Grade 7 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 5, Lesson 4

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Across the Centuries

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 5, Lesson 4: Village Society in West Africa (pp. 124-127)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Culture Most early West Africans lived in farming villages where they worked in agriculture, practiced traditional religions, and were governed by kinship relationships.

Write the headings "City Life" and "Village Life" on the board. Ask students to brainstorm the kinds of things that might have been different for early West Africans living in thriving trade centers and those living in farming villages. What accounts for these differences?

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Have students write a brief story about a lost Muslim trader who stops for the night at a small West African farming village. Narratives should highlight the kinds of beliefs and customs the trader might encounter.
Have students work in pairs to create a collage showing various aspects of life in an early West African farming village.

Social Studies Center | Houghton Mifflin Social Studies | Grade 7 Home
Education Place | Site Index

You may download, print, and make copies of Lesson at a Glance pages for use in your classroom, provided that you include the copyright notice shown below on all such copies.