Uncover
Africa
Introduction
Picture this: you are presented with the task of
creating a form of mass media about one of the amazing early civilizations in
Africa. Just think, a beautiful landscape on a travel brochure or perhaps a
movie plot starring Lindsay Lohan as a Peace Corps volunteer trying to
restore the livelihood of the natives. It is all up to you: your movie,
brochure, or comic - your creation.
THIS IS DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS ON:
The Quest
(Choose one of the following:)
Task #1: Create a travel brochure describing the geographic location,
major religions, and cultural contributions of Great Zimbabwe.
Task #2: Create a movie poster and a video jacket that will communicate a
fictional movie created to teach about Ancient Mali.
Task #3: Create a comic strip that will communicate a fictional story
about Ancient Songhai.
The
Resources
Phase 1 -
Background: Something for Everyone
Use the Internet information linked below to answer the basic questions
of who? what? where? when? why? and how? Be creative in exploring the
information so that you answer these questions as fully and insightfully as you
can.
·
Civilizations in
Africa - Information on all civilizations in early African history
·
Internet
African History Sourcebook - Broad information on all aspects of African
History.
·
Teaching
Modern World History - Teachers site for general information on Songhai
empire.
·
Timeline
of African History - Timeline of African history and tons of links.
·
NCEMC CultureGrams -
Lots of historical and cultural information about any region in the world. (remember
to keep a copy of the necessary usernames and passwords to access this)
Phase 2 -
Looking Deeper from Different Perspectives
Specific
requirements and links for the three assignment options.
Task #1 - Travel Brochure for Great Zimbabwe
Use the Internet information linked below to answer
these questions specifically related to a Travel Brochure for Great Zimbabwe:
1. Where was Great Zimbabwe?
2. When did this city-state exist?
3. How did Great Zimbabwe rise to power?
4. What was the role of religion in Great Zimbabwe?
5. How did Great Zimbabwe evolve from an agricultural area?
6. What role did trade play in Great Zimbabwe?
7. How did Great Zimbabwe decline?
·
History
of Great Zimbabwe - Excellent site: good pictures and information
·
Riddle of
Great Zimbabwe - Extensive archaeological information regarding Great
Zimbabwe.
·
Literature
and Culture of Zimbabwe - Good information on Great Zimbabwe.
· The
Ruins of Great Zimbabwe.
Task #2 - Movie Poster and Video Jacket about Ancient Mali
Use the Internet information linked below to answer
these questions specifically related to a Movie Poster and Video Jacket about
Ancient Mali:
1. Describe the geography of West Africa.
2. What political factors made Mali a great trading empire?
3. How did the Ancient Mali rise to power?
4. When did this empire exist?
5. What factors made Mali so great?
·
Art
of Ancient Mali - From the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
·
Rise and
Fall of Mali and Songhai - Concise information on two early African Empires.
·
Mali: Ancient Crossroads of Africa -
From the Virginia Department of Education (look at all the tabs at the top!!)
·
The
Story of Africa - Good coverage of history from the BBC.
·
The story of Timbuktu -
From the Timbuktu Foundation.
Task #3 - Comic Strip on Ancient Songhai
Use the Internet information linked below to answer
these questions specifically related to a Comic Strip on Ancient Songhai:
1. When did this empire exist?
2. Where was Songhai settled?
3. What impact did trade have on this empire?
4. What historical contributions were made by the Songhai?
5. What caused the end of the Songhai?
·
The
rise and fall of Songhai - Information with links about this
civilization and the city of Timbuktu.
·
Description
of the geography and economy of Songhai.
·
Brief
description with a map.
·
Encyclopedia
entry on Songhai.
Phase 3 -
Completion of the Task
Now that you have gathered all of the information,
you must create your project. There will be no class time for this, so use
your time in here wisely. Remember, the final project is due on
Friday, November 11.
Grading
Grade Sheet for
Uncover Africa
Content
30
_____
(essentials questions answered and
accurate
information included)
Format
10
_____
(product
is appropriate and accurate)
Design
20
_____
(original
and creative)
Productivity
in
Class
10
_____
(efficient)
Total
70
_____
