World Geography & Cultures · 7th Grade

Active learning ideas

The Sahel & Desertification

The Sahel's complex environmental and human challenges require active engagement. Methodologies like Simulation, Problem-Based Learning, and Stations Rotation allow students to grapple with interconnected issues, fostering deeper understanding than passive learning.

• Common Core State Standards
• C3: D2.Geo.5.6-8
• C3: D2.Geo.12.6-8

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 30 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: Desertification Domino Effect

Students create a chain reaction of dominoes, with each domino representing an environmental factor (e.g., drought, overgrazing). As each domino falls, it triggers the next, illustrating how one cause leads to widespread land degradation. Discuss the final outcome and potential interventions.

Explain the causes of desertification in the Sahel region and its impact on food security.

Facilitation Tip

During the Simulation Game, monitor group dynamics to ensure all stakeholders' perspectives are voiced and considered in the resource allocation decisions.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 45 min · Individual

Mapping Project: The Great Green Wall

Using online mapping tools or physical maps, students identify the countries involved in the Great Green Wall initiative. They research and mark key project sites, noting the types of vegetation being planted and the challenges faced in different locations.

Analyze how the 'Great Green Wall' initiative aims to combat climate change and land degradation.

Facilitation Tip

In Problem-Based Learning, guide pairs during their case study analysis by posing probing questions about the Great Green Wall's challenges and successes, rather than providing answers.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 40 min · Small Groups

Case Study Analysis: Community Resilience

Students analyze case studies of communities in the Sahel that have implemented sustainable land management practices. They identify successful strategies, challenges encountered, and the impact on local food security and livelihoods.

Predict the social and economic consequences of continued desertification on local communities.

Facilitation Tip

During Stations Rotation, observe students as they use mapping tools to identify degraded areas, ensuring they are correctly interpreting the data and drawing accurate conclusions about desertification patterns.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic by emphasizing the human-environment interaction. Avoid presenting desertification as solely a natural disaster; instead, focus on the interplay of climate and human activities. Research indicates that problem-based and simulation approaches are particularly effective for developing critical thinking and empathy regarding complex environmental issues.

Students will demonstrate an understanding of desertification's causes and consequences by analyzing real-world data and engaging in role-playing scenarios. They will connect human actions and environmental impacts, proposing potential solutions and recognizing the interconnectedness of the region's challenges.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Simulation Game, watch for students who believe desertification is purely a natural phenomenon and resist adopting sustainable practices for their stakeholder role.

  Redirect students by having them revisit the provided background information on human activities contributing to desertification and encourage them to incorporate this into their stakeholder's strategy, emphasizing the consequences of inaction.

• During the Case Study Analysis, students might assume the Sahel is uniformly barren. Prompt them to look for details in the articles and videos that describe the diverse ecosystems and the human settlements within the region.

  Ask students to specifically identify and list the different types of landscapes and human activities mentioned in the Great Green Wall case study, using this to build a more nuanced picture of the Sahel.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Case Study Analysis