The Green Abyss
By Jane Conlin
Note: many of the charts and graphs do not appear in web browsers properly. When you download the actual files from the Project Africa downloads page, you will get the original file and it will look much better.
Theme: The question of developing a fragile environment. Logging in the African Rainforest
Grade: 8
Title: Central African Rainforest: The Green Abyss
Overview:
This lesson will use the National Geographic Magazine article; The Green Abyss from March 2001. The students will gain a general understanding of conservationist Michael Fay and the Megatransect: 1,200 miles through the African Forest. In addition, the students will also explore the economic impact of the rainforest on this region, as well as, the views of the conservationists, logging industries the native people on how to utilize this resource. The lesson will conclude with a round table discussion on the pros and cons of developing this resource.
Time: 8-10 days
Subjects: To complete this lesson, one could easily involve earth science and the study of rainforests, English to write a pictorial analysis of the photos in the article as well as literature to discuss the vocabulary and content of the article. Math to work with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Computers for research and mapping the trek.
a. National Geographic Magazine: March 2001
b. Political map (outline) without country names (http://geography.about.com/library/blank/africa.jpg)
c. A world map students can use for reference
d. Class set of Extreme Africa: A Trek Through the Heart of Darkness (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/03/0314 extreme.html)
e. The Green Abyss vocabulary worksheet (included in lesson supplements)
f. Pictorial Analysis worksheet (included in lesson supplements)
g. Note taking Guide for Role Play worksheet (included in lesson supplements)
h.
Round Table Discussion Scoring Sheet (included in lesson
supplements)
i. Michael Fay news articles: (http://forests.org/archive/africa/comaulti.htm) (http://forests.org/archive/africa/me12mile.htm)
j. Case Study research and background
1. Making Deals With Loggers In Effort to Save Rain Forest (http://forests.org/archive/africa/madeallo.htm)
2. Ebola death toll rises in Gabon, Congo (http://forests.org/archive/africa/ebdetoll.htm)
3. Monkey Brains Off the menu in Central Africa (http://forests.org/archive/africa/mobroffm.htm)
4. The Scramble for African Timber (http://multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/issues/1992/09/mm0992 08.html)
5. Cameroon: who conserves and who destroys forests? (http://www.wrm.org.uy/bulletin/4/Cameroon.html)
6. African Peoples of the Rainforest (http://www.mongabay.com/0702.htm)
7. Forest dwellers of seven African countries seek compensation (http://forests.org/archive/africa/fordwell.htm)
8. Learn About the Forest (http://www.savethecongo.org/langoueforest.shtml)
9. Part II Country Profiles: Gabon "political, social and economic framework (http://www.forestsmonitor.org/reports/solddownriver/gabon.htm#ei)
10. Chicago Tribune: Ghastly Ebola unlikely to be last of its kind (http://www.pultizer.org/year/2001/internationl-reporting/works/africa3.html)
11. Testimony of J. Michael Fay: Logging, Forest Ecosystems and People in northern Congo (http://www.house.gov/international relations/105th/af/2saf319.htm)
12.
Religion and Ethics news weekly: J. Michael Fay (
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week453/feature.html )
Objectives:
The students will be able to make a mental map of the world and locate the continent of Africa.
The students will be able to divide the continent of Africa into eight regions, label and color code the countries within each region.
The students will be able to label the climate zones of Africa and state the reasons these climate zones exist.
The students will be able to locate the countries of Central Africa and state how the location impacts the vegetation and climate of that region.
The students will be able to identify who Michael Fay is and why he decided to walk 1,200 miles through the central African rainforest
The students will be able to identify and utilize key vocabulary from the article the Green Abyss in a sentence to demonstrate understanding of the vocabulary meaning.
After viewing the photos from National Geographic Magazine, March 2001: The Green Abyss, the students will be able to respond to how the photos help to tell the Michael Fay trek across the Green Abyss.
After viewing the photos from National Geographic Magazine, March 2001: The Green Abyss, the students will be able to compare and contrast Places of Minnesota and the Central African Rainforest
After completing their study of the Green Abyss, the
students will be able to participate in a case study role play about the
rainforest in central Africa: Points to be brought into the role-play consist
of the following: Michael Fay, the
Ebola virus, the native people of the rainforest, the lumber companies, the
conservationists
Suggested Procedure:
Day One:
Opening:
The teacher should read paragraphs one and two from the filed notes of National Geographic photographer Michael Nichols: (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0103/feature1/index.html )
Ask the students: Where in the world do you think Michael Nichols was when he wrote these notes?
We will be spending the next two weeks learning about an area in Africa where Michael Nichols went on a journey with conservationist, Michel Fay. This journey has been termed a megatransect. . Michael Fay headed up the megatransect across 1,200 miles of untamed Africa on foot.
Development:
To begin to understand this journey, we first need to know the location we will be studying.
Location is one of the five themes of geography. It should answer the question "How do I get there?"
