Grade 7 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 6, Lesson 1

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Across the Centuries

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 6, Lesson 1: The Spread of Bantu (pp. 136-139)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Culture The migration of the proto-Bantu-speaking people greatly influenced the development of local peoples throughout south and east Africa and created a richly diverse, but related culture.

Write the words rodeo, pizza, and algebra on the board. Ask students if they know what languages these words come from. (Spanish, Italian, Arabic) Then discuss how these words came into the English language and how the things these words represent have become a natural part of American culture. Draw a parallel between the influences other cultures have had in the United States and the influences the Bantu people had throughout south and east Africa.

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 choose either of these two items -- language or iron tools -- and write in one paragraph why they think this is the most important or most lasting contribution of the proto-Bantu speakers.
Have pairs of students use the map on p. 525 to help them draw a map of Africa showing the location of the Great Rift Valley -- one of the main aread of Bantu-speaking groups.

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