Africa Imperialism Essay
Over the course of the next two weeks you will be working on writing a five paragraph essay on one of the
topics below. You will choose ONE of the questions to answer in a FIVE paragraph essay. Your essay should
include as much information and as many details and examples as you can. We will be covering all of the topics
below in class, but you should visit the Africa archive section at www.mrtavani.com to make sure you have all
the information to write a really solid essay. Your essay will be graded using the PA Domain Scoring Guide (see
back).
A few hints:
Focus - Make sure that each paragraph has a main idea/topic and that you stick to that idea or topic throughout
the paragraph.
Content - Be sure to have plenty of information, details, and examples. Your information should support the
point you are making. Your information should also be factually accurate.
Organization - Your ideas should be arranged in a logical order, or in a way that makes sense for your essay. It
should be easy for a reader to follow, and should not jump from one idea to another and then back again.
Style - Use a variety of words and sentence structures so your reader stays interested in your essay.
Conventions - Your essay should be free of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word usage errors.
Essay topics:
1. How did European attitudes about Africans lead to European colonization of Africa? Give specific examples.
2. European imperialism had several effects on Africa. Identify and analyze several of those effects. Be sure to
include specific examples.
3. After 1945 most African nations won independence in many different ways. Identify and explain how different African nations gained independence. Include examples of several countries’ independence struggles.
4. Between 1945 and 1990 most African colonies gained independence from their European rulers. However,
most colonies were not prepared by their European rulers for self-rule, and therefore faced many struggles in
building independent nations. Explain some of the many struggles faced by African nations. Give specific examples of nations that endured these struggles.
Grading
Your essay will be graded using the rubric below. We will double weight the content score of your essay, so it
will be worth 10 points instead of 5. Focus, organization, style, and conventions will each be worth 5 points.
The entire essay will be worth 30 points.
AP Human Geography
Cheltenham High School
Mr. Tavani
Map Analysis Essay
Maps are often used to communicate spatial data in newspapers and magazines in order to help
a reader understand a particular phenomenon. In this assignment you will find a map printed in a
newspaper or news magazine, or even online. The map should be one of the types of thematic maps
(reference maps will probably not work for this assignment) and one that has a specific purpose in
helping a reader understand a news article or story. In your essay you will analyze the decisions the
cartographer made with regard to type, scale, projection (if applicable — though probably not), symbols, aggregation, and spatial data representation. Here you will want to focus on the advantages and
disadvantages of the different aspects of the map. Explain whether the map effectively communicates
the information the cartographer is trying to get across. Also, include a printout or copy of the map
with your paper and use MLA format (although, you will not have citations, just a works cited page).
Grading
Your essay will be graded using the PA writing rubric with the content section weighted more heavily to ensure the inclusion of your analysis of the aspects of the map mentioned above (type, scale,
projection, symbols/color scheme, aggregation, and spatial data representation). Each of the rubric
categories will count for up to five points, except content, which will count for twenty-five (5 points for
each aspect of the map that you will evaluate). The essay will be worth a total of forty-five points.
Content
Type _______/5
Scale _______/5
Africa Imperialism Essay
Over the course of the next two weeks you will be working on writing a one paragraph essay on one of the
topics below. You will choose ONE of the questions to answer in a FIVE sentence essay. Your essay should
include as much information and as many details and examples as you can. We will be covering all of the
topics below in class, but you should visit the Africa archive section at www.mrtavani.com to make sure you
have all the information to write a really solid essay. Your essay will be graded using the PA Domain Scoring
Guide below.
AP Human Geography
Cheltenham High School
A few hints:
Mr. Tavani
Map
Analysis
Focus - Make sure that each paragraph
has a main
idea/topic and Essay
that you stick to that idea or topic throughout the paragraph.
Maps are often used to communicate spatial data in newspapers and magazines in order to help
a reader understand a particular phenomenon. In this assignment you will find a map printed in a
Content - Be sure to have plenty of information, details, and examples. Your information should support the
newspaper or news magazine, or even online. The map should be one of the types of thematic maps
point you are making.
(reference maps will probably not work for this assignment) and one that has a specific purpose in
helping a reader understand a news article or story. In your essay you will analyze the decisions the
Organization - Your ideas should be arranged in a logical order, or in a way that makes sense for your essay.
cartographer made with regard to type, scale, projection (if applicable — though probably not), symIt should be easy for a reader to follow, and should not jump from one idea to another and then back again.
bols, aggregation, and spatial data representation. Here you will want to focus on the advantages and
disadvantages of the different aspects of the map. Explain whether the map effectively communicates
Style - Use a variety of words and sentence structures so your reader stays interested in your essay.
the information the cartographer is trying to get across. Also, include a printout or copy of the map
with your paper and use MLA format (although, you will not have citations, just a works cited page).
Conventions - Your essay should be free of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word usage errors.
Grading
Essay
topic:will be graded using the PA writing rubric with the content section weighted more heavYour essay
1.ilyHow
did European
colonization
of Africa
cause
problems
in Africa?
Give mentioned
one exampleabove
each of(type,
a social
to ensure
the inclusion
of your
analysis
of the
aspects
of the map
scale,
problem,
economic
problem,
and
a
political
problem.
projection, symbols/color scheme, aggregation, and spatial data representation). Each of the rubric
categories will count for up to five points, except content, which will count for twenty-five (5 points for
Grading
each aspect of the map that you will evaluate). The essay will be worth a total of forty-five points.
Your essay will be graded using the rubric below. It will be worth 25 points.
Content
Type _______/5