{"id":16494,"date":"2019-10-18T13:11:06","date_gmt":"2019-10-18T17:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/africa\/?page_id=16494"},"modified":"2025-07-15T15:22:28","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T19:22:28","slug":"outreach-teachingresources-mathematics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/africa\/outreach\/teachingresources\/outreach-teachingresources-mathematics\/","title":{"rendered":"Mathematics and Science"},"content":{"rendered":"<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Centering Africa in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Education<\/h3>\n<p>This set of resources below was created to support the teacher professional development workshop held on October 16th, 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Click here for videos of the workshop: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hqIXhm8vhMU\">Part 1<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=m25jc-ICUK8\">Part 2<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Q9TqRafjorY&amp;t=11s\">Part 3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"\/africa\/files\/2021\/09\/Resource-List-Centering-Africa-in-STEAM.pdf\">Here <\/a>\u00a0to access the PDF view of resource list.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<div id=\"attachment18616\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n<h4>N&#8217;Gen TV Africa Science videos for elementary school:<\/h4>\n<div class=\"responsiveVideo responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Welcome to N*Gen TV Africa - Launching Season 2!\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pVBRoYJdw7s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment18616\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">N*Gen TV Africa Science Videos. Check out the Viewing Guide and Geographical Contexts of the videos in the \u201cVideos\u201d drop-down below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h4>The Ishango bone: possible oldest mathematical artifact<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/science-and-technology\/2018\/04\/07\/an-ambitious-african-science-project-is-getting-into-its-stride\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/africa\/files\/2022\/04\/lebombo-650x366.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"366\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-22106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/africa\/files\/2022\/04\/lebombo-650x366.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/africa\/files\/2022\/04\/lebombo-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/africa\/files\/2022\/04\/lebombo-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/africa\/files\/2022\/04\/lebombo.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Ishango bone (top) is possibly the oldest known mathematical artifact. From the Mathematical Association of America:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Perhaps the oldest mathematical artifact in existence, the Ishango Bone (above), was unearthed in 1950 in the then Belgian colony of the Congo (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). It was discovered by the Belgian anthropologist Jean de Heinzelin de Braucourt (1920-1998) and named after the region in which it was found. The bone, probably a fibula of a baboon, large cat, or other large mammal, has been dated to the Upper Paleolithic Period of human history, approximately 20,000-25,000 years ago. It is 10 cm long and bears an articulated, organized series of notches readily identifying it, to many observers, as a tally stick. However, its original purpose remains a subject of debate. The Ishango Bone is now housed at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Brussels, Belgium.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Read more on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.math.buffalo.edu\/mad\/Ancient-Africa\/ishango.html\">Mathematicians of the African Diaspora<\/a> &amp; on the <a href=\"https:\/\/old.maa.org\/press\/periodicals\/convergence\/mathematical-treasure-ishango-bone\">Mathematical Association of America<\/a> pages.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table width=\"912\" height=\"379\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<h4>Storytelling &amp; Science<\/h4>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" title=\"Ben Okri: &quot;Storytelling and Science&quot; - Strata Europe 2014\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vZ_y8Efrbl8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The oldest technology of the world is storytelling&#8230; We tell stories as a way to make sense of reality&#8230;&#8221; Listen to author Ben Okri&#8217;s eloquent analysis of the intersection of science and stories as a keynote for Strata Europe in 2014.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span>Books &amp; Articles<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>Find <\/span><strong>myriad lessons, activities, and ideas<\/strong><span> in these books and articles. When the full text is available, it is indicated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ethnomathematics and Education in Africa. Gerdes, P. (2014).