After reviewing these resources, I found myself thinking about how much there is for our students to learn about Africa that they may never have heard before. As someone who has traveled to Africa several times and teaches elementary students, I want them to understand that Africa has always been a place of knowledge, creativity, and innovation. The example of ironworking in Burkina Faso stood out to me because it shows how African people developed their own skills and passed that knowledge down through generations.

As an elementary librarian, Leader in Me teacher, and Computer Science teacher, I see many ways to bring this information into my classroom. I can help students connect African ironworking to science, engineering, and problem-solving. In Computer Science, I can show them how people use creativity and step-by-step thinking to solve problems. I want my students to understand that African history is more than what they may see in textbooks. It includes people who were skilled, creative, and knowledgeable. My goal is to help students see Africa in a more complete and positive way while learning to appreciate the contributions African people have made to science and technology.