In 2006, the theme of Geography Awareness Week was the continent of Africa. That November, we featured a series of posts about Africa on the My Wonderful World blog, which was brand new. More than three years later, those posts are still some of the most popular in the history of the blog! This month, as we re-focus our attention on Africa in celebration of the World Cup, we are revisiting these fantastic resources, which include news articles, interactives, and lesson plans, and sharing them with our new members–all 75,000 of you who have joined since 2006!
Post #1: Africa and Human Origins (Human Geography)
Fossil and genetic evidence suggests that human history began in the valleys of Ethiopia, called the Cradle of Humanity. Here, paleo-anthropologists discovered the famous early hominid skeleton “Lucy.” Read more about the origins of humans in Africa.
Post #2: Africa’s History (Human Geography)
Throughout history, many civilizations have commingled on the African continent. Have you ever heard of the country of Rhodesia, the ancient trade city of Timbuktu, or the Zulu nation? Read more about Africa’s unique and tumultuous history.
Post #3: Africa’s People and Cultures (Human Geography)
Africa’s cultures–its languages, religions, art, music,
cuisines–reflect a deep past., rooted in ancient kingdoms, nomadic
migrations, the Age of Exploration, and modern globalization. This
diversity makes Africa special, but also combustible, as tensions
between peoples can spark civil wars, exploitation, even genocide. Read
more.
Post #4: Africa’s Physical Landscapes (Physical Geography)
The African continent has one of the most unique physical geographies
in the world: the largest desert and longest river, plus mountains,
plains, woodlands, valleys, volcanic rifts…Read more about Africa’s
physical landscapes.
Post #5: African Animals and Conservation (Physical Geography)
One of Africa’s richest resources is its variety of wildlife–lions,
elephants, gorillas, zebras, aardvarks, ostriches, and crocodiles–to
name a few. Many African countries are establishing large-scale
conservation efforts to ensure that Africa does not lose its iconic
animals to extinction. Keep reading about African animals and
conservation.
Check out these blog posts from the My Wonderful World archives and
tell us here: What was the most surprising thing you learned about Africa?
Don’t forget to read the rest of the June My Wonderful World newsletter for more on the geography of Africa and the 2010 World Cup!
Sarah Jane for MWW