Unit 3: Sub-Saharan Africa

We recommend that teachers new to Investigating History review the Curriculum Guidebook before preparing to teach their first unit.

Cluster 1: African Geography and Environment (Lessons 1-10)
What are the most important features of Africa’s geography and environment, and how do they affect people?
How did (and do) African people use the opportunities of their environment and adapt to its challenges?

Lesson 1: Picturing Africa: A Unit Introduction (Hook Lesson)

The Diversity of Africa’s Geography & Environment

Lesson 2: How Do Maps Show Africa?

Lesson 3: Climates and Regions of Africa

Lesson 4: Human Geography of Africa

Lessons 5-7: Africa Postcard Project 

African People Addressing Environmental Challenges, Past & Present

Lesson 8: Human & Environmental Interaction: African Regions

Lesson 9: Human & Environmental Interaction: William Kamkwamba and Harnessing the Wind

Lesson 10: Human & Environmental Interaction: William Kamkwamba and the UN Global Goal on Energy 

Cluster 2: Ancient Africa’s Diverse Societies and Civilizations (Lessons 11-20)
What were the characteristics of Africa’s ancient societies and what made them alike and different?
How did leaders in different social roles and occupations contribute to ancient African societies?

Comparing Ancient Africa’s Diverse Societies

Lesson 11: How Do We See Africa’s History?

Lessons 12 & 13: Characterizing and Comparing Complex Societies in Africa — An Archaeological Inquiry

Lesson 14: Putting It Together: Comparing and Contrasting Societies

Knowledge Traditions & Leadership in Ancient African Societies

Lesson 15 & 16: Scribes and Storytellers: The Power of Words in African Societies

Lesson 17: Civic Values and Oral Tradition 

Lessons 18 & 19: Who Was the MVP of West African Societies? Conducting an Investigation with Sources

Lesson 20:  Who Was the MVP of West African Societies? Defending a Position through a Praise Poem

Cluster 3: Trade, Cross-Cultural Exchange, and Africa’s Global Connections (Lessons 21-30)
How did environment and physical location shape the trade networks of ancient Africa?
What effects (positive and negative) did African trade have on societies of Africa and those of other continents?

Environment & Location in Trade Networks

Lesson 21: Introducing African Trade Networks: A Bird’s’ Eye View

Lessons 22 & 23: Travelers and Texts: What Can They Teach About Trade?

Lesson 24: Global Africa in the Ancient World: Trade Goods and Their Consumers

What is Influenced by Trade? Examples from East and West Africa

Lesson 25: What Else is Exchanged through Trade? A Swahili Coast Case Study

Lesson 26: Introduction to Trans-Saharan Trade: The “How” and “Why”

Lessons 27 & 28: How Trade Built an Empire: A Case Study of Ghana

Lesson 29: Global Africa in the Ancient World: Artistry and Influences

Lesson 30: Putting It Together: Judging the Most Important Effects of Trade

Cluster 4: Religions in Ancient Africa (Lessons 31-34)
How did religious traditions develop, adapt, and interact with one another in ancient sub-Saharan Africa?

Lesson 31: Christianity and Islam in Ancient Africa

Lesson 32: Indigenous Religions in Ancient Africa and Today

Lessons 33 & 34: Religious Tolerance in Africa Past and Present

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