Focusing on traditional African families, villages, and cultures, this teaching guide presents objectives, activities, resources, and evaluation suggestions for use in grade one social studies African area programs. The instructional guide is a product of a summer workshop for teachers on African curriculum development. It is intended as the basis of a six-week minicourse. Objectives are to help pupils better understand Africa, Africans, and the impact of culture change over time. Thirteen units of study focus on a variety of topics including education in Sierra Leone, game reserves in East Africa, story telling in West Africa, folktales, urban and rural life styles, food preparation, and tie dyeing. Students are involved in many activities, including answering questions, drawing and analyzing pictures, making bulletin boards, dramatizing folk stories, preparing food for an African meal, modeling clay figures, and writing letters to African children. For each lesson, information is presented on objectives, basic skills, materials, time required, activities, and evaluation. Additional background resources (books, films, audiovisual aids, maps, and charts) are suggested for teachers and pupils. (DB)