Middle School Geography of the World: Part 8 -Africa, Living South of the Sahara
This class unfurls a rich tapestry revealing the dynamic geography of African countries below the Sahara. Explore where & how people live, support their families, & conduct civic life. Small classes*Experienced teacher*No prerequisite
Miss Mollie Geography & Social Studies Writing
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(135)
What's included
4 live meetings
3 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. Students can choose from a menu of topics and formats to complete modest independent projects. Projects are designed to give students an opportunity to practice skills we address in class. These can serve as portfolio projects to demonstrate learning. Estimated time for independent work after each class: 30 minutes. Note that projects are designed to encourage students to explore new ideas and skills. Projects can expand, responding to student curiosity and motivation. We will set aside some class time for students to begin their homework project in class, when possible. In this way, students can easily ask clarifying questions as they proceed. We also encourage students to practice with an online interactive puzzle game to review the names and locations of countries in sub-Saharan Africa. They should also review the key terms list each week to prepare for our dazzling Kahoot in Week 4.Assessment
A student-completed map of Africa (both sub-Saharan and countries along the Mediterranean), 2 independent projects and a Kahoot quiz at the end of this mini-course will demonstrate mastery of skills, terms and concepts. A printed version of the Kahoot review quiz is available. Student score on the Kahoot quiz is also available.Class Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
This multi-day course is the eighth in a series on Middle School Geography. Our middle schoolers begin building their understanding about the real life experience of people living south of the Sahara, the fantastic natural gifts of nature and challenges to survival in this region. Students at this age are ready to jump into the complexity of culture, economics and even government. They 'get' these abstract ideas very well, once they see the rich details of real people and places. This class helps middle schoolers develop their map reading and analytic skills to understand the land, society and economics of sub-Saharan Africa, today. Classes include visuals to encourage discussion and analysis, plus interactive games geared toward mastery. Part 8 will introduce new skills and vocabulary to address physical, political, economic and cultural aspects of the four regions: eastern, western, central, southern. Major developments affecting African countries in modern times are addressed, such as the emergence of the United Nations, as time allows. Part 8 will give students the opportunity to work with chonological thinking and they will practice using more primary sources (evaluating the source and interpreting in context). Students can succeed in this Part 8 course even if they have not taken previous classes in this series. We do build foundation concepts in the previous classes but will refresh understanding in each part of this series. After finishing Part 8, students will be able to demonstrate their familiarity with the map of sub-Saharan Africa, identify physical features, compare some political, economic and cultural features of selected locations. Students will analyze comparative data on Standard of Living , examine population patterns, identify natural resources and analyze data related to trading patterns. Students may choose options for writing to support an argument. The goal of this class is to provide students with skills and challenge them to apply these skills to increase their understanding of today's world beyond their own experience. At the time of enrollment, students are provided with a set of vocabulary and defined concepts. We encourage students to review these each week if they want to finish our Week 4 Kahoot with a mighty splash 😊 . Each class session includes homework assignments, often with choices. We encourage students to complete these assignments as they enrich classroom discussion, give students a chance to apply skills and extend their thinking. They also provide artifacts for learning portfolios. Some homework assignment choices include accessing websites for practice or for researching a topic. NOTE: A popular class feature, I encourage our students to send school appropriate geography jokes via the Outschool Classroom. We will share jokes, puns & cartoons in class and enjoy a 'geography guffaw.' My goal is to draw students into our small class discussions using humor, interactive games/techniques and student choice. COURSE OUTLINE WEEK 1: Western Africa - Map, Physical Features, Population, Case Study: Ghana WEEK 2: Eastern Africa - Map, Physical Features, Population, Case Study: Kenya WEEK 3: Central Africa -Map, Physical Features, Population, Case Study: Congo WEEK 4: Southern Africa -Map, Physical Features, Population, Case Study: South Africa With this small class we are able to present concepts and guide students to apply ideas and draw conclusions about what the maps, primary sources, illustrations and almanac data sources show them. We love the academic goal of expanding our students' thinking by helping them evaluate sources, make comparisons, create questions and evaluate what they learn. This learning will be a good foundation for understanding future middle and high school geography classes about world locations, cultures, economics and political history. Most importantly, this class supports our students' quest to better understand our world community. Independent Projects & Homework are optional but