SSMMCH05.book Page 133 Friday, February 25, 2005 12:38 PM
Section
2
S e c ti o n
Ghana
2
Standards-Based Instruction
Reading Preview
H-SS 7.4.2 Analyze
the importance of family,
labor specialization, and
regional commerce in the
development of states and
cities in West Africa.
E-LA Reading 6.2.2
Analyze text that uses
the compare-and-contrast
organizational pattern.
Reading Skill
Standards at a Glance
Vocabulary Builder
Identify Comparisons Finding
comparisons can help you
determine ways in which
cultures are similar to one
another. They can also help
you understand similarities
between parts of a single
culture, such as the culture of
Ghana discussed in this
section. Signal words can help
you identify comparisons.
High-Use Words
currency (KUHR uhn see),
p. 135
process (PRAH sehs), p. 135
Key Terms and People
oral history (OR uhl HIHS tuh
ree), p. 133
labor specialization (LAY buhr
spehsh uhl ih ZAY shuhn),
p. 135
revenue (REHV uh noo), p. 136
Section Focus Question
How did the people of Ghana use
their resources and skills to build
a wealthy empire?
Before you begin the lesson, write the Section Focus Question on the board. (Lesson
focus: They used their metals and skills to make
iron tools, resulting in greater food production,
freeing some people to become experts in different kinds of jobs. Ghana became a trading
center.)
Background
Information North African traders
crossed the vast Sahara seeking goods from West Africa. In
time, empires grew rich from this trade. In this section, you
will read about Ghana, the earliest African trading empire.
The Rise of Ghana
Because ancient West Africans left no written records, the
region’s historians have had to rely mainly on archaeology and
oral history. Oral history is an account of something passed
down by word of mouth from one generation to another.
Students have read about the environment of West Africa. In this section, they
will focus on the rise of Ghana as a
powerful civilization in this region. Students will learn about the central role of
trade in gold and salt in the emergence
of this great empire.
Prepare to Read
The development of
metalworking and better
weapons led to the rise of
Ghana.
Build Background
Knowledge
Ironworking Technology Learning to work with
metals was an important step in the development of West African societies. People with metalworking skills had an advantage over their neighbors. Metal tools and weapons were
sharper and stronger than those made of stone, wood, or bone.
Archaeologists believe that the first Africans to develop
ironworking skills were the people of Kush, or Nubia. This
ancient civilization was located south of Egypt on the Nile
River. The ability to work iron may have spread from there to
other parts of Africa.
Section 2 Ghana
133
Set a Purpose
■
History Background
Iron Making in West Africa The discov-
ery of iron making in West Africa helped
make possible the development of iron
tools. In turn, these superior tools helped
increase the food supply, freeing up workers for other trades. Whereas in most
ancient cultures, metalworkers began
using copper and bronze before iron, the
Nok seem to have skipped these stages
L2
Ask students how they think early peoples
from other regions used their resources
and skills to build wealthy empires. (Possible answers: They grew crops or raised livestock, made tools of local or traded resources, or
formed towns and sometimes empires.) Ask
students to preview the headings and visuals in this section and make predictions
about how the people of Ghana used their
skills and resources. Have students engage
in a Think-Write-Pair-Share strategy (TE p.
T39) to generate a list. Write their predictions on the board.
and progressed directly from using stone
to making iron weapons and tools. Iron, a
metal found in rocks, is very easy to mold
into a variety of tools, as it conducts heat
well. The Nok discovered that by heating
certain rocks, they could melt and extract
the bits of iron in them. After separating
the melted iron from the rock, they could
then shape it as they wished into tools.
L2
Read each statement in the Reading
Readiness Guide aloud. Ask students to
mark the statements true or false.
Teaching Resources, Unit 3,
Reading Readiness Guide, p. 15
■
Have students discuss the statements in
pairs or in groups of four, then mark
their worksheets again. Use the Numbered Heads strategy (TE p. T38) to call
on students to share their group’s perspectives. Students will return to these
worksheets later.
Chapter 5 Section 2 133
Trade Routes of Ghana
Teach
15°W
The Rise of Ghana
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
H-SS 7.4.2
Instruction
■
L2
45°E
KEY
E
W
Ghana, c. 300s–1200s
Mediterranean Sea
Major trade routes
City
30°N
Vocabulary Builder
Ask: How does having superior tools
give a group an advantage over those
with inferior tools? (Superior tools allow
more food production, which allows labor
specializaion, which helps develop a richer,
more diverse economy.)
