1. Africa’s trading empires
Chapter 3 Lesson 2
Social Studies 5th Grade
Mr. Vida

2. Bell Ringer! Day 1 Where is the Sahara Desert AND…
Speculate on what hardships traders probably faced crossing it.

3. Bell Ringer!
Day 1
Where is the Sahara Desert and speculate on what hardships traders probably faced crossing it.
ANSWER: The Sahara Desert is located in northern Africa and stretches across the continent. In crossing it, one would experience hardships such as very hot days and very cold nights, lack of water and food, and a great sea of endlessly shifting sand.

4. What is a caravan AND… For what purpose did caravans cross the Sahara?
Bell Ringer!
Day 2
What is a caravan
AND…
For what purpose did caravans cross the Sahara?

5. What is a caravan and for what purpose did caravans cross the Sahara?
Bell Ringer!
Day 2
What is a caravan and for what purpose did caravans cross the Sahara?
ANSWER: A caravan is a group of traders that traveled together. For centuries, caravans on camel backs traveled the Sahara Desert bringing goods to and from West Africa

6. Bell Ringer!
Day 3
What important events occurred during Mansa Musa’s reign as king
AND…
List the events in the order that they occurred.

7. Bell Ringer!
Day 3
What important events occurred during Mansa Musa’s reign as king and list the events in the order that they occurred.
ANSWER: Mansa Musa went on a pilgrimage to Mecca. This journey strengthened ties between Mali and other Muslim nations and Timbuktu became a center of learning. Mansa Musa then ordered the construction of the Great Mosque.

8. Title Layout
Subtitle

9. What We will see here… Preview:
Beginning more than 1,000 years ago , rich trading kingdoms developed in West Africa.
Places:
Sahara
Ghana
Timbuktu
Mali
Mecca
Songhai
People:
Mansa Musa
Vocabulary:
Caravan
Pilgrimage
Astrolabe

10. West Africa:
Subtitle

11. 3 Kingdoms, 3 Timeframes:
Subtitle

12. Ghana: Known as the Kingdom of Gold
Earliest Kingdom, thrives around 700 AD
Lacked an important resource ~ SALT
Trading routes developed to bring in salt in trade for gold
Just as China’s silk had become worth its weight in gold, so too did salt

13. Islam comes to West Africa:
Along with items, Arab traders brought their religion with them
Followers of Islam are known as Muslims
Islam began to spread through out the region
The kings of Ghana hired Muslims as officials, to help them rule.

14. Ghana grew rich from trade:
Ghana rulers grew rich from trade
It’s kings charged taxes on all imports and exports
Kingdom of Ghana weakened in the 1100’s…
… but new empires were emerging in the same area.
They would become LARGER and RICHER than Ghana!

15. Why was salt so valuable?

16. Why was salt so valuable?
Salt was used as a preservative to keep food from spoiling. There were no refrigerators in Africa - the only way to preserve meat and other food products was by salting it.

17. Caravan: A group of traders traveling together
For centuries, caravans on camels traveled the Sahara, bringing goods to and from West Africa

18. Sahara Desert:
is the largest subtropical hot desert and third largest desert after Antarctica and the Arctic. At over 3,600,000 sq miles, it covers most of North Africa, making it almost as large as China or the United States.

19. timbuktu Trading city on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert
Where Arab traders bargained to get the best price for their salt in gold

20. Mali: Kingdom of Mali controlled more land than Ghana
Mali owed it’s wealth to trade
Continued gold for salt trade, but also…
European ships from Spain, Portugal, and Italy brought
Cloth
Horses
Other Goods
Mali traded for these European items:
Gold
Animal hides
Kola nuts

21. Reached its peak as an empire in 1300 AD Mansa Musa was the ruler then
Mali:
Reached its peak as an empire in 1300 AD
Mansa Musa was the ruler then

22. Mansa Musa: Ruler of Mali
Muslim who went on a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324
He took thousands of people and among them were 500 slaves
Each slave carried a bar of gold weighing 4 pounds
Gold was used along the way to pay for traveling purposes
The journey strengthened ties between Mali & other Muslim nations
He brought back many scholars & artists that contributed to life in Mali
After Mansa Musa’s rule, kingdom of Songhai flourished

23. Mansa Musa:

24. Timbuktu (cont.):
City where scholars & artist settled from Musa’s pilgrimage
City was a center for trade & learning of the time
Mansa Musa ordered a large building for study & worship to be built there
It was known as the Great Mosque

25. Pilgrimage: A journey taken for religious reasons
Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith
All faiths practice pilgrimages
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima, Portugal.
Western or Wall, Wailing Wall, Jerusalem
St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
Mecca, Saudi Arabia

26. Mecca: Holy site of pilgrimage for the Islamic faith
It is a city on the Arabian Peninsula
The birthplace of Muhammad and the site of Muhammad's first revelation of the Quran.
Mecca is regarded as the holiest city in the religion of Islam
Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims must make at least once in a lifetime

27. Mecca:

28. Songhai: Flourished from the middle 1300’s to the 1500’s
At its peak in 1500, it controlled more land than both Ghana & Mali

29. Astrolabe:
An instrument developed by Arabs that helped sailors use the sun & stars to find their location in latitude (their distance from the equator)
These tools were making the world more closely connected!

30. What is the correct sequence of events?
Lesson 2 Review:
What is the correct sequence of events?
The kingdom of Ghana developed in West Africa
Songhai controlled more land than both Ghana & Mali
Mali reached its peak during the rule of Mansa Musa

31. What is the correct sequence of events?
Lesson 2 Review:
What is the correct sequence of events?
The kingdom of Ghana developed in West Africa
Mali reached its peak during the rule of Mansa Musa
Songhai controlled more land than both Ghana & Mali

32. 2. Why did caravans cross the Sahara Desert?
Lesson 2 Review:
2. Why did caravans cross the Sahara Desert?

33. 2. Why did caravans cross the Sahara Desert?
Lesson 2 Review:
2. Why did caravans cross the Sahara Desert?
To trade with the kingdoms of West Africa

34. 3. Why did Timbuktu develop into a center of Muslim learning?
Lesson 2 Review:
3. Why did Timbuktu develop into a center of Muslim learning?

35. 3. Why did Timbuktu develop into a center of Muslim learning?
Lesson 2 Review:
3. Why did Timbuktu develop into a center of Muslim learning?
Mansa Musa brought scholars and artists to Timbuktu and built a center for study, The Great Mosque.

36. Lesson 2 Review:
4. What major resources did West African kingdoms control? What
important resources did they lack?

37. West African kingdoms controlled gold and lacked salt
Lesson 2 Review:
4. What major resources did West African kingdoms control? What
important resources did they lack?
West African kingdoms controlled gold and lacked salt

38. 5. Why did Mansa Musa travel with so many people and so much gold?
Lesson 2 Review:
5. Why did Mansa Musa travel with so many people and so
much gold?

39. Why did Mansa Musa travel with so many people and so much gold?
Lesson 2 Review:
Why did Mansa Musa travel with so many people and so
much gold?
Possible Answer: To impress people so that they would trade with him. He also used gold for traveling purposes. No credit cards then!