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Sub-Saharan Africa: Regions of the World
Internet-Based Activities
Betsy Hedberg, Writer
Kerry Gordonson, Editor Dr. Aaron Willis, Project Coordinator Katie Brown, Editorial Assistant
Social Studies School Service 10200 Jefferson Blvd., P.O. Box 802 Culver City, CA 90232 http://socialstudies.com [email protected] (800) 421-4246
All the Web addresses in this book can be found on our Web site: http://www.socialstudies.com/regionlinks.html
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Updated 2005
© 2003 Social Studies School Service
10200 Jefferson Blvd., P.O. Box 802 Culver City, CA 90232 United States of America
(310) 839-2436 (800) 421-4246
Fax: (800) 944-5432 Fax: (310) 839-2249
http://socialstudies.com [email protected]
Permission is granted to reproduce individual worksheets for classroom use only. Printed in the United States of America
ISBN 1-56004-161-7
Product Code: ZP545
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Teacher Overview ...... v
LESSONS:
1. The Okavango Delta Teacher Page ...... 1 Student Worksheet ...... 3
2. Madagascar Teacher Page ...... 5 Student Worksheet ...... 7
3. West African Griots and Their Music Teacher Page ...... 9 Student Worksheet ...... 11
4. Ethiopia Teacher Page ...... 15 Student Worksheet ...... 17
5. Regions of Sub-Saharan Africa Teacher Page ...... 21 Student Worksheet ...... 25
Culminating Activity ...... 31
Appendix Rubrics ...... 35 Related Web Sites ...... 41 Suggested Curriculum Materials ...... 43
v
Sub-Saharan Africa Teacher Overview
Introduction:
One of the best things about the Internet is that it offers photographs, movies, audio files, and other “sensory” features in addition to text. It can therefore help students experience places that they otherwise might only be able to wonder about. This activity book has been written to help your students understand some of sub-Saharan Africa’s unique and interesting features. The book serves these purposes:
• to help students see what it looks like in various parts of sub-Saharan Africa • to introduce students to some interesting sub-Saharan African ecosystems and animal species • to introduce students to some unique cultural aspects of sub-Saharan Africa • to complement the materials you already use in your sub-Saharan Africa unit • to help you teach some of the National Geography Standards
This book was written with the understanding that teachers need to adapt materials to meet the needs of their students. You may use the activities in any order, depending on how you prefer to structure the unit. Also, feel free to organize the activities according to your students’ prior knowledge and interests and your time frame.
Mapping:
Perhaps in this class you are already asking students to map major features of Sub- Saharan Africa. As an option, have them include the places they “visit” in these activities in an Africa outline map. You can obtain a good blank outline map at the National Geographic Xpeditions Atlas: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas.
Lesson Format:
Each lesson consists of two parts: a teacher’s page and a student handout or worksheet. The teacher’s page contains an overview, time frame, connections to National Geography Standards, objectives, materials, strategies, and an extension activity. Each student handout contains an introduction and a procedure with Web sites.
Assessment:
The majority of questions in these activities are open-ended and require students to reflect on what they see and read at the Web sites. Students should be assessed on how thoughtfully they answer open-ended questions and how accurately they answer factual questions. Point values are not assigned to questions on the worksheets to allow teachers to evaluate students according to standards that have been previously developed and vi
maintained in the classroom. It is recommended, however, that teachers evaluate each student worksheet in conjunction with that student’s participation in class discussions.
Overview of the Activities:
In “The Okavango Delta,” students will learn about a unique ecosystem in northern Botswana. The Okavango is one of the world’s largest inland deltas, providing a home for numerous animal species and a destination for many ecotourists. Students will read and see pictures of the delta and will learn how it differs from a coastal delta. They’ll also learn about the changes to the delta over the course of the seasons, and they’ll consider the time of year they’d most like to visit.
The next activity, “Madagascar,” introduces students to the incredible biodiversity of the world’s fourth-largest island. Madagascar’s long-term isolation from the African mainland has allowed numerous unique species to evolve there, including its famous lemurs. Students will learn about Madagascar’s unique species, why the island country has so many of them, and why many of them are endangered. They’ll be asked to consider whether they think there’s hope for preserving Madagascar’s biodiversity.
“West African Griots and Their Music” teaches students about the griot/griotte tradition of West Africa. Griots (and their female counterparts, griottes) traditionally tell stories, provide oral histories of families and communities, and play music on West African instruments such as the balaphone. They’re keeping these traditions alive today by playing at venues around the world and distributing CDs of their work.