Timbuktu
Kumbi
Gao
Saleh ga
Djenné
l
ne
15°N
R.
Gold
Salt
0°
Equator
0 km
1,000
0 miles
Mercator Projection
Ivory
1,000
For: Interactive map
Visit: PHSchool.com
Web Code: mxp-3052
Archaeologists have found that West Africans were making
iron tools by 350 B.C. in a place called Nok. With iron tools, the
people of West Africa could grow more food. Populations and
food supplies increased.
Ancient Ghana As the population of West Africa grew,
people needed to organize governments to keep order. Oral
histories tell of the rise of a strong kingdom. The kingdom was
founded by the Soninke people between the Niger and Senegal
rivers around A.D. 300. The Soninke based their power on their
superior weapons. They had iron swords and spears, while
their neighbors still used wooden clubs.
Their kingdom grew to be the empire known as Ghana.
(The modern African nation of Ghana is named after this
ancient empire, but it is in a different part of West Africa.)
Interactive Reading and Notetaking Study Guide, Chapter 5, Section 2
(Adapted version also available.)
Monitor Progress
134 Chapter 5
A
Interpret Maps Where is Taghaza located in relation to Timbuktu?
How can you tell that Taghaza was an important trade center?
Have students begin to fill in the Interactive Reading and Notetaking Study Guide.
North; it is located on several major trade routes.
R
A network of trade routes connected Ghana with North Africa and
with resource-rich areas to the south.
Independent Practice
Answer
A
Gulf of
Guinea
Ask: How did the family structure in
Ghana contribute to the development
of labor specialization? (Clans promoted
specialization.)
As students fill in the Notetaking Study
Guide, circulate to make sure individuals
understand the connections among
resources, iron-working skills, the growth
of ancient Ghana, labor specialization, and
a family-based society and economy. Provide assistance as needed.
H
R.
Ask: What were some of the effects of
the development of iron tools on the
people of West Africa? (It allowed them
to grow more food, which led to increases in
population and food production. It also gave
them superior weapons, allowing people to
better protect themselves.)
A
er
■
Se
S
ig
Read The Rise of Ghana using the Oral
Cloze Reading strategy (TE p. T36).
Taghaza Tropic of Cancer
N
■
■
30°E
S
High-Use Words Before teaching this
section, preteach the high-use words
currency and process, using the strategy
on TE p. 127.
Key Terms Following the instructions
on p. 127, have students continue to
preview key terms.
■
15°E
0°
N
134 Chapter 5 The Rise of West African Empires
Universal Access
L1 English Language Learners
L1 Less Proficient Readers
Currency Help students understand the
meaning of currency and its importance in
the economies of nations and civilizations.
Explain that using currency is an alternative to barter, or the direct exchange of
goods. Have students brainstorm for some
advantages and disadvantages of using
L1 Special Needs
currency rather than bartering. (Possible
answers: An advantage of currency is that it
allows trade when one party has no item suitable for barter. Currency also represents something with a generally agreed upon value.
Disadvantages of currency are that it may not
be recognized everywhere.)
As food supplies increased, not everyone in Ghana had to
work at growing food. Instead, some people could become
experts in other kinds of jobs. The division of jobs and skills
in a society is known as labor specialization.
In Ghana, family relationships were very important. Each
clan, or group of related families, specialized in a certain craft
or trade. The Sisse clan, for example, focused on government.
Its members became Ghana’s emperors and officials. Other
clans specialized in fishing or cloth making or cattle raising.
The Gold and Salt Trade
H-SS 7.4.2
Instruction
Read The Gold and Salt Trade with
students. Remind students to look for
comparisons and contrasts.
■
Ask: How did the gold and salt trade
help the people of Ghana build a
wealthy empire? (They used their resources of gold to trade for the salt they needed.
They also taxed the traders passing through
their lands, exacting payment in either gold
or salt.)
■
How did the differences among the
regions encourage trade? (Because different regions had different resources, it was
natural for regions to exchange goods they
had in abundance for those they lacked or
needed more of.)
■
To help students understand the content
of this section, discuss the concept of
commerce. Distribute the concept lesson
on this concept.
How did increased food supplies benefit Ghana?
The Gold and Salt Trade
The peoples who settled Africa’s deserts, savannah, and
forests had different resources. They also had different needs.
Such differences encouraged trade among these regions.
The trade in gold and salt
maintained the wealth of
Ghana for centuries.
Trans-Sahara Trade Even though the journey across
the Sahara was difficult, trans-Sahara trade began in ancient
times. By the 700s, North African merchants were leaving
written records about West Africa and its people.
