Africa s Presentation, Graphic Organizers, & Activities
STANDARDS: SS7G1 Locate selected features of Africa. a. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map: Sahara, Sahel, savanna, tropical rain forest, Congo River, Niger River, Nile River, Lake Victoria, Great Rift Valley, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Atlas Mountains, and Kalahari Desert. b. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map the countries of Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Sudan
TEACHER INFO: Print off the following 2 pages for each student. (Print front-to-back to save paper.) Students should use an atlas to label the map before the presentation.
I. Political Features: Label the following countries on the map: Democratic Republic of the Congo Egypt Kenya Nigeria South Africa Sudan Brain Wrinkles
II. Physical Features: Create a map key that includes symbols for: Rivers Deserts Mountains Lakes Sahel Savanna Rainforest Label the following physical features: Sahara Sahel Savanna Tropical rain forest Congo River Niger river Nile River Lake Victoria Great Rift Valley Mt. Kilimanjaro Atlas Mountains Kalahari Desert Map Key Draw the symbol for each feature next to the correct label on the map. Color all symbols! Brain Wrinkles
17. Great Rift Valley 19. Atlas Mountains 2. Egypt 8. Sahara 14. Nile River 6. Sudan 13. Niger River 9. Sahel 4. Nigeria 10. Savanna 1. Democratic Republic of the Congo 3. Kenya 12. Congo River 11. Tropical rainforest 16. Lake Victoria 18. Mt. Kilimanjaro Political Map 5. South Africa Physical Map 20 Kalahari Desert
TEACHER INFO: Print off the following slide for each student. *Print front-to-back to save paper. They should complete the chart while discussing the presentation. Check answers as a class when finished. If time, have students color their pictures.
Africa s Physical Features Directions: Complete the chart below with information that you learn during the presentation. If time allows, color your illustrations. Sahara Sahel What: What: Where: Where: Illustration: Illustration: Savanna Tropical Rain forest What: What: Where: Where: Illustration: Illustration: Congo River Niger River What: What: Where: Where: Illustration: Illustration: Nile River Lake Victoria What: What: Where: Where: Illustration: Illustration: Brain Wrinkles
Africa s Physical Features Directions: Complete the chart below with information that you learn during the presentation. If time allows, color your illustrations. Great Rift Valley Mt. Kilimanjaro What: What: Where: Where: Illustration: Illustration: Atlas Mountains Atlas Mountains What: What: Where: Illustration: Where: Illustration: Brain Wrinkles
Africa s Physical Features Directions: Complete the chart below with information that you learn during the presentation. If time allows, color your illustrations. Sahara What: world s largest desert Sahel What: transition zone between desert and rainforest; has become more of a desert in recent years Where: northern Africa Illustration: will vary Where: south of Sahara and north of the equator Savanna What: rolling grasslands with scattered trees and shrubs; 4.5 million square miles Illustration: will vary Tropical Rain forest What: 2 nd largest rainforest in the world; 90% has been destroyed because of deforestation Where: cover regions north and south of the rainforests around the equator Illustration: will vary Congo River What: 2 nd longest river in Africa; crosses equator twice Where: central Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Illustration: will vary Niger River What: principle river of west Africa Where: flows through rainforest in west central Africa Where: west Africa Illustration: will vary Illustration: will vary Nile River What: world s longest river Where: flows northward through eastern Africa into the Mediterranean Sea Lake Victoria What: headwaters reservoir for Nile; largest lake in Africa Where: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda Illustration: will vary Illustration: will vary Brain Wrinkles
Africa s Physical Features Directions: Complete the chart below with information that you learn during the presentation. If time allows, color your illustrations. Great Rift Valley What: dip in earth s surface caused by separating tectonic plates, surrounded by highlands Mt. Kilimanjaro What: tallest mountain in Africa; 19, 340 above sealevel Where: eastern Africa Illustration: will vary Where: Tanzania, eastern Africa Illustration: will vary Atlas Mountains What: mountain range in northern Africa between Sahara and Mediterranean Sea Kalahari Desert What: arid to semi-arid desert in southern Africa Where: Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria Where: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa Illustration: will vary Illustration: will vary Brain Wrinkles
Africa is the world s second largest continent (11,700,000 miles). It is home to 52 countries, 1,000 different languages, and 800 million people. 10% of the world s population lives in Africa. The vast African continent has almost every type of landform and climate. Africa can be divided into several regions, including the Sahara, the Sahel, the savannahs, and the tropical rain forests. Brain Wrinkles
The Sahara is the world s largest hot desert (3,500,000 miles). It runs across the width of northern Africa and covers 1/3 rd of the continent. It divides the continent into two distinct regions North Africa and sub-saharan Africa. The Sahara is covered with sand dunes, rocky hills, and stretches of gravel that continue for miles and miles. Brain Wrinkles
Very few people live in the desert because it is considered one of the harshest places to live in the world. The people who do live here are called nomads. They move from place to place, usually traveling by camel, looking for food & water.
