Process
Day #1
1. You will work with a partner on this assignment.
2. Using the region map below, you and your partner will research the regions of Africa so you can make a decision about the area you want your new country to be in (North, West, East, Central, or South). The link below is also provided:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Africa_map_regions.svg
3. You will research your chosen region using the following links to make decisions about how to form your new country. You can decide between the two of you who will research what information (ex. one of you may look at the climate, resources of the land, and industry while the other may look at religion, culture, language and types of government).
http://clinton4.nara.gov/Africa/where.html
http://www.africaguide.com/facts.htm
http://www.africaguide.com/country.htm
http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/index.htm
http://goafrica.about.com/od/africanlanguages/a/africanlanguage.htm
http://www.africanculturalcenter.org
Link to education:
http://www.usaid.gov/locations/sub-saharan_africa/sectors/ed/index.html
Types of houses:
http://www.pitt.edu/~tokerism/0040/africa.html
Industry:
http://www.mbendi.com/land/af/p0005.htm#10
4. You and your partner will answer the following questions to make decisions about your new country:
What region have I chosen?
What is the climate in my country? Is it hot? Rainy? Dry? Do the temperatures vary greatly during the year?
What are the major landforms in my country? How do they affect industry? How do they affect population?
How do the landforms and resources affect the styles of homes the citizens live in?
House of the Geriyama tribe, Kenya
Painted mud facades, Nigeria
What is the most common language spoken in my country?
What will be the major religion in my country?
What kind of government will my country have?
How will the citizens participate in that government?
What will be the currency in my new government?
How does my country make money?
What are the major industries/imports/exports? Why?
What will be the modes of transportation used in my country?
How much education does a typical citizen get?
How might their education affect their participation in government or industry?
What kind of home does the common citizen live in? Why?
Day #2
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/processguides/consensus.html
The web link is a guide for you and your partner to use to help in how you work together. It provides rules and steps on how to come to an agreement about the decisions you will have to make in order for your country to work as a whole.
Once you have gathered all your information, you and your partner will collaborate to form your new country. You will design a poster board along with a written outline presenting the answers to the questions above. You will present your poster and outline to the class. The following elements should be included on your poster:
A labeled map showing the borders and landforms of your country and the region it is located in.
You will design a flag for your country that includes relevant detail: ex. a tree to signify the rain forest, the color blue to signify a river, etc.
Your poster should be neat, colorful, and creative.
2. You and your partner will also write a short paper defending the choices you have made for your new country. At a minimum, answer the following questions in your paper:
Why would your chosen religion and government work well together?
How is your country similar or different from others in your region?
How do your citizens' homes reflect their ethnic background as well as climate?