Lesson Title:Day Two:Salt for Gold, Gold for Salt

Context: The lesson will introduce students to the salt and gold trade that supported many of the African empires. The lesson will discuss the trade routes, what was traded, and why it was traded. The lesson will also introduce the concept of the popular trading technique of the silent barter.

Essential Standards and Objectives

6.G.1.1 Explain how the physical features and human characteristics of a place influenced the development of civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., location near rivers and natural barriers, trading practices and spread of culture).

6.G.1.3 Compare distinguishing characteristics of various world regions (e.g., physical features, culture, political organization and ethnic make-up).

6.E.1.1 Explain how conflict, compromise and negotiation over the availability of resources (i.e. natural, human and capital) impacted the economic development of various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., competition for scarce resources, unequal distribution of wealth and the emergence of powerful trading networks).

Objectives (SWBAT)

2.1Compare the advantages of Gold and Salt to the Arab and African people

4.2List what natural resources contributed to the salt and gold trade.

5.2Compare ancient trading tactics to trading tactics today.

10.1Understand and reenact the concept of the Silent Barter.

Materials/Technologies needed:

  • Projector
  • Salt and Gold Trade PowerPoint(
  • Notebook
  • Large Teacher Map of Africa
  • PowerPoint Worksheet.

Time: 50 min

Instructional Procedures:

  1. Bridge (5 min) Access student’s prior knowledge by demonstrating a trade with a student. Ask them what just took place and how trading works.
  2. Introduce today’s key vocabulary words and ask students to write them down in their notebooks. These words will help students better comprehend the material presented to them. (5 min)
  3. Proceed with the PowerPoint. Introducing the concept of trading during this and how natural resources around the trade routes influenced and contributed to trading. Have students fill out worksheet that corresponds to the PowerPoint during the presentation. (10 min)
  4. Next present what was traded and why it was being traded amongst the African and Arabic nations. (10)
  5. Stop and review by using a comparison chart that compares and contrast the trade between Arabs and Africans. Have students raise their hand to answer questions.(5 min)
  6. Who was trading?
  7. What was being traded?
  8. What natural resources helped contribute to the trading?
  9. Why did Arabia want gold?
  10. Why did Africa want salt?
  11. Then pose the question how did they trade these items? Expect a few answers but after taking a few answers, introduce the Silent Barter.
  12. To effectively show how the silent barter worked, show a brief PowerPoint about the Silent Barter, that shows diagrams of how the salt and gold were traded and taxed. (10 min)
  13. After reviewing the Silent Barter concept, students will conduct their own Silent Barter in class.
  14. The students will be split up into four groups: North Africans, Wangarans, Soninke Warriors, and drummers. Each of these groups represents an integral part in the slat and gold trade. The North Africans will be given salt packets to trade, while the Wangarans will be provided with “gold” coins.
  15. The North Africans will be asked to place their salt alongside our “river” (a blue piece of tape splitting the classroom). The Wangarans will be asked to sail down the river to Ghana to examine the trade proposal. If they accept the trade they will place the gold alongside the salt and takes the salt. The North Africans proceed to take their gold. The Soninke collects taxes from both parties. (25 min)
  16. Closure: If time permits students will write in their notebooks about what they learned today and how it compares to today’s trading. (5 min)

Accommodations/Differentiation/ Special needs: Provide selected students with class notes of PowerPoint with fill in the blanks..

Trading Gold for Salt from Mrdonn.org

All questions must be answered on a separate loose-leaf paper.

1)What is trade? Give an example from your own life when you traded on object or service for another.

2)Locate Ghana on your Africa Map. Where is Africa located? Use directional word (north, south, east and west) as well as geographic features (river, desert, savanna)

3) Why was salt important?

4) Why might gold be important?

5) What is a tax, tariff or tribute? How did the King of Ghana use it to make his kingdom wealthy?

6) What natural resources were located in Ghana?

7) How did the geography of Ghana make it rich?

8) What is more important to you, having a lot of gold or a lot of salt? Explain your answer.