1. Aim: What caused the rise and fall of the
West African Kingdoms?
Do Now: What makes a kingdom great?
Aim: How did the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai show the richness of Africa?
Do Now: Matching

2. Matching Vocabulary
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A. Lineage
B. Stateless society
C. Patrilineal
D. Matrilineal
E. Maghrib
F. Almoravids
G. Almohads
• Part of N. Africa that is
Libya today.
D • Mom’s side of the family
G • Group of Berber Muslims
A • Common ancestors
F • Strict religious
brotherhood
C • Dad’s side of the family
B • No system of central
power
E
Aim: How did the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai show the richness of Africa?
Do Now: Matching

3. Natural Resources
•
•
•
•
•
Salt
Gold
Cloth
Weapons
Timber
Aim: How did the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai show the richness of Africa?
Do Now: Matching

4. Empire of Ghana
• 3rd Century Berber nomads begin using
camels. This made trade much easier in
the Sahara
• Trade increased
• Soninke people called their land Ghana
• 700’s: Ghana was a kingdom and the
rulers were getting rich by taxing trade
Aim: How did the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai show the richness of Africa?
Do Now: Matching

5. Ghana on the Map
Aim: How did the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai show the richness of Africa?
Do Now: Matching

6. Primary Source
• The king adorns himself…wearing necklaces
and bracelets…The court of appeal Is held in a
domed pavilion around which stand ten horses
with gold embroidered trappings. Behind the
king stand ten pages holding shields and swords
decorated with god, and on his right are the sons
of the subordinate kings of his country, all
wearing splendid garments and with their hair
mixed with gold. – Al-Bakri
• What does this quote tell us about life in Ghana?
Aim: How did the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai show the richness of Africa?
Do Now: Matching

7. Empire of Mali
• 1235 Mali emerges as a major kingdom
• Located south of Ghana
• This kingdom became important when
resources became scarce and trade
routes shifted
• This made them wealthy and helped Mali
to obtain more power.
Aim: How did the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai show the richness of Africa?
Do Now: Matching

8. Assignment
• Most of the information that we have
about the early African civilization is
based on oral traditions. Why should
this be so? What advantages are there
to oral history as compared to written
accounts. What other historical
sources might be found to confirm or
dispute oral accounts?
Aim: How did the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai show the richness of Africa?
Do Now: Matching