Africa’s

ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES
Presentation, Graphic Organizers, & Activities
 STANDARDS:
SS7G2 Explain environmental issues across the
continent of Africa.
a. Explain how water pollution and unequal access
to 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.
 
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 TEACHER INFO: CLOZE Notes
• The next pages are handouts for the
students to use for note-taking during the
presentation. (Print front to back to save
paper and ink.)

• Check the answers as a class after the

presentation.

 
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 Environmental Issues CLOZE Notes 1
WATER POLLUTION & UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION
Africa & Water
• Water has ______________________ to Africa.
• The oceans, rivers, & seas that surround and run through Africa have allowed Africans
to ______________________ and to have access to the outside world.
• The interactions around these bodies of water have enabled certain cities to become
______________________ .
Limited Supply
• Countries with large river systems have ______________________ and for people
in villages, towns, and cities.
• Unfortunately, the majority of Africa has ______________________ for people to
survive.
• Most African countries have ______________________ for drinking and washing.
Walk to Water
• People who live in rural areas of Africa typically ______________________ or
plumbing in their homes.
• Women and children must ______________________ to gather it from a water
source.
• This has caused ______________________ for many African countries.
Poverty
• Because fetching water is so time-consuming, women are
______________________ and children don’t have time to go to school.
• Lack of education and employment leads to a low GDP and
______________________ .
• Many Africans cannot escape the ______________________ .
Drought
• Droughts (______________________________ ) have hurt many parts of Africa.
• When the rains do not come, ______________________ away and livestock die.
• People who live in areas affected by drought often face famine and begin to
______________________ .
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 Environmental Issues CLOZE Notes 2
Pollution
• Many countries in Africa do not have ______________________ , even the ones
that have large rivers.
• African countries have the problem of increasing ______________________ and
contamination from animals & human waste.
• Industries also contribute to the problem by dumping toxic mining chemicals and
______________________ into the waters.
Diseases
• Clean water is needed for basic ______________________ .
• Lack of clean water to wash with increases the frequency of
______________________ .
• People who are not able to have access to clean water are at risk for many water-borne
diseases that ______________________ living in standing water.
• Millions of Africans are hospitalized yearly from ______________________ .
• Sick people are ______________________ , with negatively impacts the economy.
• Also, unclean drinking water is a ______________________ for thousands of
children in Africa.
Industries
• Local industries that depend on water sources for their livelihood
______________________ by water pollution.
• Water pollution either kills fish or makes them ______________________ .
• It can also kill livestock, which destroys the ______________________ and traders.
Clean Up
• Overpopulation and ______________________ have made life along Africa’s water
sources difficult.
• Some countries in Africa have tried to ______________________ by building
factories.
• Unfortunately, government officials often ______________________ that are being
flushed into rivers and streams as long as the factories are profitable.
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 Environmental Issues CLOZE Notes 3
DEFORESTATION
• As Africa’s ______________________ and nations try to develop economically,
deforestation has become a growing concern.
• Deforestation is the process of ______________________ to make way for human
development.
• Deforestation is a major issue in ______________________ .
Logging
• A main cause of deforestation in Africa today is ______________________ .
• The ______________________ all over the world and helps boost the economy of many
African countries.
• Unfortunately, the ______________________ as a result.
Population
• Another reason Africans are cutting down so many trees is ______________________ .
• In the last 50 years, Africa’s ______________________ to over 1.2 billion people.
• Cities have grown and have ______________________ of forests for housing.
Rainforest
• Many of the rainforests that once ran from Guinea to Cameroon are
______________________ .
• Nigeria is losing its rainforests at the ______________________ .
• The United Nations estimates that Nigeria has now ______________________ of its
original forests to logging, clearing land for farming, and cutting trees to use as fuel.
Effects
• As the number of trees shrinks, so does the ______________________ produced.
• Meanwhile, the amount of harmful ______________________ in the air increases.
• Less rainforests could also mean ______________________ .
• About one-fourth of all medicines people use come from rainforest plants.
• Deforestation also leads to ______________________ of both plants and animals.
• Crops ______________________ , a nutrient-rich layer of dirt.
• When trees are cut down, there is ______________________ the topsoil in place.
• The wind and rain carry away the important nutrients, and the land eventually
______________________ necessary for growing crops.
• The sun bakes the exposed soil into hard clay, which ______________________ .
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 Environmental Issues CLOZE Notes 4
DESERTIFICATION
• The Sahel is one part of Africa that is experiencing severe problems with
desertification, the process of ______________________ into areas that had
formerly been farmland.
• As the land is overused, the ______________________ and powdery.
• The winds coming from the Sahara gradually ______________________ away,
leaving a barren and rocky land that loses its ability to hold water.
Growing Desert
• A majority of the desertification is the result of the ______________________
rather than climate.
• Desertification in Africa is caused by:
• ______________________ practices.
• People ______________________ that help hold the soil in place.
• Animals being allowed to ______________________ in an area and stripping
all of the vegetation from the soil.
• ______________________ & underground water for industrial & home use.
Effects
• The ______________________ of the people living there are clear, but they are
destroying major parts of their environment in the process.
• Africans who have lived for generations by farming and raising grazing animals are
finding they have less and ______________________ to them.
• The people who live in these areas often ______________________ .
• Many ______________________ hoping to find work, but most find only more
poverty.
Solution?
• Some Africans work hard to try to ______________________ , to build windbreaks
to keep out the sand, and to push the desert back whenever they can.
• In many parts of Africa, this has become ______________________ , as the desert
claims more land each year.
• In recent years, the United Nations and the World Food Bank have
______________________ of those living in parts of the Sahel.
• They have worked to find solutions to help the people survive and
______________________ .
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 Africa’s
Environmental
Issues
Water Pollution & Unequal
Distribution, Deforestation, &
Desertification

