Mansa Musa's pilgrimage
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the consequences of Mansa Musa's pilgrimage.
Key learning points
- Mansa Musa was a 14th century ruler of Mali and the wealthiest man who has ever lived.
- Mansa Musa was a devout Muslim and undertook the Hajj to Mecca.
- Mansa Musa's wealth destabilised the economy of Egypt during his Hajj.
- There were positive and negative consequences of Mansa Musa's pilgrimage.
Keywords
Pilgrimage - a pilgrimage is a holy journey
Hajj - the Hajj is the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the Five Pillars of Islam
Common misconception
It is impossible for large numbers of people to cross the Sahara Desert.
Although extremely dangerous, the Sahara Desert has been crossed many times by large groups of people. Large amounts of provisions are needed though, which is why it is not a common occurrance.
Teacher tip
Show a video of Muslims circling the Ka'ba to give students an idea of how popular this pilgrimage is.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In what city was the Islamic religion founded in 610 CE?
Q2.Which of the below were the nomadic tribes who converted to Islam once it had spread to North Africa in 665 CE?
Q3.Order these events, starting with the earliest.
Q4.What is one of the characteristics that Islam most values?
Q5.What was a griot?
Q6.What became prized possessions following the spread of Islam in the Mali Empire?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which keyword means a holy journey?
Q2.Which keyword is the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca?
Q3.Over how many kings did Mansa Musa have control over in the Mali Empire?
Q4.Why was Mansa Musa was eager to perform the Hajj? Select all of the correct answers.
Q5.In which country did Mansa Musa give away so much gold as gifts and overpaid for so many items with gold dust that he (accidentally) collapsed the economy?
Q6.What were the consequences of Mansa Musa's Hajj? Select all of the statements that are correct.
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: Mansa Musa's pilgrimage, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 history lesson on: Mansa Musa's pilgrimage, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the Medieval West Africa: why was medieval Mali so successful? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.