Here is a very cool video that is useful in all things in life. This is very good. Watch it, take it to heart and work it into your life. Success is never an accident!

Just click on the video screen and it will start.
Mr. C

7th Grade

Here are 12-2 notes. We did the bulk of these in class. There should only be couple of slides you need to complete from this section. I posted all of them, but you only need to pick up where we left off in class. Again you only need to write the slides we did not get to in class.

Kingdoms, City-States, and Empires
Chapter 12
Section 2

East African Trading Civilizations
East Africa Boundaries: Red Sea, Indian Ocean
Primarily trading centers
Port cities
Arab and African traders settled the area
Aksum- Present day Ethiopia
Controlled trade in the Red Sea
By 200’s A.D. controlled all trade from India to the Mediterranean Sea
Christianity came to Aksum around 300 A.D.
By 600 A.D. Arabs had seized control of the region and Aksum began to decline


Cities of Trade
Sailors used seasonal winds to reach China and India, when winds changed, they sailed back
Took- skins, Ivory, gold and other metals
Brought back- cotton, silk, and porcelain
Islam introduced to region during this time
New language- Swahili- Bantu/Arab language
Most widely spoken language in Africa today

Rise of City-States
City-State- city that has its own traditions, governments, and laws. Both a city and an independent state
Important city-states
Malindi, Mombasa, Kilwa, and Great Zimbabwe

Kilwa
3 and 4 story stone and coral dwellings
Traders paid high taxes to trade there
Conquered by Portugal in the 1500’s

Great Zimbabwe
Inland and east along the Limpopo River
Connected to the east by a system of trade networks all the way to the Indian Ocean
Reached it’s peak of power in about 1300 A.D.
1000’s of people called this walled city home

North African Trading Powers
Boundaries- Sahara and Mediterranean Sea
Phoenicians were the first to explore this region
Rise and Fall of Carthage
Phoenician trading center in present day Tunisia
Wealthiest city in the world at the time
Controlled trade in the Med. Sea from 500-200 B.C.
Taken over by Roman Empire in 146 B.C.
City was destroyed

Roman and Islamic Influences
Cities grew all along North Africa under Roman rule
Christianity spread as well
1000’s of miles of roads to connect its empire
Roman Empire falls in 476 A.D. and competing forces fought over the land until Arabs gained control in 600’s A.D.
Islam spread and replaced Christianity

West African Kingdoms
Based on the trade of salt and gold
No refrigeration at the time so salt was very important
A lot of trading between north and west Africa
Growth of important cities like Ghana, Mali, and Songhai and Forest Kingdoms like Benin

Ghana
Between the Senegal and Niger Rivers
Controlled trade in western Africa
Called the land of gold
High taxes

Mali
Upper Niger River valley
Powerful in mid 1200’s
Kings controlled the flow of salt and gold to the north
Kings were called Mansa-emperor
Most important Mali king was Mansa Musa
20 year reign brought peace to the region

Mansa Musa and the Spread of Islam
Was Muslim himself
Made regular pilgrimages to Mecca
Brought 60,000 people with him
Each of his 80 camels carried 300 lbs of gold
Gave it away as a gift
Europeans heard about his wealth and began buying Mali gold

Songhai
Becomes powerful after Mansa Musa’s death
Tombouctou was Songhai’s major trading center
Important caravan stopping location along the Nile
Greatest Muslim learning center
Songhai declined after northern invaders attacked in 1591

Forest Kingdoms
Benin
late 1200’s
Traded ivory, palm oil and pepper
Worked with bronze, brass, and wood
Created some of the finest sculpture of the time
Trade partners- Africa and Europe
European began to trade guns for slaves
Many African Americans are descendants of these forest kingdoms

7th Grade Notes

Below are notes for 12-1 we will be quizzing over both sections 1 and 2 of Chapter 12 on Friday.

African Beginnings
Chapter 12
Section1

Changing Survival Skills
Hunter-Gatherers
Nomadic – moved with herds
Hunted animals for meat
Collected fruits, nuts, and roots
Made tools from stone
This age became known as the Stone Age

Farming and Herding
Earliest farming probably in Northern Africa- present day Sahara Desert
In the beginning harvested wild grains
Then collected seeds
Then kept seeds from stronger plants and threw out seeds from weaker plants
This is called domestication-adapting plants or animals for human use.

Early Settlements
Domestication of plants and animals meant people could stop being nomadic
Most early settlements were by water sources
Mainly rivers
Transportation
Food
Fertile soil
Surpluses allowed for specialization outside of farming

Civilizations on the Nile River
Civilizations- society with cities, a government, and social classes
Architecture, system of writing, and art also
Social Class- group of people with similar backgrounds, wealth and way of living
Formed mainly out of occupation
2 earliest civilizations were the Egyptians and the Nubians

Egypt- 5000 B.C
Nile River Valley
Good soil for farming- fresh silt from flooding
Transportation
Food Source
Ruled by kings (Pharaohs) and queens that were treated and worshiped like Gods
Built temples (pyramids) to honor them
Hieroglyphs- system of writing using symbols
Specialization allowed them to develop skills like paper-making, architecture, astronomy, and medicine

Nubia- 6000 B.C.
South of Egypt along the Nile
Napata- greatest Nubian Civilization
724 B.C. Nubians of Napata conquered Egypt
Meroe- Weaker Nubian civilization, conquered by Ethiopians from Aksum around 350 A.D.

