1. GEOGRAPHIC UNDERSTANDINGS Factory Shoals Middle School Mr. L. Smith Day 1

2. Standard SS7G1 Standard SS7G1: The student will locate selected features of Africa. a.Locate on a world and regional political- physical map: the Sahara, Sahel, savanna, tropical rainforest, Congo River, Niger River, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Atlas Mountains, and Kalahari Desert.

3. Agenda Message: We are starting our unit on Africa today. Africa Regional Maps distributed today. CDA-IV Study Guides go home tomorrow! Standard: Locate on a map: the Sahara, Sahel, savanna, tropical rainforest, Congo River, Niger River, Nile River, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Atlas mountains, & Kalahari Desert. Standard: Locate on a map: the Sahara, Sahel, savanna, tropical rainforest, Congo River, Niger River, Nile River, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Atlas mountains, & Kalahari Desert. Essential Question for Wednesday, March 23 rd : Why is Africa considered to be the birthplace of life on earth? Warm-up: Name three (3) new things you learned about Southern & Eastern Asia. Today We Will: 1. Collect homework S&EA Crossword Puzzle and Word Search 2. Start geographic features of the African continent

4. E.Q. Answer for Wednesday March 23 rd E.Q. Answer for Wednesday March 23 rd : The oldest human fossils are all from Africa. It is generally considered where human life on earth began.Warm-Up Students this is an opportunity for each of you to answer honestly about what new things you learned in the unit on Southern & Eastern Asia.

5. Agenda Message: CDA-IV Study Guides go home TODAY! CDA-IV is March 31 st. Prepare for Success! STUDY!!! Standard: Locate on a map: the Sahara, Sahel, savanna, tropical rainforest, Congo River, Niger River, Nile River, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, Atlas mountains, & Kalahari Desert. Essential Question for Thursday March 24 th Essential Question for Thursday March 24 th : What is the longest river in the world and where is it located? Warm-up: Warm-up: What is the largest desert in the world? Today We Will: 1. Complete Geographic Features of the African Continent 2. CDA-IV Study Guides

6. E.Q. Answer for Thursday March 24 th : The longest river in the world is the Nile River. It starts in the mountains of Ethiopia and Uganda travels north through Sudan and Egypt before it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. It starts at Lake Victoria. Warm-Up Answer: The Sahara Desert extends from the Atlantic Ocean on the west to the Red Sea in the east some 3,000 miles. Southward from the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea the Sahara extends for more than 1,000 miles to the Sahel region. In total it covers an area of over 3.6 million square miles.

7. Africa is an enormous continent. It has almost every type of climate and geography. The northern coast of Africa runs from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. the Atlas Mountain Range Several hundred miles inland (in the NW corner of Africa) is the Atlas Mountain Range, a group of mountains that separate the Mediterranean coastal regions from the great Sahara Desert.

8. Sahara Desert The Sahara Desert runs across the entire width of northern Africa. This is the largest desert in the world. It is covered with sand dunes, rolling rocky hills, and wide stretches of gravel that go on for miles and miles. Few people live in the Sahara; however traders who travel by everything from camel caravan to jeeps and trucks cross its barren miles regularly.

9. Sahel South of the Sahara is a region called the Sahel, a dry and semi-arid region slowly turning into desert. There is little rain in this region. Generations of people have tried to live there, cutting down trees and allowing animals to overgraze. As the plants have disappeared, the soil has become drier and has begun to blow away.

10. Savannas In the middle of the African continent, close to the equator, is the savanna region of Africa. It is a vast area of grassland and more tropical habitats. In this part of the continent, one finds many of the animals associated with Africa. The grasslands support lions, elephants, and many other species of animals.

11. Farming is also good here when the rains come. However, lack of rainfall can also cause difficulties for farmers. Tropical Rainforests The African tropical rainforests are located along the central coast. These are areas with hot and humid climates and dense forests with trees hundreds of feet tall. Many exotic animals and birds live in the African rainforests.

12. The biggest threat to this ecosystem is the rapid population growth in most African nations located in the area. The need for fuel is driving people to cut down the trees faster than they can be replaced. Kalahari Desert Africa’s other great desert, the Kalahari Desert, is located in the southern part of Africa. Like the Sahara in the north, the Kalahari Desert is surrounded by a semi-arid area (or Sahel) that is also becoming drier.

13. Africa’s Rivers Africa also has three spectacular rivers. The Longest river in the world, the Nile River begins in the central mountains of Africa. The longest tributary of the Nile, begins at Lake Victoria. The river flows northward over 4,000 miles until it flows into the Mediterranean Sea.

14. The Congo River flows through central and west Africa, through the largest rainforest in Africa. The Congo River begins in central Africa near Lake Tanganyika and flows almost 3,000 miles before it reaches the Atlantic Ocean.

15. The Niger River is the third largest river in Africa, flowing from Guinea over 2,600 miles and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The mouth of the Niger is a vast delta, sometimes called the “Oil Delta,” because of the petroleum industry centered there.

16. Africa’s Lakes Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa. It is also the start of the Nile River. Lake Tanganyika is one of the largest freshwater lakes and one of the deepest lakes in the world.