encouraged. We encourage students to complete the independent projects assigned. Students will frequently choose topics and formats from a menu of activities, engaging in one or more of the choices offered. Projects build on research and analytic skills presented in class and are supported with specific resources and project instructions. Students will have a choice of using technology to build their projects or relying on non-digital resources (paper/pencil, art materials). When possible, students may start their project before the end of class, giving them an opportunity to clarify their ideas and form a good project plan. We will share student projects at the beginning of the next class session to help the students deepen their understanding and improve long term memory of class topics. These projects will also serve as artifacts suitable for a student's learning portfolio. Teacher Support. As an Outschool teacher, I encourage students to use the communication window in our classroom to ask clarifying questions about concepts we discuss in class or to clarify the details of an assignment. I am routinely available between classes to communicate via our classroom. When students complete the 4 class sessions in this course they will receive a certificate of course completion, referring to all completed project work. National Geography Standards addressed in this course: Students will demonstrate thinking skills: chronology, picture analysis, statistical analysis, source analysis and writing to support a hypothesis using evidence.. 4 The physical and human characteristics of places Places and Regions 5 That people create regions to interpret Earth's complexity Places and Regions 9 The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth's surface Human Systems 11 The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth's surface Human Systems 13 How the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth's surface Human Systems 15 How physical systems affect human systems Environment and Society 18 How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future. The Uses of Geography Related courses on Outschool, now: Middle School Geography of the World: Part 1 Mapping Skills (4 sessions) Middle School Geography of the World: Part 2 Europe Landforms & Culture (4 sessions) Middle School Geography of the World: Part 3 Russia @ Heart of Eurasia (4 sessions) Middle School Geography of the World: Part 4-Middle East-Land & Culture Regions (4 sessions) Middle School Geography of the World: Part 5 - South Asia Society & Economy Middle School Geography of the World: Part 6 - China and South East Asia Middle School Geography of the World:Part 7 Australia/Oceana Ecosystems & People Middle School Social Studies: Writing to Prove Your Point (CER) Geography Bee: Map Skills Vocabulary - Let’s Kahoot It! (1 session) Geography Bee 2: Landforms in Europe - Let’s Kahoot It (1 session) Geography Bee 3: Russia - Places and Things - Let’s Kahoot It! (1 session) Geography Bee 4: Middle East - Culture, Economy & the Map - Let’s Kahoot It! (1 session) Geography Bee 5: South Asia - Locations, Trade and Society - Let's Kahoot It! (1 session) Geography Bee 6: East-SE Asia Geography & Thinking Skills-Let’s Kahoot It! (1 session) Geography Bee 7: Australia/Oceana Ecosystem, Location, Movement-Let's Kahoot It! Geography Bee 8: Africa-Living South of the Sahara-Let's Kahoot It! Geography Bee World Series (1) - Let's Kahoot It! [All 7 Geography Bees in this series are bundled in one sign up] (7 sessions) Middle School Social Studies: Writing to Prove Your Point (CER) (4 sessions) Welcome to Middle School Geography - Have Fun With That! (Ongoing) Elementary Tutoring: Social Studies With A Twist
Learning Goals
The goal of this class is to provide students with skills and challenge them to apply these skills to increase their understanding of the world beyond their own experience, specifically in the region of sub-Saharan Africa. Students will demonstrate mastery of over 20 concepts related to landforms, political and physical maps, history highlights, culture and the economy. They will practice with research and analysis to make sense out of the knowledge they acquire. Students will also sharpen their ability to form hypotheses and defend them with evidence, using a variety of thinking skills. These concepts are embedded in middle school geography learning standards.
Students will demonstrate thinking skills: identifying patterns, chronology, statistical analysis, source analysis. and constructing effective arguments using evidence.
National Geography Standards addressed in this course:
4 The physical and human characteristics of places Places and Regions
5 That people create regions to interpret Earth's complexity Places and Regions
9 The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth's surface Human Systems
11 The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth's surface Human Systems
13 How the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth's surface Human Systems
15 How physical systems affect human systems Environment and Society
18 How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future. The Uses of Geography
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Homework assignments are provided but are not required for participation. For source material, students may access one or more of the following sites. These sites provide useful research resources and give our students an opportunity to practice map skills, gather research information and extend their learning. For on-line best practice, students should use the link to a resource that is provided in our classroom. No membership or sign up is required to access the links for homework. Best practice also recommends responsible adults monitor student on-line activity.