<\/strong><span><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0315086084710299#aep-article-footnote-id1\">On mathematics in the history of Sub-Saharan Africa<\/a>\u00a0 Gerdes, P (1994)\u00a0Full\u00a0open access\u00a0text available <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0315086084710299\">here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.math.buffalo.edu\/mad\/special\/gerdes_paul.html\">Paulus Gerdes of Mozambique \u2013 an appreciation<\/a><\/strong><span> (Mathematicians of the African Diaspora M.A.D information page about P. Gerdes which provides an overview of his books<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/40248107\">Africa Counts and ethnomathematics<\/a><span>.\u00a0<\/span>Zaslavsky, C. (1994)<\/strong><span>\u00a0 Short <strong>open access<\/strong> article.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Africa-Counts-Pattern-African-Cultures\/dp\/1556523505\">Africa Counts.<\/a> Zaslavsky, C. (1994)\u00a0<\/strong><span>This book covers counting in words and in gestures; measuring time, distance, weight, and other quantities; manipulating money and keeping accounts; number systems; patterns in music, poetry, art, and architecture; and number magic and taboos. African games such as mankala and elaborate versions of tic-tac-toe show how complex this thinking can be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Math-Games-Activities-Around-World\/dp\/1556522878\/ref=asc_df_1556522878\/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=312152840806&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=3597832284417997586&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9061331&amp;hvtargid=pla-570287209335&amp;psc=1&amp;tag=&amp;ref=&amp;adgrpid=61316181319&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvadid=312152840806&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=3597832284417997586&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9061331&amp;hvtargid=pla-570287209335\">Math games and activities from around the world.<\/a>\u00a0Zaslavsky, C. (1998).\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Math-Games-Activities-Around-World\/dp\/1556522878\/ref=asc_df_1556522878\/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=312152840806&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=3597832284417997586&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9061331&amp;hvtargid=pla-570287209335&amp;psc=1&amp;tag=&amp;ref=&amp;adgrpid=61316181319&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvadid=312152840806&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=3597832284417997586&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9061331&amp;hvtargid=pla-570287209335\"><\/a><\/strong><span>More than 70 math games, puzzles, and projects from all over the world are included in this delightful book for kids.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/More-Games-Activities-Around-World\/dp\/155652501X\/ref=asc_df_155652501X\/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=312089030079&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=14134257249914528443&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9061331&amp;hvtargid=pla-539699378620&amp;psc=1\">More math games and activities from around the world<\/a>. \u00a0Zaslavsky, C. (2003).\u00a0 <\/strong><span>Math, history, art, and world cultures come together in this delightful book for kids, even for those who find traditional math lessons boring. More than 70 games, puzzles, and projects encourage kids to hone their math skills as they calculate, measure, and solve problems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Number-Sense-Nonsense-Understanding-Challenges\/dp\/159857020X\/ref=asc_df_159857020X\/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=312065538926&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=16678577533304334407&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9061331&amp;hvtargid=pla-568194307386&amp;psc=1\">Number sense and nonsense.<\/a>\u00a0Zaslavsky, C. (2019). <\/strong><span>More than 80 games and activities help kids ages 8 and older go beyond just memorizing rules! They will instead learn to think critically about math and how numbers work. Group and individual games teach fun, useful ways to manipulate odd and even numbers, prime and composite numbers, common and decimal fractions, and factors, divisors and multiples of numbers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/265872061_Mathematics_in_central_Africa_before_colonization\">Mathematics in (central) Africa before colonization,<\/a><\/strong> an <strong>open access<\/strong> article by D. Huylebrouck. A 2019 book by the same author and with the same time title is also available for purchase.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/epdf.pub\/african-mathematics-from-bones-to-computers.html\">African Mathematics: From Bones to Computers<\/a><\/strong>, a book by Abdul Karim Bangura, 2011. Portions of the book are accessible through the link.