. Can many of the countries on the continent develop to the level of "first world countries?" Does this continent need substantial outside help? Should it receive this help?
African Geography
You are going to take a few notes right now that are intended to get you to think about why people live where they do in Africa. Download the note guide that accompanies this lecture. You can use the note guide to help you organize your notes. I will always provide a note guide when I lecture.
Homework
1. Continue working on your practice map for Africa. It is due on Thursday.
2. Draw a picture of the word civilization. In other words, draw what image or images come to mind when you hear the word civilization. On the back of your drawing, write a definition of the word civilization. We will use these pictures and definitions as the basis for our discussion tomorrow.
Posted by kmurr at 6:10 AM | Comments (0)
August 24, 2006
Monday, August 28th: Course Introduction and a Cursory Examination of Africa
Examining Africa Using Numbers
Using a couple of sets of data that I will hand out in class, we will compare and contrast African countries and we will determine if we can draw any generalizations about the continent of Africa. We will also begin to draw conclusions about the future of different African countries and about the future of the continent as a whole.
Introductions and Course Syllabus
I will tell you a little about myself and about the course policies. Download the syllabus so that you can read about these policies as well.
Map Assignment
This is your first assignment for the quarter. You can download the directions for the assignment and I will hand you a map to use for the assignment. Your first quiz on the political geography of Africa will be on Tuesday, September 5th. The second quiz on the physical geography of Africa will be on Thursday, September 7th. The practice map is due on Thursday, August 31st.
Homework for Tonight
1. Work on your practice map. It is due on Thursday.
2. Read over the syllabus if you didn’t get a chance to do so during class.
3. Finish making educated guesses about what each column of data about Africa represents. We will complete our discussion of these statistics tomorrow in class. Don't spend more than ten to fifteen minutes on this part of your homework.
Posted by kmurr at 11:17 AM | Comments (0)