GRADES:

9-12

SUBJECTS:

Social Studies

Overview

Africa is still the last frontier - the most under-developed continent in this world and vast areas in central Africa are totally cut off from outside world. The students have to prepare a report on the feasibility of building a freeway across Africa (North to South)

Suggested Time Allowance:

1 hour

Objectives:

Students will:

• Analyze the various geographical, economical and logistical constraints.
• Suggest the most viable route for the proposed freeway.

Materials:

• Student journals
• Pens/pencils
• Classroom blackboard
• A physical wall map of Africa
• Computers with Internet access
• Other reference books

Lesson Plan:

Start the class by discussing the importance of accessibility of any place for normal life. Can you survive if there are no comfortable roads to your city/town? What if there was a complete absence of airports or ports? How would people get food, medical facilities and other material goods? Can they be totally self reliable? What if they produce something in excess? Can they sell it where there is a demand and improve their economic conditions? Yet, large parts of Africa are highly inaccessible and any freeway across the continent would prove as a lifeline for the struggling millions.

No wonder the 25 most underdeveloped countries are all in Africa.

Divide the students into small groups of 4 or 5. Each group has to independently analyze the following factors:

• The most practical route across the continent taking the physical terrain into consideration. (Avoid deep tropical forests, steep mountain ranges etc). Use the physical map of Africa for this purpose. Make a tentative route and list the countries through which the proposed route passes.
• Do the countries in the above list have stable governments?
• Do they have ready availability of semi-skilled / unskilled labor?
• What is the language spoken in each country? We want to avoid areas where people speaking known international languages are totally scarce.
• Are there environmental constraints to consider? Check out the protected regions of the countries in the list.
• Discuss any other factors that might be of importance. How to reach the raw – materials required for construction? What are the countries that would really benefit from the proposed freeway (say they have some really valuable stuff to export). Ask them to come up with different hurdles.

After each group has completed the activity, they have to present their proposed route to the class and justify their suggestions with proper reasons / statistics. Finally the class has to decide on the best route. Then each student will prepare a report on the topic as home assignment for submission.

Assessment:

Students will be evaluated based on the depth of their analysis, their journal entries and participation in class discussions.

Source:

NationMaster