Students investigate water as a natural resource in the context of sub-Saharan Africa
Students investigate water as a natural resource in the context of sub-Saharan Africa
Students are introduced to water as a vital natural resource, then contribute to a word cloud by listing multiple ways they use water in their daily lives. They view information about Africa’s natural resources and respond to a poll identifying which resources are found in significant quantities in sub-Saharan Africa.
Teacher MovesPresent the lesson focus and objective, emphasizing that Africa is rich in natural resources but that resource management and distribution have not always benefited citizens due to imperialism, foreign corporations, and corrupt governments. Use student responses in the word cloud and poll to prompt discussion about the importance of water and the broader issue of who benefits from natural resources.
Students watch Life Without Clean Water to learn how Jackson, a boy in Uganda, obtains water for his home. Working in groups, they generate questions they would like to ask Jackson about his life and record them in a shared table.
Teacher MovesOrganize students into groups and ensure they understand Jackson’s situation in the video. Encourage students to pose thoughtful, specific questions that show curiosity about daily life, access to water, and challenges related to water in Uganda.
In groups, students discuss how Jackson gets his water and compare his experience to their own access to water. A designated note taker posts the group’s ideas to a discussion wall, and each student writes a letter to Jackson explaining how they get and use water throughout a typical day.
Teacher MovesDirect each group to select a note taker and support students in making clear comparisons between Jackson’s experience and their own. Prompt students to include specific details in their letters about water access, usage, and convenience, and highlight similarities and differences that reveal inequalities in water resources.
Students learn that many areas of sub-Saharan Africa face ongoing drought and water shortages, then, in groups, discuss key facts from The United Nations World Water Development Report 2021 about water scarcity, uneven distribution of freshwater, and pollution. They answer a poll about who should be responsible for managing a country’s water resources and post explanations of their choices to a group wall. Finally, they review other groups’ posts and respond to at least one with a positive comment or question.
Teacher MovesProvide context for the UN water report and clarify terms such as water scarcity, uneven distribution, and water quality. Facilitate group discussions so students connect the facts to real-world impacts on people’s lives. After the poll, guide students to justify their choices with reasoning about government roles, regional cooperation, and equity. Encourage constructive peer feedback on the wall, modeling how to ask probing questions and offer respectful, supportive comments.
Students individually mark Uganda on a regional map of Africa, complete a sentence using an inline choice item about the effects of environmental change on human activities, read a brief explanation of water conflicts, and post a response to a discussion wall explaining whether they think a water conflict could happen in sub-Saharan Africa.
Teacher MovesCheck students’ map work for accurate identification of Uganda and monitor responses to the inline choice item to assess understanding of how environmental changes affect human choices. Clarify the concept of water conflict using the provided definition, then prompt students to support their wall responses with evidence from earlier scenes and discussions. Use student explanations to gauge their grasp of how water scarcity and unequal distribution can lead to conflict in sub-Saharan Africa.
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