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Social sciences: history

Grade 5

Shaping a new society in s.a.

Module 7

The black people

The black people also originally came from Northern Africa. They arrived in Southern Africa at roughly the same time that the Khoina started farming with livestock. The black people developed further than the Khoina and the San. They cultivated the soil around their homes and kraals – therefore they are called agrarians or farmers. The women tilled the soil in the fields and planted the seed, while the men helped to reap the crops. They planted mainly mealies and sorghum. They ground the mealies to make mealie meal. This was used to cook porridge with.

Why were they called the Iron Age people?

The San and the Khoina are called Stone Age people, mainly because they used tools made from stone. The black people, however, knew how to make effective iron tools. Iron ore was melted and was used to make hunting weapons and tools or implements such as hoes. The black people were stronger than the San and the Khoina and were therefore able to fight for possession of the best parts of the country. Black farmers generally preferred the eastern parts of the country, as the rainfall was good and the soil fertile. They farmed with sheep and goats, but their main farming activity was planting crops. Later on cattle farming became their most important line of stock farming, because cattle provided more products and were a symbol of wealth and status.

The black people no longer moved around so much. They started to settle in fixed areas. Wooded areas were often cleared so that they could plant their crops. They began to build more permanent dwellings, because now there was enough food for everybody. More and more little villages developed. The first of these hamlets in South Africa were built round about 300 AD.

Activity:

To reconstruct the past of the black people

[lo 3.3]

  1. You now also have the opportunity to become familiar with the past of the black people. Complete the following summary on the black people and then have a look at a typical kraal.

Food

They ate mainly meat, sorghum, milk and

m _________ (1).

Customs

They were very fond of ________ (2).

When there were feasts or festivities they slaughtered

a(n) _____ (3). ________ (4) spoke to the spirits of the forefathers.

Clothing

They wore the tanned ___________ (5) of wild animals.

Ostrich feathers were placed on the ___________ (6).

Dwellings

Some gathered _____________ (7) grass and reeds for their huts.

The ______________ (8) of the hut was made of thatching-grass.

The walls were coated with ________________ (9).

________________ (10) built huts.

Sometimes they drew beautiful p _____________ (11).

VENDA

XHOSA

Zulu

Sotho

Listen attentively to the interview with Xayimpi. Remember some of the words. Ask your teacher to read it to you so that you can supply the missing answers. Your teacher is allowed to help you!

Question 1: How was such a tribe ruled?

XWhere a large group of __________ (1) lived together, they had to __________ (2) ways of co-existing ____ (3) peace. The headman of _________ (4) group got together to elect a ____________ (5) to rule ___________ (6) them all. Thus he had ____________ (7) power, and could __________ (8) others, decide where to build ___________ (9), what _________ (10) to plant, and who had to be ___________ (11) or punished. _____________ (12) were taken at meetings ________ (13) the older men. The _________s’ (14) help was also __________ (15) for difficult decisions.

Question 2: What role was played by the forefathers?

It was believed that the ancestors of a tribe acted as protectors. If things went wrong, they thought that the forefathers were angry with them. Certain ceremonies were then held to appease the spirits. The forefathers were highly revered and it was believed that the dead were still part of the family.

Question 3: Who belonged to the tribe?

Everybody! There were no problems ___________ (16) the care of orphans __________ (17) the elderly. Often, if a m_____(18) died, his b__________ (19) would ___________ (20) his wife in order to lessen the number of ______________ (21). Anyone who violated ___________ (22) system and rules of ____________ (23), were banished _________ (24) killed.

  1. Study the pictures of the black village of approximately 500 years ago. Then divide into groups so that each group can use a different picture.

Now help the group leader to write down five questions based on your group’s picture on a sheet of paper. Leave enough space for the other group to fill in answers. Also remember to write the number of the picture at the top of the page.

Make sure that you don’t write questions that need only a yes or no answer!

After the questions have been answered, exchange the work with another group. Now answer your questions while the group leader fills in the answers.

Each group leader must give feedback on their questions and answers orally to the rest of the class on behalf of his/her group.

Your teacher could even have all the groups’ assignments typed (or written out neatly) and return it to you.

[LO 3.3]

The early inhabitants of Africa that you have met up to now all contributed to the development of our country.

Assessment

LEARNING OUTCOME 3: INTERPRETING HISTORY – The learner will be able to interpret aspects of history

3.1 Be aware of more than one view of the past

Understand that different views of the same issue may be right or wrong.

3.2 Distinguish between fact and opinion.

Distinguish between a fact and an opinion.

Is able to access information from maps, charts, diagrams and graphs.

3.3 Reconstruct the past

Is able to reconstruct events and understand how people feel about them.

Memorandum

Activity

(a) Food: (1) maize

Customs: (2) music

(3) cow (ox)

(4) soothsayers, priests

Clothing: (5) skins

(6) head

Dwellings: (7) poles, clay, stones, sods

(8) roof

(9) clay bricks (mixture of clay, cow dung)

(10) especially women

(11) patterns

(b) Question 1:

The teacher fill in missing words on his / her copy and reads the interview to the learners. They listen attentively and then completes the activity.

  • (1) of people
  • (2) find
  • (3) together in
  • (4) the
  • (5) leader
  • (6) over
  • (7) a lot of
  • (8) amongst
  • (9) huts
  • (10) food
  • (11) rewarded
  • (12) decisions
  • (13) with
  • (14) soothsayer
  • (15) called in

Question 3

  • (16) with
  • (17) and
  • (18) man
  • (19) brother
  • (20) marry
  • (21) orphans
  • (22) the
  • (23) the tribe / group
  • (24) or

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Source:  OpenStax, Social sciences: history grade 5. OpenStax CNX. Sep 23, 2009 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col10988/1.2
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