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Home , Bubal hartebeest, Climate of Africa, Fauna of Africa

Frisch’s Outreach: African Safari (4-6) Extensions

At a glance This program will allow your students to learn about the Geography and Climate of . And where these live..

Goal Continent and learn where these This class is designed to familiarize habitats are located. students with Africa. The students will The students will understand how learn what its climate is like, what types the program lives and of animals live there and how they survives in its habitat. survive. The student will be able to identify what is the range of the Objectives program animal. The students will gain an understanding of the basic Theme features of maps and how to read Africa has a unique geography that has them. an impact on its wildlife. The students will know where the major geographic features of Sub-themes Africa are located. What types of habitats are found The students will be able to in Africa. identify what types of habitats What adaptations do animals are found on the African have to survive in their habitats.

Academic standards

Ohio Science Academic Grade 5 Life Sciences Content Standards Benchmark C – 4,5,6, Grade 7 Earth and Space Sciences Benchmark C-8, Grade 10 Life Sciences Benchmark E-14, Benchmark F-14,16,17, Benchmark G-18,19,

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Grade 11 Earth and Space Sciences Benchmark B-4, Benchmark C-12, Life Sciences Benchmark E-6,8, Grade 12 Earth and Space Sciences Benchmark B-5, Life Sciences Benchmark C-12 Benchmark E-7,8, Kentucky Core Content— Life Science: Science Grade 4 The Characteristics of Organisms: SC-E-3.1.2, SC-E-3.1.3 Life Cycle of Organisms: SC-E-3.2.2 Organisms And Their Environment: SC-E-3.3.1 Grades 5-7 Structure & Function in Living Systems: SC-M-3.1.1 Regulation and Behavior: SC-M-3.2.1, SC-M-3.2.2, SC-M-3.2.3 Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms: SC-M-3.4.1, SC-M-3.4.2 Populations and Ecosystems: SC-M-3.5.1, SC-M-3.5.2, SC-M-3.5.3, SC-M-3.5.4 Grade 8-12 Interdependence of Organisms: SC-H-3.5.3 Behavior of an Organism: SC-H-3.2.1,SC-H-3.2.2, SC-H-3.2.3 Ohio Social Studies Grade 5 Geography Academic Content Benchmark A-1,2, Benchmark B-3,4,5, Standards Benchmark C-8,9, Grade 6 Geography Benchmark A-1, Benchmark B-4, Benchmark C-5,6,7, Kentucky Core Content— Grade 4 Social Studies/Geography SS-E-4.1.1, SS-E-4.1.2, SS-E-4.1.5 SS-E-4.2.1, SS-E-4.2.2 SS-E-4.3.2, SS-E-4.3.3 SS-E-4.4.1, SS-E-4.4.2, SS-E-4.4.3, SS-E-4.4.4 Grades 5-7 SS-M-4.1.1, SS-M-4.1.2 SS-M-4.2.1, SS-M-4.2.2 SS-M-4.4.1, SS-M-4.4.2, SS-M-4.4.3, SS-M-4.4.4 Grades 8-12 SS-H-4.1.1, SS-H-4.1.2 SS-H-4.4.1, SS-H-4.4.2, SS-H-4.4.4

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Cincinnati & Botanical Garden

Background

Geography

Africa when compared to the other continents has a very unique geography. It has many extremes, from very hot and dry regions in the north and south, to the tropical in the center of the continent.

Africa lacks a major continental mountain range such as the Himalayas or the Andes. The average elevation of the continent approximates closely to 2,000 ft above sea level, roughly the same as both North and , but considerably less than that of , 3,117 ft. When compared with other continents, there is little land on very high or very low ground. Lands under 600 ft or over 10,000 ft occupy an unusually small part of the surface. Not only are the highest elevations less than those of Asia or South America, but the area of land over 10,000 ft is also much less, being represented almost entirely by individual peaks and mountain ranges.

Moderately elevated tablelands are the characteristic feature of the continent, though the surface of these is broken by higher peaks and ridges.

Apart from the lowlands and the Atlas mountain range, the continent may be divided into two regions of higher and lower plateaus, the dividing line runs from the middle of the to just south of the Congo River on the west coast.

Climate

Africa lies almost entirely within the , equally to north and south of the equator. Because of this, Africa does not show excessive variations of .

In the North, the great width of the continent limits the moderating influence of the oceans. Great heat is experienced in the lower and desert regions. In addition, the contrast between day and night, summer and winter, is greatest. Farther south, the heat may be modified by the moisture brought from the ocean, and by the greater elevation of a large part of the surface, especially in East Africa, where the range of temperature is wider than in the Congo basin or on the Guinea coast.

