Africa (favorite)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/
Recommended because this is a new interactive series for learning and teaching about Africa. The site was updated in 2001 and provides a good overview of the continent and its issues. Start by visiting the Teacher Tools section. Here teachers can access lesson plans related to the study of Africa’s ecology, ethnicity, society, culture and economics. Lesson plans and activities are adaptable for grades 3-12. The site also contains a downloadable teacher’s guide as well as a list of recommended books and websites for each Africa program in the series.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 14/01/2005

Africa Access (favorite)
http://www.africaaccessreview.org
Recommended because this site provides access to over 1000 recommendations and reviews of African books as well as instructional materials for teaching and learning about Africa. Strength(s) of site: Teachers are able to search for books and materials on different topics (apartheid, history, women, etc.) and time periods (1600s, early 1900s, 1990s). Start by searching for materials by country or topic of interest. Teachers may enroll in the Africana Book Buddies Club, which encourages students to read African literature. Be aware of the fact that many of the reviews and annotations were written by university professors, librarians and teachers who have either lived in Africa or earned degrees in African Studies. An excellent resource for reading reviews on children’s literature as it relates to Africa.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 10/02/2005

Africa Action (favorite)
http://www.africaaction.org/index.php
Recommended because this site seeks to mobilize Americans to work for positive change and involvement in Africa. Strength(s) of site: information is updated regularly, visitors can subscribe to the African Policy Electronic Distribution List which delivers updates and information about special events to your email program. In addition, the site contains African policy documents from 1995 to present on a host of topics relevant to improving one’s knowledge base about Africa. Recommends useful advocacy actions for various issues. Start by visiting the Africa: Policy Outlook section. This document discusses U.S. and African policies from 1998 to 2004 as well as the challenges many African countries face in relation to debt relief initiatives, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and issues of economic interest. Searches can be done by region or country. Educators interested in subscribing to the list should send an email message to apic@igc.org. Elizabeth Akingbola Last Modified: 30/05/2004
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 14/01/2005

Africa Focus: Sights and Sounds of a Continent
http://africafocus.library.wisc.edu/
Recommended because it provides the general public with a selection of images and sounds that have been contributed over the years to the African Studies Program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It brings together images captured on slides and in photographs as well as sound recordings on reel-to-reel and audio cassettes that have been reproduced and stored on digital files accessible by any computer of a reasonable minimum capacity. This allows for patrons of the electronic library to experience these materials directly, or to use them to create presentations using a common digital format. It enables the academic and non-academic audience alike to move beyond the blackboard and the book as the primary means of conveying information and engenders an understanding that goes beyond the printed word. There are four ways visitors can access this site. Searches can be done by (1)collection, subject or country, (2)atlas, (3)keywords, and (4)multiple fields. (Explanation from the website.)
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 18/03/2005

Africa South of the Sahara
http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/guide.html
Recommended because it is a searchable database of resources relevant to the study of Africa. Searches can be done by country/region, topic or by searching the Africa Pages of Stanford University Library. Start by clicking on the Breaking News Link . Once here, visitors can select from several news agencies for the latest news reports on the continent. By reading the current news stories vistors can decide which region or country they would like to explore in more detail. Elizabeth Akingbola Last Modified: 30/05/2004
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 17/01/2005

Africa Web Links: University of Pennsylvania African Studies (favorite)
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Home_Page/WWW_Links.html
Recommended because this is a mega-site with a plethora of links to annotated resources related to the study of Africa. The site is organized around general topics and or themes. Start by going to the Story of Africa . For novice students of African history, they can access and learn about the events and characters that shaped Africa’s history from an African perspective. Also of interest is the K-12 Resource Link . This link provides educators with an annotated listing of online resources useful for teaching and learning about Africa in the classroom. For the more experienced student of African history, Africa Research Central is a good place to start if interested in primary sources relevant to Africa. A searchable database allows visitors to locate primary source repositories in Africa, Europe and North America. Be aware of languages used to execute searches at the African Research Central link. The site is accessible to both English and French speaking patrons.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 17/01/2005

African Studies Factsheet
http://www.nisc.com/factsheets/qafr.asp
Recommended because it is an exclusive combination of 16 databases from three continents providing access to multi-disciplinary information on Africa. Combining 16 databases from three continents searchable together for the first time, this premier information resource contains over 849,270 indexed references, many with abstracts. Records are derived from books, periodical articles, pamphlets, maps and music recordings. Topics include politics, history, economics, business, mining, development, social issues, anthropology, literature, language, law, music and much more. (Explanation provided by website). Start by scrolling down the page and reading the annotated information about the various databases. Pricing information and related details can be obtained by emailing sales@nisc.com.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 17/01/2005

African Voices (favorite)
http://www.mnh.si.edu/africanvoices/
Recommended because it contains wonderful photos, video, and short narratives, and even games that can provide an introduction to African cultural diversity, history, spirituality, markets and jobs, global Africa, and life today in many countries. 2009

