Challenge 1: Learning About the Physical Geography of Africa Atlas Mountains 3N Nile River 3N 2N Niger River Sahel Sahara Lake Chad Ethiopian Highlands Equator W N S E Congo River River Congo Basin Equator Lake Victoria Mount Kilimanjaro Lake Tanganyika A T L A N T I C Zambezi River Kalahari Desert I N D I A N Cape of Good Hope 0 500 1,000 miles 0 500 1,000 kilometers Sinusoidal projection Teachers Curriculum Institute Africa 1
Challenge 2: Learning About the Human Geography of Africa Morocco Tunisia 3N Western Sahara ALGERIA LIBYA Egypt 3N 2N CAPE VERDE GAMBIA BURKINA DJIBOUTI GUINEA- FASO BISSAU GUINEA Nigeria ETHIOPIA CÔTE CENTRAL SIERRA D'IVOIRE AFRICAN LEONE REPUBLIC TOGO GHANA BENIN LIBERIA Liberia EQUATORIAL EQUATORIAL GUINEA Uganda GUINEA KENYA Equator Equator MAURITANIA Senegal W A T L A N T I C N S Mali E SÃO TOMÉ & PRINCIPE NIGER CAMEROON Gabon CONGO CHAD ANGOLA Democratic Republic of the Congo ZAMBIA NAMIBIA Botswana Sudan ZIMBABWE RWANDA BURUNDI TANZANIA MALAWI B M A Z O M ERITREA I Q U E Somalia COMOROS Madagascar S E YC H E L L E S MAURITIUS South Africa I N D I A N SWAZILAND LESOTHO 0 500 1,000 miles 0 500 1,000 kilometers Sinusoidal projection Teachers Curriculum Institute Africa 2
Challenge 3: Using Geography Skills to Answer Where? Question 1 Circle the thematic map you used. Then answer the question in complete sentences. Petroleum (oil) can be found in these countries north of the equator: Cameroon, Nigeria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria. 2 The country that has the largest total area with a tropical wet climate is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 3 The White Nile joins the Blue Nile in Sudan. 4 Madagascar is the large island country that lies east of Mozambique. The population density of Madagascar is 2 25 people per square mile. 5 A humid subtropical climate can be found in Mozambique, Swaziland, and South Africa. 6 7 8 Zambia is the country south of the equator and north of the that contains only one type of vegetation, which is tropical grassland. The two most highly populated cities in Africa are Cairo and Lagos. Cairo is located in Egypt, and Lagos is located in Nigeria. Besides South Africa, trade and manufacturing can be found in Egypt, Senegal, Benin, Nigeria, and Tanzania. 9 10 The least common type of vegetation in Africa is coniferous forest. This type of vegetation is found in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The Senegal River forms the border between Senegal and Mauritania. Teachers Curriculum Institute Africa 3
Challenge 4: Using Geography Skills to Answer Why There? Question 1 Circle the thematic map you used. Then answer the question in complete sentences. Precious metals, diamonds, and hydroelectric power are resources found in Ghana. The Volta River is the physical feature that helps to explain why hydroelectric power is a resource in Ghana. 2 3 South Africa has the most cities with a population between 1 and 4 million: Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Johannesburg, and Tshwane (Pretoria). Trade and manufacturing are found near these cities. This type of land use usually depends on the people and other resources found in a city. Trade and manufacturing usually also help to urbanize an area by attracting more people to live there. Most of Egypt s population is located along the Nile River. The vegetation found near the Nile is broadleaf evergreen forest, while the vegetation found farther away from the river is desert scrub. The land along the Nile River is probably the best area in Egypt for growing crops to support its population. 4 Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Algeria, Niger, Libya, and Chad are countries north of the equator with a mostly low population density. In the Sahara, there is not enough water to support a large population. There are no rivers in the scarcely populated areas. This part of Africa also has an arid climate. 5 This woman might work for the government of Madagascar. Commercial fishing is one type of land use. Broadleaf evergreen forest is a type of vegetation in Madagascar. The southern part of the country has a semiarid climate. Finally, trade and manufacturing is not a type of land use in Madagascar. 6 This person could live in Kenya. Nairobi has between 1 million and 4 million people. The land in Kenya is primarily used for nomadic herding, with some areas of commercial farming. Kenya is located on the coast of the Indian Ocean, but also has Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana. Kenya s climate zones include tropical wet and dry, Mediterranean, arid, and semiarid, so the country is dry some or most of the year. Teachers Curriculum Institute Africa 4
Challenge 5: Using Maps to Analyze a Field Photograph Research Station Location A (13 north, 6 west) Location B (3 south, 29 east) Location C (28 north, 31 east) Physical Features located in the Sahel located near the Niger River fairly level land, with elevation between 0 and 2,000 feet located near the Orange River elevation between 5,001 and 10,000 feet and a little mountainous located near the Nile River fairly level land, with elevation between 0 and 1,000 feet Climate Zones located on the edge of two climate zones: semiarid and tropical wet and dry located in a marine west coast climate zone located in an arid climate zone Vegetation Zones located in a tropical grassland vegetation zone located in a highlands vegetation zone located in a broadleaf evergreen forest vegetation zone desert scrub vegetation zone nearby Population Density population density 25 125 people per square mile close to urban center of Bamako, Mali, with 1 4 million people population density 25 125 people per square mile close to urban center of Durban, South Africa, with 1 4 million people population density over 250 people per square mile close to urban center of Cairo, Egypt, with over 8 million people Economic Activity subsistence farming commercial farming nearby forestry commercial farming nearby commercial farming nomadic herding nearby no natural resources nearby coal nearby trade and manufacturing nearby petroleum, natural gas, and iron nearby Teachers Curriculum Institute Africa 5
Challenge 5: Using Maps to Analyze a Field Photograph We think the field photograph best matches Location A. Supporting-evidence statements: 1. From the physical features map, we learned that this location is in the plains of the Sahel. In the field photograph, we see we see that the land is flat. 2. From the climate zones map, we learned that this location semiarid and a tropical wet and dry climate zone. is on the border between a In the field photograph, we see a dry and dusty landscape with lots of sun and a few hazy clouds. 3. From the vegetation zones map, we learned that this location vegetation zone. is in a tropical grassland In the field photograph, we see grass in the distance with only a few trees. 4. From the economic activity map, we learned that this location has subsistence farming with commercial farming nearby. Another possible answer: From the population density map, we learned that this location has a population density of 25 125 people per square mile. In the field photograph, we see women working with some sort of crop, apparently grain. Another possible answer: In the field photograph, we see no evidence of heavy population or urban settlement. Teachers Curriculum Institute Africa 6