This class is taught in English.

 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

 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. 

Homework Offered
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.
0 - 1 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
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.
Grades Offered

Geography sources: (Major class focus)
Encyclopedia Britannica
World Atlas
National Geographic Magazine
CIA World Factbook (Data Almanac)
Standford History Education Group
The OER Project 

While history is not the primary focus of this class, students will interact with some primary source lessons from the
Stanford History Education Group:  Teaching History With Primary Sources/ Reading Like An Historian.  

These will help students improve skills in evaluating the credibility of sources and identifying point of view.  These are key skills in successful social studies students.
The Reading Like a Historian curriculum engages students in historical inquiry. Each lesson revolves around a central historical question and features a set of primary documents designed for groups of students with a range of reading skills.

This curriculum teaches students how to investigate historical questions by employing reading strategies such as sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating, and close reading. Instead of memorizing historical facts, students evaluate the trustworthiness of multiple perspectives on historical issues and learn to make historical claims backed by documentary evidence. 
  A.  Battle of Adwa     Beck, R. B., Black, L., Krieger, L.S., Naylor, P.C., Shabaka, D.I. (2006)
Modern world history: Patterns of interaction. McDougal Littell. (American Textbook)
                                 Mehari, Getachew, Mamo, A., Alemu, T., T’Giorgis, S., & Dissassa, M. 
(2006). Social studies student textbook: Grade 8. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  (Ethiopian Textbook)
Educational Materials Production and Distribution Enterprise. p. 86-88.
  B.  Soweto Uprising.  June 26, South African freedom day : remember Soweto.  Image Library of Congress

UNESCO  Women in African History  https://en.unesco.org/womeninafrica/njinga-mbandi/pedagogical-unit/1