Africa: Why Do People Live Where They Live?
Last month we worked on building our mental map of Europe.
This month we’re heading south to explore:
AFRICA
We’re going to continue learning WHERE places are, but we’re also going to investigate something geographers find fascinating:
Why are some places crowded with people while other places have very few people?
One of the biggest clues is something every human being needs:
💧 WATER!
🗺️ PART 1 — BUILD YOUR MENTAL MAP OF AFRICA
Use a world map, atlas, globe, or online map.
First, find Africa.
Notice what surrounds it.
Find:
🌊 Atlantic Ocean
🌊 Indian Ocean
🌊 Mediterranean Sea
🌊 Red Sea
Now find these countries:
🇪🇬 Egypt
🇸🇩 Sudan
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
🇰🇪 Kenya
🇳🇬 Nigeria
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
🇿🇦 South Africa
🇲🇬 Madagascar
Build your mental picture of Africa.
Answer all the questions in red on a piece of paper:
1. Which country is at the very southern end of Africa?
2. Which country on our list is a large island?
3. Which country is in the northeastern corner of Africa and borders the Mediterranean Sea?
4. Which country is directly south of Egypt?
5. Which ocean is east of Africa?
6. Which ocean is west of Africa?
7. Which sea separates northeastern Africa from the Arabian Peninsula?
✈️ PART 2 — TAKE A TOUR OF AFRICA
Watch:
African Countries — Learn Africa Map and the Countries of Africa Continent
This video travels around Africa and shows all 54 countries.
Watch where each country appears and try to make the map of Africa a little clearer in your head.
After watching:
8. Name one African country you had never heard of—or knew very little about.
9. Name one country that was somewhere different than you expected.
10. What country, border, island, or location surprised you the most? Why?
💧 🏞️ PART 3 — CRASH COURSE: WHERE THERE IS WATER…And Follow a River Through Africa
Watch: How can rain create conflict?
As you watch, listen for this important geography idea:
“Where there is water, there are people.”
Think about WHY that might be true.
After watching:
11. List THREE reasons people need access to water.
12. Why can water sometimes cause conflict between people or places?
Now Watch:
How Rivers Shape the Landscape — Crash Course Geography #23
This episode follows the Zambezi River in southeastern Africa. You’ll see the river travel from smaller tributaries, through Victoria Falls, and eventually toward the Indian Ocean.
Watch for what a river can DO.
After watching:
13. Name ONE way a river can change the land around it.
14. Find the Zambezi River on a map. What famous waterfall is located on it?
🔎 PART 4 — THE NILE MYSTERY
Now we’re going to do some geography detective work.
First, find:
THE NILE RIVER
Follow it north through northeastern Africa.
Notice that it flows through Sudan and Egypt before reaching the Mediterranean Sea.
Now look at this population-density map of Egypt:
Egypt Population Density Map
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Egypt_2010_population_density1.png
Look at the map for a minute before reading further.
What do you notice?
15. Are people spread evenly across Egypt?
16. Where does most of the population seem to be concentrated?
Now compare the population map with a physical map showing the Nile River.
💡 THE MYSTERY:
17. Why would millions of people live in a narrow strip following one river when there is so much land around it?
Make your best prediction.
Think about:
💧 Drinking water
🌾 Farming
🐄 Animals
🚤 Transportation
🏘️ Settlements
🏜️ The surrounding desert
This is HUMAN GEOGRAPHY.
Physical geography helps influence where people live and how they live.
🌾 PART 5 — RIVERS & CIVILIZATIONS
The Nile isn’t the only river that has influenced where people settled.
Find these three river systems:
NILE RIVER
Africa
TIGRIS & EUPHRATES RIVERS
Middle East
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
North America
Now think like a geographer.
18. Why do you think so many towns, cities, farms, and civilizations developed near rivers?
🌍 PART 6— AFRICAN COUNTRY MYSTERY SPOTLIGHT
Choose ONE African country that you would like to know more about.
