1 African Beginnings

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1 1 Section Step-by-Step Instruction Objectives Social Studies 1. Examine the ways in which the survival skills of early Africans changed over time. 2. Find out about early civilizations that arose along the Nile River. 3. Learn about the Bantu migrations. Reading/Language Arts Learn how to set a purpose for reading to establish a focus. Prepare to Read Build Background Knowledge Tell students that they will learn about Africa s first peoples in this section. Explain that archaeologists study artifacts to learn about ancient people. Ask students to suppose that a thousand years from now, archaeologists are studying your classroom. Challenge students to speculate on what the scientists might learn about them by studying various items such as pencils, a computer, and desks. Set a Purpose for Reading Preview the Objectives. Read each statement in the Reading Readiness Guide aloud. Ask students to mark the statements true or false. Have students discuss the statements in pairs or groups of four, then mark their worksheets again. Use the Numbered Heads participation strategy (TE, p. T36) to call on students to share their group s perspectives. Africa Teaching Resources, Reading Readiness Guide, p Africa Section Prepare to Read 1 African Beginnings Objectives In this section you will 1. Examine the ways in which the survival skills of early Africans changed over time. 2. Find out about early civilizations that arose along the Nile River. 3. Learn about the Bantu migrations. Taking Notes As you read, look for details about Africa s first people. Copy the chart below, and use it to record your findings. Survival Skills Early Africans Nile Civilizations Bantu Migrations Target Reading Skill Set a Purpose for Reading When you set a purpose for reading, you give yourself a focus. Before you read this section, look at the headings and illustrations to see what the section is about. Then set a purpose for reading this section. Your purpose might be to learn about the people who lived in Africa long ago. Finally, read to meet your purpose. Key Terms domesticate (duh MES tih kayt) v. to adapt wild plants or animals and breed them for human use civilization (sih vuh luh ZAY shun) n. a society that has cities, a central government, and social classes and that usually has writing, art, and architecture migrate (MY grayt) v. to move from one place to settle in another ethnic group (ETH nik groop) n. a group of people who share the same ancestors, culture, language, or religion Today, the dry sands and rocks of the Sahara cover most of North Africa. But 10,000 years ago, this large area held enough water to support many people and animals. Scientists think Africa s first farmers lived in the Sahara. Ancient paintings on cliffs and cave walls tell their story. The history of humans in Africa goes back even further in time than the history of farmers in the Sahara. Scientists believe that our early human ancestors lived in East Africa at least 2 million years ago. Today, scientists study the stone tools and bones that these ancestors left behind. By doing so, they learn about the ways our early human ancestors found to survive. Ancient cave painting from Namibia Vocabulary Builder Preview Key Terms Pronounce each key term, then ask the students to say the word with you. Provide a simple explanation such as, Dogs are domesticated animals that were tamed thousands of years ago and today are mainly pets. Target Reading Skill Set a Purpose for Reading Point out the Target Reading Skill. Tell students that setting a purpose for reading will help them to focus on important information as they read. Model the skill by setting a purpose for reading the Civilizations on the Nile subsection on p. 39. Explain that you will read the subheads and study the photos to help you set your purpose. (Possible purpose: I will learn about the people who lived in Egypt and Nubia.) Give students Preview and Set a Purpose. Have them complete the activity in groups. Africa Teaching Resources, Preview and Set a Purpose, p Africa