Have the students use mental mapping and draw from memory the seven continents of the world. It may be helpful to have them begin by drawing the Prime Meridian and the Equator to use as reference points for placement and proportion of the continents. Have them label the seven continents and the four major oceans of the world.
Using a world map, have the students compare their mental maps to the real world map. Discuss the following
What are some of the ways you could get to the continent of Africa from the USA?
What direction would you be traveling?
What major bodies of water will you pass through to get to your destination?
Will you pass over any other continents to get to Africa?
Work in pairs, discuss how you each planned to get to Africa.
Where in Africa did you plan as your destination?
Did your destination differ from your partners?
How did these decisions impact the routes you planned to follow to get to Africa?
Africa is the second largest continent in the world. It is three times larger than the United States. From this exercise, we should be able to see that to talk about Africa in general will not be sufficient for us, We will need a more exact location in Africa to discuss the article the Green Abyss.
In the next exercise, we will break Africa down into Regions to help determine exactly where in Africa Michael Fay made his trek. Region is another of the five themes of geography. "Geographers invent regions." They do this because it is easier to study broad regions rather than individual places within a region. For example, it is easier to study the seven continents rather than 200 countries. Regions can be based upon physical or human features. The regions that we will be looking at are based on physical features of the area.
Part II:
Handout the political map of Africa and have the students color and label the eight regions of Africa:
North Africa Region: (color blue) Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt
Saharan Africa Region: (color orange) Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti
West Africa Region: (color red) Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria
Central Africa Region: (color green) Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo Republic, Congo (Zaire), Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi
Swahili Coast Region: (color yellow) Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique
Southern Africa Region: (color purple) Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Nambia, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho
South Africa Region: (color pink) South Africa
Indian Ocean Region: (lightly shade in pencil) Medagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius
Close
Have the students use a thick sharpie and outline Central Africa. Discuss the following:
Central Africa is close to the equator. What do you know about the climate near
the equator? The climate is
tropical wet with a tropical rainforest as part of its vegetation. This means
that it is always hot and rainy, with an average of 100 inches of rainfall each
year. What would the humidity be
like in the rainforest? Is this a comfortable climate to be in? Why
Day Two:
Opening:
Review maps and focus on the location of Central Africa
Discuss rainforests-The Rainforest Database from Living Earth: This website provides information and articles about rain forests and their ecology. (www.gn.apc.org/LivingEarth/RainforestDB/)
Include a look at rainforests throughout the world. Add to their mental maps the locations of the rainforest around the world. Point out the location of the rainforests to the equator.
Development:
Central Africa is where Michael Fay started his journey into the Green Abyss. The forest was so thick that for days at a time, he and his crew could only see 3-5 feet in front of them as they chopped through the forest.
"When you walk in the forest, you can't see very far," he says. "There's a lot of roots and branches that you'll find have nasty spines on them close to the ground, so your pretty much obliged to be looking down all day. Your general kind of view is one meter (three feet) in front of you. So even if an animal is nearby, you may very well not see it." (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/congotrek/polygon minkebe.html)
Read the handout: Extreme Africa: A Trek Through the Heart of Darkness (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/03/0314)
This article is a nice summary of Michael Fay and what the article The Green Abyss is all about. The article includes a photo of Michael Fay
Close
We have now broken our study of Africa into three of the five themes of geography. We know the location of Africa in reference to our mental maps of the world. We looked at the regions of Africa based on physical characteristics determined the relative location of Central Africa and where the Minkebe forest is located in relation to the regions on our political map of Africa. We also have an idea of Central Africa as a Place. What is it like to live here? What are some of the physical features that exist in this place? (the students should come up with characteristics of landscape, habitat, and climate)
Day Three
Opening:
"I don't want you to think I am a Monomanic or anything. I understand that the last few days may have been a little arduous for you. But I think it is important to lay the groundwork for you so you can begin to see the mosaic of this study. I need to keep plugging away and be exigent on today's task okay?
(*Have this written on the blackboard but covered up so the students can't see it. Once you are finished and the students are working in pairs you should show the introduction.)
Who can translate what I have just said? Hopefully by the end of today"s class, you will all know what I have just said! Many of the vocabulary words I used to start class today is in the article the Green Abyss. Obviously, we will need to understand the vocabulary to really understand the article.
Development:
Handout the Green Abyss Vocabulary worksheet: Have the students work on and complete in class. I have found that they enjoy working in pairs for this exercise. I let the students turn in one sheet per pair.
Close:
Refer to the blackboard, can any pairs of people translate
the opening for today's class?
Day Four and Five
Opening:
Go through the vocabulary from day three class. Have students share their use of the vocabulary in a sentence and their drawings.
Development:
Discuss Minnesota as a place. What are some of the characteristics that make Minnesota different from other places. Farmland, forests, Boundary Waters, Mississippi River, 10,000 lakes, seasons, cities, population-
How are the forests in Minnesota different than rainforests?
Types of trees, no canapy overhead, animal life
What are some areas in Minnesota that are controversial in regard to development?
