Guided Reading Activity - SOCIAL SCIENCES

[Pages:1]Guided Reading Activity Answer Key

Kingdoms and States of Medieval Africa

Lesson 1 African Society and Culture

I.A. mountains, deserts, tropical jungles, grasslands, plateaus, valleys, and tropical rain forests

I.B. Savannas are broad grasslands dotted with small trees and shrubs. They cover perhaps 40 percent of Africa's land area. The savannas get enough rainfall for farming and herding, but the rain is unreliable.

II.A.L ineage groups were the basic building blocks of African society. All members of a lineage group could claim to be descended from a real or legendary common ancestor. A lineage group provided mutual support for all of its members. Members of extended families and lineage groups were expected to take care of one another.

II.B. In matrilineal societies, descent was traced through the mother. Some women were able to inherit property, and some husbands moved into their wives' homes.

II.C. Young children were raised by their mothers and learned language, family history, and songs. At six, fathers then took over their sons' education. Boys learned to hunt and fish, to grow plants, and to clear fields for planting. Girls continued to learn what they needed from their mothers, including how to take care of the home and work in the fields.

III.A. They believed in the supreme being Nyame, whose sons were lesser gods. Ashanti gods could not always be trusted, so humans needed to appease them to avoid their anger.

III.B. Diviners were people who were believed to have the power to foretell events, usually by working with supernatural forces. The king employed many diviners to guarantee a bountiful harvest and protect his interests.

III.C. The process likely began as a result of trade, as merchants introduced Muslim beliefs to the trading states south of the desert. At first, conversion took place on an individual basis. The first rulers to convert were the royal family of Gao at the end of the tenth century. By the end of the fifteenth century, much of the population south of the Sahara had accepted Islam.

IV.A. The carvings often represented gods, spirits, or ancestral figures and were believed to have spiritual powers.

IV.B. In the absence of written language, the words to songs transmitted folk legends and religious traditions from generation to generation.

Summary and Reflection A complete answer should include: an outline of Africa's diverse geography; the makeup of African societies including lineage groups, education, and slavery; religious beliefs; a description of the art and music of Africa.

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