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/voices\/african-mathematics-black-history-b1944288.html\">Mathematics in Africa has been written out of history books,<\/a> <\/strong>a 2021 article in The Independent (UK) that traces the absence of African mathematics in history as a result of the slave trade.<\/p>\n<h3>Videos<\/h3>\n<p>See lectures and videos that can inspire and guide you as you embrace centering Africa in STEAM:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepocketlab.com\/scic5-ngen-tv-africa\"><span><strong>Emerging Superstar: Science is Cool! NextGen TV with Dr. Joy Kiano <\/strong><\/span><\/a><span>a 30-minute conversation with Dr. Kiano about the first Pan-African TV station.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/NgenTVAfrica\/videos\">NGen science videos<\/a><\/strong><span> \u2013 an outstanding resources for bringing African contexts into your science classroom<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>See the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/africa\/files\/2021\/10\/NGEN_Viewing-Guide_with-YouTube-links.pdf\">NGEN Viewing Guide with YouTube Links<\/a>\u00a0for N*Gen Videos.<\/li>\n<li>See the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/africa\/files\/2021\/10\/Geographical-Contexts-of-NGen.pdf\">Geographical Contexts of NGen<\/a>\u00a0Videos.<\/li>\n<li>See Dr. Joy Kiano\u2019s Presentation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/africa\/files\/2021\/10\/NGEN-TV-AFRICA.pdf\">Storytelling STEAM across the continent of Africa<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=naAe1lbiMHk&amp;t=445s\"><span><strong>Africa: The Cradle of Mathematical Sciences<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span> \u2013 A lecture by Thierry Zomahoun<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mlnREvCxtQw\"><span><strong>Documenting the History of Black Mathematicians<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span> \u2013 American Mathematical Society event on October 9, 2020, Nira Chamberlain, Edray Goins, Talitha Washington, John Weaver, and Scott Williams discuss this history.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LXRvwk12atw\"><strong>African Fractal origins of Math<\/strong><\/a>: Dr. Ron Eglash: <\/span><span>Pt 1<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6sAXdQP1RnM\"><strong>African Fractal <\/strong><strong>origins<\/strong><strong> of Math<\/strong>:<\/a> Dr. Ron Eglash: <\/span><span>Pt 2<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gmail-MsoHyperlink\"><span>An ethnomathematician who studies the ways math and culture interact on the African continent.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span>Eglash\u2019s work as Fulbright scholar was published as African Fractals: modern computing and indigenous design. His NSF-funded research on \u201cCulturally Situated Design Tools\u201d allows youth to simulate indigenous and vernacular arts using \u201cheritage algorithms\u201d from those traditions. This is one component of his \u201cgenerative justice\u201d project, which seeks ways to shift science and innovation in service of a just and sustainable circular economy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rKFgEKjPsPE&amp;t=360s\">Gizo-Gizo at the Library of Congress<\/a><\/strong><span> \u2013 meet Emily Williamson Ibrahim, the author of Gizo Gizo and listen to the read-aloud of this place-based education book set in the Zongo Lagoon in Ghana.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vZ_y8Efrbl8\">Storytelling and Science<\/a><\/strong><span>, a Strata Talk by Ben Okri<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VYIiOUtmM7U\"><span>I Will Be a Hummingbird<\/span><\/a> <span>\u2013 an exquisite short folktale, by Wangari Mathai, on environmental action<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yC9wZTJmDqA\">Listen<\/a> to Kenyans tell of how Wangari Maathai &amp; the environmental movement changed\u00a0 their lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Other Online Resources<\/h3>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.math.buffalo.edu\/mad\/00.INDEXmad.html\">Mathematicians of the African Diaspora\u00a0 (M.A.D.) CONTENTS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.math.buffalo.edu\/mad\/Ancient-Africa\/index.html\"><span><strong>Mathematicians of the African Diaspora presents THE ANCIENTS<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.taneter.org\/math.html\">Ancient African Mathematics \u2013 Ancient Math<\/a><\/strong><span> \u2013 Taneter African mathematics (Ancient African History)<\/span><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/journals\/mathematical-gazette\/article\/abs\/7136-the-oldest-mathematical-artefact\/65E17776F7EC0D23568F9826F5BC8CDF\">The Lebombo Bone: The Oldest Mathematical Artifact<\/a><\/strong><span> The Mathematical Gazette. Cambridge University press. A short description of the tally marks on the Ishango Bone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netmath.ca\/en-us\/articles\/math-games-from-around-the-world-africa\/\">Math Games from Around the World<\/a><\/strong>, featuring instructions to play the Mancala and other games from Nigeria and Mozambique<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Professional Organizations:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/algebra.org\/wp\/\">The Algebra Project<\/a><\/strong><span> (Bob Moses)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.africamathunion.org\/\">African Mathematical Union.