Explore Our World: Africa - Unit Study Week Two - Eva Varga

This past week, we focused upon the countries in Northern Africa.  In doing so, we learned that the countries in the northern region of Africa are characterized by the desert biome and thereby many of the cultural groups that reside in this area are nomadic.  As such, for many, cattle are very important in their lives.

We also discovered that along the coastal areas, the populations are very dense and as you proceed south, the populations become more sparse due to the climate and environmental conditions (desert).  Throughout the first centuries (633-732 AD), Arabs spread their culture and religion across the northern countries and even into the southern parts of Spain.  To this day, their influence is very strong though Christian and Jewish faiths are also prominent.

Africa Unit Study :: Week Two

Listed below are the key activities we coordinated for the second week of our study. Join me each week as I outline the many hands-on activities and projects we implement to introduce the kids to the beauty and culture of Africa.

• Read aloud Living in the Sahara by Nicola Barber, Houses & Homes by Ann Morris & Ken Heyman, and A is for Africa by Ifeoma Onyefulu
• Read about the Tuarag of the Sahara
• Began a flip-book illustrating many of the cultural groups of Northern Africa (Tuarag, Berbers, Copts & Nubian)
• Illustrated on a map the cultural regions of a variety of ethnic groups in Northern Africa
• Prepared a few Northern African recipes:
  • Saffron & Raisin Couscous (National dish of Algeria)
  • Carthagenian Flank Steak (Morocco)
  • Chick Pea Tagine (Morocco)
• Discussed differences between soils (potting soil/dirt, clay, and sand) and took part in a soil erosion experiment