Treasures of Africa

Teacher's Guide

Created by Jo Lynn McNeil

Project Web Page Coordinator  Patti Greenleaf

Introduction

This lesson plan was developed as part of the Amphitheater School District Technology Literacy Challenge Fund grant. The purpose of the program is to provide teachers with a way of learning about technology and in turn provide students with the best teaching practices and curriculum through technology. This lesson plan was developed as part of the program's TLCF Web Guides, which are a series of web-based lessons designed by teachers to provide students with on-line educational opportunities.

Disclaimer: While every precaution was taken to insure the integrity of the sites included in this lesson plan, with the dynamic nature of the World Wide Web sites can constantly change. Teachers are advised to view the sites before conducting a lesson with their students.
 
 

Lesson Objectives

Arizona State Standards

Materials

  1. Computer lab, computers with Internet connection.
  2. Paper and writing utensils for students (why not have them use Word?)

Student Activity One

The sutdents will go to the PBS children's site that correlates to the African series.  Anansi the spider takes them on a virtual tour of Africa and shows them many ancient sites.  The children will read and answer questions about the places they visit.  When they have successfully answered questions they help Anansi find a calabash, or gourd, and it gives him

Title of First Site in Activty.

    Go to URL link: http://www.pbs.org/wonders/Kids/kids.htm
    Read the message from Anansi.  Next, go to The Quest for the Magic Calabash.
    Read the clues and follow the links until you find the answer to Anansi's riddle.
  1. You will visit 6 sites on a map of Africa.
Title of Next Site in Activty.
  1. URL: http://www.info.usaid.gov/regions/afr/afrmap.html
  2. Description of Site: This is a map of Africa. The kids will print it out and write the names of the places they find on this map.

Student Activity Two;

  1. URL: http://www.info.usaid.gov/regions/afr/afrmap.html
The children will print out a map of Africa, and after labeling it with the places they found in Activity One, they will draw a compass rose. For children to see what a compass rose looks like, have them use Word and insert the picture Compass.

Student Activity Three:

Go to this URL:  http://www.connect2africa.org/zimruins.html#top
Students will look at the pictures of Great Zimbabwe and read about how old it is.  They will write down how they think the people used the Conical Towers. (It says that this is not know.) These answers will be read in class later, as the basis for a class discussion. Children will be asked to recall lessons they have had on inferring...forming their opinion from what they know, what they read, and what they see. (You can start this type of lesson first just using any picture and guiding the children with questions like "What season it it?  How do you know?  Is it day or night?  City or small town? etc.)

Grading Standards will be found at each student activity.