Homework
Ongoing Projects:
1. Begin to think of a project on Africa you would enjoy presenting. It must be
interesting and beautiful. It will be the capstone of our unit on Africa. It will be
presented on the last two days of the unit: 5 minutes long. In your presentation,
you will need to tell us about what you have done, the history behind it or its
significance in African culture. This should be written in a paper with bibliography
to be turned into the teacher and condensed into bullet point fact sheets for the
students.
a. Make a Nok head/animal with clay and embellish it in the proper style—be sure
to look this up. It must be at least 8 inches in height
b. Create a bulletin board around large handmade map of Africa and surround it in
kente cloth designs (see handouts) this might be a good presentation on clothing of
Africa.
c. Paint canvas cloth in kente patterns and colors, or paint muslin or cotton cloth in
the adinkra style and make a gele or dashiki—I have directions, patterns and
handout. ( A gele is an African head scarf with a very cool tying process). To see it
google: gele
check out the websites—“image results for gele”
“basic steps in wrapping gele”
“flamboyant and power headdress”
check out other cites listed—there are videos and information—if you do
this, you will have to do a report on the reason for geles and their
background.
d. Create a scarf or a dashiki using batik or tie dye processes (see handouts)
e. Make a mask or a Masai shield
f. Serve some traditional African food-- jollof rice, yams and banana cake—see
handouts or find other recipes—and share with class—along with a presentation on
the foods of the Africa regions.
g. Create a model Ganvie village (Ganvie is a city in Benin—known as the Venice of
Africa—it has houses built on stilts, travel is by canoe)
h. Create a model of a mosque
i. Create a mosaic using colors, designs and subjects allowed in Islam
k. Make several replicas of African weapons
L. OR you may find something on your own—just be sure to check it with me.
I will give the students a map outline of Africa. Throughout the course of the unit
we will be putting various geographic features on the map along with various
kingdom boundaries.
Ancient African Cultures-- 2000 BC-400 AD
Section A
Map: We are about to begin studying Africa and its ancient cultures!
On your map find and color in with colored pencil or light medium:
Sahara desert
Kalahari Desert
Nile Delta
The Serengeti
Atlas Mountains
Ethiopian Highlands
Label these:
Red Sea,
Indian Ocean,
Atlantic Ocean
Mediterranean Sea.
Draw and label:
Lake Victoria
The Nile River
The Congo River
The Niger River
Section B
Read Streams of Civilization Page 200-206
1. Which major cultures do we see in Africa at 2000 BC?
2. Which empire arose and impacted the fate of Africa? According to the author,
why did Africa “fade into the background” of history?
3. Where did African culture really originate—where did it spread?
4. According to our author, there are 6 people groups that have spread throughout
Africa. What are they? And where did their descendants end up?—put them on
the map. (Check internet sources on this)
5. What were the geographic reasons that Phoenicians had a hard time exploring
and setting up trade in Africa?
6. List the geographic extremes and the ways each made it hard to survive in
Africa.
7. Put the three major topographical terrain types on your map. Color them and
label: desert; savannah; rainforest
Kush
9. Mark Kush’s territory on your map.
10. What was another ancient name for Kush?
11. How did they earn their living? How did they become rich?
12. How is it that Kush “became a funnel of Egyptian culture to Africa’s interior”?
13. Give a bullet points history of Kush from the year 2000 BC.
14. What unique fact shows how powerful Kush became?
Axum
15. Give a bullet point history of Axum—mark its territory on your map.
16. What became a unique feature of Axum?
17. What story regarding Axum influenced the Age of Exploration by Europeans?
Nok
18. Why don’t we know a lot about the Nok?
19. Where were they located—put it on your map.
20. What are they famous for?
Section C
Islam
Read Streams of Civilization 236-239
Illustrated Guide to World Religions 103-112
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Moving into the Middle Ages (after 473 AD) how did most Arabs live?
What is a sheik?
Where were the few cities located? Why?
What were the Arabs’ predominant religious beliefs?
Why was Mecca different than other cities?
6. What was the Kaaba—check another source to see that what this author says is
right. Is she?
7. Give a brief bullet point history of Mohammed?
Using your comparative Religions book find out what the major beliefs of Islam
are:
8. The five pillars of the faith? (The things all Muslims must do to be considered
good Muslims)
9. The position and role of Mohammed.
10. The belief:
in god
Angels
Jinn
The prophets
The Holy Books
The Day of Judgment
Hell /Paradise
11. According to Halverson, compare and contrast the differences between the
God of the Bible and the God of the Koran. Write this down.
