7th Grade World History Medieval to Early Modern Times Unit 3 - Chapter 5 Early West African Societies

UNIT .

. What You Will Learn West Africa is a region rich in natural resources , and its people have long been traders . They traded a wide variety of goods , such as gold , ivory , salt , and food . Rich resources and extensive trade brought fabulous wealth to West Africa . With this wealth , West African rulers created large trading empires and built magnificent cities . In the next two chapters , you will learn about the early peoples of West Africa and the vibrant trading empires of , Mali , and . Explore the Art In this scene , a young traveler named Leo visits an official of the Empire in the West African city of Timbuktu . What does this scene show about the city of Timbuktu ?

3000 300 Early California Standards Science Students analyze the geographic , political , economic , religious , and social structures of the civilizations of and Mall in Medieval Africa . Arts Writing Develop complex major and minor characters and a definite setting . Reading Describe and connect essential ideas , arguments , and perspectives of text using knowledge of text structure , organization , and purpose . Fous on WRITING Writing a Journal Entry Many people feel that recording their lives in journals helps them to understand their own experiences . Writing a journal entry from someone point of view can help you to understand what that life is like . in this chapter , you will read about the land and people of early West Africa . Then you will imagine a ter and write a journal entry from his or her point of view . I . 3000 West ( nun climate starts EVENTS 3000 EVENTS Egyptians begin to write using hieroglyphics . 108 CHAPTER

, series watch the video to stand of the salt trade . is . What You Will Learn In this chapter you will learn about the geography and early cultures of West Africa . This photo shows West African villagers performing a traditional dance . AD 200 Camels are first used in North The Nok culture Africa , making begins using iron and makes clay sculptures . trade easier . 480 44 AD Greece defeats Julius Caesar is Trade routes Persia in the assassinated in Rome . link the Roman Persian Wars . Empire and Mediterranean with East Asia . EARLY WEST AFRICAN SOCIETIES

Reading Social Studies . Society Economics Geography Politics Religion and Culture Focus on Themes In this chapter , you will read the region history , providing water , food , and about West physical geography and transportation for people . in addition , salt and early cultures . You will see West Africa is a land of iron deposits can be found in the region . Such many resources and varied features . One feature , resources were the basis for a technology that the Niger River , has been particularly important in allowed people to create strong tools and weapons . Organization of Facts and Information Focus on Reading How are books organized in the library ?

How Additional are the groceries organized in the store ?

Clear organization helps us au ( i the the product we need , and it also helps us find facts and information . Understanding Structural Patterns Writers use structural patterns to organize information in sentences or paragraphs . What a structural pattern ?

It simply a way of organizing information . Learning to those patterns will make it easier for you to read and understand social studies texts . Patterns of Organization ' 59 , improve your understanding , Clue words Graphic Organizer , time steps shows as a result , because , i . how one thing leads therefore , this led to ' for the ) a fin to another passage , Then look for clues that , signal a pattern . Chronological Order after , before , first , i ! a ?

i mi ' any obvious pattern ?

Listing presents also , most important , mation in categories for example , in fact ' Se a grap or importance . I 10 CHAPTER .

ELA Reading Describe and connect essential ideas , and perspectives rising knowledge of text structure , and purpose . i a chapter You Try it ! Section The following passages are from the chapter you are about to read . As you read each set of sentences , ask yourself what structural pattern , Africa ( 112 ) the writer used to organize the information . saber ( Recognizing Structural Patterns A . Living in present day Nigeria , the Nok made iron farm tools . One iron tool , the hoe , allowed farmers to clear the land more quickly and easily than they could do with earlier tools . As a result , they could grow more savannah ( 114 ) rain forests ( 114 ) Section extended family ( 116 ) animism ( 117 ) vive . People who had once lived freely began to live closer together . Over time they settled in ( 116 ) Academic Vocabulary food ( 118 ) i Success in school is minted to in vocab I . Thousands of years ago , West Africa had a damp mi , fir , mate . About years ago the climate changed , though , i and th be dri AS i . In this chapter . you will learn and area came er . more an , i the Mowing people had to leave areas where they could no longer impact In 114 ) traditional ( Four different regions make up the area ing the Niger River . The northern band across West Africa is the southern part of the Sahara . The next band is the semiarid ( a strip of land that divides the desert from wetter areas . Farther south is a band of savannah or open grassland . The fourth band gets heavy rain . 114 ) After you read the passages , answer the questions below I . What structural pattern did the writer use to organize the information in passage How can you tell ?