The Sahel is a strip of dry grassland that is located south of the Sahara and north of the equator that separates the desert from tropical rain forests. The word Sahel means border or margin. It is a dry, semi-arid region that is slowly turning into desert. It gets more rainfall than the desert, but still receives very little (ranging from 6-20 inches).
The Sahel is relatively flat with few mountains and hills. People have tried to live here but generations of overgrazing and desertification have caused soil erosion. Vegetation is sparse here grasses and shrubs are unevenly distributed.
The African savannas are hot, dry grasslands that are located near the Equator and cover almost half of Africa. They actually cover the regions just north and south of the rainforests that lie along the equator. The African savanna is the largest in the world (over 4.5 million square miles).
The area receives enough rain to support drought resistant undergrowth, but not enough to support forest-type vegetation. Grasses are tall and thick, while trees are short and scattered. Brain Wrinkles There is a large variety of wildlife in the African savannas, including lions, zebras, & elephants. Farming is good here, but only if there is good rainfall. Grasses and grains like wheat, oats, and sorghum grow in the region.
Africa s tropical rain forest is located along the central coast of Africa, near the Equator, and lies in the Congo River Basin. The rain forest covers 1/5 th of the land surface of Africa and touches 37 countries. The rain forest has a hot, humid climate with an annual rainfall of over 17 feet.
Africa s tropical rain forest is home to a large variety of animals. Trees are so thick and tall that sunlight never reaches the forest floor! The trees grow hundreds of feet tall. It s the second largest rain forest in the world; the Amazon rain forest in Brazil is the largest. Unfortunately, about 90% of this rain forest has shrunk due to deforestation.
The Congo River is located in west central Africa. It begins in central Africa, near Lake Tanganyika, and flows west. It crosses the equator twice and is surrounded by rainforest.
The Congo River is the second longest river in Africa and the fifth longest in the world. It s over 3,000 miles long.
The Niger River is located in western Africa. It flows through Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin, & Nigeria. The Niger River is the third largest river in Africa. It runs over 2,600 miles.
The mouth of the Niger River flows through a large delta, often referred to as the Oil Delta because of the petroleum industry that s centered here. Brain Wrinkles
The Nile River is located in eastern Africa. It starts in the mountains of central Africa and flows northward through eastern Africa and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the world s longest river at 4,150 miles.
The Nile River provides water for Sudan and Egypt. It s an important waterway for transporting people and goods. The Nile also provides a source of irrigation for agriculture.
Lake Victoria is a headwaters reservoir for the Nile River. Brain Wrinkles Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the second largest freshwater lake in the world. (Lake Superior is the largest.) It is located in central Africa and extends into three countries: Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.
Even though it is shallow, Lake Victoria is vital in supporting the millions of people that live nearby. It provides a living for many fishermen and attracts millions of tourists each year.
The Great Rift Valley is a giant dip in the Earth s surface. It was created about 35 million years ago when the African and Eurasian tectonic plates separated. The valley runs north to south for over 3000 miles, from Syria in Southwest Asia to Mozambique in east Africa.
The Great Rift Valley varies in width from about 20 to 60 miles. The valley is surrounded by highlands. It contains three of Africa s most important lakes: Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Malawi.
Mt. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa. It is located in Tanzania and rises approximately 16,100 feet at its base to 19,340 feet above sea level. The mountain is actually a dormant volcano.
Mt. Kilimanjaro is part of the Kilimanjaro National Park and is a major climbing destination. The first climbers proven to have reached the summit of the mountain were Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller in 1889.
The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in north Africa. The mountains extend from Morocco to Tunisia, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara desert. They separate the northern coastal regions from the Sahara Desert.
The region is surrounded by semi-arid areas that are slowly becoming more dry due to desertification. Brain Wrinkles The Kalahari Desert is a large arid to semiarid sandy area that s located in southwestern Africa. It covers parts of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. Its dunes range from 20 to 200 feet high and can be 50 miles long.
