1. AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC UNDERSTANDINGS Factory Shoals Middle School
Mr. L. Smith
Day 4-7

2. Africa Geographic Understandings
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. FIRST FIVE
Agenda Message: Social Studies Weekly Writing Prompt due Friday. Write a one page paper about how to bring long lasting peace to SWA between Arabs and Israelis.
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 Tuesday January 22, 2019: What river runs through the African Tropical Rainforest?
Warm-up: Name the geographic feature located in the northwestern corner of the African continent.
Today We Will:
Complete Geographic Features of the African Continent

4. ANSWERS
E.Q. Answer for Tuesday January 22, 2019: The Congo River Warm-Up Answer: The Atlas Mountains

5. FIRST FIVE
Agenda Message: Weekly Writing Prompt due Friday. Answer the question: “How would you bring long lasting peace to SWA between Arabs and Israelis”.
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 January 23, 2019: What are the two lakes we need to know in Africa?
Warm-up: Name the two deserts we need to know in Africa.
Today We Will:
Complete Geographic Features of the African Continent

6. ANSWERS
E.Q. Answer for Wednesday January 23, 2019: Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika Warm-Up Answer: Sahara Desert and Kalahari Desert

7. FIRST FIVE
Agenda Message: Weekly Writing Prompt due tomorrow. Answer the question: “How would you bring long lasting peace to SWA between Arabs and Israelis”.
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 January 24, 2019: What is the Great Rift Valley?
Warm-up: Briefly describe the African Savannas.
Today We Will:
Complete Geographic Features of the African Continent

8. ANSWERS
E.Q. Answer for Thursday January 24, 2019: The Great Rift Valley is an enormous dip in the earth’s surface. It was created by the separation of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates about 35 million years ago. It is surrounded by highlands and contains three of Africa’s most important lakes. Warm-Up Answer: The savannas of Africa are flat or rolling grasslands scattered with small tress and shrubs.

9. FIRST FIVE
Agenda Message: Weekly Writing Prompt due TODAY. This week’s E.Q.’s & Warm-ups are due next Monday.
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 Friday January 25, 2019: What is the tallest mountain in Africa?
Warm-up: Briefly describe the African Tropical Rainforest
Today We Will:
Complete Geographic Features of the African Continent

10. ANSWERS
E.Q. Answer for Friday January 25, 2019: Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa. Located in Tanzania in eastern Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro rises approximately 19,340 feet above sea level. Warm-Up Answer: Central Africa is home to the second largest tropical rainforest in the world. The rainforest is home to many unique plant and animal species.

11. Weekly Homework Assignment
Writing Prompt
Weekly Homework Assignment
How would you propose to bring lasting peace to SWA between the Arabs & Israelis?
Covers current issues in SWA & Africa
Minimum one-page printed copy (Nothing hand-written)
Assignment asks you to analyze issues and present well thought out solutions
Site your references
No copy and paste. Present “YOUR” thoughts and analysis.

12. Africa Geographic Understandings
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 west, all the way to the Red Sea on the east.
Atlas Mountains
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.

13. Africa Geographic Understandings
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.

14. Africa Geographic Understandings
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.

15. Africa Geographic Understandings
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.

16. Africa Geographic Understandings
Farming is also good here when the rains come. However, lack of rainfall can also cause difficulties for farmers. African 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.

17. Africa Geographic Understandings
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.

18. Africa Geographic Understandings
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.

19. Africa Geographic Understandings
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.

20. Africa Geographic Understandings
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.

21. Africa Geographic Understandings
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 .
Mt. Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa. Located in Tanzania in eastern Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro rises approximately 19,340 feet above sea level.

22. Africa Geographic Understandings
The Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley is an enormous dip in the earth’s surface. It was created by the separation of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates about 35 million years ago. It is surrounded by highlands and contains three of Africa’s most important lakes.