Scramble for Africa and the Berlin Conference

This full lesson plan is a must have when teaching about Imperialism in a World History class or when teaching about African history. Simulations, such as this one, are a great way for students to engage themselves in the learning process and use critical thinking/problem solving skills. This lesson is a must have for the Constructivist classroom. I have seen similar lessons out there on the Berlin Conference, but not all go in such depth of the results and long lasting impact European Imperialism had on Africa. This lesson provides basic terms on Imperialism, information on pre-1884 Africa, reasons for colonizing Africa, a simulation activity with debrief questions, information on the actual interactions between Europeans and Africans, and the long lasting effects of European imperialism in Africa. For students who struggle with note-taking, I have included guided notes at the end of the lesson plan description.

In my classroom, I teach this lesson after my introducing the topic of imperialism, to ensure students have an understanding of the reasons for Imperialism. The simulation is great for students as it allows them to collaborate in small groups and use critical thinking and problem solving skills. After the conclusion of the simulation, I have students respond to the activity debrief questions, which I collect as a formative assessment. I conclude this lesson with students working in pairs to analyze a political cartoon that focuses on European imperialism. All materials are included in this lesson. This lesson will last about 1-2 days depending on the length of your class period.

*Note: The Simulation Activity works best with a SmartBoard where students can draw their land claims on the map projected on the SmartBoard.

The zip-file contains:

Scramble for Africa and Berlin Conference PowerPoint Presentation

Scramble for Africa and Berlin Conference Full Lesson Plan Description with handouts