The activity titled “Ethiopia” has students discover some of the unique and fascinating cultural and physical features of this East African country. They’ll explore Web sites to learn about churches, canyons, cultural groups, agricultural products, and many other aspects of Ethiopia’s physical and cultural landscape.
The final activity, “Regions of Sub-Saharan Africa,” asks students to look at pictures, read about many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and then classify African countries into four distinct regions (West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa). They’ll be asked to think carefully about the similarities and differences between the parts of this vast continent and to make their best judgments about which countries belong together. This activity is placed last in the book because it’s the most complex, but feel free to use it as an introduction to sub-Saharan Africa’s diverse landscapes and regions before having students go into more detail in the other activities.
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The Okavango Delta Teacher Page
Overview:
The Okavango Delta in northern Botswana is one of the world’s largest inland deltas, providing a home for numerous animal species and a destination for many ecotourists. Students will read and see pictures of the delta and will learn how it differs from a coastal delta. They’ll also learn about the changes to the delta over the course of the seasons, and they’ll consider the time of year in which they’d most like to visit the delta.
Time Frame: one to two class periods
National Geography Standards:
Standard 7: The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth’s surface
Standard 8: The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth’s surface
Objectives:
Students will:
• locate the Okavango Delta on a map • read, view photographs, and answer questions about the Okavango Delta • discuss why the Okavango Delta is interesting and what they’d be able to see and do at different times of the year
Materials:
No special materials required for this activity.
Strategies:
Ask students if they can name any river deltas (they might mention the Nile or the Mississippi). Discuss the definition of a river delta and what a delta looks like from the air.
Have students complete the activity sheet.
Discuss students’ responses to the questions on the activity sheet.
Ask students to pretend that they’re planning a trip to the Okavango Delta. Discuss the things they’d plan to see and do during the different times of the year and the reasons why the Okavango is an interesting place. During which time of the year would they 2
prefer to go? When their friends and family ask why they are planning to visit Botswana and the Okavango, what would they say?
Extension Activity:
Have students go to National Geographic’s Okavango: Africa’s Savage Oasis at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/okavango and go through the “journey” to see some of the animals that live in the Okavango Delta. When they’re finished, ask them to draw diagrams that include each of these animals and show how they relate to one another and to the delta’s ecosystem. You can have them include additional animals or find out more information about the animals discussed on the Web site by conducting further Internet or library research.
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The Okavango Delta Student Activity Sheet
Introduction:
The Okavango Delta is a particularly interesting location in Africa for several reasons. It’s a popular destination for ecotourism, since it’s home to numerous animal species. It’s one of the world’s largest inland deltas (which you’ll learn about in this activity). It’s also very beautiful! Follow the directions below to find out more about this fascinating place.
Procedure:
All Web links for this lesson can be found at: http://www.socialstudies.com/regionlinks.html
1) Go to the National Geographic Xpeditions Atlas at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas
Click on Africa.
Click on Botswana in southern Africa.
Look near the border between Namibia and Angola to find the Okavango River. This river ends in the Okavango Delta, which you’ll be learning about shortly. The delta is in northern Botswana.
2) Go to the following Web sites and answer the questions below:
Okavango Delta: http://www.greatestplaces.org/book_pages/okavango.htm The Okavango…Botswana: http://www.zambezi.co.uk/safari/botswana/okavango.html
• Where does the Okavango Delta begin and where does it end?
• Why is the Okavango Delta called “the river that never finds the sea”?
• How does the delta change during the different seasons?
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• In what month does the Okavango flooding begin, and in about what month does it end (remember that it’s in the southern hemisphere)?
3) Go to the National Geographic Terrestrial Ecoregions page at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/terrestrial.html. You’ll see a multicolored world map.
Click and drag a box around Africa to see a map of that continent.
Click and drag a box around the countries of Angola, Namibia, Zambia, and Botswana.
Look for the Okavango Delta—it’s the body of water in the far north of Botswana, and it has the number AT0907 on this map.
Click on the Okavango Delta. You’ll see a new window that describes the “Zambezian flooded grasslands,” which is the ecoregion where the Okavango Delta can be found.
• What types of animals live in the Okavango Delta? Why is this region so important for animal species?
• What are some environmental concerns in the Okavango Delta?
4) The Okavango Delta has become a popular area for ecotourism. Go to Jacana Camp at http://web.archive.org/web/20040208141941/http://www.wilderness-safaris.com/ jacanacp.asp, which is a page for a camp where visitors can stay. The picture at the top of this page shows the Okavango when it’s flooded—notice the antelope (probably an impala or lechwe).
• Imagine that you are planning to visit the Okavango Delta, and you’re trying to decide when to go. List the differences between the things you’d see and do in the flood season versus the dry season.