Kindergarten students listened intently as fourth graders described their art projects about the Land of Punt, 加纳, 马里, 伟大的津巴布韦, and other kingdoms in their Great African 历史 Museum.

African 历史 Projects

Grade 4B Head Teacher Aiyana帕克 had taught a monthlong unit about African history to Grade 4 at the 较低的学校.  成对, the fourth graders had researched the kingdoms of Punt, 迦太基, 加纳, 马里, 桑海, 库什, 阿克苏姆, Mutapa, 伟大的津巴布韦, 和贝宁, using the elements of civilizations (G.R.A.P.E.S.):地理, 宗教, 成就, 政治, economics (trade and specialized labor), and social structure. Working in pairs, the students began their work in early January. Parker suggested reliable resources for them to use.  Each team created a slideshow of their research that they shared with their classmates. They then found one artifact from the civilization they studied as the basis for inspiration for an art project to display in the museum.

Impact of African Civilizations

“Africa was a powerhouse at one time,” said Parker. During their research, 帕克说, students learned about the impact of the kingdoms on the modern world. 例如, when the ruler of 马里, 曼萨·穆萨一世, made a pilgrimage to Mecca, “his caravan of reportedly over 60,000 people traveled with massive amounts of 黄金, even giving it away along his route, alerting the ancient world to the riches that existed in his kingdom.她补充道, “The trans-Saharan trade route gave kingdoms such as 加纳/Wagadu immense wealth, and helped to spread Islam throughout the trading and elite classes of several Ancient African kingdoms, contributing to Islam becoming a powerful world 宗教.” Access to African resources made Portugal a world power. “Portugal developed a route around the coasts of Africa,” Parker explained, “to access South Asia, with several African kingdoms trading exports including, but not limited to, 黄金, 布, 盐, 象牙, and enslaved people from kingdoms such as 桑海, 贝宁, 刚果, 伟大的津巴布韦, and trading cities on the Swahili coast.” Through trade and cultural exchange, the kingdoms “helped to shape the civilizations they engaged with.”

Examples of Student Works

较低的学校 classes were welcomed to the opening of the museum on February 22-23. 亨利·K.’31 had carved a model of a bird out of soapstone to represent the 伟大的津巴布韦 culture. 艾拉R. ’31 showed kindergartners five ancient 马里an coins and told them that 曼萨·穆萨一世 was reportedly the richest person who ever lived. 艾琳·B. ’31 displayed a replication of a queen of 贝宁’s 象牙 pendant. 学生 gathered around 斯隆米. ’31 were fascinated as she described the round, fort-like structure representative of Mutapa, a regional trading power in 黄金, 象牙, 和铜. 布雷特R. ’31 had added tiny sailing ships to his recreation of the harbor of 迦太基. At other desks, student visitors  found a sculpture of a stelae from the Aksum Kingdom by Gisu R.  ’31; a reenactment of Hannibal crossing the Alps by 罂粟J. ’31; the tomb of Askia Mahamid by 克里斯一个. ’31; and much more.

It was a wonderful opportunity to visit an African 历史 Museum right there in Park Slope.