Africa Environmental Issues

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Metaphorical Expression-Desertification
Lesson Plan
Social Studies
7
120 Minutes
Shalisa Gee

Instructional Unit Content

Standard(s)/Element(s)
Content Area Standard
SS7G2 The student will discuss environmental issues across the continent of Africa.
a. Explain how water pollution and the unequal distribution of water impacts irrigation, trade,
industry, and drinking water.
b. Explain the relationship between poor soil and deforestation in Sub-Saharan Africa.
c. Explain the impact of desertification on the environment of Africa from the Sahel to the
rainforest.
TAG Standard
Creative Thinking & Creative Problem Solving Skills
7. The student uses analogies, metaphors, and/or models to explain complex concepts.
Summary/Overview
The focus of this lesson is provide students with insight into the many environmental issues
that are associated with Africa and how desertification, water issues, and deforestation affects
the people, and its environment.

Enduring Understanding(s)
At the end of this lesson the student will understand that
a. Understand the impact of Desertification on the environment and how it affects
population
Essential Question(s)
How does desertification, water issues and deforestation impact the environment?

Concept(s) to Maintain

Revised April 2009

Evidence of Learning
What students should know:
a. Should know what causes deforestation, pollution, desertification, and water issues
(scarcity) in Africa.
b. How environmental issues affect the population and its economy.
c. How does environmental issues result in conflict and resolution?
What students should be able to do:
a. Use direct analogies, personal analogies, and compressed conflicts to explain water
issues (scarcity), desertification, deforestation, and pollution.

Suggested Vocabulary

pollution
scarcity

deforestation

desertification

irrigation

Procedure(s)
Phase 1: Hook
1.

Students will be given

2.

Students will have 10 minutes to review and answer in their student notebook the three
types of metaphorical expressions experienced by the students: direct analogies If
creativity was your cell phone what would your phone look like? Personal analogies, If
you were a piece of candy what kind would describe you? Compressed conflicts
Imagine you are bird living in a cage, you are free once the doors are open, you fly to
only want to come back to the same place in which you are started, explain why would
there be such conflict? Students will share out their responses. Explain to the students
that today in Social Studies we are going to learn a new concept using these three types
of metaphors.

Phase 2: Examine the Content

3.

Set the Scene: The instructor will provide a story about Halloween. What do people do
on Halloween (trick or treat)? So what do you when you get home (check the candy) and

Revised April 2009

eat the candy. So what if you went to bed with a big wad of gum in your mouth and
wake up with gum all in your hair, and your parents had to cut all of your hair off? Think
of how long it would take for you to grow your hair back, describe the feelings?
4. Pose the Essential Question. How does desertification, water issues and deforestation
impact the environment? How is our essential question connected to our discussion as it
relates to Halloween? Explain to students that an example would be the loss of hair
being cut relating to trees being cut (deforestation). Provide students with the (Handout 1
Africas Environmental Problems). Have students compare their life experience such as
the Halloween story with their own story as it relates to Deforestation, Water Issues, and
Desertification.
5.

Students will work individually to read and (Handout 2 Africas Environmental Issues)
students will then complete the environmental graphic organizer providing the causes and
effects of water issues, deforestation, and desertification (Handout 3 Environmental
graphic organizer). Each student will pair up with another to compare their answers and
verify their understanding of the concept of deforestation, water issues, and
desertification.

Phase 3: Analogies
Direct Analogy: Students will get into groups of two and read the story of the Wild,
Wild West. (Handout 4). They will answer questions relating to the conflicts and
resolutions that each family is facing. Students will then relate the story to two countries
in Africa. How would this family conflict relate to two countries fighting over water
issues? How are they alike and how are they different? Students will compare the story of
two countries fight over water. Whole group discussion, return back to the Wild, Wild
West story of the two families ask students would they change their answer.
7. Personal Analogy: Students will compare themselves to a desertification. Individually
record the answers to the following questions:
Where do you live?
How do you feel if you when you are overgrazed?
How do you feel when you erode?
How do you feel when you are thirsty?
Students will write a paragraph, poem, or song in the first person about their life as fertile
land and next to desert. (Handout 5)
8. Compressed Conflict: Students list five important words (adjectives) to describe
Desertification. For each word they will list an antonym for the word. Students will
analyze each pair to see if they conflict but still describe desertification. Students will
then create three compressed conflicts. (Handout 6)
6.

Phase 4: Synthesis Activity

9.

Students will generate another direct analogy by completing the following sentence:
Desertification is like ________. Give at least 5 reasons why desertification is like the
item in your sentence. (Synthesis Activity Handout 7)

Revised April 2009

Summarizing Activity

Exit Ticket: How does desertification, water issues and deforestation impact the
environment? Have students write a fortune cookie fortune for Africa regarding
environmental concerns that the continent if facing. (Handout 8)

Resource(s)
Anchor Text(s):
Technology:
Handouts:
Handout 1: Africas Environmental Problems
Handout 2: Africas Environmental Issues
Handout 3: Environmental graphic organizer
Handout 4: Wild, Wild West
Handout 5: Personal Analogy Organizer
Handout 6: Compressed Conflict Organizer
Handout 7: Synthesis Activity
Handout 8: Fortune-ate Advice

Revised April 2009