© Brain Wrinkles
 Water Pollution
&
Unequal
Distribution
© Brain Wrinkles
 Africa & Water
• Water has always been vital to Africa.

• The oceans, rivers, & seas that surround

and run through Africa have allowed
Africans to engage in trade and to have
access to the outside world.

• The interactions around these bodies of

water have enabled certain cities to
become thriving centers of commerce.
© Brain Wrinkles
© Brain Wrinkles
 Limited Supply
• Countries with large river systems have
enough water for farming and for people
in villages, towns, and cities.

• Unfortunately, the majority of Africa has

trouble getting enough water for people to
survive.

• Most African countries have very little

clean water for drinking and washing.
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© Brain Wrinkles
 Walk to Water
• People who live in rural areas of Africa
typically don’t have running water or
plumbing in their homes.

• Women and children must walk several

miles to gather it from a water source.

• This has caused serious economic

problems for many African countries.

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© Brain Wrinkles
 Poverty
• Because fetching water is so time-
consuming, women are unable to work
and children don’t have time to go to
school.
• Lack of education and employment leads
to a low GDP and slow economic growth.
• Many Africans cannot escape the circle of
poverty.

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© Brain Wrinkles
 Drought
• Droughts (long periods of very little
rainfall) have hurt many parts of Africa.

• When the rains do not come, crops wither

away and livestock die.

• People who live in areas affected by

drought often face famine and begin to
die of starvation.

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 Pollution
• Many countries in Africa do not have enough
clean water, even the ones that have large
rivers.
• African countries have the problem of
increasing pollution from factories and
contamination from animals & human waste.
• Industries also contribute to the problem by
dumping toxic mining chemicals and
industrial wastes into the waters.

© Brain Wrinkles
© Brain Wrinkles
 Diseases
• Clean water is needed for basic health and
sanitation.

• Lack of clean water to wash with increases

the frequency of skin and eye infections.

• People who are not able to have access to

clean water are at risk for many water-borne
diseases that spread by parasites living in
standing water.

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© Brain Wrinkles
 Diseases
• Millions of Africans are hospitalized
yearly from ingesting unsafe water.

• Sick people are unable to work, with

negatively impacts the economy.

• Also, unclean drinking water is a leading

cause of death for thousands of children
in Africa.

