Summary
In this lesson, students will work together to determine the definition of desertification and create a chart to explain the causes and effects of desertification in the sub-Saharan Sahel region. Then, students will learn how Africa is responding to desertification with a project called the Great Green Wall and how growing the Great Green Wall has changed life in the Sahel. Based on what they have learned about the causes and effects of desertification, students will write their own social media posts to raise awareness about the Great Green Wall initiative.
Essential Question(s)
How do interactions between humans and their environment impact both the people and the natural environment of the Sahel? Why is Africa building a Great Green Wall?
Snapshot
Engage
Students use the Think-Pair-Share strategy to analyze an untitled map.
Explore
Students compare two maps to form what they think desertification means.
Explain
Students examine an article about desertification in the Sahel to determine the causes and effects of this process on the region.
Extend
Students view the short video about how Africa is responding to desertification and how both desertification and the Great Green Wall project represent human-environment interactions.
Evaluate
Students craft a social media post to raise awareness of desertification and the Great Green Wall initiative.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
Exploring Desertification handout (attached; one per student)
Desertification in the Sahel article (attached; one per student)
Causes and Effects handout (attached; one per student)
Gallery Walk Images slide deck (attached; optional; one set)
Gallery Walk Journal handout (attached, optional; one per student)
Highlighters (two colors per student)
Engage
10 Minute(s)
Use the attached Lesson Slides to guide the lesson. Begin by displaying the map on slide 3. Hand each student a copy of the attached Exploring Desertification handout. Have students use the Think-Pair-Share strategy to create individual hypotheses explaining what they think the various colors on the map might represent based on their prior knowledge. Students should write their hypotheses in the "Think" column of the first row of their table (next to question). Then, to further develop their hypotheses, ask students to pair up or place students in small groups. Ask students to share their hypotheses with their partner, discuss, and come to a consensus about what they think the colors on the map represent. Students should write this consensus in the "Pair" column of that same row. After students have had time to do so, ask each pair to share their thoughts with the class. Lead a brief class discussion to foster understanding of each hypothesis. Then, ask students to summarize what the colors of the map might represent based on shared knowledge in the "Share" column.
Once the class discussion has established that the yellow and red areas of the map represent the Earth's driest places, ask students where the most arid place on Earth appears to be. Students should note Northern Africa.
Move to slide 4 to read the lesson's essential questions: “How does the interaction between humans and their environment impact both the people and the natural environment of the Sahel? Why is Africa building a Great Green Wall?” Display slide 5 and go over the learning objectives for this lesson.
To answer these questions, students will learn about an area in Africa called the Sahel and investigate the interactions between those who live there and their environments.
Explore
25 Minute(s)
Move to slide 6, which shows a map of the Sahara Desert and the Sahel region. Use this map to illustrate that the Sahara is the largest desert in the world; in fact, Sahara is the Arabic word for desert. Explain that the Sahel is a semiarid grassland along the Sahara's southern edge. Sahel is the Arabic word for coast, as the Sahel region is the border between the Sahara Desert and the savannas to the South.
Move to slide 7 and draw attention to the comparison between two maps: the map of the Sahel area on the left and the "Vulnerability to Desertification" map on the right. Ask students to examine these two maps to determine what the term desertification might mean. Ask students what they think the title of the second map, "Vulnerability to Desertification," means. Let the class discussion come to the conclusion that the map shows areas that are at risk of desertification.
Seeing the maps side by side, students should note that the Sahel, or certain parts of it, is at high risk of desertification. Ask guiding questions, as needed, to help students draw this conclusion. Next, ask students, given the class discussion so far, what do they think the term desertification might mean. Have students record their individual hypothesis in the "Think" column of the second row of the table on their handout. Next, ask students to share their thoughts with their partner. Allow time for each pair to come to a consensus and record their answers in the "Pair" column. When ready, ask pairs to share their thoughts with the whole class. Have students summarize responses from the class in the "Share" column.
