Geography
This is the name for the largest hot desert in the world. It also is home to important trade routes that connect West Africa to the Silk Road.
What is the Sahara desert?
How was Ghana able to build their wealth?
What is taxing traders?
What Empire did Mali come after?
What is the Ghana Empire?
Compared to Mali and Ghana, how large was the Songhai Empire?
Songhai was the largest West African Empire.
Explain how to write an introduction paragraph.
Historical background, thesis
This river was important for establishing trade and transportation for West African Empires.
What is the Niger River
Griots were performing which task?
What is passing on stories, from generation to generation, through oral histories.
Who is Mansa Musa? What was he known for? Where did his pilgrimage go to?
Important and wealthy leader of the Mali Empire who went on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Why did the Songhai Collapse?
Ineffective leadership, internal conflict/loosing control of trade routes, attacks from Moroccan forces.
What is one reason that Moroccan forces were able to defeat the Songhai Empire?
Better weaponry such as guns
The region was known for its arid temperature which allowed limited farming to occur. In place of farming plants, animals were able to be raised and herded in the region.
What is the Sahel region?
What were the two most important trade items for the Ghana Empire?
What are gold and salt?
Who is Sunjata, and what is his importance to the Mali Empire?
Sunjata was the founder of the Mali Empire
How was Sii Ali Beeri important to the Songhai Empire?
Expanded the empire, controlled trade, improved the Army, and constructed a Navy.
Sii Ali Beeri created this type of protection force, that worked to control and protect the Niger River.
What is a Navy?
This region was fertile and known for growing a surplus of crops.
What is the Sudan region?
What is the difference between a legend and an oral history?
Legend- a story that includes both real and fantasy elements.
Oral history- a true story that is passed from generation to generation.
How did the Mali interact with their geography?
Used the Niger River for trade and transport. Used the Sahara to connect them to important trade routes. Used the Sudan region for agriculture. Used the Sahel region to raise animals.
How did Askiya Muhammad improve the Songhai Empire?
Askiya Muhammad the Great improved the Songhai by organizing the government, connecting to the wider Islamic World, and controlling trade in the region.
What were the three ways that the Mali Empire decline?
What are ineffective leaders, changing trade routes, and outside attacks?
Write a DBQ thesis statement based on the following question: Did West African Empires interact with their geography?
Thesis Statements
What are three reasons that the Ghana empire decline?
What are changing trade routes, outside attacks, and changing environments?
Due to Sunjata being able to unite chiefdoms under one united rule, he can be compared to this previously studied leader.
Who is Chinngis/Ghengis Khan?
This city was the origin of the Songhai Empire.
What is Gao?
What is the importance of Timbuktu?
Timbuktu is the center of learning for West Africa, with a number of mosques and schools.