Minneapolis Historians view of developing Boom Island and the waterfront by the mills and St. Anthony Falls in vs. the people who want to develop a white water rafting business at the falls.
Allowing motor boats into the Boundary Waters canoe areas
Native American fishing rights
Explain that we will be reviewing the photos in the National Geographic Magazine that show different parts of Michael Fay's journey. Encourage the students to think about how the areas they are viewing are similar to and different from Minnesota.
Handout the pictorial analysis sheet and the National Geographic magazines. Review the questions that the students are to answer. The student should fill in a web for each photo they choose to analyze.
I would allow them to once again work in pairs for this exercise.
Close
Lead a class discussion on what the students recorded for each photo.
Day Six:
Opening: Finish talking about the photo analysis from day five. Review the vocabulary for The Green Abyss
Development: Read the article
Close: Discuss Michael Fay's conservation views. What other views might there be for
what should be done with this resource? Logging, Economics, Native inhabitants,
disease
Day Seven and Eight
Teacher Notes:
Now that the students have become familiar with the Minkebe forest, they can begin to explore the complexities that surround its use. One way to develop this is to examine different views and analyze those views.
In this exercise, the students first read the research and develop the facts that represent their view on how to use the land and why. Next, a role-play provides a chance to debate and discuss the issues in the case. After this exercise, the students set aside their roles and share their own views.
Once the students have discussed their views, they should begin to suggest solutions and predict consequence for their proposed solutions.
Opening
Begin class by introducing yourself as a diplomat from the Central African Government. Tell the student you have a problem, that you must help to make a decision about what to do with the Minke rainforest. You are asking for them to share their views so you can consider a number of views before making your decision.
Development
Explain that the concept of this lesson is a "fishbowl" role play: five groups of students are each assigned a role; students take turns sitting in the inner circle to play their group's role; the rest of the group sits in the outer circle, where they observe the performance of their group member in the inner circle.
Divide the class into five groups.
Before handing out the role descriptions, assign each to a group of at least two students. Ask each group to choose a member to begin in the inner circle.
Show the students the scoring sheet. Explain how each person will be evaluated on their role-play performance. The four left-hand columns list ways to earn a point. An individual scores points, for example, when she or he draws another student into the conversation. The four right-hand columns list ways to lose a point. Be specific about the behaviors that will have the student gain or lose points.
It works best to find another member of the staff or yourself to score the discussion.
Once the students understand the concepts and the scoring, distribute copies of the internet research sheets to each group.( See materials needed Case Study research and background). You should also give the students copies of the note taking worksheet (see attached materials)
Using these fact sheets, the students should prepare to discuss their assigned views in the round table discussion. They will have two class periods to prepare.
.The roles consist of the following:
Conservation Interests
Native Inhabitants View
Medical Concerns: Ebola Virus
Logging View
Michael Fay
Close
Give the students class time to prepare for the round table
Note: concept for the round table discussion taken from the
lesson Child Labor is Not Cheap; Amy Sanders and Meredith Sommers.: resource
center of the americas
Day Nine
Opening:
Distribute name tabs, asking each student to wear the name of their character in the role- play.
Development:
After each group is familiar with its role, begin Round 1. As the African Diplomat, you moderate. Explain that you have called together these individuals to help you make a decision. You are interested in hearing their views and arguments about the best course of action to resolve the dilemma of utilizing the rainforest. Since the students are unfamiliar with others' roles (and since they deserve the same chance to score points), ask the five to start by introducing themselves and explaining their connection to the forest.
After that round, each group sends someone to replace their member in the inner-circle for Round 2. These students might briefly summarize their views about what should be done. (If groups have more than four members each, split up this round so several members of each group get to make a point.)
Now that everyone is familiar with the various roles and views, encourage students to begin debating the merits of each argument so that you can make a decision. Only inner-circle students may speak. People in the outer circle can make a point only by substituting for their teammate in the inner rings. An outer circle conservationist, for example, may contribute by tapping the inner-circle conservationist, who is then obligated to step out of the inner circle and exchange seats. Student's may be tentative at first, but they will learn to easily bring new ideas into the conversations.
As moderator, you may interject new questions to keep the discussion focused. You might conclude that role play by telling students "I just remembered I have a meeting to attend," encourage each of them to write a brief (one page) memorandum suggesting the action they think you should take.
Close
After the role play, it is extremely important to debrief the class so students reflect on what has occurred. Some possible debriefing questions:
How did the students feel playing their roles?
What was the easiest stage of the role-play?
What was the most difficult?
As a class, complete a Criteria Matrix:
Along the left side of the Matrix set up the possible solutions or uses of the forest
Along the top, develop the criteria that the groups need to consider when using the forest. Have the students rank their choices and discuss:
What values did the discussion raise?
Which do you feel are most important?
Who do they think should decide what to do with the rainforest? Why?
How does this grid reflect the class values?
An example of a criteria grid is below. Your class should decide their own criteria.
