DVD Learning Guide
National Geographic
Africa
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Vocabulary from the Film
Discussion Questions based on Film Content
Lesson Plans and Activities
Related Books and Online Resources
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DVD Learning Guide
Page 1 of 6
Africa, Episodes 1 & 2, Disc 1 (2001)
®
A Homeschool Learning Network Learning Guide
Format:
Age Levels:
Genre:
Category:
Rating:
Length:
Producer:
Warnings:
DVD
Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Documentary
World History / Geography : Africa
PG
120 minutes
National Geographic
This film contains discussions of evolution.
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Summary
Volume 1 of the National Geographic series Africa is divided into two parts. In episode 1, Savanna
Homecoming, a young mother and her son make a journey back to the countryside for the birth of
her second child. Meanwhile, another mother must decide if the way of life she has left behind in
the city is worth giving up for her difficult life in the African countryside. The Serengeti is spotlighted
in this story. In episode 2, Desert Odyssey, a nine-year-old boy is initiated into manhood by testing
his physical and intellectual strength in an arduous journey across the Sahara Desert. The customs
and reasons for the caravan are spotlighted in this story.
Vocabulary (Grades 1-12)
Try the following activities with the vocabulary words to the right. Depending
on the age and ability of your students, they may be able to complete
assignments from multiple grade levels.
1-2:
Ask your students to copy the following words in alphabetical order,
and to describe each of the words verbally. Practice spelling.
3-5:
Look up each word in a dictionary, and write down its definition.
Write each word in a sentence, or write a paragraph using the words.
6-8:
Write a description or review about this DVD using the vocabulary
words. Above each vocabulary word, write N if it is a noun, V if it is a
verb; ADJ if it is an adjective; ADV if it is an adverb.
6-8:
Write down words you hear in the video you don’t understand. Break
the words into parts and see if you can determine the meanings. Look
up the meanings.
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Vocabulary
Savannah
Steppe
Carnivore
Migration
Predator
Kenya
Tanzania
Oasis
Sahara
Caravan
Navigate
Nomads
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DVD Learning Guide
Page 2 of 6
Discussion Questions
Ask students to read through their questions carefully before watching the film, and take notes
during the film. After watching it, ask students to write their answers to the following questions on
a separate piece of paper.
Learning Styles: Auditory, Verbal
Intelligences: Verbal/Linguistic, Interpersonal
Episode 1: Savannah Homecoming
1. How many times bigger is Africa than the United States?
2. Why is it important for the woman to give birth to her child in her home village? What might
happen if she stayed in the city?
3. What decision does Flora face? How might it affect her future?
4. Explain how the land is important to each mother.
5. What does Flora eventually decide about where she should live? Do you think she made the
right decision? Why or why not?
6. What animals migrate across the Serengeti? Why do they migrate?
7. Why is the savannah so rich in plant life? What kind of soil does it have? How does the
temperature affect plant growth?
8. Explain what this Kikuyu proverb means: “This land is the mother of us all”
Episode 2: Desert Odyssey
1. How old is Adam when he begins his journey? Do you think he was too young to journey
across the Sahara?
2. What was Adam’s initiation / test? Why was it important to the rest of the Caravan?
3. Why are camels so important to the traders? How does a camel conserve water?
4. What precious mineral is “more valuable than gold”? What threatens the caravan’s
productivity?
5. If the caravans stop trekking across the desert, would things change for the better or for the
worse for Adams family? Why?
6. What is the largest city in Africa?
7. What was the geography of the Sahara 7,0000 years ago? Where does much of the water
that forms the oasis come from?
8. How did the Nile flooding encourage farming settlements?
9. What lessons does Adam learn on his voyage through the desert?
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DVD Learning Guide
Page 3 of 6
Lessons & Activities
Caravans Across the Desert
Subjects:
Grades:
Style:
Arts, Language Arts, Science, Social Science
3-12
Visual/Experiential/Kinesthetic
Concepts:
You will learn about the caravans used by Africans crossing the Sahara Desert.
