The CST Standards

Grade 8 History Blueprint - Standardized Testing and Reporting

7.4 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic,

religious, and social structures of the sub-Saharan

civilizations of Ghana and Mali in Medieval Africa.

1. Study the Niger River and the relationship of vegetation

zones of forest, savannah, and desert to trade in gold, salt,

food, and slaves; and the growth of the Ghana and Mali empires.

2. Analyze the importance of family, labor specialization, and

regional commerce in the development of states and cities in

West Africa.

3. Describe the role of the trans-Saharan caravan trade in the

changing religious and cultural characteristics of West Africa

and the influence of Islamic beliefs, ethics, and law.

4. Trace the growth of the Arabic language in government,

trade, and Islamic scholarship in West Africa.

5. Describe the importance of written and oral traditions in the

transmission of African history and culture.