In the extreme north and south the climate is a warm temperate one, the northern countries being on the whole hotter and drier than those in the southern zone; the south of the continent being narrower than the north, the influence of the surrounding ocean is more felt.

The most important climatic differences are due to variations in the amount of rainfall. The in the north and the Kalahari in the south receive very little rainfall, while the scarcity of mountain ranges in these regions tends to prevent rainfall.

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Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

In the inter-tropical zone of summer , the rainfall is greatest when the sun is vertical or soon after. It is therefore greatest of all near the equator, where the sun is twice vertical, and less in the direction of both tropics.

Within the equatorial zone certain areas, especially on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea and in the upper Nile basin, have an intensified rainfall, but this rarely approaches that of the rainiest regions of the world. The rainiest district in all Africa is a strip of coastland west of Mount Cameroon, where there is a mean annual rainfall of about 390 inches. The two distinct rainy seasons of the equatorial zone, where the sun is vertical at half-yearly intervals, become gradually merged into one in the direction of the tropics, where the sun Africa lies almost entirely within the tropics, equally to north and south of the equator. Because of this, Africa does not show excessive variations of temperature.

In the north, the great width of the continent limits the moderating influence of the oceans. Great heat is experienced in the lower plains and desert regions. In addition, the north also has the greatest contrast between day and night, summer and winter.

Farther south, the heat may be modified by the moisture brought from the ocean, and by the greater elevation of a large part of the surface, especially in East Africa, where the range of temperature is wider than in the Congo basin or on the Guinea coast.

In the extreme north and south the climate is a warm temperate zone, the northern countries being hotter and drier than those in the southern zone. Because the south of the continent is narrower than the north, the ocean has a greater influence. Therefore it is not quite as warm and dry as it is in the north.

The most important climatic differences are due to variations in the amount of rainfall. The Sahara in the north and the Kalahari in the south receive very little rainfall. The scarcity of mountain ranges in these regions tends to prevent rainfall.

Within the equatorial zone certain areas, especially on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea and in the upper Nile basin, have an intensified rainfall, but this rarely approaches that of the rainiest regions of the world. The rainiest district in all Africa is a strip of coastland west of Mount Cameroon, where there is a mean annual rainfall of about 390 inches. The two distinct rainy seasons of the equatorial zone, where the sun is vertical at half-yearly intervals, become gradually merged into one in the direction of the tropics, where the sun is overhead but once. Snow falls on all the higher mountain ranges, and on the highest peaks the climate is thoroughly Alpine.

The countries bordering the Sahara are much exposed to a very dry wind, full of fine particles of sand, blowing from the desert towards the sea. This winds great dryness causes so much evaporation that cold often occur. Similar dry winds blow from the Kalahari Desert in the south. On the eastern coast the of the Indian Ocean are regularly felt, and on the southeast coast hurricanes are occasionally experienced.

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Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Fauna of Africa

The more characteristic African is found in the Afrotropical ecoregion - formerly called Ethiopian (the Sub-Saharan Africa). Lying almost entirely within the tropics, and equally to north and south of the equator creates favorable conditions for rich wildlife. In arid areas of Northern Africa the fauna includes 129 species of , 133 species of resident , and 87 species of reptiles. Large mammals are mainly of Afrotropical and small mammals of Mediterranean kinships. Birds are predominantly Mediterranean, while reptiles are evenly balanced between Mediterranean and tropical species. Towards south the fauna gradually changes to more typical African fauna.

Savannas are grasslands characterized by seasonal water availability, with the majority of rainfall being confined to one season of the year. They provide habitats for a wide array of animals, many of which foster the vegetation through grazing, pollinating, or seed dispersal. Some areas of are managed now to maintain the grazing mammals, such as the . The Big Five game animals, , , , , and are some examples of the grassland mammals. The region was formerly home to large populations of grazing mammals too (including the Scimitar-horned , Dama , Dorcas Gazelle and Red-fronted Gazelle, and Bubal , along with large predators like the , , and ), but the larger species have been greatly reduced in number by over-hunting and competition with livestock. The Great Rift Valley with its lakes and mountains goes through the plains area of East Africa, and has especially diverse animal life.

The African equatorial rainforests are home to half of the continent's animal species. The rainforests of Central Africa's Congo Basin are second largest in the world after the Amazon. Africa's deforestation, road construction and slash-and-burn farming have already wiped out roughly 90 percent of the 's rainforests, whereas the 'bushmeat' hunting has diminished the numbers of animals. These forests are home to numerous animals found nowhere else (e.g. okapi, bongos, , water chevrotain, and pottos). Of special importance as a well-known are the forests of eastern (, aye-aye, , fossa).