Lesson:
In part two of the National Geographic: Africa, a nine-year-old boy named Adam makes an
incredible journey across the sands of the Sahara. It was his first time making such a journey, but
for thousands of years Adam’s ancestors traversed the same desert to trade everything from
precious gems to highly valued salt. The trade routes crisscross the continent of Africa.
A Caravan Mural! (Grades 3-12)
Make a mural of a caravan journey across the desert! This is a great activity for an entire class or
family. You can assign different portions of the mural to different students. Each will then need to
research various aspects of the Caravan journey.
Materials:
•
Butcher paper, a masonite or wood board (prime the board before beginning the project), or
several poster boards taped together
•
Research materials and/or Internet access about life in Africa, animals of the desert,
caravans, trade routes, etc.
•
Art materials used to illustrate, such as paint (Acrylic), pencils, markers, watercolors,
crayons, or pastels.
Begin by drawing the preparations for the journey at one end of the mural, and finish with the
caravan reaching its destination at the other end of the mural. What happens along the way? What
animals do they encounter on their journey, what stops do they make? Make sure to include as
many details as possible! You may use the links in the additional activities below to get you
started on research.
HINT: Using mixed media works well with this project. You may decide to paint the desert and sky
as a backdrop to the journey using paints, and then switch to pencils, markers and other material
to add the details.
Try some of the following activities for extra learning:
Read the text of Timbuktu, Mali and learn about what was traded along these caravan routes.
Timbuktu http://www.historychannel.com/classroom/unesco/timbuktu/history.html
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Page 4 of 6
Write a list of five things that traders brought to African points along the caravan routes. Explain
why these were important items.
Learn about the world of Tuareg caravans by exploring this online set of activities, which includes
art projects, video clips, camel trivia, and more.
Caravans Across the Desert http://www.lam.mus.ca.us/africa/tour/desert/
Camels are an essential part of any trip across the desert. They have been called “The Ships of
the Desert”. To understand how camels can survive for days without water and why they are such
hardy animals, read:
Information about Camels http://www.llamaweb.com/Camel/Info.html
Write a short research paper on how the physical characteristics of camels enable them to survive
the desert.
Pretend you are the boy in this interactive story. See if you make the right decisions and can get
across the desert!
Across the Desert http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/geography/story/main.html
Consider what you know about deserts. Where would you find water in the desert? What kind of
unique geography exists in the desert? Read this article, and write a report on how deserts are
formed.
Overview of the Desert http://horizon.nmsu.edu/ddl3/overview.html
Look at the eight regions of the desert. Name each one and list three unique facts about each of
them.
What Lives in a Desert? Regions http://horizon.nmsu.edu/ddl/database/regions.html
Learn More! Books and Online Resources
BOOKS
Reader, John., Africa: A Biography of the Continent. Knopf; ISBN: 067973869X (Ages 9- adult)
Saitoti, Tepilit Ole., Maasai. Abradale Press. ISBN: 0810980991 (Ages 9 and up)
Iwago, Mtsuaki., Serengeti: Natural Order on the African Plain. Chronicle Books. ISBN:
0877014418 (Ages 5 and up)
Wolfe, Art., Africa. Wildlands Press; ISBN: 0967591813 (Ages 9 and up)
Berenbaum, May R., Sahara: A Natural History. Fountain Pr. Ltd.; ISBN: 0863433987 (Ages 7 and
up)
Berenbaum, May R., Mara-Serengeti: A Photographer's Paradise. Fountain Pr. Ltd.; ISBN:
0863433987 (Ages 9 and up)
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Page 5 of 6
ONLINE RESOURCES
Africa South of the Sahara
http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/guide2.html
A comprehensive list of resources related to the African continent south of the Sahara Desert.
Included is a wealth of great cultural links.
Africa The Cradle of Civilization
http://library.thinkquest.org/C002739/AfricaSite/1Main.shtm
From the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, to the grand emperors of Abyssinia and the legendary kings
of Ghana, this site presents a picture of the ideas and traditions of African civilizations.
