Human Developments in Africa

10 Grade 10 History and Citizenship questions on Human Developments in Africa, with worked marking schemes. 10 questions are available on this topic in full.

1. Question 1

   1 mark

   Archaeologists working at sites in the Lake Turkana basin have recovered stone tools and fossil remains that are among the oldest in the world. This evidence is important to the study of human development because it:

   A. Shows that Kenya was the first country in Africa to grow crops

   B. Proves that iron working began in eastern Africa

   C. Supports the view that eastern Africa was one of the earliest areas where human beings evolved

   D. Explains why the Sahara Desert began to dry up

   (1 mark)

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2. Question 2

   3 marks

   State three ways in which early human beings in Africa made use of fire.

   (3 marks)

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3. Question 3

   2 marks

   Suggest two reasons why archaeological sites in Kenya should be conserved.

   (2 marks)

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4. Question 4

   3 marks

   State three activities carried out by early human beings during the Stone Age period in Africa.

   (3 marks)

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5. Question 5

   1 mark

   Which one of the following statements about the domestication of animals in Africa is correct?

   A. It began only after the introduction of iron working

   B. It gave communities a steady supply of milk, meat and hides without hunting for every meal

   C. It was practised only by communities living along the coast

   D. It ended all movement of people in search of pasture

   (1 mark)

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6. Question 6

   4 marks

   Distinguish between hunting and gathering and settled agriculture as ways of obtaining food in early Africa.

   (4 marks)

   Marking scheme

   Award 1 mark for each clear difference, stated as a contrast between the two ways of life, maximum four: (i) hunters and gatherers obtained food from the wild without producing it, while farmers produced food by growing crops and keeping livestock; (ii) hunters and gatherers moved from place to place in search of food, while farmers lived in permanent settlements near their fields; (iii) hunting and gathering supported only small groups, while farming produced surplus food that supported larger populations; (iv) hunters and gatherers stored little food, while farmers stored grain in granaries for use in dry seasons; (v) hunters and gatherers used simple tools such as digging sticks, bows and stone blades, while farmers used hoes, axes and later iron tools; (vi) among hunters and gatherers almost everyone searched for food, while farming freed some members to specialise in crafts. Maximum 4 marks. A response that names only one side of a contrast earns no mark.

7. Question 7

   1 mark

   Which one of the following best explains why early communities in Africa began to grow their own crops instead of depending only on wild plants?

   A. Crops grown from seed did not need rainfall or fertile soil

   B. Elders forbade communities from moving from one place to another

   C. All wild animals in Africa had been hunted until none were left

   D. Wild food supplies were unreliable and could not support growing populations

   (1 mark)

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8. Question 8

   1 mark

   A learner argues that early farming communities in Africa settled along rivers such as the Nile and the Tana mainly for religious reasons. The best correction to this view is that they settled there mainly because the river valleys:

   A. Had no wild animals to disturb the settlers

   B. Offered fertile soils and a reliable supply of water for crops and livestock

   C. Were free from all pests and diseases

   D. Were the only places where iron ore could be mined

   (1 mark)

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9. Question 9

   1 mark

   Which one of the following areas is associated with the earliest development of iron working in Africa?

   A. The island of Madagascar

   B. The Atlas Mountains of north-western Africa

   C. Meroe in the middle Nile valley

   D. The Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa

   (1 mark)

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10. Question 10

    6 marks

    Explain three effects of the discovery and use of iron on African societies.

    (6 marks)

    Marking scheme

    Award 2 marks for each well-explained effect (1 for identification, 1 for explanation), maximum three: (i) improved agriculture (1) because iron hoes, axes and pangas cleared thick bush and turned hard soils faster than stone or wooden tools, raising food production (1); (ii) population growth and permanent settlement (1) because more food could be produced and stored, so communities grew larger and settled in one place (1); (iii) growth of trade (1) because iron tools and weapons became valuable items of exchange between communities and along trade routes (1); (iv) migration and expansion of communities (1) because iron tools and weapons made it easier to open up new land and defend it (1); (v) development of specialisation and social ranking (1) because blacksmiths became skilled specialists who were respected and sometimes feared in society (1); (vi) increased warfare (1) because iron spears and arrowheads were more effective weapons than stone ones (1). Maximum 6 marks.

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