Begin by using a KWHL chart to record what you know about each of these West African Kingdoms. You need to make one chart for each kingdom.  You may also want to make a brainstorm web showing your ideas for information that a travel promotion might contain.  For instance, you may want to highlight  major cities, political leaders, religion, education, the economy, or climate. 

Once you have decided what information you need, you may wish to divide up your tasks depending on how many people are on your team. For example, one person might be the historian who records information about the other two kingdoms. Another person might be in charge of collecting graphics, pictures, and other visual material for use in the project. Or you may choose to divide your team into "experts" on the various aspects of the culture, such as religion, economy, and government. 

One suggested division of labor would be to have each team member select one or two topics to cover from the first section below (traveler's guide) and three to five topics from section two (experiences offered) depending on the size of your team .

I. TRAVELER'S GUIDE
     a. Weather and climate (what to pack or not to pack).
     b.  Place to go on land (mountains, deserts, valleys, and plateaus).
     c. Places to fo on water (rivers, falls, lakes, and oceans).
     d.  Wild animals to see (or avoid).  Liability release in case the client is eaten? Innoculations to avoid catastrophes from insect or snake bites.
     e.  Vegetation, crops, medicines.

II. EXPERIENCES OFFERED
     a. Cooking (everyday meals or special occasions).
     b. Food gathering (hunting, fishing, farming, herding).
     c.  Clothing  (making, wearing - everyday or special occasions).
     d.  Making and wearing of adornments.
     e.  Dancing, music, instruments, drums.
     f.  Attending ceremonies (birth, coming of age, weddings, funerals)
     g. Honoring common customs and traditions of daily life.
     h. Attending religious events dealing with gods and spirits (Purification required).
     i. Making and using masks.
     j. Witnessing warfare (weapons, armor, strategies).
     k. Healing and medicine, use of magic.
     l. Observing or taking part in arts and crafts.
     m. Meeting different people - social classes.
     n.  Visiting homes and villages (architecture).
     o.  Listening to the village griot tell myths and legends.
     p. Participating in the local economy (shopping, trade).
     q. Visiting royalty.
     r. Witnessing the tragic decline and fall of the empire.
 
 

Homework : Read pages 104-157 in your textbook, Across the Centuries.
Use your reading to fill in some of the gaps in your KWHL chart.

Activities

Day 1 through Day 5
Using the resources listed on the materials page, collect information for your presentation. 

Day 6 through Day 8
Use your class time to work with your team in developing your presentation. 
 

Final
Each team will present a 10 minute travel promotion.  It can take the form of posters with a brief oral report, a powerpoint or video commercial, a travelogue, or any other form of presentation that you have cleared with your teacher. 

Your project must have a bibiliography. Make sure that your bibliography follows MLA style.  You can use the following document to help you (MLA bibliography style sheet) or you can use Noodle Tools to help you format your bibliography. 
 
 

Days 9and 10
Teams will be given ten minutes to present their travel promotion. Rubrics will be filled out by classmates and the teacher. (See the section on "Your Grade")