Mali Lesson Plans

Students explore the historical event of Mansa Musa, Ruler of Mali, making the Hajj or holy pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 AD. They create Web pages or power point presentations maps, charts, posters, oral presentations with bibliographies.

Students study the ancient African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. They brainstorm what they know about ancient African kingdoms before investigating the trade and barter situations, and researching one of the kingdoms for an oral presentation. They simulate the barter economy with items from home.

Students discuss the concept of historic preservation and relate it to their own families and communities. After reading an article, they discuss the efforts of Mali to preserve their history. Using the internet, they research one point in Timbuktu's history and present their information to the class.

Seventh graders begin the lesson by reading primary sources about the country of Mali. Using maps drawn in the past, they discuss what they can gather about the country from the map and how it has changed over time. They use a graphic organizer to organize their information to write a paper at the end of the lesson.

Students use a map to locate Mali and describe its landscape and climate. Using the internet, they trace the Niger River's path through Africa and locate Timbuktu. They answer and discuss comprehension questions after their activity is finished.

Students engage in a lesson and the history of Mali. They read the notes prepared by the teacher and listen to the reading of the text while making a careful analysis. Students conduct research while using the internet and use the information to make a report.

Second graders compare and contrast the children of Utah with the children of Mali. They research the lives of children in Mali. Students discuss the lifestyles of children in Utah and children in Mali.

Third graders listen as the teacher lectures about the West African Empire of Mali and the trade routes. They select one student to be the king of Mali. The rest of the class works in small groups being people from the desert in the north, from the south, and from Mali. As people pass through the marketplace they must pay taxes to the king. Students discuss the problems they encountered with this system. They add a page in their Mali fact booklet.

Third graders engage in a lesson that is about the physical characteristics of Mali and The Early West African Empire. They recall information from previous lessons in order to establish context for new information found while conducting research.

Eleventh graders locate Mali on a world map, describe the landscape and climate of Mali, and locate the city of Timbuktu and describe the local weather. They compare life along the Niger in ancient times to that of today