Handout
BBC

Bbc: The Story of Africa West African Kingdoms

For Students 9th - 10th
The story of the Songhay Empire is discussed on this website. From its origins, to its expansion under the rule of Sonni Ali the Great, to its height in power under Mohammed Ture, and finally to the collapse of the empire - it is all...
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Kingdom of Ife: Sculptures From West Africa

For Students 9th - 10th
Ife ( pronounced ee-feh) is today regarded as the spiritual heartland of the Yoruba people living in Nigeria, the Republic of Benin and their many descendants around the world. It is rightly regarded as the birthplace of some of the...
Activity
PBS

Pbs: Wonders of the African World

For Students 9th - 10th
A site from PBS allows the student to discover Africa through pictures and stories. Explore Black Kingdoms of the Nile, The Swahili Coast, The Slave Kingdoms, The Holy Land, The Road to Timbuktu, Lost Cities of the South. The site also...
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: West African Society at the Point of European Contact

For Students 5th - 8th
Prior to European contact, western Africa's powerful kingdoms supported the arts, technology, and thriving economies. Read about the areas from which slaves were transported before the transatlantic trade began.
Website
Library of Congress

Loc: Ancient Manuscripts: From the Desert Libraries of Timbuktu

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a collection of primary, historical documents from Timbuktu, Mali during the the 16th through 18th century. The documents cover all aspects of this advanced African civilization.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Mali & African Empires the Legend of Sundiata

For Teachers 4th
[Free Registration/Login Required] The legend of how Sundiata became the leader of the Mali people. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Mali & African Empires the Mali Empire

For Teachers 4th
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the Mali Empire of Western Sudan. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Black Man's African Past [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Read the narrative of Oladuah Equiano (or Gustavas Vassa) who described the culture of Benin as he was growing up in mid-18th century. On this site there is also a brief, general history of Africa at this time. [pdf]
Handout
PBS

Nova Online: The Lost Tribes of Israel

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides an exploration of what may have happened to the "Lost tribes of Israel," including a modern scholar's study of a southern African tribe with possible ties to the lost tribes.
Handout
Association of Religion Data Archives

Association of Religion Data Archives: National Profiles: Saint Helena

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about religion in the West African island territory of Britain, Saint Helena, in this Association of Religion Data Archives country profile; includes general facts, history, and religious data.
Graphic
Art Institute of Chicago

Art Institute of Chicago: Benin: Kings and Rituals: Court Arts From Nigeria

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the history of the royal art of the Benin Kingdom in Africa. An overview of the art is provided and with further explanation given according to themes. View maps and selected works of art. A video, charts, glossary, and a...
Website
Other

Budding Foreign Influences

For Students 9th - 10th
Buganda--or Uganda as it is now known--was a formidable African kingdom in the 19th century as described in this history.
Handout
Other

The Salmons: Timbuktu

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides information on the legendary city of Timbuktu in the West African Mali Empire.
Website
PBS

Pbs: The Swahili People

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a site from the PBS series "Wonders of the African World." This brief but detailed article gives information about the origins and history of the Swahili people.
Handout
Travel Document Systems

Tds: Benin: History

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief discussion of Benin's early history. A majority of the information is on its recent history since 1972, including the most recent elections in 2007. Information is from the U.S. State Dept. Background Notes.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: An Introduction to Africa's Arts and Cultures

For Students 9th - 10th
The British Museum shares the background of its ancient pieces from Egypt, Aksum, ancient Ghana, Mali, Songhoy, Ile Ife, and the Benin kingdom. Also provided is information about its later pieces from the Asante Confederation, the...
Handout
University of Chicago

University of Chicago: The Giza Plateau Mapping Project

For Students 9th - 10th
Resource focuses on the the geology and topography of the Giza plateau, the construction and function of the Sphinx, the Great Pyrimids, the associated tombs and temples, and the Old Kingdom town in the vicinity.
Handout
Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

Guggenheim Museum: Africa: Central Africa

For Students 9th - 10th
A simple explanation of the Central Africa region of Africa, with information on the cultural history and examples of artwork.
Website
Other

American University (Cairo): Theban Mapping Project

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore the ancient city of Thebes at this amazing website that brings together zoomable maps, video, images, text, a glossary and timeline, and other resources to help learners understand the significance of the ongoing archaeological...
Handout
Countries and Their Cultures

Countries and Their Cultures: Zande

For Students 9th - 10th
The Zande, whose homelands lie within three modern African states (Republic of the Sudan, Zaire, Central African Republic), constitute a large and complex amalgam of originally distinct ethnic groups, united by culture and, to a...
Website
PBS

Pbs: Historic Gedi

For Students 9th - 10th
The archaeological site from PBS of Gedi in Kenya is a unique place to see what life was like for the Swahili in East Africa. Scientists have no idea why this prosperous site was abandoned in the early 17th century, but during its peak...
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Learning Lab: What Is Currency? Lessons From Historic Africa

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
From the Smithsonian, this site offers lessons and resources on currency, its use (in the form of gold dust, salt, or metal objects) as an instrument of trade in historic Africa, and its requirements as an instrument of trade in the...

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