© Brain Wrinkles
 Industries
• Local industries that depend on water
sources for their livelihood have been
devastated by water pollution.

• Water pollution either kills fish or makes

them unsafe to eat.

• It can also kill livestock, which destroys

the livelihood of herders and traders.

© Brain Wrinkles
 Clean Up
• Overpopulation and poor sanitation regulations
have made life along Africa’s water sources
difficult.

• Some countries in Africa have tried to improve

their economies by building factories.

• Unfortunately, government officials often

ignore the industrial wastes that are being
flushed into rivers and streams as long as the
factories are profitable.

© Brain Wrinkles
© Brain Wrinkles
 Deforestation

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 Deforestation
• As Africa’s population increases and nations
try to develop economically, deforestation
has become a growing concern.

• Deforestation is the process of forests being

destroyed to make way for human
development.

• Deforestation is a major issue in many

African nations.

© Brain Wrinkles
© Brain Wrinkles
 Logging
• A main cause of deforestation in Africa
today is commercial logging.

• The timber is exported all over the world

and helps boost the economy of many
African countries.

• Unfortunately, the environment is

destroyed as a result.

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© Brain Wrinkles
 Population
• Another reason Africans are cutting
down so many trees is population
growth.

• In the last 50 years, Africa’s population

has tripled to over 1.2 billion people.

• Cities have grown and have cleared large

areas of forests for housing.

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© Brain Wrinkles
 Rainforest
• Many of the rainforests that once ran from
Guinea to Cameroon are already gone.

• Nigeria is losing its rainforests at the fastest

rate.

• The United Nations estimates that Nigeria

has now lost about 55 percent of its original
forests to logging, clearing land for farming,
and cutting trees to use as fuel.

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 Since the 1990s, more than 90% of West-African
rainforests have been cut down.

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© Brain Wrinkles
 Effects
• As the number of trees shrinks, so does the
amount of oxygen produced.
• Meanwhile, the amount of harmful carbon
dioxide in the air increases.

• Less rainforests could also mean fewer

medicines.
• About one-fourth of all medicines people use
come from rainforest plants.

• Deforestation also leads to extinction of species

of both plants and animals.
© Brain Wrinkles
 Effects
• Crops grow best in topsoil, a nutrient-rich layer
of dirt.

• When trees are cut down, there is nothing to

hold the topsoil in place.

• The wind and rain carry away the important

nutrients, and the land eventually loses the
nutrients necessary for growing crops.

• The sun bakes the exposed soil into hard clay,

which leads to desertification.
© Brain Wrinkles
 Desertification

© Brain Wrinkles
 Desertification
• The Sahel is one part of Africa that is
experiencing severe problems with
desertification, the process of the desert
expanding into areas that had formerly been
farmland.
• As the land is overused, the soil becomes poor
and powdery.

• The winds coming from the Sahara gradually

blow the dry topsoil away, leaving a barren and
rocky land that loses its ability to hold water.

© Brain Wrinkles
© Brain Wrinkles
© Brain Wrinkles
 Growing Desert
• A majority of the desertification is the result of
the actions of people rather than climate.

• Desertification in Africa is caused by:

• Poor farming practices.
• People cutting down the trees that help hold
the soil in place.
• Animals being allowed to graze too heavily in
an area and stripping all of the vegetation
from the soil.
• Draining the surface & underground water for
industrial & home use.
© Brain Wrinkles
© Brain Wrinkles
 Effects
• The survival needs of the people living there are
clear, but they are destroying major parts of their
environment in the process.

• Africans who have lived for generations by

farming and raising grazing animals are finding
they have less and less land available to them.

• The people who live in these areas often face

starvation and poverty.

• Many move into urban areas hoping to find work,

but most find only more poverty.
© Brain Wrinkles
© Brain Wrinkles
 Solution?
• Some Africans work hard to try to
replant trees, to build windbreaks to keep
out the sand, and to push the desert back
whenever they can.

• In many parts of Africa, this has become

a losing battle, as the desert claims more
land each year.