The Kalahari Desert is not a true desert because it receives 3-10 inches of rain per year. Because of the precipitation and underground water supplies, grass, shrubs, and wild animals manage to live in the Kalahari desert.
TEACHER INFO: Trading Cards Print off the blank trading card page. You can have students create just one trading card, or they can create a card for each feature (12 total). When finished, the students can use the cards to play Memory or to quiz themselves about the features. Project the directions slide onto the board while students are working so that they know what goes in each section.
Your Task: Create trading cards for the 12 important physical features of Africa. Use the cards to play Memory or to quiz yourself. Instructions: 1. Fill out each box in the cards below according to the template. 2. Color your pictures and anything else that will make your cards look more realistic. 3. Cut out your trading card. 4. Fold along the middle. 5. Tape the sides together. Brain Wrinkles
TEACHER INFO: Pass the Paper Put the students into small groups (you will need 11 groups total). Print off the following 11 slides and give one paper to each group. Give each group about 30 seconds to write down everything the know about the feature but they can t write something that is already written. (They can also draw pictures or symbols.) When time is up, they must pass the paper to the next group. This continues until every group has worked with each of the 11 papers. Have each group share the paper & discuss the information.
With your group, you will have 30 seconds to write or draw everything that you know about the feature on your paper. Every group member must participate angle yourselves so that you can all write at the same time. The catch is that you cannot write or draw something that is already written! When I say that time is up, you must pass the paper on to the next group. We will continue to Pass the Paper until each group has seen all 11 papers. Brain Wrinkles
The Sahara
The Sahel
The Savanna
Tropical Rain Forest
Congo River
Niger River
Nile River
Lake Victoria
Great Rift Valley
Mt. Kilimanjaro
Atlas Mountains
Kalahari Desert
TEACHER INFO: Postcard Print off the postcard page for each student. On the front, the students will draw one of the physical features of Africa. They should also include a short greeting/title. (Example: Cheers from the Kalahari Desert!) On the back, they will write a note to someone as if they have visited some of the features. When finished, they should cut out the postcard, fold along the dotted line, & tape the sides together.
Front: Draw a colorful illustration of one of the physical features that we have studied. Include a short greeting (title). Back: Write a note to your family as if you have visited some of the features that we have studied in Africa. (Include descriptions for at least 3 of the features.) Don t forget to draw & color the stamp! *Cut out your postcard, fold along the dotted line, & tape the sides together.
TEACHER INFO: Comprehension Check Print off the Comprehension Check for each student. The students will complete this handout at the end of the lesson. You can count this as a quiz!
1. What is the major landform of northern Africa? 2. What is Africa s transition zone between desert and rain forest? 3. What landform has rolling grassland and scattered trees? 4. What landform lies along the Atlantic coast near the equator? 5. What is the world s longest river? 6. What is the tallest mountain in Africa? 7. What is the world s largest hot desert? 8. What is the southernmost country in Africa? 9. What mountain range is located in northern Africa? 10. Which river is the main river in western Africa? 11. What desert is located in southern Africa? 12. What is the name of the dip in Earth s surface that was caused by separating tectonic plates? Brain Wrinkles
1. What is the major landform of northern Africa? Sahara 2. What is Africa s transition zone between desert and rain forest? Sahel 3. What landform has rolling grassland and scattered trees? Savanna 4. What landform lies along the Atlantic coast near the equator? Tropical rain forest 5. What is the world s longest river? Nile River 6. What is the tallest mountain in Africa? Mt. Kilimanjaro 7. What is the world s largest hot desert? Sahara 8. What is the southernmost country in Africa? South Africa 9. What mountain range is located in northern Africa? Atlas Mountains 10. Which river is the main river in western Africa? Niger River 11. What desert is located in southern Africa? Kalahari Desert 12. What is the name of the dip in Earth s surface that was caused by separating tectonic plates? Great Rift Valley Brain Wrinkles
TEACHER INFO: TICKET OUT THE DOOR Print off the following slide & make a copy for each student. (They are two-per-page). Have students write down five important things that they learned about Africa s physical features. If time, call on students to share. Collect these as the students leave the classroom.
Name: Name: Write down 5 important things that you learned from today s lesson. Write down 5 important things that you learned from today s lesson. Brain Wrinkles Brain Wrinkles
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