The trans-Sahara trade was based on two main products:
gold and salt. People north of the Sahara needed gold. It was
the basis of the currency of most countries. West Africans were
rich in gold, but they needed salt. Not only does salt add flavor
to food, it is also essential for good health. Mines in the Sahara
produced lots of salt. North African traders brought large
cakes of salt to West Africa to exchange for gold.
While gold and salt were the most important trade goods,
other items were traded as well. The North Africans brought
steel swords, copper, and silks to West Africa. They returned
with ivory, local crafts, precious woods, and enslaved people.
North African merchants also brought the new religion of
Islam to West Africa. Islam spread south along African trade
routes, changing West African history and culture.
Vocabulary Builder
currency (KUHR uhn see) n. system
or type of money
L2
■
Teaching Resources, Unit 3,
Concept Lesson, p. 21; Concept Organizer, p. 5
Independent Practice
E-LA 7.2.2 Identify
Comparisons
How was trade in gold
similar to trade in salt?
Have students complete the Interactive
Reading and Notetaking Study Guide.
(Adapted version available.)
Silent Barter Merchants from Ghana kept the source of
Ghana’s gold a secret from North African traders. The North
Africans were not allowed to visit the gold mines or communicate with miners that traded with Ghana. Gold and salt
were exchanged between Ghana and the miners through a
process known as silent barter.
Vocabulary Builder
process (PRAH sehs) n. series of
actions taken to achieve a
particular result
Section 2 Ghana
135
History Background
The Importance of Salt to Commerce As
valuable as gold was, the thriving trade of
Africa depended heavily on salt as well. So
valued was salt that it was sometimes used
as a medium of exchange. Salt cakes were
used as currency in ancient Ethiopia and
Tibet. In fact, the term salary was derived
from salarium, the Latin term for the salt
allotment of soldiers in the Roman army.
Beyond its monetary value, salt was
important for life. It helped prevent dehydration in hot African climates. It was also
used as a flavoring and as a food preservative. Phrases attesting to the value of salt
include the Arab saying “There is salt
between us,” the Hebrew phrase “to eat
the salt of the palace,” and the English
term “the salt of the earth.”
Answers
Increased food supplies led to
increases in population and allowed people to engage in work other than food
production.
Reading Skill Like gold, salt was
used as a currency in some places. Both
gold and salt were in high demand.
Chapter 5 Section 2 135
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your textbook for this image.
Seeing the Main Idea
A Wealthy Capital This picture can be
used to suggest the wealth and grandeur
of Ghana’s capital. The ruins represent a
small part of what was once a grand complex. Ask students what they are able to
tell about the structure from the small part
that is visible. (Possible answers: It was made
of stone, it had pillars.)
Monitor Progress
As students fill in the Interactive Reading
and Notetaking Study Guide, circulate and
make sure individuals understand the connections between the gold-and-salt trade
and the wealth of the empire. Provide
assistance as needed.
Tell students to fill in the last column of the
Reading Readiness Guide. Probe for what
they learned that confirms or invalidates
each statement.
Kumbi Saleh
Archaeologists believe these
ruins are the remains of a
mosque from Kumbi Saleh,
the capital of Ghana. Critical
Thinking: Evaluate
Information What evidence
in this photograph suggests
that a great city once stood in
this place?
Teaching Resources, Unit 3,
Reading Readiness Guide, p. 15
Silent barter was a way of trading without words. Traders
from Ghana piled goods at a trading place and then left. Miners
came and left gold next to the goods. The traders later returned.
If they were happy with the amount of gold, they took the gold
and left. If they wanted more gold, they left without touching
the gold or the goods. The miners then returned to offer more
gold. When both sides were satisfied, the traders left with their
gold and the miners with their goods. The traders from Ghana
then used the gold to purchase salt from North African traders.
Wealthy Rulers The kings of Ghana grew rich from the
gold-salt trade. It created two sources of revenue, or income
to run the government. The first source was taxes on trade.
The other source of revenue was the king’s control of the
gold supply. Ghana’s rulers knew that if the supply of gold grew
too large, its price would fall. To prevent that, they ordered that
only the king could own nuggets, or chunks, of gold. This order
took gold off the market and kept its price high.
The order also made the king incredibly rich. One king supposedly had a nugget of gold that weighed 30 pounds. In 1067,
the Spanish Muslim scholar Al-Bakri described the wealth of the
king’s court:
Assess and Reteach
Assess Progress
L2
Have students complete Check Your
Progress. Administer the Section Quiz.
