Africa
Big Idea: Latitude
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Because the Equator divides the continent almost in half, latitude above and below the Equator defines much of the natural features of Africa
Patterns of rainfall and natural vegetation help explain other patterns, both human and natural.
PPT
Clickable PDF
Teacher Notes/Questions
Objectives: The student will be able to:
Slides 1-4 – geography
Land color
Why is latitude important in Africa?
 Locate the position of the Equator in Africa
background
Equator
 Explain why its position is significant
Slides 5-14 – Rainy
Rain in April,
What is the Equatorial Rainy Belt? How does its
 Describe the correlation between distance from
seasons and effects
July, October,
position change in relation to the seasons?
the Equator and the amount of rain
and January
What determines the number of rainy days per year
 Explain the seasonal flooding of major rivers in
Rainy Days
in Africa?
Africa
Rivers
Slides 15-20
Ecoregions
Satellite Image: Shows vegetation related to
 Describe the transition of ecoregions when
July Rain
precipitation.
traveling from the Equator north to the
Fires in July
Why do patterns seem to be mirror images north
Mediterranean Sea
January Rain
and south of the Equator?
 Explain the influence of the Rainy Belt on the
Fires in January Why are there few fires near the Equator?
number and season of fires in different places
Slides 21-25 Where do the Chimpanzees
How does precipitation affect animal habitats?
 Describe the effect of latitude on the habitats
animals live? Why?
Camels
Which animals can live in the rainforest?
of camels, cheetahs and chimpanzees in Africa
Cheetahs
The desert? The savannah?
Rainy Days
Slides 26-28: Food crops
Millet
Why were ancient capitals located in the grasslands?
 Describe the pattern of millet and cassava.
follow latitude; determine Cassava
 Explain the location of centers of ancient
historic cities
Ancient Capitals
African empires.
Slides 29-30 Disease
Malaria
Why are communities with many cases of malaria
 Describe two climatic characteristics
Rainy Days
located near the Equator?
contributing to the presence of malaria
What is the relationship between malaria and
 Compare the location of the centers of ancient
precipitation?
empires to the pattern of malaria.
Slides 31-32 Connections
Capitals
(Use clickable map to show camels and trade routes
 List some natural resources found in Africa
Trade Routes
together). How did traders move their goods?
 Explain why there doesn’t seem to be many
Camels
What might be some dangers to the traders?
resources north of the capitals
Slides 33-39: Some causes Languages
Why are there more different languages in the rainy
 Explain why there are so many different
and consequences of
Rainy Days
belt?
languages evident in Africa
language patterns
How did European colonization treat the language
 Describe some problems the language barriers
differences?
might cause when Europeans divided up parts
of Africa
Slides 42-72: Questions