Kingdoms of AfricaGrade 6 Social Studies for Kids

Kush, Aksum, Ghana, Mali, Great Zimbabwe and their great achievements.

Kingdoms of Africa helps sixth graders discover powerful, wealthy kingdoms: Kush's pyramids, Aksum's trade, Ghana's gold, Mansa Musa's Mali and the stone walls of Great Zimbabwe.

  • Grade 6 · Ages 11–12
  • 1 lesson
  • 1 game
  • 4 practice questions
  • About 10 min
Start Learning Free Open the Course
  • Learn it
  • The Why? question
  • Kingdom Match
  • Kingdoms Quiz

Social Studies course · Grade 6

Kingdoms of Africa · Learning goals

What Your Child Will Learn

Africa was home to powerful, wealthy kingdoms. Discover Kush's pyramids, Aksum's trade, Ghana's gold, Mansa Musa's Mali and the stone walls of Great Zimbabwe.

  • Kingdom Match

Why it matters

Why This Matters for Kids

  • A fuller history

    African kingdoms are an important and often overlooked part of world history.

  • Trade and wealth

    Gold and salt trade show how Africa connected to the wider world.

  • Inspiring leaders

    Stories like Mansa Musa's journey bring history to life.

Inside Kingdoms of Africa

How the Course Works

A short read-aloud lesson first, then hands-on games and a quiz to lock it in.

  1. Step 1 · Lesson

    Learn it

    A short read-aloud lesson in 5 steps.

  2. Step 2 · Think

    The Why? question

    Why is it important to learn the history of every continent?

  3. Step 3 · Matching game

    Kingdom Match

    Match each African kingdom to its famous achievement.

  4. Step 4 · Quiz

    Kingdoms Quiz

    4 questions to check what stuck.

Lesson preview

A Peek Inside the Lesson

This is the real lesson text your child hears, read aloud by a friendly voice.

Africa had many great kingdoms with cities, trade, art and learning.

Kush, south of Egypt, built more pyramids than Egypt did! Aksum in Ethiopia traded across the Red Sea.

The Ghana Empire grew rich trading gold for salt across the Sahara.

Mansa Musa of Mali may have been one of the richest people ever. Timbuktu was a city of scholars and books.

Great Zimbabwe was a city of huge stone walls built without mortar.

For parents

Try It at Home

Learning sticks best when kids use it in real life. Here are simple ideas from this course.

Parent Tip

Look up Great Zimbabwe or the pyramids of Kush online. Compare them with the Egyptian pyramids and talk about the differences.

Talk About It

Why is it important to learn the history of every continent?

  • Every people has a rich past
  • We get the full story of the world
  • It helps us respect each other

Practice

Grade 6 Social Studies Practice Questions

Real questions from Kingdoms of Africa. Try them with your child, then tap to see the answer.

  1. Question 1

    Mansa Musa ruled…

    • A.Rome
    • B.Mali
    • C.China
    Show answer

    Mali

  2. Question 2

    Timbuktu was famous for…

    • A.Books and scholars
    • B.Ice and snow
    • C.Skyscrapers
    Show answer

    Books and scholars

  3. Question 3

    The Ghana Empire traded gold for…

    • A.Silk
    • B.Oil
    • C.Salt
    Show answer

    Salt

The full course has 4 questions with instant feedback, stars and rewards. Create a free account to play them all.

Kingdoms of Africa · Questions from parents

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this course for?

Kingdoms of Africa is a grade 6 social studies course for kids ages 11–12. That is Year 7 social studies in the UK and Year 6 in Australia. It also works well for review in the next grade, or as a challenge for a confident younger learner.

What will my child learn?

Africa was home to powerful, wealthy kingdoms. Discover Kush's pyramids, Aksum's trade, Ghana's gold, Mansa Musa's Mali and the stone walls of Great Zimbabwe. Along the way they practice: Kingdom Match.

How long does the course take?

About 10 minutes in total, split into 3 short levels. Most kids finish it over two or three sessions. Progress is saved, so they can stop any time and pick up where they left off.

Is this course free?

Kingdoms of Africa is part of SkillBloom Premium, which unlocks every course in every subject. Each subject also has free courses, so your child can try SkillBloom before you decide.

Does my child need to read well to use it?

No. Every lesson has a friendly read-aloud voice, questions are read aloud too, and the pictures help kids follow along. Confident readers can turn the voice off.

Can we use it for homeschool?

Yes. SkillBloom is built for homeschooling families. Kids work through lessons, games and quizzes on their own, and the parent dashboard shows what they finished and which skills need more practice. It works on phones, tablets and laptops.

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