The main desert regions in Africa are - the Sahara in northern Africa (home to , Nubian Ibex) and the Kalahari and Namib deserts, in the south. The Namid is inhabited by many rare animals (African wild dog, Aardwolf, Black-footed cat, Meerkat)

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Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Habitats and Geographic Features For grades 4 – 6 use the habitats and features that are highlighted in bold. For higher grades and more advanced classes you can add the others.

Habitats of Africa: To find where these habitats are located, refer to the World Biodiversity map on pg 11 in the National Geographic World Atlas 7th edition.

Mediterranean Shrub. Mountain Grassland Desert and Dry Shrub Tropical Rain Forest Tropical Grassland and Savanna Mangrove Flooded Grassland

Geographic Features of Africa To locate these features, use the physical map of Africa on pg 109 in the National Geographic World Atlas 7th edition. Kilimanjaro, Q15 Atlantic Ocean, West Coast , P14 , F3 – F7 Madagascar, T18 – W17 Cape of Good Hope, Y10 , D5 – D13 Congo Basin, P10 – P12 Nile Delta, F13 Congo River, R9 Nile River, F13 – P14 Ethiopian Highlands, L15 – M15 Red Sea, G13 – K15 Great Rift Valley, U15 – L16 Sahara Desert, H3 – H12 The Great Rift Valley extends from the Zambezi River Sahel (the sudan), K3 – K13 Delta (U15) to Djibouti (L16). Lakes Malawi, Tanganyika and Turkana lie within this valley. , Q14 Indian Ocean, Southeast Coast Somali Peninsula (), L1 Kalahari Desert, W11

Vocabulary

Adaptation – Something an animal has Continent – One of the seven great or something an animal does to help it masses of land on the planet earth. The survive. continents are Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Europe, North America and Basin – All the land drained by a river South America. and the streams that flow into it. Equator – An imaginary circle around Cape – A point of land extending into the middle of the earth, halfway between the water. the North Pole and South Pole.

Climate – The kind of weather a place Desertification – The process of turning has over a period of years. Climate into an arid or desert land. includes conditions of heat and cold, moisture and dryness, clearness and Direction – Any way in which one may cloudiness, wind and calm. face or point. North, south, east, and west are directions.

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Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Globe – A sphere with a map of the Activity #2 earth on it. This is the most accurate Pick a county in the region that they just world map. learned about.

Gulf – A large bay, arm of an ocean or Have them choose an animal that is from sea extending into the land. their country. It can not be one of the animals that was brought in for the Habitat – The place where an animal or presentation. plant naturally lives or grows. Have them find out what type of habitat Isthmus – A narrow strip of land with it lives in. water on both sides of it, connecting two larger bodies of land. How it survives in that habitat.

Latitude - Distance north or south of the What is its home range? Draw the home equator measured in degrees. range on a map.

Longitude – Distance east or west on the Activity #3 earth’s surface, measured in degrees Ask the students if they could dig a hole from a certain meridian. straight down through the center of the earth all they way to the other side, Map – A drawing of the earth’s surface where would they wind up? or a part of it, usually showing countries, cities, rivers, seas, lakes and mountains. Have the students find the location of the school on the globe. Ocean – The great body of salt water Have them find the opposite location on that covers almost 3 quarters of the the globe. earth’s surface. The four main subdivisions are the Arctic, Atlantic, Mark these two locations on a flat map Indian and Pacific oceans. Some consider the waters surrounding How close is this to where they thought Antarctica to be a separate ocean. they would be?

Extensions What Continent is it on, or what ocean is Activity #1 it in? Have the students draw a map of the school, a local natural area or their If it is in the Ocean, what is the nearest backyard. It should include landmarks Continent? If it is on a Continent, what such as trees, any type of water such as a is the nearest Ocean? pond or creek. It should also include different habitats such as fields, woods, ponds or wetlands.

Have them identify on the map where they may have seen any wildlife or signs of animals such as a nest or tracks.

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Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Activity #4 Resources Part One National Geographic Atlas of the World, Have the students think about every 7th edition. place they went and everything they did National Geographic Society, 1999 yesterday. Try to have them put these things in . P. Jay Fetner, African Safari, St. Martin's Press , 1987 Have them draw a map of their neighborhood. Arthur N. Strahler, Physical Geography, 2nd edition, Have them mark all the places where John Wiley and Sons, 1960 they did these activities on there personal home range maps. www.africanculturalcenter.org www.geography.howstuffworks.com/ africa/geography-of-africa.htm Ask them the following questions: Where did they sleep? Where did they eat? Where did their food come from? Who got the food? Where is their school?

Have them mark these locations on their maps

Compare this to the day of a wild animal.

Part Two Have the student observe an animal such as a or a squirrel in their back yard.

Have them draw a map of places that the animal visited while it was being observed.

Try to figure out where it found food, sought cover, where it may have a nest or a den.

Compare this map to their personal home range maps from part one.

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