African Wildlife Foundation
http://www.awf.org
Recommended because this site seeks to provide information about conserving African wildlife and its natural habitats. This site includes news and information about conservation efforts and wildlife. Contents include information about the AWF Heartlands Program, wildlife library, ranger-based monitoring program, and the new Young Conservationist book series.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 17/01/2005

Africanet
http://www.africanet.com
Recommended because of its country-specific information for visiting African countries. The information contained on the country-specific pages is rather basic - climate, a brief history of the country, currency, etc. The site promotes travel and tourism to and within Africa. Several of the countries mentioned are located in the eastern and southern regions of the continent. Start by by visiting the Safaris link . Here visitors can access information about safaris in Tanzania and other countries in Eastern and Southern Africa. Be aware of the fact that some of the links located on the page are not working - i.e. the Rhythm Africa link.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 18/03/2005

Afrique Francophone
http://www.lehman.cuny.edu/depts/langlit/french/afrique.html
Recommended because it is an excellent resource on French-speaking Africa, people, and culture. It links to literature, media, countries, and culture and music. Be aware of the fact that this online resource is written in French.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 17/01/2005

AllAfrica.com (favorite)
http://allafrica.com/
Recommended because this website, allAfrica.com, is among the Internet’s largest content sites, posting over 800 stories daily in English and French and offering a diversity of multi-lingual streaming programming as well as over 750,000 articles in our searchable archive (which includes the archive of Africa News Service dating from 1997). It covers news and issues of almost all of the countries in Africa, from the perspective of local newspapers as well as UN and other sources.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 17/01/2005

California Newsreel (favorite)
http://www.newsreel.org
Recommended because This website provides the latest in educational videos related to African American history, African cinema, race relations and diversity training. The Library of African Cinema is a video library arranged by topic. A few of the general topics explored are Gender and Women’s Studies, Francophone Africa, Political and Economic Development, Anthropology and Folklore, Health Issues and South Africa. In addition, the site provides a concise annotation of each film/video. Some films/videos are available in French and Portuguese. Information about pricing and policies is available at the site, and high schools qualify for discounts. Start by going to Francophone African Films . Here visitors can read additional information about newly released films which focus on Francophone Africa. Or click on Suitable for High School Use . Be aware of the fact that several of the films/videos are available in other languages - French or Portugese.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 22/03/2005

Cultural Comparisons Through Literature (favorite)
http://africa.wisc.edu/outreach/units/compare.html
Recommended because it makes use of African autobiographies to compare cultural experiences and break down some of the pervasive stereotypes about Africa. Consists of suggested readings for different age groups along with lesson plan guidance.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 17/01/2005

Exploring Africa! (Michigan State) (favorite)
http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/
Recommended because this site is home to a new curriculum for teaching about Africa. The Explore Africa curriculum is created by Michigan State’s African Studies Center. The curriculum is divided into five units. Each unit covers a major theme in the study of Africa. The units each have modules and learning activities. 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. In addition, each module and lesson includes teacher background notes, guidelines, and printable resources. A great resource for teaching and learning about Africa. Start by going to Country Overviews . Here visitors can access basic information about each African country. Also of interest to teachers is the link for Current Events . Once here, teahcers are able to click on and read about events affecting Africa. Be aware of the fact that some units/modules are still under construction and some links are not working.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 20/01/2005

Global Edge–Africa (Michigan State)
http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/busresmain.asp?ResourceCategoryID=5
Recommended because it hosts links to a variety of African business/economic websites. The links are region and country-specific. Start by typing in the region or country under study.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 20/01/2005

H-AfrTeach (LISTSERV) (favorite)
http://h-net.msu.edu/~afrteach/
Recommended because it is the best electronic discussion group for teachers interested in teaching about Africa. It is a discussion group for teachers at all levels, P-16. Teachers have access to a number of African scholars who are more than willing to provide ideas for improving how Africa is taught in the classroom. To subscribe, send an email to listserv@h-net.msu.edu. Leave the subject area blank and in the message area write: sub h-afrteach. Be aware of the fact that discussions were not posted during much of 2004, but are back on track as of Jan 2005.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 20/01/2005

Identifying with Africa (favorite)
http://africa.wisc.edu/outreach/units/identify.html
Recommended because it is a multicultural unit focusing on the importance of names in African contexts. The subunits deal with: the meaning and importance of names; a study of families (primary level); in-depth of a selected African country (upper elementary level); and a study of autobiographical accounts and poetry relating to apartheid and South Africa (secondary level).
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 20/01/2005

Index of Africa
http://www.afrika.no/index
Recommended because this site serves as a search index for information about Africa. The organization of the site is arranged according to countries, news sources and subjects. There are two ways to execute a search of this site. Visitors can click on one of the three general topics listed above, or one can simply point their cursor across the information bar located at top of the page. A scroll down menu will appear. Select one of the sub-topics for further exploration. The Norwegian Council for Africa (NRC) maintains this site. Start by clicking on the Countries link . Once here, visitors can search for information by region or country.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 20/01/2005