2 Changing Survival Skills What skills did our early human ancestors need to survive? Like people today, they needed to find food, water, and shelter to live. Survival skills changed and developed over the course of many thousands of years. Hunting and Gathering Our early human ancestors were hunter-gatherers. A hunter-gatherer is someone who hunts animals and gathers food in the wild to survive. Hunter-gatherers hunted animals to use the meat for food and the hides and fur for clothing and shelter. They ate foods such as fruits, nuts, and roots. They made tools out of wood, animal bones, and eventually stone. The first use of stone tools marks the beginning of a time period scientists call the Stone Age. The stone tools made by our early human ancestors worked very well. The scientist Louis Leakey found some of the first evidence of human ancestors in East Africa. He also taught himself how to make and use their tools. Using a two-inch, 25,000-year-old stone knife, Leakey could skin and cut up a gazelle in just 20 minutes. Studying Early Human Ancestors This stone tool (above) was made by one of our early human ancestors. For more than 30 years, Louis Leakey studied finds like this one at Olduvai Gorge (left) in Tanzania. His family (below) also studied them. Analyze Images Do you find it easy or hard to tell this stone tool from an ordinary stone? Instruct Changing Survival Skills Guided Instruction Vocabulary Builder Clarify the high-use word adapt before reading. Read Changing Survival Skills using the Oral Cloze strategy (TE, p. T33). Ask students to list the ways in which early Africans made use of the animals they hunted. (They ate their meat, used their hides and fur for clothing and shelter, and used their bones to make tools.) Discuss how the survival skills of early Africans changed over time. (They first made tools out of wood and bones, but later learned how to make better tools out of stone. Early Africans also found new ways to get food. Hunter-gatherers began farming. Their farming techniques improved over time. Domesticating plants and animals allowed them to grow better crops and create enough food to sustain settlements.) Chapter 2 Section 1 37 Vocabulary Builder Use the information below to teach students this section s high-use words. High-Use Word adapt, p. 38 conquer, p. 39 distinct, p. 41 Definition and Sample Sentence v. to make fit for a specific or new use Cheryl adapted her speech to suit her audience. v. to take control by force The emperor conquered the lands surrounding his kingdom. adj. separate; not the same I smelled the distinct aroma of fresh-baked apple pie when I walked into the bakery. Answer Analyze Images Answers will vary, but students may say that they find the stone tool difficult to distinguish from an ordinary stone. Chapter 2 Section 1 37

3 Target Reading Skill Set a Purpose As a follow up, ask students to answer the Target Reading Skill question in the Student Edition. (Possible purpose: I will learn about how survival skills changed over time in Africa. If the text did not help students accomplish their purpose, help them set a new one.) Guided Instruction (continued) Discuss the ways in which the early Africans domesticated plants and animals. (They threw away the seeds from weak plants and saved seeds from stronger ones. They tamed wild animals and then bred them.) Remind students that food surpluses allowed some early Africans to do other kinds of work. Ask What other kinds of work might have been needed in a new settlement? (Possible answers: builders to create homes, toolmakers to make farming tools) Independent Practice Ask students to create the Taking Notes graphic organizer on a blank piece of paper. Then have them fill in the Survival Skills segment of the chart with the information they have just learned. Briefly model how to identify which details to record. Monitor Progress As students fill in their organizers, circulate and make sure individuals are choosing the correct details. Provide assistance as needed. Set a Purpose What purpose did you set for the section? Has the text you have read so far helped you toward achieving this purpose? If not, set a new purpose for the rest of the section. African Farmers Today In African communities that practice agriculture today, women play a variety of roles. Here, Central African women carry firewood to their homes. Predict What activities are essential to a successful agricultural community? Farming and Herding Between 10,000 and 6,000 years ago, some hunter-gatherers began to farm and to herd animals. As you read earlier, farming in Africa probably began in North Africa, when the area that is now the Sahara offered more water than is available there today. The first farmers probably planted wild grains such as barley. At first, gatherers just protected the areas where these grains grew best. Then they began to save some seeds to plant for the next year s crop. Later, people began to domesticate plants, or adapt them for their own use. They threw away seeds from weaker plants and saved seeds from stronger ones. People also domesticated certain wild animals by taming and breeding them. Early Settlements Domesticating plants and animals meant people could have better control over their food supply. They did not have to travel to places where grains were already growing. Instead, they planted the crops they wanted. As a result, they could settle in one place. Most early farmers settled on fertile land near a water supply. Some communities produced a food surplus, or more than what was needed. Surpluses allowed some people in the community to do work other than farming. What was the Stone Age? 38 Africa Answers Predict domestication of plants and animals, planting and harvesting of crops, and irrigation The Stone Age was the period of time that began with the first use of stone tools. 