Introduction
This webquest is designed to help students explore African geography. Students will create 5 postcards to showcase their knowledge and researh of 5 physical or political features of Africa from the maps we labelled in class.
What other continent can you find the treasures of the Nile, fight the blazing heat of the Sahara Desert, and explore the tropical rainforests? Africa is a climate of diversity and beauty, home to a multitude of unique wildlife and resources. Africa is a continent which necessitates exploration of its varied regions to unravel the mysteries of its geography. There are five regions of Africa: North, South, East, West and Central Africa. Each is different and unique with amazing geographic features, from rivers, to mountains, vast savannas, tropical rainforests and lots of coastlines.
Task
You and the rest of your classmates have just returned from an exciting trip to Africa. Because of the diverse regions of this continent, your class agreed to take photographs and record information from only one of the regions so you could share all your information when you return. Your job is to create 5 postcards using PowerPoint to share with your classmates everything you learned on your trip. You will need to include a picture of the feature and a description of it (please explain it for someone who has never seen it).
Example: Here is a picture of Stone Mountain Park, it is a large outcopping of granite (the largest in the world). There is a carving of Civil War Generals on the Mountain. It has more visitors than Disney World per year and is one of the seven wonders of Georgia.
Here is the powerpoint template: Postcard template
You can use Google images to get pictures for your postcard.
Use this website to get your pictures: Thanks to Roger de la Harpe for permission to use http://www.africaimagery.com
Each region can be found here http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/explore/index_flash.html
Although there is only one link provided, the student will be responsible for exploring all links to find information about their landform.
Conclusion
After viewing everyone's physical feature, discuss the following with a partner:
- What are some geographic features that make Africa a unique environment?
- What region would you most like to visit and why?
- Name three new things you learned from your classmates presentations.
If you are done early and would like to learn more about African culture, visit the local library and search for African folktales.