TRAVEL BACK IN TIME
to the Ancient African Empires of
Ghana, Mali, Songhai (Songhay)
The Roman Empire has collapsed. Between 300-1750 AD when the West African
empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhai were ruling west Africa, some important
world happenings were: the Chinese dynasties were growing strong, Marco Polo
was traveling to China (remember the game you used to play named after him?),
and Christopher Columbus was sailing from Spain. You are going to be
journeying back to that ancient time to discover:
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how and why trade routes developed throughout North and
West Africa, the locations of these routes, and what was
traded along these routes
how and why the empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai rose,
succeeded, and declined
facts about the landscape of West Africa
information about West African culture
CLICK ON THE INTERNET ADDRESS NEXT TO THE TIME TRAVEL MACHINE TO
GO TO THE LINKS YOU NEED IN YOUR TRAVELS
Whenever you see this time machine, there will be an Internet link to aid you in
your travels as you answer questions. Click on the link to get to the site.
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Questions you will answer have a bullet point in front of them
You need to know where you will be going as you travel back in time.
FIRST get the blank map of Africa you have been given.
http://thewright.org/teachingmodules/history/map.html
Go to the link above where the map shows you the location of these 3 empires you will
be visiting:
On your map
3 empires.
in three different colors, AND LABEL, the location of the
Also, click on each kingdom, and write down on the map the dates of each empire
from its beginning to its end.
Now you are going to visit each African empire to find out why each was so
important.
You are traveling to the ancient African empire of Ghana
http://www.ducksters.com/history/africa/empire_of_ancient_ghana.php
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You are entering Ghana just as it is being founded. What year have you
traveled to?
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What does the name “Ghana” mean?
Travel further into Ghana and find out more about this empire.
http://africa.mrdonn.org/goldandsalt.html
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How did Ghana become rich? Explain in detail. Be sure to include the
types of goods being traded.
Take another trip further into Ghana by going to the site below.
http://africa.mrdonn.org/ghana.html
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Do the people you see in ancient Ghana appear to be happy? Do they have
adequate housing and food? Explain in detail.
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You hear talk that Ghana was called the “Gold Coast.” What was the
Trans-Sahara Trade Route, and what type of landform made the route
dangerous?
http://kidspast.com/world-history/0099-kingdom-ghana.php
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Will you be able to visit the entire empire in a day, or a week? How large of
an area does the empire of Ghana cover?
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If you were to meet the king of Ghana in your travels, how would you refer to
him (like an Egyptian king is called a Pharaoh)?
http://mali.pwnet.org/history/history_ghana_empire.htm
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You have already read how the empire became rich. Now visit this site, and find 4
reasons why The Ghana Empire survived and prospered:
http://mrkash.com/activities/ghanamaliempires.html
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What brought about the end of the empire of Ghana ?
Your travels will now take you to the ancient African empire of
Mali.
Look at your map to see where this empire was located.
http://mrkash.com/activities/ghanamaliempires.html -travel down the page to Mali.
 How did the empire of Mali begin? Include how trade and agriculture
helped the empire grow.
 Who was Mali’s first king, and what was his contribution to the empire?
 What is the name for one who ruled in Mali?
 Who was considered to be the greatest ruler during Mali’s golden years,
and what are 3 things he did to grow the empire?
 What was the city of Timbuktu known for?
 What brought about the end of the empire of Mali?
Last stop on your travels is the ancient African empire of
Songhai. Look at your
map to see where this empire was located.
http://africa.mrdonn.org/songhay.html
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Explain how Songhai was able to take over West Africa.
http://www.ducksters.com/history/africa/songhai_empire.php
 How was the government set up in the Songhai empire?
 What was the Songhai culture like?
 How were slaves used in the empire, and how did one become a slave?
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How did the Songhai empire fall?