<\/a><\/strong> Professional \u00a0in Rabat in 1976 during the first pan-African Congress, it aims to promote quality research, teaching, and outreach on mathematical activities in Africa.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepocketlab.com\/scic5-archive\">Science is Cool:<\/a> <\/strong>A Free Virtual Unconference for Teachers<\/p>\n<h3>Lessons<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savannahafricanartmuseum.org\/2020-workshops\/05-2\"><strong>Background on African Mancala Traditions.<\/strong><\/a>Mancala games involve strategy, skill, and are a great way of developing students\u2019 arithmetic. This workshop from the Savannah African Art museum presents useful background, instructions for playing and includes even an online\u00a0Mancala game!<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mass.pbslearningmedia.org\/resource\/ket-6dance\/drum-beating-foot-stomping\/\">Drum Beating and Foot Stomping<\/a><\/strong> (PBS) In this lesson, <span>students watch African dances and calculate tempo along with other mathematical functions. It draws on this video of <a href=\"https:\/\/mass.pbslearningmedia.org\/resource\/afriam.arts.dance.esin\/africanafrican-american-culture-e-sin-mi-dafrica\/\">E Sin Mi d\u2019Africa<\/a> whereby Bi-Okoto Drum and Dance Theatre performs a welcome dance that combines movements from several traditional dances of the Yoruba people of Nigeria.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thriftbooks.com\/w\/rethinking-mathematics-teaching-social-justice-by-the-numbers\/9439537\/item\/10290485\/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwna2FBhDPARIsACAEc_Uju1FZjAA6VXcLfp9x1IykOSy_Yp_7x1hkdxxtw2xYwMbJ5OuDdu8aAs6WEALw_wcB#idiq=10290485&amp;edition=8794769\">Rethinking Mathematics<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>an\u00a0excellent publication from Rethinking Schools, features activities and articles to draw on.<\/p>\n<p><span>Gerdes, P. <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/plus.maths.org\/content\/os\/issue19\/features\/liki\/index\">New designs from Africa: Inspiration from traditional Angolan Designs<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>On Storytelling and Science<\/h3>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/drive\/folders\/11X-jnujN2cvbM_0rK8QWBhm9ASHvjl_A?usp=sharing\"><strong>HERE<\/strong><\/a> for the folder of resources on Storytelling science, compiled by Susan Douglass, featuring stories on Human migration and DNA, Iron, and technologies in the Niger River Inland Delta<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vZ_y8Efrbl8\">Storytelling and Science<\/a><\/strong>, a Strata Talk by Ben Okri<\/p>\n<p property=\"name\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facetsjournal.com\/doi\/10.1139\/facets-2016-0079\">Uniting science and stories: Perspectives on the value of storytelling for communicating science<\/a><\/strong>, an article by Green, Grorud and Mannix (2018)<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=E7K-qlQVpgE\">Science and Storytelling,<\/a><\/strong> a Ted Talk by Lyucy Hawking, daughter of the famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking. Not Africa-related, but worth checking out for inspiration.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zongostoryproject.com\/\">Zongo Story Project<\/a>:<\/strong> Emily Williamson Ibrahim and John Schaidler<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/africa\/files\/2021\/10\/ZSP-Play-Book.pdf\">ZSP Play Book,<\/a>\u00a0the Zongo Story Project\u2019s set of activities for scaffolding storytelling.<\/li>\n<li>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/africa\/files\/2021\/10\/We20Are20All20Ears20Powerpoint20Presentation_Emily20Williamson20Ibrahim2028129-compressed.pdf\">We are all ears: Storytelling, science, and sense of place in Ghana, West Africa<\/a>\u201d a presentation by Emily Williamson Ibrahim<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/africa\/files\/2021\/10\/The-story-of-Onesimus.pdf\">The story of Onesimus<\/a>:<\/strong> 9th grade students at Foxborough Regional Charter High School researched, wrote, and read the story of Onesimus, the pioneer West African who spread his wisdom and knowledge of inoculation, as an enslaved person in Boston.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/africawrites.org\/about\/\"><span><strong>Africa Writes, The Royal African Society: <\/strong><\/span><\/a>Launched in 2012, Africa Writes showcases established and emerging talent from the African continent and its diaspora in what is now the UK\u2019s biggest celebration of contemporary African writing taking place over an exciting summer weekend.