What structural pattern did the writer use to organize the ' As rich I it ) til i information in passage ?

How can you tell ?

an am organization of the ideas . Look for signal , words and ask yourself why the author . What structural pattern did the writer use to organize the has arranged the in the way he , information in passage ?

How can you tell ?

she did . EA LY WEST AFRICAN I I I . The landforms , water , climate . and plant life affected history in West Africa . West Africa resources farmland , gold , and The Big Idea West Africa has varied , ments and valuable resources . Key Terms rifts , I 12 Africa , 112 , 114 Savannah , 114 rain forests , 114 IE Study the Niger River and the relationship of vegetation zones of forest . savannah , and desert to trade in gold , salt , food , and slaves and the growth ofthe and Mali empires . I 12 CHAPTER Geography of Africa were there You live in a village near a great bend of the Niger River in Africa in about AD 800 . The river is full of , and . You use its water to grow crops and raise cattle . Traders use the river to bring wood , gold , and other products from the forests . Why is this a good place to live ?

BUILDING BACKGROUND The continent of Africa is so large that many varied kinds of terrain , from barren deserts to thick rain forests . Each region has a different climate and provides ent resources for the people who live there . In each area different ' cultures and ways of life developed . Landforms , Water , Climate , and Plant Life Africa is a big place . In fact , it is the continent on earth . Only Asia is bigger . This vast land is shaped roughly like a soup bowl . Forming the bowl northwestern rim are the Atlas Mountains . The range forms the ern edge . In eastern Africa mountains extend alongside great rifts . These rifts are long , deep valleys formed by the movement of the earth crust . From all these mountains the land dips into plateaus and wide , low plains . The plains of Africa , or Africa south of the Sahara , are crossed by mighty rivers . Among the main rivers are the Congo , the , and the Niger . Along the Niger River in West Africa great civilizations arose . The role this river played in the development of civilizations is one example of the way the physical geography of West Africa affected history there . West Africa Great River Look closely at the map on the next page and the Niger River . As a source of water , food , and transportation , the river allowed many people to live in the area .

A I A largest desert , the Sahara . dominates North Africa . The world longest river , the Nile , flows i northward to the Mediterranean Sea . I I I I I I I I . Eastern Central Africa ( has large rain forests . covered with OCEAN ) I scattered trees . ELEVATION Feet , Sea ) Below sea level sea level 350 700 Miles 350 700 Kilometers INDIAN OCEAN En ( INTERPRETING MAPS . Location Where in Africa is the Niger River located ?

Region in what region Blue Nile start ?

EARLY AFRICA SOCIETIES ( INTERPRETING MAPS ' of environment is located just south ofthe Sahara ?

I Mediterranean I Rain forest I Savannah AND LOW mo Kilometers Along the Niger middle section is a area of lakes and marshes . This watery region is called the inland delta . Though it looks much like the area where a river into the sea , it is hundreds of miles from the coast . Many animals and birds food and shelter in the area . Among them are crocodiles , geese , and hippopotamus . Fish are also plentiful . TODAY Human activities like logging and are rapidly destroying rain forest West Africa Climates and Plants Four different regions make up the area surrounding the Niger River . These regions , which run from east to west , are like broad bands or stripes across West Africa . The entire area is warm , but rainfall varies from north to south . The amount of each region gets has an impact on what result vegetation , or plant life , exists there . ACADEMIC 114 CHAPTER 00 , The northern band across West Africa is the southern part of the Sahara . This huge expanse of sand and gravel is the largest desert . Temperatures can climb above Rain is very rare . The next band is the semiarid ( a strip of land that divides the desert from wetter areas . Although the is fairly dry , it has enough vegetation to support hardy grazing animals . Farther south is a band of savannah , or open grassland with scattered trees . Tall grasses and shrubs also grow there , and grazing animals are common . The fourth band gets heavy rain . Near the equator are rain forests , or moist , densely wooded areas . They contain many different plants and animals . Summarizing What are four climate and vegetation regions ?

