Grade Level: Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Duration: 1 Hour
Objective: By the end of the lesson, students will understand Africa’s geographical diversity, including its regions, physical features, and cultural diversity. They will analyze how geography influences culture, economy, and way of life across different regions of Africa. Finally, they’ll create a collaborative map highlighting key physical and cultural landmarks across the continent.
World map and large blank map of Africa (printed or projected)
Markers, colored pencils, sticky notes
Slides with brief facts about Africa’s regions (North, West, East, Central, Southern)
Pre-labeled index cards with key features (deserts, rivers, mountains, countries, etc.)
Projector and internet access for optional quick research
Blank paper or journals for student notes
Ask: Begin with the question, “When you think of Africa, what comes to mind? What do you know about its geography and cultures?”
Discuss: Allow a few students to share their initial thoughts. Use this to introduce the idea that Africa is an incredibly diverse continent—geographically, culturally, and economically.
Do: Show a world map and zoom in on Africa. Highlight its size, noting that it is the second-largest continent in both area and population.
Say: Mention these key geographical features:
Sahara Desert
Nile River
Congo Rainforest
Great Rift Valley
Mount Kilimanjaro
Say: Explain that today’s class will be a journey across Africa’s diverse regions, exploring how geography shapes culture, economy, and daily life. Tell students they will work together to build a collaborative map of Africa.
Do: Divide Africa into five key regions: North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Use the map to show where each region is located.
Say: Provide a quick overview of each region (using slides or handouts). Highlight physical and cultural diversity across the continent:
North Africa: Sahara Desert, Mediterranean influence, Arabic language, ancient civilizations (Egypt).
West Africa: Coastal plains, tropical climates, vibrant cultural heritage (Mali Empire, music, textiles).
East Africa: Great Rift Valley, savannas, Mount Kilimanjaro, early human history, diverse wildlife.
Central Africa: Rainforests, the Congo River, natural resources, indigenous cultures.
Southern Africa: Grasslands, Kalahari Desert, wildlife reserves, apartheid history, mining.
Do: Divide the class into 5 small groups, each assigned to one of Africa’s regions (North, West, East, Central, Southern).
Do: Each group receives a set of pre-labeled cards featuring key geographical and cultural features (e.g., Sahara Desert, Nile River, Victoria Falls, Serengeti, pyramids, historical cities like Timbuktu, and modern cities like Johannesburg).
Say: Each group will use the cards to identify and place their assigned features on a large blank map of Africa (projected or printed). As they place the features, they should also write a brief fact about how the geography of that feature influences life in the region (e.g., "The Nile River allows agriculture to flourish in Egypt" or "The Congo Rainforest supports biodiversity and traditional lifestyles").
Do: Walk around the room to assist groups, asking guiding questions:
“How does this desert impact the people who live near it?”
“What kind of economy might develop in a region with a lot of rivers?”
“What role do mountains or forests play in shaping culture here?”
Say: Encourage groups to make connections between physical geography and human activity.
Do: Each group takes 2-3 minutes to present their region to the class, explaining where they placed the key geographical and cultural features and how geography impacts life in that area.
Say: Encourage students to make connections between different regions (e.g., how the Sahara Desert stretches across multiple countries or how the Nile River flows through North and East Africa).
Do: Allow time for students to ask questions or share interesting facts they discovered.
Discuss: Lead a brief discussion on how Africa’s geographical diversity creates different ways of life across the continent.
Ask:
“How do you think geography influences the types of jobs people have in different regions?”
“Why might certain animals or plants be found in one part of Africa and not another?”
“How does climate impact daily life in a place like the Sahara versus the Congo Rainforest?”
“In what ways might geography shape a culture’s traditions, food, or language?”
Ask: Invite students to take 5 minutes to write a short reflection or draw a picture in their notebooks on one of the following prompts:
“Which African region would you most like to visit, and why?”
“What surprised you about Africa’s geography or culture?”
“How do you think life in Africa compares to life where we live?”
Do: Allow a few students to share their reflections.
Say: Remind students that Africa is a continent of immense diversity—geographically, culturally, and economically. Highlight how understanding geography helps us appreciate the different ways people live across the world.
Do: For the Exit Ticket, have students answer the following question on a sticky note before they leave.
Say: “Name one geographical feature in Africa and explain how it affects life there.”
Homework (Optional): Research one African country from any region and write a paragraph about how its geography influences its culture or economy.
Written by Brooke Lektorich
Education World Contributor
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