K-12 Resources at African Studies, University of Pennsylvania
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/K-12/AFR_GIDE.html
Recommended because it is a resource clearinghouse for general information on many topics related to the study of Africa in the classroom. This site provides several useful links to K-12 lesson plans and workshops as well as email addresses of teachers and students in Africa. Also available are links to country-specific information including languages and maps. Start by visiting the Resources for K-12 Teachers section. Teachers can access lesson ideas for teaching about Africa. All of the links provide a brief annotation of what can be found at a particular site. Be aware of the fact that a few of the links may not be working.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 20/01/2005

Life in Africa
http://lifeinafrica.com/
Recommended because this site contains perspectives on issues affecting Africans through articles, poetry, art and other medium. Based in Kampala, Uganda, much of the material is locally produced and set in the context of residents’ daily lives. Start by going to the click4africa link at the site to engage in open forum discussion on issues. Be aware of the fact that this site is a work in progress. Some links may not be developed.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 03/02/2005

Talking About Tribe (favorite)
http://www.africaaction.org/bp/ethnic.htm
Recommended because this background paper is concerned with truth and accuracy with regards to teaching about Africa’s diverse peoples. The authors urge people to avoid using the term “tribe” in characterizing African ethnic groups or cultures. This is not a matter of political correctness. Nor is it an attempt to deny that cultural identities throughout Africa are powerful, significant and sometimes linked to deadly conflicts. It is simply to say that using the term “tribe” does not contribute to understanding these identities or the conflicts sometimes tied to them. There are, moreover, many less loaded and more helpful alternative words to use. Depending on context, people, ethnic group, nationality, community, village, chiefdom, or kin-group might be appropriate. Whatever the term one uses, it is essential to understand that identities in Africa are as diverse, ambiguous, complex, modern, and changing as anywhere else in the world.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 20/01/2005

The African Mosaic: New Lessons from Humanity’s Homeland
http://www.splcenter.org/teachingtolerance/tt-index.html
Recommended because this article explores the wealth of learning opportunities arising from the study of Africa and its peoples. Students must be encouraged to learn about the history, traditions, and diversity of Africa, rather than focusing narrowly on the problems of recent years. Teaching students about the contributions of Africa will help them be better world citizens. Be aware of the fact that this link is no longer working, but links to the Southern Poverty Law Center. We have contacted the SPLC as well as Teaching Tolerance to get some information about the link.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 20/01/2005

The Southern Center for International Studies (favorite)
http://www.southerncenter.org
Recommended because it is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the public’s awareness of the world. This organization produces an educational series titled World in Transition Series. The strengths of this series include instructional guides, lesson plans and videotapes on seven world regions. Start by viewing the Africa in Transition Unit . This unit looks at 53 African countries with attention to issues facing the continent. In an attempt to keep the series current, teachers have access to regular updates. Updates contain the latest information on economic, political social and foreign policy changes in a specific region. Be aware of the fact that last updates for Africa are from 2003.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 20/01/2005

The Story of Africa (favorite)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/index.shtml
Recommended because it is a resource for building a historical knowledge base about Africa. One of the main strengths of this site is that it validates the use of African perspectives in teaching and learning about Africa. Visitors have access to audio recordings of themes discussed. Start by clicking on the link titled Africa’s Early History . Here visitors can listen and read about the human origins of man being traced back to the continent.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 20/01/2005

West African Novels
http://africa.wisc.edu/outreach/units/novels.html
Recommended because it is a lesson plan for grades 10-12 using Miriama Ba’s So Long a Letter, a book which deals with issues of marraige, polygamy, death, divorce, children and other cultural issues, from the perspective of a Senegalese woman caught up in them.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 20/01/2005

Wonders of the African World (favorite)
http://www.pbs.org/wonders/index.html
Recommended because this website explores the great African civilizations of Nubia, the Great Zimbabwe, Timbuktu, Ethiopia, the Swahili Coast, and the Kingdoms of Dahomey and the Ashanti. The website was constructed by Henry Louis Gates, a Harvard historian, to parallel his PBS/BBC video series exploring these themes. The site works to illuminate the achievements of Africans in these civilizations, and to debunk earlier historical bias or oversight of them. Gates examines this history and the questions it raises from an African-American perspective, in such sections as What Africa Means to Me . Start by reading through the home page and the Wonders page to get a general overview and click on the site map of Africa. Specific to Ghana, go to the Slave Kingdoms . Be sure to visit the sections for kids and classroom for lesson plans. Be aware of the fact that a 3 set video of Dr. Gates’ journey through these historic areas is available through the website.
Reviewed by: Laura Joseph Last Modified: 31/03/2005