State Building in Africa
Driving Question: How was the process of state formation similar and different in various regions of Africa from c. 1200 to 1450 CE?
As in Eurasia and the Americas, state systems in Africa instilled order through a variety of administrative institutions, policies, and procedures. They also varied by region, implementation, and purpose.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain how and why states in Africa developed and changed over time.
- Explain a historical concept, development, or process.
Vocab Terms:
This is the first comparison activity in the course. If you need to brush up on your understanding of historical comparison, check out the Comparison Tool and the Feedback Form, two OER Project supports. You can also find some tips and tricks for teaching this skill in our quick one-pager.
You have the opportunity for a free trip in a time machine traveling to 1200 CE. Are you hopping in or not?
Helpful tips for how to use audio: Allow students to listen to the article for the first and/or second read; have them follow along with the associated article while listening; or tell them to use a pencil or pen to help track the speaker, pausing at ideas or words they aren’t sure of.
Communities are often organized along some hierarchical line—but how does one reach the top? In Africa c. 1200–1450, the path to the top was paved with tribal loyalty, trade, and religion.
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Guiding Questions
Help your students locate the states in their assigned regions by sharing the 1200, 1300, and 1450 CE Political Maps with them. Have them use the deep zoom feature (the + button in the magnifying glass in the top-left corner) to focus on the states they’ll be comparing.
Give students guidance on improving their comparison skills by using the Comparison Feedback Form.
Ready to add a few stamps to your time-travel passport? It’s time to dig into a comparison of how different regions governed their people, managed resources, and created communities between 1200 and 1450.
Not all states and empires are the same. Factors such as geography, culture, and even climate may dictate how governments are instituted and run. In West Africa during the period c. 1200–1450, if you could manage farmers, you could manage an empire.
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Guiding Questions
Refresh your students’ memories by showing them the Spread of Buddhism and Christianity Thematic Map before they start working on this SAQ activity.
The Short Answer Question (SAQ for short) on the Advanced Placement exam can be stressful; however, you will be an ACE at answering them once you learn how to Answer, Cite, and Explain!