Supply List
Handouts and homework guidance will be provided through Outschool communication. It will be helpful to print out the handout provided for our first class. This is a map activity that students will use in our first class. Student homework assignments are presented with tech options: low tech vs. higher. Students can use a variety of applications as they choose, as long as the product can be shared in Outschool. For example: Word, Google Docs, Paper/Pencil (take a photo and upload). In Week 4, Students can have two screens for the Kahoot game quiz, if possible. They should study the handout of terms provided in our opening letter and in Week 1, to excell in our Kahoot game, Week 4. If two screens are not available, a simple paper/pencil approach will work. These are resources that students MAY use with optional homework assignments. Age range for this class is 10 - 14. Sites that are designed for 13 and under are designated, below with a *. See also Outschool's approved list. Social Studies skills include research, so optional homework is assigned. This may include one or more of the sites below. Best practice is for parents to supervise on-line student activities. Student sign-on is not required and students will not be asked for information. (NOTE: students will play a Kahoot game in class, under teacher sign on. Students are encouraged to use a nick name as identifier in our game) *Owl & Mouse. Map Game. Africa http://www.yourchildlearns.com/mappuzzle/africa-puzzle.html (Map puzzles. Site is designed for elementary students through grade 8) Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/ (a prominent and well respected research tool ) *Ducksters https://www.ducksters.com/ (a social studies resource for elementary and middle school students. Ducksters.com is certified by the kidSAFE Seal Program.) Read more at: https://www.ducksters.com/about.php *Mr. Donn https://www.mrdonn.org/ A site for teachers and students, this site is recognized by the BBC Educational Guide: ""This is an excellent resource for students and teachers of ancient history." Smithsonian Science Education https://ssec.si.edu/ This US Government institution describes the site as "the website of the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC), the only organization at the Smithsonian Institution that is solely dedicated to formal K-12 Education." Quizlet https://quizlet.com/ (This is a quiz site that allows us to offer practice quizzes tailored to our topic). World Atlas https://www.worldatlas.com/ (This is a research site displaying maps from around the world. ) CIA World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/ (This is an almanac of data on countries around the world, maintained and updated by the US Government) Library of Congress. Prints and Photographs http://www.loc.gov/pictures/ (Collections of primary source materials maintained by the US Government) Smithsonian Open Access. https://www.si.edu/openaccess (Collections of images useful for research projects, maintained by the US Government for educational purposes) Seterra. Map Game. African Countries and Related Quizzes. https://www.geoguessr.com/seterra/en/vgp/3163 YouTube videos may be assigned, using the controlled link through Outschool. This allows students to directly access the instructional video, but access to the greater Youtube site is blocked. Note: For access to a rich array of quality on-line resources that are useful for student research and projects, consult with your local school media specialist or the public library. These organizations often offer subscription data bases that these organizations subscribe to and pay for. Often, these organizations can give you access instructions and pass codes so you can sign on at home, at no charge. Explanation: Our quiz game is to provide review and evidence of learning--in an entertaining game format. The device you normally use for online classes will display the questions and choices through Outschool (using teaher account). A second smart device, a smart phone or tablet, works well. Using this second device, learners will sign in with a nickname or anonymous label to www.kahoot.it, enter the PIN number provided in class and then they are ready to enter their answers in our Kahoot. Results will be displayed in the Outschool classroom screen after each question. If a second device is not available to enter answers, students can participate by signing into Kahoot on their Outschool computer with a second tab (split screen OS/Kahoot if you are techie) or with a simple paper & pencil, and keep their own tally of results.
2 files available upon enrollment
Language of Instruction
English
Joined August, 2020
5.0
135reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Maryland Teaching Certificate in Social Studies/History
2 Degrees
Master's Degree from George Washington University
Bachelor's Degree in History from Trinity University of Washington D.C.
Certified as a Social Studies Teacher in my state, I have taught Social Studies (including World Geography) for over 18 years, primarily at the Middle School level. My classes have had lots of fun and engagement with World Geography, delving into the wonders of 'oh so slightly' familiar cultures, as well as cultures that are dramatically different from the West. Students sparkle when engaging in special projects, conversations, Kahoot Challenges, interactive games and other teaching practices designed to help our students enjoy becoming a master of their own learning. Master's Degree (Public Policy), Bachelor's Degree (History), Teaching Certificate (State of Maryland) : Social Studies, History, Middle School Language Arts, 30 credits beyond Master's Degree. I am grateful to all my students, both in traditional classrooms and on line, for all that they teach me every day. Reviews
Live Group Class
$60
for 4 classes1x per week, 4 weeks
50 min
Completed by 3 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-14
1-6 learners per class