West Africa Resources West Africa land is one of the resources . With its many climates , the land could produce many different crops . Among the traditional West African crops are dates raised in desert oases and kola Savannah Much of Africa is covered by grasslands called savannah . scattered across the savannah are clumps of trees like these acacia trees . nuts , used for medicines , from the forests trees . Along the Niger , farmers could use the water to grow many food crops . Other resources were minerals . People who live mainly on plant foods , like many early Africans , must add salt to their diets . The Sahara was a source of this precious mineral . When ancient lakes there dried up , they left salt behind . Workers mined the salt by digging deep into the earth . Gold was another mineral resource of West Africa . Although gold is soft and therefore useless for tools or weapons , it makes beautiful jewelry and coins . Gold came from the southern forests . Miners kept the exact locations of the gold mines a secret . To this day , no one knows exactly where the mines were located , but gold became a valuable trade good . Finding Main Ideas What are some of West Africa major resources ?

AND You have read about the physical geography of Africa . Next you will learn how physical had an impact on culture and trade in early West Africa . Rain Forest rain forests like this one are found in central and western Africa . The rain forests tall trees provide homes for many different animals Online KEYWORD Reviewing Ideas . Terms . and People IE What is a savannah ?

Contrast How might living in the be different from living in a rain forest ?

Evaluate In which African climate region would you most like to live ?

a . Identify What were two of early West Africa tant mineral resources ?

Explain How were these resources related to West Africa physical geography ?

Elaborate Why do you think miners kept the location of the gold mines a secret ?

Critical Thinking . Summarizing Create a chart like the one below . Use it to describe the characteristics of West Africa four climate regions . Climate region Characteristics . Taking Notes on West Africa Geography Review this section and take notes on the geography of West Africa . Remember that part of this land is your character daily environment . What does he or she see every day ?

What challenges does the environment present ?

Section Assessment EARLY AFRICAN SOCIETIES I I will Learn , Main Ideas . Family and religion influenced daily life in early West African society . Iron technology changed life in West Africa . Trade shaped the history of West Africa . Family ties , religion , iron , and trade all contributed to the growth of West African societies . Key Terms extended family , 116 animism , 117 Analyze the importance of family , labor specialization , and regional commerce in the ment of states and cities in West Africa . 116 Early Culture and Trade If YOU were there You and your family are farmers in West Africa in about 400 . Farming is hard work . You use a sharp , wooden stick to dig the soil and put seeds in the ground . One day a trader brings farm tools made of a dark metal you never seen before . These fine tools are so strong you ca break them ! They have clean , sharp edges . How will these new tools change your life ?

BUILDING BACKGROUND The different climate regions of West Africa provided people with a variety of rich resources . Rivers provided waterto grow crops in drier areas . The land was also a rich source of minerals , especially gold and iron . These two resources played a large role in the development of African cultures . Families , Religion , and Daily Life Thousands of years ago , West Africa had a damp climate . About years ago the climate changed , though , and the area became drier . As more land became desert , people had to leave areas where they could no longer survive . People who had once roamed freely began to live closer together . Over time they in villages . At the heart of village life was the family . Families , and Loyalties A typical West African family was an extended family . Usually the extended family included the father , mother , children , and close relatives in one household . West African society expected each person to be loyal to his or her extended family . In some areas people took part in another type of group . In these who had been born within the same two or three years formed special bonds . Men in the same had a duty to help each other . Women , too , times formed .

