Create an interesting poster about West African Kingdoms and Mansa Musa. We'll connect what happened in the past to things that matter today as well as three enduring issues.
Assignment Steps:
Step 1: Learn About West Africa reading and/or watch the videos. Take notes.
- Read about West African Kingdoms. Focus on Ghana, Mali, and Songhai Empires.
- Describe the geographic context (describe their geography and be specific!).
- Where were they located?
- When were they around?
- What cities are important?
- Explore how people lived, traded and practiced their culture back then.
- What did they trade?
- What trade route did they use? How difficult was the route?
- What was the culture like? [Government, Society]
- Who was Mansa Musa? Why is he historically important?
- What Enduring Issues can you connect with this topic? For each explain:
- What is an Enduring Issue?
- Define your issue and and explain how it is connected to West Africa.
Step 2: Find 3 Online Sources or Books from the library:
- Search online for three good sources about West African history. You can use databases, websites or books. Britannica & World Book are excellent sources to begin your research.
- Remember to write down where you found the information (like a detective).
- You cannot use Wikipedia.
- Remember when you "Google" something, you need to write down the website. "Google" is not a source.
- You must cite your source using MLA.
Step 3: Create Your Poster:
1. Divide your poster into parts:
Start : Introduce West African Kingdoms and Mansa Musa.
- Empires : Share cool facts about Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.
- Mans Musa: Tell us about his rule, wealth, and why he's important.
- Trade and Culture: Talk about trading routes, culture, and the city of Timbuktu.
- Legacy: Explore what Mansa Musa left behind.
Enduring Issues
- Inequality: How did rich and poor people live in those empires?
- Impact of Ideas: What can we learn from how different cultures met and shared ideas?
- Power: How can Mansa Musa inspire leaders today?
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Use pictures and short sentences to explain things. Must include 4 visuals (artifacts from the time period) AND at least 1 Map.
2. Make It Look Good:
- Arrange your poster neatly.
- It must be typed and glued/taped on.
- Use colors and big letters so everyone can read it.
3. Show and Tell
- Present you poster to the class, Explain what you have learned and how it connects to our world.
Rubric: West African Kingdoms and Mansa Mus Poster Project
Criteria for Success:
- Content (50 points):
- Accurate information about West African Kingdoms and Mansa Musa (20 points).
- Clear sections on empires, Mansa Musa, trade, culture, and legacy (15 points).
- Connection to three enduring issues (15 points).
- Visual Presentation (30 points):
- Neat layout, colors and fonts (10 points).
- Effective use of visuals [maps, images] (10 points).
- Readability from a distance (15 points).
- Writing and Clarity (20 points):
- Concise, informative text (10 points).
- Captions for images (5 points).
- Proper citations for sources (5 points).
Total Points: 100 Assessment Points
