Purpose:

To practice information gathering skills while introducing basic information about Africa.

Materials:

Worksheet: Africa At a Glance

Definitions of Vegetation

Maps:

Vegetation Pattern in Africa

Annual Rainfall in Africa

Suggested Activities:

Distribute worksheets "Africa at a Glance" and ask students to consider the purpose of each map. Ask where they might have been found.

Have students work individually to complete "Something to Think About" using the maps. Have them compare their answers with a partner's responses. Discuss.

Make a class list of facts about Ghana, Uganda, South Africa, Botswana and Senegal. Ask what the maps do not show about these countries.

Find maps of North America which show vegetation and rainfall patterns. Have students look for similarities between the information on Africa and the information on North America.