University of Washington African Innovations C1500BCE to C1000CE Whitewater Project

Students will complete a project on an African innovation (Do Iron Working in East Africa) between the time period c.1500BCE to c.1000CE.
The innovation must be connected to a specific region and people group in Africa. For example, it isn’t possible to do the project on iron working in general. It would need to either be on iron working in West Africa or Iron Working in East Africa
but not both. Keep in mind the Old Kingdom of Ancient Kemet (Egypt) is off limits for this topic owing to the time
period restrictions. The intent is to learn about other areas of Africa with this assignment. 

Content:
What is the importance of the chosen innovation? What was its causes and consequences?
How or why did Africans pursue the innovation? How did the innovation relate to the local society? Were
their outside forces or pressure that required the innovation? Were there environmental factors?
Did the innovation result in changing relationships between the group that developed it and the people
they came into contact with?
Why should learning about this innovation be important to us?