Introduction: Africa is a diverse continent undergoing constant political changes. The borders that were defined by European colonialism are being challenged. In recent years, many African nations have changed their name to reflect their new independence. This lesson provides students an opportunity to ask geographic questions while exposing them to the many countries in Africa.

Grade Level: Adaptable for grades 5-12

Connection to national Geography Standards: The geographically informed person knows and understands:

#1 How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective

#5 That people create regions to interpret Earth's complexity

#13 How the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth's surface

Objectives: Students will be able to:

• ask geographic questions
• define cardinal directions and use them on a map
• recognize political boundaries as man made
• identify African countries
• explain how political boundaries are defined

Materials:

• A variety of wall maps of Africa (political, physical, and thematic)
• 3 x 5 index cards
• Felt tip marker
• Masking tape

Introducing the Lesson: Discuss with students factors that determine political boundaries for countries. Explain how physical features influence the political patterns defined by people. Share examples of places that are named after famous political leaders.

Procedure:

• Using a felt tip marker, write the names of various African nations on index cards. Each card should have one country's name. Make enough cards so that you have one for each student.
• Tell students that they are each going to be assigned an African country but they will have to ask geographic questions to determine what county they have been given.
• Inform students that they are to find out the name of their country by asking each other geographic questions that can be answered with yes or no.
  • Examples of acceptable questions: Is my country west of the Nile River? Does my country border the Atlantic Ocean? Is my country in a desert region?
  • Examples of unacceptable questions: What is my country's capital? What are the nations that border my country? What hemispheres are my country in?
• After going over the directions with students, tape a card to the back of each student so that they cannot see the name of their country but they can see the name of the nations assigned to their classmates.
• Students should work together asking geographic questions until they figure out which country is theirs.

Assessment: Students should use an inquiry process to acquire information and from that determine which country they were assigned.