Ancient African Cultures
You will be researching different aspects of the African kingdoms of Songhai, Great Zimbabwe, Kongo and the Swahili City-States (or Coastal City-States). Your group may be focusing on social and cultural aspects, political power, economic systems, or the geography of your kingdom.
Remember, you must be a responsible information user and tell where you get your information (cite your source). You have a Source Sheet where you must write EVERY source you use in your research. Make sure you gather this information down right away so that you can find it again. Your teachers are requiring at least 3 sources: 1 encyclopedia, 1 print source, and 1 website.
Encyclopedias
Use at least ONE as a research source
A good place to begin your research is in encyclopedias, print or online. There you will usually find good information that can serve as a basis for your continuing in depth research.
In Hoover’s media center you will find the following print encyclopedias in the Reference Section:
Encyclopedia Britannica (1997)
World Book Encyclopedia (2000 and 2006)
Compton’s Encyclopedia (2004)
Encyclopedia Americana (1999)
Another good option is to use our online encyclopedias because they are updated constantly, and you can access them from home. They are linked here, or you can access them through the Hoover website on the Media Center – Research Resources.
World Book Online – You can search under the name of your kingdom. You may also find information under “African history.”
Encyclopedia Britannica – Search by the name of your kingdom, or “African history.”
Books
You must use at least ONE book and cite your source
There is at least one wonderful book available about each of these African kingdoms. These and many other books will be on a cart, made available by your social studies teacher. They CANNOT be checked out or taken home, since many students will be using them.
Websites
At least ONE website must be used for this project
Here are some wonderful websites. I suggest starting with the first one.
Montgomery County Social Studies Resources Grade 7
Begin with this website, created by MCPS. Here you will find recommended online resources with the best search terms, and many excellent websites for Songhai, Mali, Kongo, Great Zimbabwe, and Swahili States/Coastal City-States.
Part II: African Empires
Scroll down to begin at the 13th century on a timeline of African empires from 1st to 15th centuries, and find supporting links to websites for each empire.
The Story of Africa
Provided by BBC and titled “The Story of Africa,” this website contains pages about West African empires (ancient Ghana, Mali and Songhai), the Swahili, central African empires (Great Zimbabwe, Kongo and Portuguese trade) and about the spread of Islam.
Wonders of the African World
This PBS website includes info about the Swahili, the empires of Ghana and Mali, and the city of Great Zimbabwe.
The Islamic World to 1600
Info about the Islamic world to 1600, and the empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhai.
African Voices
This Smithsonian site is wonderfully rich graphically and has a huge, well organized compilation of resources on the history of Africa from ancient times to now. Look under “History.”
Mali, Songhai and Ghana--Kingdoms built on trade
Merchants and traders in Africa, from 330 BCE to 1500 CE
Saharan trade: a link between Europe and Africa
This includes trade with the empires of ancient Ghana, Mali and Songhai.
The Empires of the Western Sudan
Provided by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this is a great overview of the empires of the Western Sudan – Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.
Timbuktu, Mali
The History Channel provides this website which includes a timeline and info about Timbuktu under the Songhai empire.
African trading kingdoms (this contains very basic info)
Mali: Ancient Crossroads of Africa. Look under “History” and also check for websites about Mali under “Instructional Resources – Links”. From the Virginia Department of Education
Mali and Songhai
Information about the empires of Mali and Songhai.
“Civilizations in Africa”
Contains a brief page about each kingdom. Click on “Contents.”
“The Art of Ancient Mali”
The “Geography and History” page of the website contains a detailed account of the geography and development of the Ghana, Mali and Songhai empires.
Online Databases
Student Resource Center – Search your empire name here. Also try “African kingdoms,” and “Swahili speaking peoples.”
CultureGrams – Look up the current country where your empire resided (see maps in books), then click on “History.”