Students are introduced to the connection between government, economics, and human behavior by learning about the ivory trade. Then they take a brief look at the governments and economies of Eastern and Southern Africa. Next, they learn about the history of apartheid, from its beginning to its end, focusing on the role of Nelson Mandela. Finally, they write a brief news report about the current state of government and economics in one country.
Students view an image of Africans holding elephant tusks and watch History of the Ivory Trade to explore how demand for ivory connects economics, government policy, and human behavior. They then respond to a class wall prompt describing the relationship between economics and human behavior based on what they learned from the video.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the experience and its objectives, highlighting the focus on government, economics, and human behavior in Southern and Eastern Africa. After the video, lead a class discussion using student wall responses to emphasize how human desires drive economic activity, how government actions (such as bans) can change economic behavior, and how these shifts can affect resources like elephant populations.
Students read about a selected Southern or Eastern African country using Country Overview, focusing on its government and economy. They record their findings in a shared table by listing the country, its government type, and key economic highlights. Students then discuss in pairs or as a whole class how the governments and economies of the chosen countries are similar and different.
Teacher MovesPrompt students to connect this new information to the earlier ivory trade example, reinforcing how government and economic systems shape people’s lives. Support students as they complete the table and model how to sort and analyze the shared data (for example, by government type or country) to reveal patterns and contrasts across the region.
Students begin by sharing any prior knowledge of apartheid in a word cloud, listing words or phrases they associate with South Africa’s former system of racial segregation. They then explore an online resource about Nelson Mandela and his fight against apartheid and read the article Apartheid to learn about the system’s origins, laws, impacts, resistance, and end. Using a graphic organizer, they take notes on key stages of apartheid, from its start through its legal codification, separate development policies, opposition, and eventual end. Finally, students post to a class wall explaining what apartheid was, how it affected Black, white, and “colored” people, and how it ended.
Teacher MovesReview the word cloud to gauge students’ background knowledge and reassure those who are unfamiliar with apartheid that they will build understanding through the lesson. As students read and complete the graphic organizer, circulate to support note-taking and clarify major events and concepts. After students post their explanations, highlight one or more strong responses and guide a discussion that traces how apartheid began, how it was enforced, its social and political effects, and how it ended with Nelson Mandela’s election. Encourage students to talk with family members about their memories or knowledge of apartheid’s end in the 1990s to extend learning beyond the classroom.
Students return to their previously selected country in Country Overview and explore one or more items in the Recent News section to learn about current events. Drawing on this information, they write a brief news-style report explaining an aspect of the country’s current government or economic situation and post it to a class wall. Students then read classmates’ reports and respond to at least two with a question or a positive, constructive comment.
Teacher MovesRemind students to connect current news to what they learned earlier about the country’s government and economy. Support students in crafting clear, accurate news reports that use appropriate social studies vocabulary and evidence from the source. Encourage thoughtful peer feedback by modeling how to ask clarifying questions and offer specific, respectful comments that deepen understanding of government and economic issues across the region.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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