© Brain Wrinkles
© Brain Wrinkles
 Solution?
• In recent years, the United Nations and
the World Food Bank have come to the
aid of those living in parts of the Sahel.

• They have worked to find solutions to

help the people survive and live a better
life.

© Brain Wrinkles
 TEACHER INFO:
• Print off the following slide for each
student.

• They should complete the chart while

discussing the presentation.

• Check answers as a class when finished. If

time, have students color their pictures.

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 Africa’s Environmental Issues
Directions: Complete the chart below with information that you learn during the presentation. If time allows,
color your illustrations.
Water Pollution & Unequal
Deforestation Desertification
Distribution
CAUSES
EFFECTS
ILLUSTRATION
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 TEACHER INFO: Political Cartoon Analysis
• Print off the Political Cartoon Analysis sheet for
each student.
• Project the slides with two political cartoons
onto the board (or print off several copies for
students to share).
• Students should choose one of the cartoons and
complete the analysis for it.

 
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 Political Cartoon Analysis
Directions: Spend some time analyzing the political cartoon, then answer the questions below.
Describe what you see in the cartoon. List the objects/people. Which of the objects are symbols? What do you think each symbol
means?

Describe the action taking place in the cartoon: Explain the message of the cartoon:

Who would agree with the cartoon’s message? Why? Who would disagree with the cartoon’s message? Why?

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 1

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 2

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 3

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 TEACHER INFO: Africa Water Bottle
• Print off the Africa Water Bottle handout for each
student.

• The students will design a water bottle to raise

awareness about the water crisis in Africa. They should
include facts and images to represent water pollution
and unequal access to water in Africa.

• In the textbox, they will write a description that

explains the water bottle’s design.
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 Africa Water Bottle
Directions: Design a water bottle to raise awareness about the water crisis in Africa. Include facts and
images to represent water pollution and unequal access to water in Africa. In the textbox, write a description
that explains your water bottle’s design.
Bottle Description:
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 TEACHER INFO: Environmental Issues Selfies

• Print off the Environmental Issues Selfies handout for

each student.
• The students will “take a selfie” of themselves visiting
parts of Africa where deforestation and desertification
are occurring.
• In the corresponding textbox, they will describe where
they are and what they see so that their “followers” are
aware of what’s going on in Africa.

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 Africa’s Environmental Issues Selfies
Directions: It’s time to spread awareness about deforestation and desertification in Africa. Take a selfie of yourself visiting parts of Africa
where these issues are occurring. In the corresponding textbox, describe where you are & what you see so that all of your followers are aware of
what’s going on in Africa.

#deforestation

#desertification

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 TEACHER INFO: Comprehension Check
• Print off the Comprehension Check handout for
each student. (Print front-to-back to save paper.)

• Students will complete the assignment after

discussing the presentation. This can also be used
as a quiz!

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 Africa’s Environmental Issues
Comprehension Check
1. What water problems do many African nations face?
2. What do many African women and children have to do in order to get
water?
3. What is a drought?
4. What are two major things polluting African waters?
5. Name three problems that result from polluted water:
6. Why do some governments ignore industrial pollution of major rivers?
7. What is one part of Africa that is experiencing major problems with
desertification?
8. What are the main causes of desertification in Africa?
9. What is life like for Africans who are forced to leave their farms for major
cities?
10. What is the main cause of deforestation in Africa today?
11. What causes the amount of carbon dioxide in the air to increase?
12. Which African country is losing its rainforest the fastest?
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 TEACHER INFO: TICKET OUT THE DOOR

• Print off the Tweet All About It handout for each

student (two-per-page).

• Have students write a tweet/summary of each of

the issues (less than 140 characters).

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Name: Name:

Tweet All About It Tweet All About It

Write tweets about the environmental issues across the continent of Write tweets about the environmental issues across the continent of
Africa. Keep them short and to the point, but include enough Africa. Keep them short and to the point, but include enough
information to prove you understand the event. information to prove you understand the event.

#Unequalaccesstowater #Unequalaccesstowater

#Waterpollution #Waterpollution

#Deforestation #Deforestation

#Desertification #Desertification

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