3.
Which countries are the next oldest for colonization? Why?
Theme: Comparing
colonial and current Africa maps
Grade Level: 9-12
Title: Map Changes
Overview: Students will be critically assessing a colonial Africa
map for European influence. They
will then compare the colonial map to a present day map of Africa.
Time: Two 90 minute block periods
Subjects: Geography
Required Materials:
Copy of colonial map of Africa
for each student
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/history/ralph/resource/impafr.htm
Copy of present day map of
Africa for each student
http://www.nsrc.org/AFRICA/africa.html
Access to an on-line information
database
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
Copy of ‘White Man’s
Burden’ by Rudyard Kipling for each student
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/Kipling.html
Dictionaries and thesauruses
Optional Technologies:
Objectives: Students will critically assess two maps of Africa,
one colonial and one present day to determine the effect of European colonialism
on African country borders. The
students will apply the poem ‘White Man’s Burden’ to imperialism
in Africa from the point of view of the European imperialists.
They will then look up one African country in an encyclopedia to find
influences of European imperialism on present day African countries.
Suggested Procedure
Each student should have a
copy of a colonial Africa map. The
map should clearly show which European countries colonized Africa, the territory
they claimed and dates of colonization. Critically assess the map as a class asking questions that
analyze territory boundaries and dates.
The next map the class will critically assess is a present day map
of Africa. What countries have
since been created, which have stayed, what boundaries are the same?
To help understand the European/imperialist
point of view, study the poem ‘White Man’s Burden’ by Rudyard
Kipling. Even though it was written
about the United States and the Philippines, its voice reflects the European
attitude as well.
When the students are done
assessing the maps, have each student sign up for a country to look up influences
of European imperialism on African countries.
Brainstorm with students African
countries they can name. Write
these on the board. You’ll
probably find that the students cannot name very many.
Start out by passing out a copy of colonial Africa to each student and critically assess it as a class. Students should be made aware that European ‘superpowers’ divided up Africa in the a conference in Berlin in the late 1800’s.
1.
Which European countries colonized Africa? Why were they interested in colonizing
Africa?
For natural resources
– gold, diamonds, wood, coffee, peanuts
2.
Which countries are the oldest? Which country colonized them? Why were they colonized first?
Madagascar, Port
Guinea
Portuguese
On the coast
3.
Those on the
coast
Sea ports for
resources
4.
Why were interior areas colonized at much later dates?
Harder to reach
5.
Which country, according to the map, was not colonized
by a European nation? Why not?
Liberia
Bought by the
United States for freed slaves and free blacks that wanted to be re-patriated
6.
What year were German territories lost? Why? Who gained control of them? Why?
1920
Lost them after
World War I
Britain and France
Next, critically
assess a current map of Africa.
1.
Which countries have been created
since the end of colonialism in Africa?
2.
Which boundaries stayed the same
even though names have changed?
Take
up the White Man's burden--
Send forth the best ye breed--
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild-
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child.
Take
up the White Man's burden--
In patience to abide,
To veil the threat of terror
And check the show of pride;
By open speech and simple,
An hundred times made plain
To seek another's profit,
And work another's gain.
Take
up the White Man's burden--
The savage wars of peace--
Fill full the mouth of Famine
And bid the sickness cease;
And when your goal is nearest
The end for others sought,
Watch sloth and heathen Folly
Bring all your hopes to nought.
Take
up the White Man's burden--
No tawdry rule of kings,
But toil of serf and sweeper--
The tale of common things.
The ports ye shall not enter,
The roads ye shall not tread,
Go mark them with your living,
And mark them with your dead.
Take
up the White Man's burden--
And reap his old reward:
The blame of those ye better,
The hate of those ye guard--
The cry of hosts ye humour
(Ah, slowly!) toward the light:--
"Why brought he us from bondage,
Our loved Egyptian night?"
Take up the White Man's burden--
Ye dare not stoop to less--
Nor call too loud on Freedom
To cloke your weariness;
By all ye cry or whisper,
By all ye leave or do,
The silent, sullen peoples
Shall weigh your gods and you.
Take up the White Man's burden--
Have done with childish days--
The lightly proferred laurel,
The easy, ungrudged praise.
Comes now, to search your manhood
Through all the thankless years
Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom,
The judgment of your peers!
Last, students
will be looking for long lasting effects of imperialism on African
countries. Assign each student one
African nation to look up in an encyclopedia. They are looking for information that connects the country
to its colonizer. The description
should include the following: Independence – date, from whom, Languages
– what is the official language and percent of citizens who speak it (if
given) and Legal System – what is it based on. When the students have finished gathering their
information about a country, compare their information as a class. How is the influence of European
colonizers still felt? Many will
have European languages as their official languages and their legal systems
will based on the systems of the colonizing country.
Compare
the information students found about their assigned country for a list of long
lasting effects of European imperialism on Africa.