Families were an important part of west African village society Here a family gathers in a Nigerian village . Loyalty to family and helped the people of a village work together . one had duties . The men hunted and farmed . Among the crops that men tended were millet and sorghum . These hardy grains grew well in the savannah in spite of the poor soil there . After being harvested , the grain could be made into a thick paste or ground into to make bread . Cattle could eat the grain . Farmers also raised goats and sheep . Like the men , West African women worked very hard . They farmed , collected , ground grain , and water . Women also cared for children . Even the very young and the very old had their own tasks . For example , the elders , or old people , taught the traditions to younger generations . Through songs , dances , and stories , elders passed on the community history and values . Among the values that children learned was the need for hard work . Children began ing beside older family members as soon as they were able . Religion and Culture Another central feature of village life was . religious practices were similar from village to village . A traditional belief showed the importance of families . Many West Africans believed that the unseen spirits of their ancestors stayed nearby . To honor these spirits , families marked places as sacred spaces by putting specially carved statues there . Family members gathered in these places to share news and problems with the ancestors . Families also offered food to the ancestors spirits . Through these practices they hoped to keep the spirits happy , In return , they believed , these spirits would protect the village from harm . Another common West African belief had to do with nature . We call it the belief that bodies of water , animals , trees , and other natural objects have spirits . West Africans dependence on the natural world for survival . Generalizing What role did families play in traditional West African culture ?

EARLY WEST AFRICAN SOCIETIES I Families were the basic group of village society . Extended Families Extended families included grandparents , aunts , uncles , cousins . and their families . Village Chiefs Extended families often had a male leader who sewed as a village chief . council of Elders Sometimes , village chiefs a council of elders um led village . ACADEMIC VOCABULARY traditional customary ,

FOCUS ON READING What structural pattern is used information in the second column on this page ?

Technology and Change As time passed , the people of West Africa developed advanced and diverse cultures . Changes in technology helped some early communities grow . Sometime around 500 West cans made a discovery that would change their region forever . They found that they could heat certain kinds of rock to get a hard metal . This metal was iron . By ing the iron again , they could shape it into useful things . Stronger than other metals , iron was good for making tools . One of the earliest peoples to use this new technology was the Nok . Living in Nigeria , the Nok made iron farm tools . One iron tool , the hoe , allowed farmers to clear the land more quickly and easily than they could with earlier tools . Trade in West Africa For centuries , west Africans have traded goods in markets like this one . At these regional markets , people could get local goods like food and clothing , as well as more valuable goods from far away . What goods can you see in this photo ?

As a result , they could grow more food . The Nok also used iron tips for arrows and spears . Iron weapons provided a ter defense against invaders and helped in hunting . As farmers , hunters , and warriors , the Nok gained power . They also became known for fine sculptures of animals and human heads they made from clay . Iron tools also provided another . They helped West Africans live in places where they couldn live before . Iron blades allowed people to cut down trees to clear land for farms . Because they had more places to live and more farms for growing food , the population of West Africa grew . Finding Main Ideas How did technology change life in West Africa ?

Trade and West Africa As the people of West Africa grew more food , communities had more than they needed to survive . West Africans began to trade the area resources with buyers who lived thousands of miles away . Desert Trade For a long time , West Africans had ventured into the desert for trade . However , those early travelers could only make short trips from oasis to oasis . Their horses go far without water . In the AD 2005 , the situation changed . At about that time , Romans started to use camels to carry goods throughout northern Africa . These animals could store water and energy in their bodies for long periods of time . They could also carry heavy loads . With camels people could cross the Sahara in two months . Traders formed caravans to make the trip . A North African people called the Berbers used their edge of the desert to lead the caravans . Even with camels and the Berbers skills , crossing the Sahara was dangerous . plies could run out , thieves could attack , and caravans could lose their way . Trade in Gold and Salt Despite these dangers , West Africa gold and salt mines became a source of great wealth . Camels carried salt from the mines of the Sahara to the south to trade for gold . Traders then took the gold north , to Europe and the Islamic world . Along with gold and salt , traders carried cloth , copper , silver , and other items . They also bought and sold human beings as slaves . Some of the places where people ered to trade grew into towns . Timbuktu ( for example , began as a camp for traders in about 1100 . Within two centuries , it would become city and a center of culture and learning . It would lie at the center of great empires that rose to power through the riches of the trade . Generalizing goods were a source of West Africa wealth ?

