Now part of modern Nigeria, the Kingdom of Benin flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries. This colorful chart with map centerpiece and descriptive text juxtaposes artifacts and drawings from the old kingdom with photographs of people and activities in present day Benin City. 27½"h x 39"w. Pictorial Charts Educational Trust, London. ©1994.

By Daniel Chu and Elliott P. Skinner. A revealing look at West African history from the 8th through 16th centuries, focusing on the successive rise of three Sudanese empires: Ghana, Mali, and Songhay. Complemented by illustrations and maps, the accessible text surveys daily life, trade, and customs in these three powerful kingdoms, the rivals of any contemporary civilization in Europe. Nobles, workers, and artists wander through the stories of complex societies that dominated Africa's development in the days before European exploration. Grades 5 and up. Index. Africa World Press. 120 pages. ©1990.

By Patricia McKissack and Fredrick McKissack. Tracing the cultures, religions, mythologies, and oral and written histories of three African civilizations that flourished in medieval times, this book presents a wealth of information to correct earlier misconceptions of the "dark continent." Written in a narrative style that is lively and clear as well as scholarly, the book covers Ghana's gold-rich empire, including trade, the justice system, and daily life; Mali's peoples, ceremonies, and trans-Atlantic exploration; and the opulence of the Songhay. Valuable discussion of the origins of the slave trade. Grades 5-9. Index. Timeline. Notes. Bibliography. Illustrated. Henry Holt. 142 pages. ©1994.

Much more than a history of medieval Mali and its most famous king, this fascinating magazine helps readers put that history in context and relate it to their own lives. Short essays (like "Where Does History Begin for You?"), articles on Africa today (the Sahel), activities, samples of student art, and splendid maps and illustrations are interspersed with information about Sundiata and the birth of Mali, the sources of Mansa Musa's wealth and power, his relations with the Muslim world, other African kingdoms of the time, and Africa's little-noted influence on Europe's Renaissance. Grades 4-8. Resource list. Cobblestone. 49 pages. ©1999.

Excerpts from ancient Arab chronicles and a 20th-century speech by Kwame Nkrumah show how colonialism interrupted a long, rich history of Africa controlled by Africans. Grades 5-8. 34 pages.

Mansa Musa of Mali forged one of the largest empires in the 14th-century world. Arab scholars describe the customs of the court, Mali's natural history, and their personal encounters with Mansa Musa. Grades 7-9. 52 pages.

This five-day unit of study on Kush interweaves student readings with correlated writing and mapping activities. Five sections focus on geography, contributions (iron production), the origins of Kush civilization along the Nile, history, and the empire's decline and lasting legacy as the society which brought Africa from the Stone Age into the age of iron. Includes learning objectives and suggested teaching methods. Grades 6-8. Bibliography. Illustrated. Spiralbound. 8½" x 11". In-Step Productions. 40 pages. ©1991.

At the beginning of the 14th century, the Empire of Mali stretched from the Atlantic coast far into the Sahara Desert and sparkled with rich cities and universities. This uncommon program uses watercolor illustrations and lively narration to tell of Mali's Sultan Abubakari II, who twice sent ships across the Atlantic in search of a new land--nearly 200 years before Columbus's first voyage. When the first adventure ended in tragedy, Abubakari assembled a second navy and, in 1311, forsook a life of luxury and comfort to attempt the ocean crossing himself. (Reproducible activities appropriate for grades 4-6 are included.) Grades 4-8. Color. 15 minutes. All Media Productions.

The efforts of historians to reconstruct the story of people through artifacts and tribal artwork forms the heart of this episode that traces the rise and fall of the great civilizations of Africa. From Egypt and Axum (present-day Ethiopia) to Mali and Benin, the program describes how geography influenced every aspect of African society. Footage of the Dinka, a nomadic tribe in southern Africa, offers insight into daily life in a hunter-gatherer society.

The author of more than 30 books on Africa, Basil Davidson guides viewers through this comprehensive overview of African history, geography, and culture from ancient times to the present. Exploring such topics as the achievements of Bronze Age African kingdoms and the causes of European prejudice toward black Africans, the series features numerous interviews with scholars, researchers, and political leaders such as Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe, Shagari in Nigeria, and Senghor in Senegal. (Also included with the set--and available separately--is African Civilization Revisited, Basil Davidson's 459-page survey of African culture and history from antiquity to modern times.) Produced in England in association with Nigerian Television, the complete series consists of eight 57-minute documentaries (two per videocassette). Stereo Hi-Fi. Color. 114 minutes each. RM Arts. ©1984.