Lesson Plan

Lesson 8: Trekking to Timbuktu: Assessment of Lessons 1–7 (Teacher Version)

Timbuktu from the terrace of the traveller's house in 1858.
Photo caption

Timbuktu from the terrace of the traveller's house in 1858.

Wikimedia Commons

Guiding Questions

No Guiding Questions

Lesson Plan Details

Lesson Extensions
  • The fame of Sundiata, a ruler of the ancient empire of Mali, is documented in the epic poem “Sundjata.” Have students read this story (available in libraries and online) and learn about his rise to power. For background information, go to Epic Poetry and Sundiata.
  • Ibn Battuta's trip—Not long after the death of Mansa Musa, a famous traveler—Ibn Battuta—arrived in Mali and wrote about Timbuktu. Learn more about this man and his descriptions of trip by visiting the following websites: Battuta's Trip Twelve, Ibn Battuta and Ibn Batuta: Travels in Asia and Africa
  • Watch a video in which an Islamic scholar of Timbuktu is interviewed. Go to Retelling the Story and click on the videos about Sankore and the ancient manuscripts.
  • Take a visit to modern Timbuktu by accessing Travel (to Timbuktu)