Jump to Resources
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA BUNDLE
Give your students a solid background in the Geography of East Africa with the Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa Bundle.
- 4 Google Slides lessons with note-taking guides: East Africa, Southern Africa, Central Africa and West Africa
- 20 Daily Openers with student worksheets
- Activity Packet (print, digital, editable, and answers)
- Intro Diagnostic Activity
- 5 Map Quizzes: East Africa, Southern Africa, Central Africa and West Africa and all of Sub-Saharan Africa
- Unit Test: regular multiple choice, modified version with fewer choices, answer key and study guide
- Africa Poster Project
PLANNING this MINI-UNIT
East Africa is the first mini-unit or topic taught in the “Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa” unit. This topic covers: the Horn of Africa, the Great Rift Valley, the Serengeti, major land and water features, hydroelectricity, deforestation, industrial pollution, subsistence farming, cash crops, standard of living comparison, Swahili, the Seychelles, pirogues, endemic plants and animals of Madagascar and historical events.
This mini-unit covers the following twelve countries:
- Eritrea
- Djibouti
- Ethiopia
- Somalia
- Uganda
- Rwanda
- Burundi
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Seychelles
- Comoros
- Madagascar
Pacing
Teachers should plan three to five days to teach this unit on a traditional schedule with one-hour class periods. However, for those on a block schedule with 1 1/2 hour classes, teachers should plan for 2-3 days. An effective way to structure this unit includes:
Openers
The “Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa” unit has 20 openers that review the following topics: Relative Location, Per Capita Income Analysis, Tourism, Wildlife, Population Pyramids, Climate, Flags, Travel Advisories and more, CLICK HERE for more information on openers for the “Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa” unit.
OPENER TOPICS
East Africa
- Relative Location
- Per Capita Income Analysis
- East Africa Tourism
- East Africa’s Wildlife
- The Locust Crisis in East Africa
Central Africa
- Nigeria’s Population Pyramid
- Average Temperature in the Congo Republic
- Movement in Central African Republic
- The Okapi
- Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Southern Africa
- Traveling in Southern Africa
- Apartheid in South Africa, 1978
- Swaziland to Eswatini
- Average Rainfall in Angola
- Literacy Rates in Southern Africa
West Africa
- West Africa Relative Location
- Cape Verde Flag
- Agricultural Land Use in West Africa
- Transportation in Benin
- Sierra Leone Travel Advisory
Google Slides
GOOGLE SLIDES: After the opener, begin the 
Google Slides lesson. Students can take notes on paper using the note-taking guide provided with the Google Slides lesson, or they may take notes digitally with the electronic version (also included with the Google Slides).
TEACHING TIPS
⭐️ TEACHER TIP: I post a PDF version of the Google Slides to Google Classroom so that students can review their notes if they are absent. Click “File, Download, PDF” on the Google Slide to do this.
⭐️ TEACHER TIP: Some teachers post Google Slides in their Google Classroom and digital note-taking guides for students to complete as homework.
⭐️TEACHER TIP: When pressed for time, I will edit the note-taking guides to include answers for some boxes or delete boxes and slides entirely. Teachers should feel free to modify the lesson to meet their student’s needs and individual learning targets.
Activities
Note-Taking Guides
This East Africa Geography Note-Taking Guide should be paired with Google Slides (see above). Teachers can walk students through these notes or post lecture notes on their chosen platform and have students record the information. Here is a preview of the print and digital versions of the note-taking guides
Student Worksheets & Activities
There are ten pages of activities to choose from to enhance any of the Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa mini-units.
- Political Map
- Latitude and Longitude Practice
- Physical Geography Questions
- Physical Geography Labeling and Elevation Coloring
- Health and Society Data Analysis
- Health and Society Special Purpose Maps
- Climate and Precipitation Data, Analysis, Summaries and Questions
- African Union Reading and Questions
- African Wildlife Poster
- 5 Themes of Geography Paragraph: Africa
- Current Event: Africa
UNIT: Map Quizzes
“Sub-Saharan Map Quizzes” is a quiz bundle that offers quizzes on each of the four regions of Sub-Sharan Africa, plus a quiz on all of the regions combined:
1. West Africa
Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Togo
2. East Africa
Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda
3. Central Africa
Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe
4. Southern Africa
Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini
Each quiz includes the following:
1. Quiz without countries listed
2. Quiz with countries listed
3. Answer Key
UNIT: Introduction Diagnostic Activity
Prior to teaching your geography unit in Sub-Saharan Africa, discover what your students already know about the geography of the region.
This activity asks students to name countries, place physical features on a map and answer critical thinking questions.
What Comes with the FREE Download:
1. Teaching tips and lesson plans for the activity.
2. Student Worksheet
3. Answer Key
Helpful Videos
Break up direct instruction by showing a video that reviews concepts they just learned.
Key Terms & Vocabulary
COUNTRIES of EAST AFRICA
- Eritrea
- Djibouti
- Ethiopia
- Somalia
- Uganda
- Rwanda
- Burundi
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Seychelles
- Comoros
- Madagascar
PLACES of NOTE
- Olduvai Gorge
- Zanzibar
- Aldabra Atoll (Seychelles)
- Ruins of Kiowa Kisiwani and Congo Mora (Tanzania)
- Nairobi (Kenya)
CLIMATE and the LAND
- Great Rift Valley
- Serengeti
- Ethiopia Highlands
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Lake Victoria
- Lake Tanganyika
OTHER
key terms
- Deforestation
- Industrial Pollution
- Subsistence Farming
- Cash Crops
- Swahili
- Dhow
- Endemic
LEARNING TARGETS
- Students can identify the twelve countries of East Africa.
- Students can argue about the factors that distinguish East Africa as a region.
- Students can compare and contrast the two major regions of East Africa: the Horn Region and the Great Rift Valley.
- Students can articulate the reasons why most of East Africa’s population relies on subsistence farming.
- Students can argue the factors contributing to Uganda’s fertility and analyze how that data point is significant for Uganda’s society.
- Students can define key parts of East Africa’s culture, specifically the terms Swahili and lingua franca.
- Students will be able to analyze how the natural environment and human activity affect the ecosystems of East Africa.
- Students can compare and contrast the East African nations of The Seychelles and Madagascar in terms of ecosystems and economies.
- Students will be able to explain how rivers in East Africa affect the themes of geography: Movement and Human Interaction with the Environment.
- Students will be able to discuss historical events in East Africa, particularly the spread of Islam, European Imperialism, and the Ethiopian Civil War.
- Students can evaluate the countries of East Africa’s level of economic stability using key economic indicators to justify their response.
- Students can identify and locate major land and water features in East Africa.
Take me to the Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa products on
Teachers Pay Teachers
CHECK out the latest on INSTAGRAM
@teacher_bistro
quick links
hey there
Thank you for stopping by Teacher Bistro. I created this place as a resource for educators who wanted an easy way to find resources. In my first ten years of teaching, I can’t tell you how many hours I spent gathering lesson plans, video guides, and lectures. Hopefully, you have added this site to your bookmarks, and this place can make teaching a little bit easier.