World Builders · Issue 09 Lesson 1 Total XP · 50

The Growth of Ghana: Geography & Trade

Students examine how the Niger River, the Sahara Desert, and control of the gold–salt trade turned Ghana into one of West Africa’s earliest and wealthiest empires.

Activities, Instructions & XP

African Kingdoms Mastery Badge
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Resources

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Resources
Use the video to introduce today’s focus, open the Issue 09 text for evidence, and expand the slides accordion for guided instruction and review.

Video + Slides on the left. World Builders Issue 09 text access on the right.

Lesson Video
Slides: Ghana Overview Deck
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If the embed does not load on your device, use the link below to open in a new tab.
World Builders Issue 09 African Kingdoms Cover
Click Here To Access This Text
World Builders Focus: Use the Issue 09 Ghana pages to gather evidence for trade routes, taxation, and geographic advantages.

Warm-Up: What Shapes a Civilization?

10 XP · Knowledge
Warm-Up XP Breakdown
SP (Skill Points)0
CP (Challenge Points)10
This quick-write and share task focuses on recall and prediction. All 10 XP are awarded as Challenge Points to encourage full engagement without complex skill pressure.

Quick-write and partner-share to activate prior knowledge about how geography influences civilizations.

Before diving into Ghana, connect what you already know about rivers, deserts, and trade routes to the rise of powerful empires.

Student Inputs
Three Geographic Features
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Prediction
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Your combined warm-up response will appear here.

Activity 1: Mapping West African Trade Routes

20 XP · Knowledge
Activity 1 XP Breakdown
SP (Skill Points)10
CP (Challenge Points)10
Students map trade routes and explain Ghana’s geographic advantages. Half of the XP rewards accurate content/map details (SP), and half rewards the challenge of a clear written explanation (CP).

Students create a labeled map showing how Ghana’s location between gold and salt regions allowed it to tax trade and grow powerful.

Geography and trade worked together to make Ghana rich. By mapping the Niger River, the Sahara Desert, and the movement of gold and salt, you visualize why Ghana’s rulers became “gatekeepers of trade.”

Student Instructions
  • On blank paper or a digital canvas, sketch a simple outline of West Africa. Include the Niger River, the Sahara Desert, and space for regions to the north and south of Ghana.
  • Using the text on the Ghana pages of Issue 09, label: salt mines to the north and gold-producing regions to the south. Mark Ghana in the middle as a key trading crossroads.
  • Draw arrows to show the movement of salt traveling south and gold traveling north across Ghana. Use different styles or add a simple legend so someone else can read your map clearly.
  • Below your map, write a 4-sentence explanation that answers: “Why did Ghana’s geographic location allow its rulers to gain wealth and power through trade taxes?”
Map of Ghana

Use this map as a reference for your sketch. Notice Ghana’s position between the Sahara Desert and the forested regions to the south.

🗺 Open Map of Ghana in a new tab
4-Sentence Explanation Builder

Draft each sentence in the accordions below. Then use Generate to combine them into one paragraph.

Sentence 1 – Ghana’s Location
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Sentence 2 – Movement of Goods
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Sentence 3 – Trade Taxes
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Sentence 4 – Resulting Power
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Paragraph Builder – Ghana’s Advantage

This card combines your four sentences into one paragraph. You can revise it and send changes back to the sentence accordions.

Color-Coded Paragraph View
Your color-coded paragraph will appear here.
Editable Paragraph

Generate updates the paragraph. Revise updates the four sentence accordions from your edited paragraph (first four sentences).

Activity 2: Ghana – “Gatekeepers of Trade” Mini-Analysis

20 XP · Skills
Activity 2 XP Breakdown
SP (Skill Points)10
CP (Challenge Points)10
Students craft a structured response explaining Ghana’s taxation system and its benefits. SP rewards organization/evidence; CP rewards concept weaving across rulers, traders, and images.

Short written analysis connecting Ghana’s taxation system to stability and protection of trade routes.

Ghana’s rulers used trade taxes to fund armies, guard caravans, and keep the empire organized. Use the accordions to build a clear explanation.

Student Info
Student Name
Student Email
Class Period
Student Instructions
  • Re-read the text section explaining trade taxes and how money supported the army and government.
  • Use the accordions to plan a 5-part response.
  • Press Generate to combine your ideas, then Submit to send your work.
Introduction
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Benefit for Ghana’s Rulers
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Benefit for Traders or Cities
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Connection to Images
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Conclusion
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Your combined mini-analysis will appear here, with each part color-coded.
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