Explain
25 Minute(s)
Show slide 8 and discuss the definition of desertification: desertification is the process by which land becomes drier and drier until it turns into desert. This is an advanced form of land degradation. Consider explaining to students that land degradation includes the deterioration or depletion of the soil, resulting in the inability to support vegetation. Ask students to record this definition at the bottom of their handout for reference during the rest of the lesson. Now that students have learned about desertification, the next activity will involve learning about the causes and effects of desertification in the Sahel.
Display slide 9. Hand each student a copy of the attached Desertification in the Sahel article. Have students continue to work with their partner and use the Categorical Highlighting strategy to highlight the causes of desertification in one color and the effects of desertification in a different color. If highlighters are not available, students can circle causes and underline effects. Remind students that the causes of desertification are the things that contribute to making desertification happen. Effects of desertification are the things that occur as a result of desertification.
Allow enough time for students to read and highlight. Once finished, display slide 10 and pass out a copy of the attached Causes and Effects handout to each pair. Ask students to work with their partner to write at least 3 causes above and at least 3 effects below the “desertification” image on the handout.
Once this is finished, ask for volunteers to share out answers, add missing information, and clarify any misconceptions.
Extend
15 Minute(s)
Now that students have learned about the causes and effects of desertification, introduce the next activity, which involves learning about what steps are being taken in the Sahel to prevent it. Move to slide 11 to show a visual of this effort, called the Great Green Wall.
Explain to students that the Great Green Wall was a project started in 2007 to combat the desertification of the Sahel. Consider visiting https://www.unccd.int/our-work/ggwi/great-green-wall-accelerator for more information about this project to share with the class or have students do so if time permits.
Have students take out a piece of notebook paper. Share with students that they are going to watch an introductory video about the Great Green Wall. Tell students that while they watch the video, they are to write reasons the Great Green Wall is being built on their paper.
Display slide 12 and play the Why Is Africa Building a Great Green Wall? video on the slide. Consider showing the video more than once if it would help students take notes. As an alternative, if students have access to their own device, they may view the video again on their own or in small groups.
Once students have finished taking notes, ask them to share some of their takeaways with their groups. Then, ask for volunteers to share some of their answers with the class.
Additionally, explain to students that, since its inception, the Great Green Wall initiative has evolved from simply planting a wall of trees to supporting a wide range of conservation strategies. One example is the emphasis on growing more sustainable crops, rather than crops that will sell to other regions. Others include implementing crop rotation methods, using sustainable irrigation practices, etc.
Evaluate
15 Minute(s)
Share with students that another important aspect of the Great Green Wall project is raising public awareness. For the next activity, explain to students that the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification has launched a public awareness campaign on the Great Green Wall that is called "World Wonder." Public awareness can bring in financial support needed to make this wall a reality.
Show slide 13 and introduce the GramIt strategy. Have students demonstrate their understanding of the Great Green Wall by creating a social media post. Have students think about something they learned that impacted their feelings toward the Great Green Wall. Did their understanding of a certain cause or effect impact their thinking? Tell students to use that information (what they learned today) to create their social media post, bringing awareness to this cause. Students should keep in mind the global awareness initiative and how they can inform the public about the causes and effects of desertification and how the Great Green Wall combats it.
Direct students to go to the Padlet link you shared and create a post using the “+” button located in the bottom right corner of the page.
Resources
BBC News. (2017, September 26). Why is Africa building a great green wall? BBC News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xls7K_xFBQ
Boehm, R. G. (2005). Glencoe world geography. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
Foster, K, (2018, October 30). Wall or mosaic? Fighting desertification in the Sahel. Harvard Political Review. https://harvardpolitics.companylogogenerator.com/world/wall-or-mosaic-fighting-desertification-in-the-sahel/
K20 Center. (n.d.). Categorical highlighting. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/192
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K20 Center. (n.d.). Think-Pair-Share. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/139
K20 Center. (n.d.). Padlet. Tech Tools. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/tech-tool/1077
Thelwell, K. (2019, May 30). What are the causes of desertification? https://borgenproject.org/what-are-the-causes-of-desertification/
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. (n.d.). The great green wall initiative. https://www.unccd.int/our-work/ggwi