Mansa Musa: Power, Pilgrimage & Prosperity

Students explore how Mansa Musa expanded the Mali Empire, used wealth and religion to shape his reputation, and turned cities like Timbuktu into centers of trade and learning.

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Framework Mapping

Alignment

Click a phase below to see how this lesson expresses each framework.

ADTL

ADTL Expression

Students are oriented into the design challenge...

AVID

WICOR Expression

Students record observations and capture evidence...

Cognia

Cognia Expression

Learners make active choices and track progress...

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Warm-Up: First Impressions of Mansa Musa

10 XP · Knowledge
Warm-Up XP Breakdown
SP (Skill Points)0
CP (Challenge Points)10
This quick-write rewards clear recall of Mansa Musa’s actions (gold, hajj) and their impact.

Quick-write + partner-share to identify what made Mansa Musa famous.

Mansa Musa is often called the richest man in history. Use what you know to explain why he is remembered.

Three Details You Notice
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Prediction About Reputation
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Your combined warm-up response will appear here.
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Activity 1: Tracing Mansa Musa’s Hajj

20 XP · Knowledge
Activity 1 XP Breakdown
SP (Skill Points)10
CP (Challenge Points)10
Skill Points reward accurate details. Challenge Points reward clear explanation of impact.

Students use the text to explain how Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage spread news of Mali’s wealth.

Student Instructions
  • Re-read the Mansa Musa pages and note details about the journey.
  • Use the sentence builder to draft a 4-sentence explanation.
  • Explain who he was, what the journey looked like, reactions, and the result.
4-Sentence Explanation Builder
S1 – Setting the Scene
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S2 – The Journey
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S3 – Reactions & Wealth
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S4 – Lasting Impact
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Paragraph Builder – Mansa Musa’s Journey

This card combines your four sentences into one paragraph.

Color-Coded Paragraph View
Your color-coded paragraph will appear here.
Editable Paragraph
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Activity 2: Why Mansa Musa Mattered

20 XP · Skills
Activity 2 XP Breakdown
SP (Skill Points)10
CP (Challenge Points)10
SP rewards organization/evidence; CP rewards explaining connections between wealth, religion, and power.

Short analysis connecting Mansa Musa’s rule, hajj, and the rise of Timbuktu.

Student Info
Student Name
Student Email
Class Period
Introduction
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Benefit for Rulers
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Benefit for Traders/Cities
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Connection to Images
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Conclusion
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Your combined analysis will appear here.
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