Exploring Africa!

Introduction to Curriculum Resources

The Exploring Africa! curriculum is divided into Units, Modules, and Learning Activities.  Each unit covers a major topic or theme in the study of Africa.  Each unit is divided into thematic, disciplinary, regional, or country modules.  Each module is comprised of four to eight learning activities.  The learning activities in each module vary in length of time needed for completion.  Consequently, each module will take between two and five standard 50-minute class periods to complete.  Teachers are free to select one or two learning activities from a module or to complete all of the learning activities.

Each module plan in our curriculum follows a carefully prepared format.  This format has been developed in accordance with standard lesson and module plans in middle and high school social studies.  The core of each module are teaching and learning activities that follow the "5 E's" format:  Engage, Explore, Explain, Expand, Evaluate.  Each module and lesson also includes teacher background notes and guidelines designed to aid teachers in the most effective use of the learning and teaching activities.

Purchase a CD copy of Exploring Africa

In response to requests from educators who teach in schools where students do not have high connectivity to the internet, we have created a CD version of all the Exploring Africa modules for access without the need of the Internet. We are willing to send interested educators the CD for a cost of $10 which includes postage. If interested please send cashiers check of money order made out to Michigan State University to John Metzler, Exploring Africa, 100 International Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824.

Map of Curriculum

Unit One: Why Study Africa

Module One	Exploring the Diversity of Africa
Module Two	Learning about Africa
Module Three	Examining Africa's Diversity
Module Four	Examining Africa's Global Connections
Module Five	Looking Back

Unit Two:  Studying Africa through the Social Studies

Module Six	African Geography
Module Seven	A. African History until 1500
	B. African History 1500 to the Present
Module Eight	Culture and Society in Africa
Module Nine	African Economies
Module Ten	African Politics and Government

Unit Three:  Studying Africa through the Humanities

Module Eleven	African Literatures
Module Twelve	African Art
Module Thirteen	African Music
Module Fourteen	Religion in Africa
Module Fifteen	Africa and the World

Unit Four:  Regional Perspectives

Module Sixteen	North Africa
Module Seventeen	West Africa
Module Eighteen	Central Africa
Module Nineteen	East Africa
Module Twenty	Southern Africa

Unit Five:  Country Case Studies

Module Twenty One	Egypt
Module Twenty Two	Ethiopia
Module Twenty Three	Senegal
Module Twenty Four	Ghana
Module Twenty Five	Nigeria
Module Twenty Six	Tanzania
Module Twenty Seven	Congo
Module Twenty Eight	Kenya
Module Twenty Nine	South Africa
Module Thirty	Zimbabwe

Additional Curriculum

South Africa: Overcoming Apartheid, Building Democracy

The African Studies Center and MATRIX digital humanities center at Michigan State University have created an online curriculum resource about South Africa with multimedia primary materials, including many interviews and video clips.