Teaching Resources, Unit 3,
Section Quiz, p. 23
To further assess student understanding,
use the Progress Monitoring Transparency.
Progress Monitoring Transparencies, Chapter 5, Section 2
Reteach
“
L1
If students need more instruction, have
them read this section in the Interactive
Reading and Notetaking Study Guide and
complete the accompanying question.
(Adapted version available.)
He sits in a pavilion around which stand ten horses
with gold-embroidered trappings. Behind the king
stand ten pages holding shields and gold-mounted
swords; on his right are the sons of princes . . . with
gold plaited [braided] in their hair.
”
—Al-Bakri
136 Chapter 5 The Rise of West African Empires
Universal Access
L3 Advanced Readers
L3 Gifted and Talented
Research the Almoravids Have students
use library and Internet resources to learn
more about and prepare a written report
Answer
Evaluate Information The ruins suggest
that the buildings were strong and well
built.
136 Chapter 5
on the Almoravids. Students should focus
their research on the role of the
Almoravids in the spread of Islam.
Islam in Ghana For centuries, Ghana prospered. Its
Extend
rulers welcomed North African traders but did not adopt their
Muslim faith. According to Al-Bakri, the capital of Ghana,
Kumbi Saleh, was actually “twin cities.” One was the commercial capital, where Muslim traders and scholars lived. A few
miles away was the royal capital, where the king and his court
lived and practiced Ghana’s traditional religion.
In about 1050, a new Muslim religious movement arose in
North Africa. Its members were known as Almoravids. The
Almoravids preached holy war against all non-Muslims. In
1076, an Almoravid army invaded Ghana and captured the
capital. The leaders of Ghana converted to Islam. Ghana
never reestablished its prosperity after the Almoravids’ fierce
invasion.
L3
Ask students to use library and Internet
resources to research some of the reasons
why silent trade was used. (Possible answer:
It was used as a way of bypassing communication difficulties.) Have students give a short
oral presentation and then have several
students perform a visual and auditory
presentation showing how silent trade was
conducted.
Section 2 Check Your Progress
1. (a) The spread of ironworking skills in
West Africa increased the food supply
and population and allowed people to
become experts in different kinds of
jobs.
(b) The Soninke had superior iron
weapons. Ironworking advancements
continued to increase the food supply
and population and led to labor specialization.
Why did the ruler of Ghana limit the gold supply?
Looking Back and Ahead In this section, you have
read about Ghana, the first trading empire in West Africa. You
learned how Ghana prospered from the gold and salt trade. In
the next section, you will read about Mali, the second empire
to appear in West Africa.
2. (a) It was necessary for good health,
Section
2 Check Your Progress
H-SS: 7.4.2; E-LA: Reading 6.2.2
Comprehension
and Critical Thinking
1. (a) Explain Why was ironworking an important skill in
ancient times?
(b) Analyze Cause and
Effect How did ironworking help the Soninke establish their empire?
2. (a) Recall Why was salt so
important to West Africans?
(b) Draw Conclusions
How did the various
resources and needs of people in different zones influence trade in Africa?
Reading Skill
3. Identify Comparisons
Reread the last paragraph
under the heading Ancient
Ghana. How were all of
Ghana’s clans similar?
Vocabulary Builder
Answer the following questions in complete sentences
that show your understanding
of the highlighted words.
4. Why is oral history important to historians of Africa?
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Web Code: mxa-3052
5. How did labor specialization
change people’s work?
6. How did Ghana’s rulers earn
revenue?
and it was used to flavor and preserve
food and as currency.
(b) Traders traveled long distances,
exporting what people had and importing what they needed.
3. Clans specialized in a particular craft or
trade.
4. West Africans had no writing system, so
information could only be passed orally.
5. People became experts in a particular
job.
Writing
7. Review the information in
this section. Make a list, in
note form, of at least ten of
the most important features
of Ghana’s society. Save this
list for use at the end of the
next section.
Section 2 Ghana
6. They taxed incoming and outgoing
trade goods.
7. Answers may vary but should include
facts about Ghana’s society, including
trade, metalworking, labor specialization, silent barter, clans, gold, salt, oral
tradition, empires, mixes of Islam and
traditional religions.
137
Writing Rubrics Share this rubric with students before they write their lists.
Score
Score
Score
Score
1
2
3
4
List is incomplete and largely inaccurate.
List is complete but with some inaccuracies.
List is complete and accurate.
List is complete with most important features included.
Answer
to prevent the price of gold
from falling and to increase his wealth
Chapter 5 Section 2 137