African Heritage for Kids
Discover the amazing kingdoms, languages, and traditions of Africa!
Hello, friends! Emeka here, and today we are going on the most amazing adventure ever. We are traveling all the way to Africa, the beautiful continent where so much of our history begins! Africa is the second largest continent in the whole world. It is SO big that the United States, China, and India could all fit inside it with room left over! Africa has 54 different countries, and each one has its own special cultures, foods, and traditions. When we talk about African heritage, we mean all of the wonderful things that African people created, built, and passed down for thousands and thousands of years. These traditions, stories, and inventions are a gift to the whole world. Are you ready to explore? Let's go discover the incredible history of Africa together!
Fun facts about African Heritage
- Africa is so large that it covers about 11.7 million square miles. You could fit the entire United States inside Africa more than three times!
- Mansa Musa's journey to Mecca in 1324 included 60,000 people and 80 camels carrying 300 pounds of gold each! He was likely the richest person in all of history.
- The University of Sankore in Timbuktu had a collection of hundreds of thousands of manuscripts. Scholars studied astronomy, mathematics, medicine, and law there!
- The walls of Great Zimbabwe are up to 36 feet tall and 20 feet thick, all built without any mortar or cement. The stones fit together perfectly like a giant puzzle!
- The word 'okay' may have come from the West African language Wolof, where 'waw kay' means 'yes indeed!' Many everyday English words have African roots.
What your child will learn
- Learn about great African kingdoms like Mali, Songhai, and Great Zimbabwe
- Discover how African traditions live on in African American culture today
- Appreciate the richness of African languages, music, art, and inventions
Read the full illustrated story of African Heritage
The complete lesson has a page-by-page illustrated story and a playful quiz— plus 28 more heroes and hundreds of lessons. Start free, no card needed.
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