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1743 French Map of Northwest Africa, depicting the areas covered in this curriculum unit.
Courtesy of American Memory at the Library of Congress.
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| Subject Areas |
| Art and Culture
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Anthropology |
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Architecture |
| History and Social Studies
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World History - Africa |
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World History - Ancient World |
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World History - Asia/Far East |
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| Time Required |
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Activity 1: 2 class periods (1 for lesson; 1 for assessment)
Activity 2: 2 class periods
Activity 3: 2 class periods
Activity 4: 2 class periods
Activity 5: 2 class periods
Activity 6: 2 class periods
Activity 7: 2 class periods
Activity 8: indeterminate
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| Skills |
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Map skills
Observation and description
Historical interpretation and analysis
Critical Thinking
Information gathering
Visual analysis
Communication
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| Additional Data |
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Date Created: 10/15/03
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Trekking to Timbuktu: Timbuktu: A Center of Trade — Teacher Version
Click Here for Student Version—
Introduction:
The trade network that flourished in West Africa led to the rise of a number of important cities. Timbuktu is a prime example. From rather humble beginnings, it grew to become the heart of commerce in the kingdom of Mali.
Guiding Questions:
What were the origins of Timbuktu?
What was so important about its setting?
What was the kingdom of Mali?
How did Timbuktu become a part of Mali?
Learning Objectives:
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
- Discuss the origins of Timbuktu
- Explain the importance of its location
- Describe the kingdom of Mali
- Understand how and why Timbuktu became a part of Mali
Preparing to Teach the Lesson:
Become familiar with the lesson plan and bookmark important websites. Additional background information can be found at the following sites:
Suggested Activities:
1. The Founding of Timbuktu
2. Timbuktu Becomes Part of Mali
1. The Founding of Timbuktu
Timbuktu was founded at the dawn of the 12th century. Given the active trade network
that already existed in the local region, it wasn't long before it became an important
stopping place for merchants.
- Access Early History. This is the way most modern historians explain the founding of the city. For a more detailed version, go to History of Timbuktu. Read the second and third paragraphs. In what ways did the location of Timbuktu make it the ideal gathering place for traders?
- Access the Map of Africa. Click on Mali. On the map, find Timbuktu (also spelled Tombouktou). After looking at the map, scroll down and read the statistics listed under Geography.
- The Tuareg people still live in the region of Timbuktu. See The Road to Timbuktu. Click on Wonders, then under related wonders click on the Tuareg people. Now view Man in Blue. In what ways have the Tuareg people changed since earlier times? In what ways do their life styles remain the same?
2. Timbuktu Becomes Part of Mali
By the mid-13th century, the kingdom of Mali had gained control of the lucrative
trade networks of the upper Niger River. During the reign of Mansa Musa, Mali's
most famous ruler, Mali expanded to become a sizable empire and reached its peak
of prosperity. Timbuktu continued to be an important center of trade as a city
in Mali.
- Access Map of Mali, form the EDSITEment-reviewed resource The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Locate Timbuktu and trace the course of the Niger River. Now view the map shown at Trans-Saharan Gold Trade—also from The Metropolitan Museum of Art—and locate the gold fields.
- Access Mali. Discuss the text with your students. What was the source of Mali's wealth and power? Why are Sundjata (also spelled Sundiata) and Mansa Musa revered today in African legends?
- Now go Mali available through EDSITEment-reviewed resource Internet Public Library. What were Mansa Musa's reasons for expanding his borders? Why was he interested in acquiring Timbuktu?
Assessment:
Be a West African storyteller. (They're known as griots.) Tell the story of Timbuktu - from its origins until it became a part of Mali. Or, lacking a proper audience, write down the tale as you would have told it.
Selected EDSITEment Websites
African Studies WWW
[http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/AS.html]
Internet Public Library
[http://www.ipl.org]
Labyrinth
[http://www.georgetown.edu/labyrinth/]
National Geographic Xpeditions
Other Information
Standards Alignment
- NCSS-1
Culture and cultural diversity. more
- NCSS-2
Time, continuity, and change. The ways human beings view themselves in and over time. more
- NCSS-3
People, places, and environments. more
- NCSS-4
Individual development and identity. more
- NCSS-5
Individuals, groups, and institutions. more
- NCTE/IRA-12
Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information). more
- NCTE/IRA-4
Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes. more
- NCTE/IRA-7
Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience. more
- NCTE/IRA-8
Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge. more
- NGS-1
How to Use Maps and Other Geographic Representations, Tools, and Technologies to Acquire, Process, and Report Information from a Spatial Perspective
- NGS-12
The Processes, Patterns, and Functions of Human Settlement
- NGS-17
How to Apply Geography to Interpret the Past
- NGS-2
How to Use Mental Maps to Organize Information About People, Places, and Environments in a Spatial Context
- NGS-3
How to Analyze the Spatial Organization of People, Places, and Environments on Earth’s Surface
- NGS-9
The Characteristics, Distribution, and Migration of Human Population on Earth’s Surface
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