12. What is:
Hadith
Surah
Hegira
Medina
Mecca
Night Journey(may need the internet for this)
Black Stone(may need the internet for this also)
13. What happened when Mohammed died? Who wanted to take over? Who did
take over?
14. How has that impacted the world today? You may talk to your parents about
this.
15. How did the Koran come about?
16. What developments came together to make it easier for the Islamic tribes to
begin to conquer the world? Who were the first four caliphs—what did they do,
what happened to them?
17. What did the Umayyad dynasty accomplish? (Bullet points)
18. What did the Abbasid dynasty accomplish?
19. What choices did conquered peoples have?
20. Using bullet points, what were the benefits and accomplishments the Muslims
brought to the world?
21. google: Islamic art—bring in 5 pictures—extra credit 1 point per picture.
Section D
Read Streams of Civilization pages 313-316
Watch these videos
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/30300-assignment-discovery-the-ghana-empirevideo.htm
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/29489-assignment-discoverymali-empire-video.htm
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/29494-assignment-discoveryempires-in-africa-video.htm
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/29493-assignment-discoveryhistory-of-timbuktu-video.htm
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/29491-assignment-discoverysonghai-empire-video.htm
Ghana
1. Who originally settled Ghana?
2. What was Ghana’s great source of trading wealth? What connection did that
have with Europe?
3. What happened in 1087 that ended the Ghana Empire?
Put Ghana on your map.
Mali
4. What was the great city of Mali?
5. What was Mansa Musa known for?
6. What was their source of wealth?
Place Mali on your map
Songhai
7. How was Songhai defeated?
8. What was the bitter truth the conquerors learned?
Put Songhai on the map/
Zimbabwe
Put Zimbabwe on the map/
8. Who established this kingdom?
9. What language did they speak? How did it come about?
10. Google YouTube
Then in the search line type Lost Civilizations Africa- episode 1- A history denied
There will be other shows along side this from the same series. Do the first then
choose the part 2 (that is a brown picture with a man on the left with a white
African hat) then the second part 2 that is orange with heads of African people)
Zenj
Put it on your map
11. Who established it?
12. Who did they trade with?
13. Apart from Islam, what is the major religious tendency in Africa? Google
animism
Table Talk
14. Realizing that Europe colonized Africa and failed in many ways, talk to your
parents, think about whether we, as those who have much, have the right to
interfere in the countries and cultures of others? If yes, what would that look
like? If no, why not? How do we make those decisions? What would be the
criteria for doing so?
Projects
Test
India
Section A
Read Streams 39-42
1. What are important geographic features that impacted the history of India?
(For more information you might want to check out an encyclopedia or the internet)
2. What is the name of the first civilization of India?
3. Who settled it?
4. How did people live—the rich, the poor?
5. Who were the Aryans?
6. How was their culture different than the original builders of India’s first
cities?
7. What is Sanskrit?
Read Streams 109-112
Indian Vedic Ages,
8. What are the dates of the Vedic Ages?
9. What new change in government developed (the way the political system was
organized)?
10. How did people set up governments in the later Vedic Age? Who was the ruler
What were taxes used for?
11. Indian Society was divided into three major groups—what were they?
12. What is the caste system? Why did it develop?
13. Look up the caste system on the internet and write down four rules concerning
the Untouchables (they cannot be those listed in the book)
14. What are the major castes? What is the order of importance?
Why did they exist?
15. What is the joint family—how did it function? (Bullet points would be fine.)
16. What are several differences in emphases (values) in India versus the west?
(US and Europe) How has that affected culture?
Section B
Hinduism
Halverson pages 85-91
17 What were the early Aryan beliefs?
18. Who began Hinduism?
19. What is the Brahma or World Soul?
20. What is the Upanishads? Does Hinduism have a set of rigid doctrines of
theology? What affect has this had on Hinduism?
21. What is reincarnation? What is its purpose?
22. “All Hindu gods were considered part of __________________ but were
worshipped separately”. What are the three gods that were really”one”?
