California State Standard 7.4 is delineated in the following manner: "Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the sub-Saharan civilizations of Ghana and Mali in Medieval Africa. Seventh-grade students focus on the Niger River and the growth of the Mali and Ghana empires; analyze the importance of family, labor specialization, and regional commerce in urban development in West Africa; trace the growth of Arabic in government, trade, and Islamic scholarship in West Africa; describe the role of the trans-Saharan caravan trade in West Africa; and describe the importance of written and oral traditions in transmitting African culture and history. This model lesson uses as a sample topic, a correlated lesson with language arts ethical and cultural insights from African proverbs and folktales. The lesson discusses the uses and significance of the topic; presentation and activities ("Beginning the Topic"; "Developing the Topic"; "Culminating the Topic"); activities for other topics; extended and correlated activities; resources for the sample topic; and visual and performing arts resources. Eight appendixes provide additional information and a selection of African proverbs and folktales. (BT)