Lesson Plan Template

Candidate Name:_Megan Suggs_________

Strategy (circle one): Task Rotation; NAL; Mystery; Decision Making;
C/C Thinking; Metaphorical; Windows Notes; Other
Unit Name
The Development of Africa
Lesson Name
European Partitioning Across Africa
Grade
7th

Subject
Social Studies

Time Needed (Hours/Days)

4-6 days
Course

Essential Question(s)
What should students know when lesson is completed?
At the end of this unit the student will understand that

The struggle for independence and freedom can lead to conflict and compromise.

Political decisions without cultural consideration for ethnic groups lead to conflict and political instability.

Nationalism plays an important role in the development of nations

EQ:

How has the European partitioning impacted Africa?

How did nations in Africa gain their independence?

Teacher Lesson Preparation

This unit is in combination with a Project Based Learning Activity What Happened to
Africa?
Grouping will be based on Pre-test Data from a Kahoot quiz using IPad. This information will
be exported into Excel, and used as data to group based on needs. Groups will be no larger
than 4 per group.
Activating Strategy (for example: Hook/Mini-Lesson/Warm-Up/Connection to Prior Learning)
The Jibs is a short story of a fictional nation being colonized by a stronger fictional nation.
Students will read about the struggles of the Jibs, and students will have focusing questions for
creative problem solving.
--What is the real problem or challenge here? Does the group agree? What can we do to solve
the problem? Are we willing to solve this problem?
-What are the facts listed? Assumptions?
-Are their problem definitions? Does everyone perceive the same problem?
--Generate Ideas for the solution.
Create a Matrix and list the top five solutions.
How will you implement these solutions?
--Questions to consider for groups needing more focus:

1. What do the Sleeks want?

2. What do the Blibs want?
3. What do the Jibs want?

4. What is the root of this conflict?

5. Why are things so screwed up in Gorzab? Why is there so much inequity,
tension, and conflict?
Instructional Sequence and Activities including use of technology
1. After activating strategy, class discussion of the mess, and possible causes/solutions.
2. Brainpop on Imperialism, to refresh minds of what exactly imperialism/colonialism
looks like.
3. Students will be assigned a European country that participated in the Berlin
Conference. They will research through IPad usage, their assigned country, and be
ready to represent that country and its partitioning of Africa at a round table
conference. Guided questions will be provided to provoke valuable research and
application at the mock conference.
4. Mock Conference will actually be a game, Where everyone is a winner in Europe.
--The game will begin in Berlin, Germany and students have to represent their country
and its colonization of Africa goals. Objective will be to make sure their goals become a
reality. Each turn represents one move to conquer areas on a map. Each team has a
different resource map. To take over land occupied by another, play ROCK<
PAPER>SCISSORS (rules provided). Students will have to converse with only group
members and assigned alliances. Reflection questions will be answered to allow for
individual responses to higher level questions that parallel with political cartoon
analysis.
5. Imperialism Presentation from the viewpoint of an African Nation will be introduced.

Assessment Strategies
Imperialism presentation: Students in groups will select an African country (from a list
provided by European colonization) that was imperialized by the European country they
represented at the mock Berlin Conference.
As a group, they will work together to write a letter to a U.S. ambassador to the country in
Africa selected. In the letter, they must propose a Public Service Announcement campaign,
which addresses a current issue in the country. The Final Product will result in a 5 minute
presentation, where a campaign will be pitched to the class, and the letter will be sent to the
individual.
--Guided questions will be provided such as: What are the major issues affecting the people of
the country?; What issue can you help impact or raise awareness about?; Who is your targeted
audience? Why?.
--Requirements: Presentation must include a visual component (poster, video, Prezi/Power
Point).
--Each group member must help present; presentation must be 4 minutes at least but no more
than 6, letters due the day of presentations.

Differentiation
Scaffolds/ Interventions/Extensions/Enrichment

Interventions: Groups needing more direction will have questions and some websites provided. Example: To
being research in groups needing more help, students will be given a handout Current Status of Country. This
will be guided to provide issues in the particular country, using the World Factbook website. It will guide issues
such as education, government, suffrage, transnational issues, ethnic issues, religious issuesetc.
Extensions: Students will be given newspaper websites, such as poitico.com or nytimes.comfrom these resources
they are to read at least 2 newspaper articles with material about something current going on in their assigned
country. They are to summarize each article in 2 paragraphs answering: what are two major problems, and how
is the government addressing the problems. These are to be turned in with presentation and letter.

Materials/Links/Text References/Resources
Students will be provided this information electronically in segments. This is based off of Project Based Learning
activities that have an end result using technology and writing a well formatted letter to an ambassador.
Websites provided.
MLA formatting.