It can be one we’ve already studied or somewhere completely new.
This is NOT a formal report.
You are simply becoming our class expert on one country. I want you do this as a kind of “Mystery” Country. You will give clues to where it is and what is around it and in it. Text me the country you want to do. (801- 901-3610) It will be on a first come, first serve basis. If you text me and someone else has chosen the country you wanted to do, I will ask you to choose a different country.
My country: Include these things in your spotlight.
📍 WHERE IS IT?
What countries, oceans, seas, or major features are around it?
🏔️ WHAT IS ONE IMPORTANT PHYSICAL FEATURE
River, mountain, desert, lake, coastline, grassland, rainforest, etc.
🤔 WHY MIGHT ITS GEOGRAPHY MATTER?
⭐ THREE THINGS YOUR CLASSMATES SHOULD KNOW:
😮 SOMETHING THAT SURPRISED ME:
🍴 OR ✈️ BONUS:
Find either: A food you would like to try AND/OR A place you would like to visit
Be ready to tell us about your country for ONE to TWO MINUTES in class. Remember to keep it a mystery! We will guess your country after you tell us about it!
🌎 PART 7 — MAPTAP CHALLENGE!
Go to:
www.maptap.gg
Complete the 5 Daily Geography Questions on at least 3 DIFFERENT DAYS before our next class.
Text your score to 385-204-5713. This is a google voice number that Clint set up for us to use for maptap. He has set up a leaderboard for us to use.
Guess! Use clues! Learn something new! Have Fun! Don’t cheat! And definitely challenge someone else in your family. My family now has a running text thread just to share our scores. It’s been so fun!
And then answer these questions.
What was hardest or most interesting question I saw:
What is one new place MapTap helped me discover:
🛡️ PART 8 — PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD
Our scripture theme this year is:
Ephesians 6:11–17
So far we’ve put on:
Loins girt about with TRUTH and Breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS
This month we add:
👣 FEET SHOD WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE
Read:
Ephesians 6:13–15
Pay special attention to verse 15:
“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
Shoes prepare our feet to GO somewhere.
They protect us as we walk.
They help us travel difficult paths.
Now read:
Mosiah 15:14–18
Look for the words:
“How beautiful are the feet…”
Notice what these people are doing.
They are:
Publishing peace.
Bringing good tidings.
Declaring salvation.
Telling us that God reigneth.
👣 THINK ABOUT YOUR PATH
This month we’ve been looking at rivers, roads, locations, settlements and the places people choose to live.
Geography affects the paths people travel.
The gospel also gives us a path to follow.
And Jesus Christ asks us to be people who bring peace wherever our feet take us.
Think about this:
You don’t have to travel across the world to be someone who brings peace.
You can bring peace into:
🏠 Your home
🏫 Your classes
⛪ Church
⚽ Your team
👥 Your friendships
💬 Your conversations
Answer ONE: Write in your journal or notebook.
A. What do you think it means to have your “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace”?
OR
B. What is one place your feet take you regularly where YOU could do a better job of bringing peace? What could you do?
🗺️ PART 9 — UPDATE YOUR WORLD PROGRESS MAP
Remember the map I had you print? Update this map!
Make sure you can roughly locate:
AFRICA
And:
🇪🇬 Egypt
🇸🇩 Sudan
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
🇰🇪 Kenya
🇳🇬 Nigeria
🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
🇿🇦 South Africa
🇲🇬 Madagascar
Also find:
🏜️ Sahara Desert
💧 Nile River
💧 Congo River
🌊 Mediterranean Sea
🌊 Red Sea
🌊 Atlantic Ocean
🌊 Indian Ocean
➖ Equator
You do NOT need perfect borders.
Our goal is:
“I’ve heard of that place—and I have a pretty good idea where it is!”
You will need a device for class! I can’t wait to see you.
🙌 — Hooray, You’re finished!
