African Pygmies

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/african-pygmies

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How tall is African Pygmies?Approximately 1.5 meters (4 ft 11 in)
2. What are African Pygmies and where do they live?They are groups of people who live in Central African rainforests, especially the Congo Basin. They are known for being short and for having a deep connection to nature.
3. Why are African Pygmies usually shorter than other people?Their short height is a genetic adaptation that developed over many years, likely because of nutrition and natural selection in the rainforest.

Exonym: A name for a place, person, or group given by outsiders, rather than by the people themselves.
Animism: The belief that natural objects, phenomena, and the universe itself possess souls or spirits.
Self-determination: The right of a people to freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development.