Students are introduced to the physical geography of Southern and Eastern Africa. They label a map of the region with countries, physical landscapes, and waterways. Then they research and report on conflicts in East Africa that are directly related to climate change. Finally, they consider the role of tourism on the environment in East Africa, exploring how different points of view affect how humans approach a specific environment.
Students view a photograph from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, describe what they see, and infer where they think it is located using a shared response wall. After learning the photo’s true location, they reflect on whether this surprises them and post questions they have about Eastern or Southern Africa. They read a brief overview of the experience and its objectives.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the overall purpose and objectives of the experience. Facilitate discussion of students’ initial observations and guesses about the photo, then reveal that it is Dar es Salaam in Eastern Africa. Encourage students to generate thoughtful questions about Eastern and Southern Africa and plan to revisit these questions at the end of the unit to check for understanding and closure.
Students begin exploring the geography of Eastern and Southern Africa by working with a blank regional map. Using an online political map of Africa and the articles East Africa and Southern Africa, they label at least five specified countries and add major physical features, including key rivers, lakes, the Great Rift Valley, and major landform regions such as coastal plains, highlands, and high plateaus. They also examine photographs within the articles to deepen their sense of the region’s physical geography.
Teacher MovesClarify expectations for labeling countries and physical features on the map and ensure students can access and navigate the online map and articles. Circulate to support accurate map work and comprehension of geographic terms. Emphasize that students’ maps will serve as an important reference for later activities and encourage interested students to explore additional country information in the interactive map.
Students learn about climate-related environmental problems in East Africa by watching the video As Climate Talks Stutter, Africa Suffers Impact of a Warming World and conducting additional online research on deforestation and land degradation. They create a report explaining how climate change affects the lives of pastoral peoples in East Africa, including descriptions of the environmental problems, their human impacts, contributing political or economic factors, and possible solutions, optionally incorporating images. Students post their report or a link to a digital presentation on a discussion wall, then participate in a whole-group conversation to identify and evaluate the most promising solutions.
Teacher MovesPrepare students for the video content and ensure respectful engagement. Support students in focusing their research on the connections between climate change, environmental degradation, and pastoralist communities. Provide guidance on organizing their reports and using digital tools as needed. Monitor and respond to posts on the discussion wall, then facilitate a structured whole-class discussion that compares proposed solutions, surfaces key learnings, and helps students consider the roles of governments and communities in addressing environmental crises.
Students return to the article East Africa and read the section “How Has Tourism Affected the Environment in East Africa?” They examine data tables and four photographs, then complete a series of graphic organizers to record how each photo might be viewed from four different perspectives: David (an American researcher), Martha (an American tourist), Kakuta (an elderly Maasai man), and Mariamu (a Tanzanian politician). They use the organizers to compare how tourism’s environmental and social impacts may be perceived differently by each stakeholder.
Teacher MovesGuide students back to the specified section of the article and clarify the task of analyzing tourism from multiple points of view. Support students in using the graphic organizers to articulate each character’s likely concerns, benefits, and trade-offs. Lead a class discussion synthesizing what students noticed, highlighting that Ngorongoro Crater is simultaneously a tourist attraction, Maasai homeland, source of employment, and national resource. Prompt students to consider how Tanzania can balance economic benefits from tourism with protecting Maasai rights and minimizing environmental harm.
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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