\u00a0<span><em>*Free online creative writing classes for young learners\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/playafrica.org.za\/\"><strong>Play Africa: <\/strong><\/a>Play Africa has developed an open-source toolkit, which supports local adaptation and implementation of Play Africa\u2019s \u201cDesigning with Children\u201d workshop. We developed this toolkit to build the capacity of placemakers, educators and others to lead a participatory workshop to positively influence the development of more child-friendly, safe and playful urban environments, with a focus on African cities and towns. This toolkit can be used by everyone to create a playful learning experience for children while empowering them to imagine an improved community.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.catchlight.io\/aida-muluneh-stil-i-rise\"><strong>Catchligh<\/strong><\/a><strong>t <\/strong>supports the power of visual storytelling to foster a more nuanced and empathetic understanding of the world, with the goal to discover, develop and amplify visual storytellers.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" id=\"Children and Youth Books\" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Children and Youth Books<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\">Africa Access is always a great place to look for books!<\/p>\n<p>For a select list of books having to do with sciences, math, technology and environmental sciences, see here:<\/p>\n<p>Picture Books<\/p>\n<p>The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Kamkwamba, William. Published 2012<br \/>\nWilliam Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country where magic ruled and modern science was mystery. It was also a land withered by drought and hunger, and a place where hope and opportunity were hard to find. But William had read about windmills in a book called Using Energy, and he dreamed of building one that would bring electricity and water to his village and change his life and the lives of those around him. His neighbors may have mocked him and called him misala\u2014crazy\u2014but William was determined to show them what a little grit and ingenuity could do.<br \/>\nEnchanted by the workings of electricity as a boy, William had a goal to study science in Malawi\u2019s top boarding schools. But in 2002, his country was stricken with a famine that left his family\u2019s farm devastated and his parents destitute. Unable to pay the eighty-dollar-a-year tuition for his education, William was forced to drop out and help his family forage for food as thousands across the country starved and died.<br \/>\nYet William refused to let go of his dreams. With nothing more than a fistful of cornmeal in his stomach, a small pile of once-forgotten science textbooks, and an armory of curiosity and determination, he embarked on a daring plan to bring his family a set of luxuries that only two percent of Malawians could afford and what the West considers a necessity\u2014electricity and running water. Using scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves, William forged a crude yet operable windmill, an unlikely contraption and small miracle that eventually powered four lights, complete with homemade switches and a circuit breaker made from nails and wire. A second machine turned a water pump that could battle the drought and famine that loomed with every season.<br \/>\nSoon, news of William\u2019s magetsi a mphepo\u2014his \u201celectric wind\u201d\u2014spread beyond the borders of his home, and the boy who was once called crazy became an inspiration to those around the world.<\/p>\n<p>* Also made into a movie.<\/p>\n<p>Seeds of Change : Planting a Path to Peace. Johnson, Jen Cullerton. Published 2010<br \/>\nA picture book biography of scientist Wangari Maathai, the first African womanand first environmentalistto win a Nobel Peace Prize (in 2004), for her work planting trees in her native Kenya.  Planting the Trees of Kenya. Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the Green Belt Movement, grew up in the highlands of Kenya, where fig trees cloaked the hills, fish filled the streams, and the people tended their bountiful gardens. But over many years, as more and more land was cleared, Kenya was transformed. When Wangari returned home from college in America, she found the village gardens dry, the people malnourished, and the trees gone. How could she alone bring back the trees and restore the gardens and the people?<\/p>\n<p>I Will Be a Hummingbird \u2013 an exquisite short folktale, by Wangari Mathai, on environmental action<\/p>\n<p>Listen to Kenyans tell of how Wangari Maathai &#038; the environmental movement changed  their lives.<\/p>\n<p>Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted a Million Trees \u2013 Frank Prevot. Published 2015. Wangari Maathai received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her efforts to lead women in a nonviolent struggle to bring peace and democracy to Africa through its reforestation. Her organization planted over thirty million trees in thirty years. This beautiful picture book tells the story of an amazing woman and an inspiring idea.