38 Africa For Less Proficient Readers L1 Have students read the section as they listen to the recorded version on the Student Edition on Audio CD. Check for comprehension by pausing the CD and asking students to share their answers to the Reading Checks. Chapter 2, Section 1, Student Edition on Audio CD For Special Needs Students L1 Have students work with more able partners to create a flow chart that shows how early Africans survival skills changed over time. Display the Flow Chart Transparency and model how to fill in the first box. Africa Transparencies, Transparency B5: Flow Chart

4 Civilizations on the Nile Over a period of hundreds of thousands of years, some Stone Age groups became civilizations. A civilization is a society with cities, a government, and social classes. A social class is a group that is made up of people with similar backgrounds, wealth, and ways of living. Social classes form when people do different jobs. The types of jobs people do determine whether they are rich, poor, or in the middle. Civilizations also usually have architecture, writing, and art. A few thousand years ago, two important African civilizations Egypt and Nubia arose along the Nile River. Egypt Each summer, the Nile River used to flood its banks. The flooding waters would cover the ground with a layer of fertile silt that was ideal for farming because it enriched the soil. Around 5000 B.C., people began farming along the river s banks. They settled in scattered villages. Over many years, these villages grew into the civilization of ancient Egypt. Ancient Egypt was ruled by kings and queens. The kings of Egypt were called pharaohs (FEHR ohz). The people believed that their pharaohs were also gods. When kings and queens died, they were buried in tombs. Some of the tombs were built as large pyramids. People painted murals and picture-writing symbols called hieroglyphs (HY ur oh glifs) on the inner walls of the tombs. The ancient Egyptians became skilled in papermaking, architecture, medicine, and astronomy. Nubia In about 6000 B.C., settled hunting and fishing communities began to arise along the Nile south of Egypt. About 1,000 years later, these communities began farming. This area was called Nubia. Scientists believe the formation of Nubian kingdoms may have started around 3100 B.C. One of the greatest Nubian kingdoms was centered in the city of Napata. Around 724 B.C., the Nubians of Napata conquered Egypt. Nubians ruled Egypt for about 60 years. A later Nubian kingdom was based farther south, in the city of Meroë (MEHR oh ee). Meroë began to weaken in the A.D. 200s. It was finally conquered in A.D. 350 by invading forces from the Ethiopian kingdom of Aksum (AHK soom). What are social classes, and how are they formed? Leftover From Ancient Times The Nubian mural (top) was painted inside a tomb more than 3,000 years ago. The pair of Egyptian leather sandals (above), which are similar to the ones shown in the mural, are more than 5,000 years old. Infer What kind of information can objects like these teach us about ancient civilizations? Civilizations on the Nile Guided Instruction Vocabulary Builder Clarify the high-use word conquer before reading. Read Civilizations on the Nile with students. As they read, circulate and make sure individuals can answer the Reading Check question. Discuss the elements that characterize a civilization. (A civilization is a society with cities, a government, and different social classes that form when people do a variety of different jobs. Civilizations also have writing, architecture, and art.) Help students compare and contrast ancient Egypt and Nubia. (Both arose along the Nile, and farming was important to both. The Nubian civilization started earlier than the Egyptian.) Then ask Why do you think the banks of the Nile were a good place to start a civilization? (The banks of the Nile were fertile and good for farming. A regular food supply is needed to sustain a civilization.) Independent Practice Ask students to fill in the Nile Civilizations box of the graphic organizer with the information they have just learned. Monitor Progress As students fill in the