Focus: The resources for this unit (Early and Medieval African Kingdoms) are part of the individual resources titled Early Islamic Civilization and African Kingdoms. This unit (Unit 5 for schools using the CKHG series in Sequence grade-level order) begins with an overview of the varied geography of Africa, including tropical rainforests, savanna (grasslands), and deserts. Students learn about the early African kingdoms of Kush and Aksum, and about the medieval trading kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. Students explore the city of Timbuktu as a center of trade and learning. Students are also introduced to African works of art, including the ritual, ceremonial, or celebratory purposes of many artworks.
Number of Lessons: 14
Lesson Time: 45 minutes each daily. Each lesson may be divided into shorter segments.
Additional Search Terms: Nile • Sahara • Kalahari • Ibn Battuta • Axum • Sundiata Keita • Mansa Musa • Askia Muhammad • Benin
CKHG Grade Levels: CKHG units are correlated to topics at the grade levels specified in the Core Knowledge Sequence, which allows students in schools following the Sequence to build knowledge grade by grade. In other settings, individual CKHG units may be used as supplemental resources. In general, the content and presentation in the CKHG units for Grades 3-5 are appropriate for young readers from the upper elementary grades through middle school.