Africa: Sahara
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/explore/sahara/sahara_series_lo.html
This is the PBS guide to Episode 2: Desert Odyssey.
The Great Sahara Desert
http://www.calacademy.org/exhibits/africa/exhibit/sahara/index.htm
Take a virtual tour of the Sahara and learn about the largest desert in the world!
Sahara
http://www.pbs.org/sahara/
This stunningly beautiful site is full of awesome pictures and information. Topics range from
animals to people to geography.
Exploring Nairobi
http://www.jambokenya.com/jambo/location/nairobi.htm
A short informational piece about the unique city of Nairobi.
Africa: One Continent, Many Worlds
http://www.lam.mus.ca.us/africa/home.html
A superb place to begin discovering this massive continent. This site includes a superb atlas.
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DVD Learning Guide
Page 6 of 6
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ANSWER KEY:
Episode 1: Savannah Homecoming
1. Africa is 3 times bigger than the United States.
2. She felt that her child would not have a sense of her culture if it were born in the city. (“To be born in the city, is to
be born nowhere”) She also had the support and love of her mother and aunt in her home village. If she stayed in
the city her children might not be exposed to and learn from her culture and heritage.
3. Flora must decide if she should stay with her husband or move to the city. She has lived there for 11 years.
4. The land is important to both women as a source of life. For Flora it provides life-giving nourishment and shelter for
her family. For the woman in the second episode, it provides a sense of cultural identity and belonging.
5. Flora decides to live with her husband in the African countryside rather than move to the city. (Answers will vary
about Flora’s decision. Be sure to support yes or no answers with reasons.)
6. Most of the grass-eating animals migrate across the Serengeti. They include, zebra, wildebeest, antelope and
elephants. They migrate to eat the rich grass that grows after the rains. The carnivores eat the migrating animals.
7. The savannah is rich in plant life because it is a temperate grassland (the temperature rarely falls below 50
degrees Fahrenheit). The soil is volcanic soil. The temperatures are always good for growing.
8. Answers will vary – One possibility: Africa is the center of our ancestry and it provided life for our forefathers for
thousands of years just as it provides life to those who live there today.
Episode 2: Desert Odyssey
1. Adam is nine years old. There will be varying answers about whether Adam was old enough to make the journey
or not.
2. Adam’s test involved his uncles dressing up as bandits. They wanted to see if Adam would face the danger and
defend the caravan. (Which he did) This test was important to measure how well Adam would react under stress
and whether or not he would put the caravan’s needs first. Community and teamwork are needed to make the
caravan a success.
3. Camels can cross the desert with heavy loads on very little water. A camel conserves water by decreasing its urine
output.
4. Salt is the mineral that is said to be more valuable than gold. The caravan’s ability to be productive in the salt trade
is threatened by the use of trucks to cross the Sahara. They can make the trip faster and deliver much more than
the camels can carry.
5. Answers will vary for this question. Explore both answers completely.
6. The largest city in Africa is Cairo.
7. The Sahara was once rich grassland with many animals. 7,000 years ago men left markings on the rocks that
depict the variety of life once seen in what is now a desert. The water that forms many of the Sahara’s oases
comes from fossil water and is a remnant of the grassland.
8. Nile floods encouraged farming along its banks because the cycle of flooding brought rich silt that many things
grew well in.
9. Answers will vary. Try to concentrate on what Adam learned about his culture and his family as well as the land.
DISCLAIMER: Homeschool Learning Network, Inc. has provided this Learning Guide to enhance your learning experience. Reviews, questions and
resources within this Learning Guide are not endorsed by DVD producers. Links to outside Web pages do not constitute an endorsement of the sites
by Homeschool Learning Network, nor does Homeschool Learning Network maintain the sites. Links are included at the discretion of the editors and
are intended as a service to readers. We urge you to exercise care and parental guidance when visiting Web sites.
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