The Bantu Migration
4000 years ago in Africa, one of the largest migrations takes place
Bantu speaking peoples began to move
Southern migration from west-central Africa into south-east and south-west Africa
Why Migrate?
No one knows for sure
May have been the new ability to farm the rainforests
overpopulation
Over 100’s of years Bantu speaking people spread all across Central and Southern Africa

Bantus Spread Their Language
People were living in regions where Bantus migrated to but Bantu language and culture came to dominate all regions they inhabited
Language and Ethnic Groups
Ethnic Groups- group that shares language, religion, family ties, and customs
Shared history
Most of today’s Africans in Southern and Central Africa speak Bantu (200 million)

8th Grade

It was been a little while since I posted so here is an update. We are working our way through the American Revolution. We have talked about all the lead up and have studied the opening battles and advantages for both sides. The students have plenty of work to fill their 10 minutes a night. They have 4 sections of notes, hand outs galore and a study guide. Please make sure your student is studying 10 minutes every night. Exposure is key. We are quizzing every other class period and will have a chapter test down the road. Thank you for all your hard work at home and helping your student stay focused and successful.

Mr. C

7th Grade

It has been a few class periods since I have posted anything. Here is a catch up for all. We tested today over Chapter 11 and the students worked on an extra credit assignment after they finished the test. We will be working our way through Africa over the remainder if the quarter and into the third quarter. We have almost reached the half way point of the second quarter already!!! Progress reports will be out before you know it. Parents pleas continue to make sure your student is studying 10 minutes a night. They have plenty to review, they can watch clips on here, copy the notes into their notebooks, or work on their study guides. 10 minutes.....they need to be studying 10 minutes a night.

Thanks for your time
Mr. C

7th grade

Here are the notes for Chapter 11 Section 3. You will have a quiz on Tuesday and we will test over Chapter 11 on Thursday. Please make sure that you are studying 10 minutes every night!! You are not just studying on the days that we have class.

Here are 11-3 notes.....

Resources and Land Use
Chapter 11
Section 3

Agricultural Resources
Most Africans are Farmers
Subsistence Farmers- growing just enough to support one’s own family
They grow wheat and barley in dryer Savannah regions
They grow fruits and vegetables in regions with more rainfall
Ex. corn, rice, fish, goats, and poultry

Crops for Sale
Cash Crop- crops raised for resale
Ex. Coffee beans, tea
Cash crops farming is on the rise
Is leading to food shortages when harvests are light
Also bad when global prices drop. Families struggle for food and money

Harvesting Trees
Hardwoods grow in all regions of Africa
1000’s of acres of trees have been cut down
Tree farmers are now starting to replace what they cut down to counter deforestation
Treating trees like the renewable resource that they are

Natural Resources
Economy-system for producing, distributing, consuming and owning goods and services
Mining, many areas are rich in mineral resources
Ex. Gold, diamonds, petroleum, iron, and coal

Improving Economic Health
Specialized Economy-when a nation is dependent on one type of industry
Strengthening Economies
crops must be successfully grown and sold at a high price for farmers to be successful
Diversity- add variety
In order for most African countries to be successful, they must diversify their economies
More flexible type of economy
More diversified an economy, the stronger the economy, not as fluctuating

Where Does the Money Go?
Mining requires many workers and expensive equipment
Foreign companies take most of Africa’s mineral resources and take profits out of Africa
This does nothing for Africa’s economy
Africa wants to grow it’s manufacturing and refining industries to keep those profits

7th Grade

We are working on Chapter 11. I am posting Section 2 notes below. Today in class we worked on a Climate map. The students were to complete the map for homework if they did not get it completed in class. We will be testing on Thursday of next week over Chapter 11.

Climate and Vegetation
Chapter 11
Section 2

What Influences Climate?
Distance from the Equator
Runs through the midsection of Africa
Tropics also run through Africa
Much of Africa has a tropical climate
Influences not only climate, but also seasons

Role of Elevation
Higher the elevation- colder the temperature
Irrigate- supply with water from another source
Drought-long period with little or no rain
Oasis- a fertile place in the desert with water and vegetation

Unpredictable Rainfall
Because of Africa’s size, rainfall varies from region to region
West Coast and Central Africa get a lot
North and South get very little

Vegetation Regions of Africa
Tropical Rain Forests
Covers close to 20% of Africa
Lush vegetation and variety of wildlife
Farming, Fishing, Hunting, Logging
Tropical Savannas
2 seasons- dry and wet
Tall grasses and scattered trees
Large pack animals
Farming(wet season) Trade(dry season)
Desert Living
Nomads- people who have no permanent home
They follow trade routes or migrating animals
Live up in the mountain regions during rainy season and around oases during dry seasons
Make a living trading, herding, or caravan leaders

Climate & Health
Sleeping Sickness
Tsetse Fly- found in 1/5 of Africa
A bite can kill a cow
A bite to a human causes “sleeping sickness”

Malaria
Spread by mosquitoes
Moist climates- breed in swamps or standing water