23. List the areas that were influenced by Hinduism?
Read Halverson’s book pages 88-102
24. Vocabulary
From page 102 in Halverson’s book: give a complete definition of:
a. Ahimsa
b. Avatar
c. Mantra
d. Nirvana
e. Puja
f. Samadhi
25. Major beliefs of Hinduism.
Clearly and completely define:
a. Brahman
b. Law of Karma
c. Samsara
d. Moksha
26. Using the chart on 90 compare the Christian idea of sin and Hindu’s karma—
how do they compare?
27. Scriptures of the Hindus: write out what they are.
a. Vedas (How are they divided?)
b. Smriti (How is it divided?)
c. Sutras
d. Tantras
28. On whose efforts does liberation rest--Man’s or God’s?
Section C
TABLE TALK—read with your parents and be ready to share in class. Act as
secretary and take down your notes—have your parents sign the bottom of
your homework.
29. Look at the charts on 90 and 91—contrasting Christianity and Hinduism.
Write down the answers and be ready to share in class.
a. Humanity
b. Humanity’s problem
c. The solution
d. The means
e. The outcome
Read Halverson pages 94—101 (Responding to Hindrances and Objections). This
is a section that helps us know objections Hindus have to Christianity.) Be ready to
discuss these in class for a participation grade—you do not have to write the
The answers to 30-35 down.
30. What does the quote, “Hinduism is more a culture than a creed mean?
31. How could that keep a Hindu from coming to Christ?
32. How many ways does a Hindu see as a path to reach God? How is that
different than Christianity?
33. What difference does it make if God is personal or impersonal?
34. Hindus believe their gods are manifestations of the Brahman and so Jesus is
nothing unique—he is merely another avatar.
35. What about the laws of Karma can a Christian use to witness to a Hindu? (In
the Hindu world, who pays for the consequences of an action if you forgive
someone?) How can we use that idea to talk about Jesus?
Section D
36. Read Streams of Civilization 206-216 (Be sure to read the boxes and
pictures).
Mauryan dynasty
37. What was it like for people living in the Middle Ages of India?
a. life for girls
b. young men
c. childhood in general
d. people in debt
e. women
f. widows
g. dress
h. entertainment
38. What was the job of the ruler during the Mauryan dynasty?
39. What would happen to a ruler if he stepped down?
40. Who were the two most famous rulers of the Mauryan Dynasty?
41. What is the Arthashastra? What two benefits came from it?
42. Who was Ashoka? What happened to him that changed his views about the
duties of a king?
43. What things did the government take care of under Ashoka?
44. What changes/developments occurred during Ashoka’s reign?
45. How did the growth of trade and the growth of Buddhism go together?
46. Who overthrew Ashoka—why? What lead up to it?
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
47. What culture influenced India during the Greco-Bactrian dynasty?
48. This Kingdom’s dates are__________________. What lead to its demise?
Section E
Kushan Kingdom
49. What did the Kushan Dynasty accomplish?
50. Why were most Hindus against Christianity?
Gupta Kingdom
51. Where was the Gupta Kingdom located? Who were the three major kings?
52. What did Samdragupta accomplish?
53. In 388, under Chandragupta II, what was happening in other Empires? (Rome
and China) What was remarkable about the empire during this time?
54. What inventions did the Indians give us?
55. How did Indian culture spread to Southeast Asia?
56. What is Greater India? Which nations made up Greater India? Greater India
was divided into two sections—what criteria were used to make the division?
57. Go online or to a book in the library and find Angkor Wat and Barabudur> 1
extra credit points for each picture you bring—up to 6 extra credit points.
Section F
Read Streams 310-313
58. The last years of the Gupta dynasty were spent fighting which major
invaders? How long were they a conquered people?
59. After Skanda Gupta died, the Huna invaded again and were not repulsed. By
500 AD the Western India was ruled by the Huna. Why did they pass on in power?
60. What happened to the rest of India between 550 and 916?
61. Who came to power in 606 AD?
62. What religion became popular during Harsha’s reign?
63. What interesting thing did Harsha do to show that he cared for his people?
64. What happened in India from 690-916?
65. Why were child marriages introduced after Harsha died?
66. When did the Muslims come to stay?
67. How had Hinduism and the Indians dealt with other foreigners and their
religions in the past? What was different with the Muslims?
68. Why didn’t the Muslims treat the Indians with more tolerance as they did in
the conquered Jewish and Christian territory? What doctrine of Islam controls
their view of how they look at different peoples and their religion?
69. The Muslims were engaging in jihad, so they…
70. Why was the Urdu language developed?
71. What happened to the position of women under Muslim domination?