SUMMARY AND PREVIEW Families and religion were central to early West can cultures . When West Africans oped iron technology , communities grew . Trade in gold and salt expanded into a wider area . In the next chapter , you will read about the West African empires based on this trade . Online Quiz KEYWORD Reviewing Ideas , Terms . and People a . Identify What are two groups to which a person in early West Africa may have owed loyalty ?

Analyze How did animism reflect what was important to early West African peoples ?

a . Describe How did the use of iron change farming ?

Make inferences What evidence do you think ans have for how the Nok people lived ?

a . Identify What animal made trade across the Sahara easier ?

Summarize In what directions did the main trade items of West Africa move ?

Critical Thinking . Identifying Cause and Effect Draw a diagram like the one below . Use it to identify two reasons towns grew . Cause I Focus ON WRITING . Taking Notes on west Africa Early Culture Review this section and take notes on the early West Africans way of life . This section covers more than one time period and location , so be sure to note when and where particular activities took place . Section Assessment EARLY AFRICAN SOCIETIES I

History and Geography Crossing the Sahara has never been easy . Bigger than the entire continent of Australia , the Sahara is one of the hottest , driest , and most barren places on earth . Yet for centuries , people have crossed the Sahara plains and vast seas of sand . Long ago , West Africans crossed the desert regularly to carry on a rich trade . Salt , used to preserve and flavor food , was available in the Sahara . Traders from the north took salt south . Camel caravans carried huge slabs of salt weighing hundreds of pounds . Salah AFRICA In exchange for salt , people in West Africa offered other valuable trade , goods , especially gold . Gold dust was measured with special spoons and stored in boxes . Ivory , from the tusks of elephants , was carved into Jewelry . I , CHAPTER

ATLANTIC OCEAN Some goods that were traded across the Sahara . like silk and spices , came all the way from Asia . along the Silk Road . These luxury items were traded , for West African goods like gold and ivory . Temperatures soared to well over during the day and below freezing at night . I Dying of heat or cold was a real danger Water Most areas of the Sahara get less than one inch of rain per year . Travelers had to bring lots of water or they could die of thirst . The Sahara is huge , and the trade routes were not well marked . Travelers could easily get lost Bandits Valuable trade goods were a tempting ' target for bandits . For protection , merchants traveled in caravans . Trade route Settlement ' SKILLS MAPS . Movement Whatwere some goods traded across the Sahara ?

Interaction Why was salt a valued trade good ?

Scale varies on this map , Social Studies Skills Analysis Critical Thinking Participation Skill Develop skills . Study Participation Understand the Skill Making decisions as a group is a complicated and skill to . However , it is an rant skill at all levels of governing a nation to choosing a movie to see with friends . At every level , success is based on the ability of group members to work together in effective and tive ways . Learn the Skill In Chapter you learned about the cultures of the early peoples of West Africa . In some of these cultures , group decision making was central to the government . For example , the Yoruba of day Nigeria , Benin , and Togo lived in independent towns in which all decisions were made by a town council . The council met daily , and each of the town families had one member on it . This system of government worked well , largely because it forced council members to overcome their differences , compromise on goals and actions , and accept group decisions they might not have agreed with personally . Like the members of those Yoruba town councils , being part of an effective group requires certain behaviors . Be an active member . Take part in setting the group goals and in making its decisions . Take a position . State your views and work to persuade other members to accept them . ever , also be open to negotiating and to settle differences within the group . Be willing to take charge if leadership is needed . But also be willing to follow the leadership of other members . In CHAPTER Making Group Decisions Practice and Apply the Skill Imagine you are a part of a Yoruba town council . An invader is threatening the area . You are representing your town at a meeting of representatives of nearby classmates . Together , you must decide what to do about the threat . Remember that your town is very independent . If you agree to something that upsets the people , they may not support it . When your group has finished , answer the ing questions . I . Did your group create a plan for completing its task ?

Did it discuss what to do about the lem ?

What did you contribute toward the plan ?

How well did your group work together ?

What role did you play in that ?

Was your group able to make a decision ?

not , why ?

If so , was compromise involved ?

Do you support the decision ?

Explain why or why not .