graphic organizer, circulate and make sure individuals are choosing the correct details. Provide assistance as needed. Chapter 2 Section 1 39 For English Language Learners Pair students with native speakers to review the use of pronouns throughout this section. Encourage students to discuss the section together, using pronouns to replace some words and phrases, for example, they or them for human ancestors, kings and queens; he or him for Louis Leakey; it for the Nile River. Also ask students to explore the use of some and others as pronoun references for people. Answers Infer Objects like those pictured allow us to learn more about the daily lives of people in ancient civilizations. Social classes are groups made up of people with similar backgrounds, wealth, and ways of living. They are formed when people in a civilization do a variety of jobs. Chapter 2 Section 1 39

5 Equator Lake Victoria C OCEAN Lake Nyasa Ri E W 2 S Ask students Why do you think the Bantu language became dominant in places where Bantu-speaking people were not the native peoples? (Possible answer: They had so many skills to teach the native peoples that it became important for native peoples to learn the Bantu language in order to advance their civilizations.) ver 2 S S Tropic of Caprico pricorn rn Tropic of Ca I N D I A N KEY Or an ge Rive r O C E A N 0 miles 2000 B.C. A.D. 1 A.D. 1 A.D E 1,000 0 kilometers 1,000 Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area 4 E The Bantu Migrations About 4,000 years ago, people in Africa began one of the largest migrations that has ever taken place. To migrate is to move from one place to resettle in another. Around that time, a group of people who spoke Bantu (BAN too) languages began to migrate out of the region that today forms the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. Monitor Progress Show Section Reading Support Transparency AF 36 and ask students to check their graphic organizers individually. Why Migrate? No one knows for certain why the migrations began. Some experts believe that a new ability to grow certain crops in the tropical rain forest made the migrations possible. For example, yams and oil palms became a larger part of people s diet. Then increased food supplies may have led to overpopulation, or overcrowding of people living in one area. As a result, Bantu-speaking farmers migrated, perhaps looking for new land to farm. Over hundreds of years, settlements of Bantu speakers spread across Central and Southern Africa. Africa Transparencies, Section Reading Support Transparency AF 36 Tell students to fill in the last column of their Reading Readiness Guides. Africa Teaching Resources, Reading Readiness Guide, p Africa Answers Skills Mini Lesson Identify in north central Africa near what is today Nigeria and Cameroon Analyze Information Lake Tanganyika Students may practice their map skills by using the interactive online version of this map. 40 Africa Lake Tanganyika AT L A N T I C N Ask students to complete their charts with the information they have just learned. Equator Use Web Code lap-5211 for step-by-step map skills practice. Independent Practice ver Discuss the chain of events that some people believe led to the Bantu migrations. (Some experts believe that the ability to grow crops in the tropical rainforest led to an abundance of food, such as yams. The abundance of food may have led to overpopulation. This led the Bantu-speaking people to move to other regions to find new land to farm.) A F R I C A Ri Bantu homeland, about 2000 B.C. ezi Read about the spread of Bantu-speaking people in The Bantu Migrations. R Zam b migrations were some of the largest movements of people in history. As a result, millions of Africans today speak Bantu languages. Identify Where did the Bantu migrations begin? Analyze Information Notice that the arrows on the map change color to show time passing. Which place did the migrations reach first, Lake Tanganyika or the Orange River? er iv Vocabulary Builder Clarify the high-use academic word distinct before reading. 4 E 2 E N er ig Movement The Bantu go Guided Instruction Routes of the Bantu Migrations on The Bantu Migrations Using Special Purpose Maps 1. Teach the skill by telling students that route maps show a route, or path, from one place to another. They also include other elements common to most maps, such as a compass rose and a scale. Review the purpose of each one. 2. Help students practice the skill by looking at the map on this page to determine in what direction the Bantu traveled. 3. Have students apply the skill by determining how far the Bantu traveled south and southeast from 2000 B.C. to A.D. 1.

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