<\/p>\n<p>I Am  a Farmer \u2013 Baptiste and Miranda Paul. Published 2019.<br \/>\nWhen Tantoh Nforba was a child, his fellow students mocked him for his interest in gardening. Today he\u2019s an environmental hero, bringing clean water and bountiful gardens to the central African nation of Cameroon. Authors Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul share Farmer Tantoh\u2019s true story.<\/p>\n<p>I Am a Farmer \u2013 in a brief video, meet the real Cameroonian farmer in the picture book \u201cI Am Farmer \u201c<\/p>\n<p>The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela \u2013 Christina Kessler. Published 2006.<br \/>\nIn the mountains of Ethiopia, a young girl named Almaz vows that one day her honey will be the best in the land. But the other beekeepers laugh her away and tell her it\u2019s men\u2019s work. Determined in her goal, Almaz decides to use her brains to prove them wrong.<\/p>\n<p>One Plastic Bag: Isatou Cessay &#038; the Recycling Women of the Gambia- Miranda Paul. Published 2015.<br \/>\nPlastic bags are cheap and easy to use. But what happens when a bag breaks or is no longer needed? In Njau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way. One plastic bag became two. Then ten. Then a hundred.The bags accumulated in ugly heaps alongside roads. Water pooled in them, bringing mosquitoes and disease. Some bags were burned, leaving behind a terrible smell. Some were buried, but they strangled gardens. They killed livestock that tried to eat them. Something had to change. Isatou Ceesay was that change. She found a way to recycle the bags and transform her community. This inspirational true story shows how one person\u2019s actions really can make a difference in our world.<\/p>\n<p>Famous Dinosaurs of Africa.    Chinsamy \u2013 Turan, Anusuya.  Published 2008<br \/>\nAlthough African dinosaurs make a significant contribution to palaeontology, they are often omitted from books in favor of better-known species like T. Rex. But their fossils have been discovered across the continent from the Sahara Desert and the dusty plains of Kenya and Tanzania to the sandstone flats of the Karoo and they are no less magnificent or fascinating than their \u2018celebrity\u2019 cousins.Famous Dinosaurs of Africa is written for children, but has broad appeal for anyone interested in learning more about dinosaurs. A brief general introduction is followed by short chapters on dinosaur species, among them those that were fish-eating, sociable, predatory, etc, as well as those that were cannibals, and the biggest meat-eating dinosaur of all time the thread being that they all come from Africa. Details are given about where they were found, the meaning of their scientific names, and their size and diet. Spectacular, colorful illustrations bring the creatures vividly to life; photographs, maps and line drawings further illustrate the subject, while \u2018Unsolved\u2019 and \u2018Up close\u2019 panels add to the intrigue. With a large, pullout poster, this is a most attractive and inspirational book.<\/p>\n<p>Fatuma\u2019s New Cloth. Bulion, Leslie. Published 2002.<br \/>\nYoung Fatuma and her mother visit a contemporary African market to buy fabrics and teas and learn about life. A great book to pair with a geometry lesson that uses African textiles.<\/p>\n<p>Head, Body, Legs: A Story from Liberia. Paye, Won-Ldy. Published 2002.<br \/>\nHead is all alone. Body bounces along. Arms swing about. Legs stand around. They can\u2019t do much by themselves, so they try to work together. But how? This vibrant, joyous retelling of a traditional Liberian creation story shows how much can be accomplished with a little cooperation.<\/p>\n<p>Jamela\u2019s Dress. Daly, Niki. Published 1999. Jamela gets in trouble when she takes the material intended for a new dress for Mama, parades it in the street, and allows it to become dirty and torn. But there is a happy ending in store for \u201cKwela Jamela African Queen,\u201d and just in time.<\/p>\n<p>Technology of Ancient Egypt. Kaplan, Leslie. Published 2004.<\/p>\n<p>For older readers:<\/p>\n<p>Transcendent kingdom. Gyasi, Yaa. Published 2020<br \/>\nGifty is a fifth-year candidate in neuroscience at Stanford School of Medicine studying reward-seeking behavior in mice and the neural circuits of depression and addiction. Her brother, Nana, was a gifted high school athlete who died of a heroin overdose after a knee injury left him hooked on OxyContin. Her suicidal mother is living in her bed. Gifty is determined to discover the scientific basis for the suffering she sees all around her.<br \/>\nBut even as she turns to the hard sciences to unlock the mystery of her family\u2019s loss, she finds herself hungering for her childhood faith and grappling with the evangelical church in which she was raised, whose promise of salvation remains as tantalizing as it is elusive. Transcendent Kingdom is a deeply moving portrait of a family of Ghanaian immigrants ravaged by depression and addiction and grief\u2013a novel about faith, science, religion, love. Exquisitely written, emotionally searing, this is an exceptionally powerful follow-up to Gyasi\u2019s phenomenal debut.