Visual Summary the main ideas ofthe chapter . Africa geography influenced people way of life Reviewing Vocabulary , Terms . and People Choose the letter of the answer that best completes each statement below . I . An area near the equator that has many trees and heavy rainfall may be called a tropical area . savannah . rain forest . woodland . The belief that natural objects have spirits is called animism . animalism . vegetism . naturalism . The entire region south of a large North African desert is called . Africa . extended Africa . the . Between the Sahara and the savannah lies the rain forest . inland delta . Standards Review Use the visual summary below to help you review The family was the basic unit of society in West Africa . Long , deep valleys formed by the movement of the crust are called chasms . volcanoes . rifts . earthquake zones . A grassland with few trees where grazing mals may live is a savannah . desert . Sahara . meadow . If aunts , uncles , parents , grandparents , children , and cousins live together in the same hold , these people are members of a group household . an . a kinship home . an extended family . If a group of people has followed a certain custom for a long time , we may say that the custom is timely . in an . traditional . based on animism . EARLY AFRICAN SOCIETIES

comprehension and Using the . Critical Thinking 15 . Activity Writing Newspaper Articles Your . Siam I ( Pages 112415 ) group of reporters IS assigned to write about , West Africa . Enter the activity keyword . Then a . Identify Along what river did great research the land , people languages and develop early west ?

cultures of West Africa . Write two newspaper HOW does ' Climate affect articles to present your research . vegetation ?

Elaborate Today salt is not nearly as valuable as gold . Why do you think salt was so important Social Studies in West Africa ?

Solving Problems Imagine you are a member SECTION ( Pages ) el ( lo . a . Describe What effect did the growth of trade mal eI am . you have on some west towns ?

father , elder , teenager , or young What hard metal Changed . Then imagine a challenge that your in West How did this metal Change farm ily must face , such as a dangerous wild animal , HOW did it Change crop failure , or loss of hunting grounds . With Evaluate Which role in the extended family a partner , discuss how your family will face do you think was the most important ?

Explain the problem by using and your answer . planning skills . Then , on your own , write sentences explaining the problem and how you and your partner decided to deal with it . You Themes may want to use a chart like the one below to I Geography What are the four main geographic help you youl thoughts regions of West Africa ?

In which regions were West Africa two main resources found ?

Technology How did the development of iron technology affect life in West Africa ?

Reading Skills Understanding Structural Patterns of Text Focus ( Read the passage below and use it to answer the ' questions that 17 . Writing Your Journal Entry Review your notes and choose an imaginary character . You might Because who live mainly on plant foods must choose , for example , a leader , someone who trades goods with a nearby add salt to their , wasa valuable mineral In West lage or a woman or man of the Nok Cami ?

i ?

write sentences as your journal entry . was gold . Gold is beautiful but soft . As a result , people used it to and coins but not tools or weapons . feels , and does on a typical day . 13 . What structural pattern did the writer use to organize the information in the passage ?

14 . What signal words helped you determine the structural pattern of the information ?

Include details on what the character sees , CHAPTER , Standards Assessment DIRECTIONS Head each question , and write the letter of the best response . I Use the map to answer the following question . Which letter on the map indicates the Sahara ?

AW CY The region of open grasslands where most grazing of cattle and other livestock takes place is the A rain forest . Sahara . savannah . Life in early West Africa was changed by all at the events except A A the use of camels in trade . the discovery of how to make iron tools and weapons . the development of trade with people to the north . the damming of rivers to control flooding and allow farming . I How were social groups in West African cultures ?

A by family and by religion and family by , family , and religion by extended family only a West Africans supplied all of the ing trade goods to Europe and the Islamic world except A salt . gold . marble . copper . Connecting with Past In Grade you learned about early tions that developed along the and Euphrates rivers and along the Huang He in ancient China . Such developments can be compared to changes along which river in West Africa ?

A the Congo the Niger the Nile the Which East African civilization that you learned about In Grade was similar to the Nok in their discovery and use oi iron to make tools ?

A the civilization the Mesolithic civilization the Paleolithic civilization the Sumerian civilization EARLY WEST AFRICAN SOCIETIES