This work presents a new teaching module for understanding the geographical dimensions of historical events in Africa. This case study focuses in particular on the Joola shipwreck in Senegal in order to illustrate geographic areas of study including the rural-urban divide, colonial geopolitics, cultural diversity, and West Africa's physical geography. The main objective is to use a key event in Africa's history in order to highlight the local challenges and complexities of this diverse world region. This project is based upon a 10-month research project in Senegal designed to understand what locals identify as the most important national event of modern times.