<\/p>\n<p>The science of the Dogon : decoding the African mystery tradition    Scranton, Laird, 1953-<br \/>\nPublished 2006<br \/>\nA look at the close resemblance between the creation and structure of matter in both Dogon mythology and modern science<br \/>\nReveals striking similarities between Dogon symbols and those used in both the Egyptian and Hebrew religions<br \/>\nDemonstrates the parallels between Dogon mythical narratives and scientific concepts from atomic theory to quantum theory and string theory. The Dogon people of Mali, West Africa, are famous for their unique art and advanced cosmology. The Dogon\u2019s creation story describes how the one true god, Amma, created all the matter of the universe. Interestingly, the myths that depict his creative efforts bear a striking resemblance to the modern scientific definitions of matter, beginning with the atom and continuing all the way to the vibrating threads of string theory. Furthermore, many of the Dogon words, symbols, and rituals used to describe the structure of matter are quite similar to those found in the myths of ancient Egypt and in the daily rituals of Judaism. For example, the modern scientific depiction of the informed universe as a black hole is identical to Amma\u2019s Egg of the Dogon and the Egyptian Benben Stone.<br \/>\nThe Science of the Dogon offers a case-by-case comparison of Dogon descriptions and drawings to corresponding scientific definitions and diagrams from authors like Stephen Hawking and Brian Greene, then extends this analysis to the counterparts of these symbols in both the ancient Egyptian and Hebrew religions. What is ultimately revealed is the scientific basis for the language of the Egyptian hieroglyphs, which was deliberately encoded to prevent the knowledge of these concepts from falling into the hands of all but the highest members of the Egyptian priesthood. The Science of the Dogon also offers compelling new interpretations for many of the most familiar Egyptian symbols, such as the pyramid and the scarab, and presents new explanations for the origins of religiously charged words such as Jehovah and Satan.<\/p>\n<p>Sacred symbols of the Dogon: the key to advanced science in the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Scranton, Laird, 1953- Published 2007<\/p>\n<p>Caravans of gold, fragments in time: art, culture, and exchange across medieval Saharan Africa.  Berzock, Kathleen Bickford (editor). Published 2019. Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time draws on the latest archaeological discoveries and art historical research to construct a compelling look at medieval trans-Saharan exchange and its legacy. Contributors from diverse disciplines present case studies that form a rich portrayal of a distant time. Topics include descriptions of key medieval cities around the Sahara; networks of exchange that contributed to the circulation of gold, copper, and ivory and their associated art forms; and medieval glass bead production in West Africa\u2019s forest region. The volume also reflects on Morocco\u2019s Gnawa material culture, associated with descendants of West African slaves, and movements of people across the Sahara today.<\/p>\n<p>Ken Saro-Wiwa. Doron, Roy; Falola, Toyin. Published 2016<br \/>\nHanged by the Nigerian government on November 10, 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa became a martyr for the Ogoni people and human rights activists, and a symbol of modern Africans\u2019 struggle against military dictatorship, corporate power, and environmental exploitation. Though he is rightly known for his human rights and environmental activism, he wore many hats: writer, television producer, businessman, and civil servant, among others. While the book sheds light on his many legacies, it is above all about Saro-Wiwa the man, not just Saro-Wiwa the symbol.<br \/>\nRoy Doron and Toyin Falola portray a man who not only was formed by the complex forces of ethnicity, race, class, and politics in Nigeria, but who drove change in those same processes. Like others in the Ohio Short Histories of Africa series, Ken Saro-Wiwa is written to be accessible to the casual reader and student, yet indispensable to scholars.<\/p>\n<p>Remembering Green. Beake, Lesley. Published 2010.<br \/>\nIt is the year 2200. Global warming has covered most of the Earth in sea. The Tekkies survive on dwindling resources, but they need rain. A sacrifice is needed, something wild. But one African girl with her lion cub, Saa, still carries the old knowledge and is determined to thwart the Tekkies.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Centering Africa in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Education This set of resources below was created to support the teacher professional development workshop held on October 16th, 2021. 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