Step into a world where gold gleams like currency, caravans crawl across sun-scorched sands, and shrewd merchants build empires on their wits. This engaging reading comprehension and critical thinking worksheet transports your students to the bustling heart of ancient Ghana, unveiling the secrets of its economic engine. From navigating the intricate web of trans-Saharan trade routes to exploring the lives of farmers, traders, and even slaves, this resource is the perfect blend of historical intrigue and interactive learning.

Unravel the Tapestry of Trade:

• Golden Highways: Trace the "Salt Road" and "Caravan Route" across scorching deserts, understanding how Ghana's strategic location fueled its economic dominance.
• Currency of Kings: Discover how gold dust became sophisticated currency, enriching both the kingdom and its cunning "dyula" merchants who mastered the art of negotiation.
• Lives Intertwined: Explore the stark contrasts between the lives of farmers toiling under the sun, ambitious traders traversing distant markets, and slaves whose labor built grand palaces.
• Beyond Riches: Analyze the legacy of Ghana's trade, acknowledging its role in spreading cultural exchange and technological advancements while recognizing the ethical challenges of slave labor.

Engage Your Students with:

• Interactive Comprehension Questions: Stimulate critical thinking through multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer formats.
• Primary Source Analysis: Decipher historical accounts like Al-Idrisi's description of Ghana's exports, drawing insightful conclusions about resources and trade networks.

Perfect for:

• Social studies and history lessons on Ancient Africa.
• Developing reading comprehension, critical thinking, and analytical skills.
• Integrating primary sources and historical accounts into learning.
• Fostering creativity, historical empathy, and ethical discussions.

Ready to immerse your students in the vibrant world of ancient Ghana's economy? Download this captivating worksheet and watch them transform into history detectives, economic analysts, and engaged storytellers!

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the major factors that contributed to the economic success of ancient Ghana.
• Evaluate the roles and experiences of different social classes within the Ghanian economy.
• Develop critical thinking skills through source analysis, inference, and problem-solving.
• Foster awareness of historical contexts and ethical considerations surrounding economic systems.
• Appreciate the lasting impact of trade and cultural exchange on ancient civilizations.

Common Core Standards Alignment:

• RH.6-8.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a historical text.
• RH.6-8.3: Analyze how a primary source reveals the historical context of a particular event.
• RH.6-8.7: Integrate information from various sources to answer questions about a particular historical period.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.7: Analyze various features of text, including figurative language, word choice, and tone.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.2: Write informative texts, explaining how a particular historical event unfolded.