Desertification: Cause and EffectStudents learn about the causes and effects of desertification

threatening the African Sahel.

Author Barbara StoutGrade Level 6-8Duration 4-5 class periods

National GeographyStandards

Arizona Social StudiesStandard

Arizona Language Arts Standards

ELEMENT TWO:PLACES ANDREGIONS4. The physical andhumancharacteristics ofplaces.

ELEMENT THREE:PHYSICALSYSTEMS7. The physicalprocesses thatshape the patternsof earth's surface.

ELEMENT FIVE:ENVIRONMENT ANDSOCIETY15. How physicalsystems affecthuman systems.

Grade 6Strand 4 GeographyConcept 2 Places andRegionsPO 2 Describe the factors thatcause regions and places tochange.Concept 5 Environment andSocietyPO 1 Describe ways thathuman dependence on naturalresources influences economicdevelopment, settlement, tradeand migration.PO 2 Describe the intendedand unintended consequencesof human modification (e.g.,irrigation, aqueducts, canals)on the environment.

Grade 7Concept 2 Places andRegionsPO 1 Describe the human andphysical characteristics ofplaces and regions.PO 2 Explain the concept ofregions and why they change.Concept 3 Physical Systems(Strand 6 Earth and SpaceScience Concept 1Structure of the Earth)PO 3 Explain the followingprocesses involved in theformation of the Earth’sstructure

• erosion• deposition• plate tectonics• volcanism

Concept 5 Environment andSociety

READING STANDARD:Grade 6Strand 1 Reading ProcessConcept 6: Comprehension StrategiesPO 6. Apply knowledge of the organizational structures (e.g.,chronological order, cause and effect relationships) of text to aidcomprehension.PO 7. Use reading strategies (e.g., drawing conclusions,determining cause and effect, making inferences, sequencing) tocomprehend text.Strand 3: Comprehending Informational TextConcept 1: Expository TextPO 8. Identify the organizational structures (e.g., chronologicalorder, comparison and contrast, cause and effect relationships,logical order) of expository text.

Grade 7 and 8Strand 1 Reading ProcessConcept 6: Comprehension StrategiesPO 6. Apply knowledge of the organizational structures (e.g.,chronological order, compare and contrast, cause and effectrelationships, logical order) of text to aid comprehension.PO 7. Use reading strategies (e.g., drawing conclusions,determining cause and effect, making inferences, sequencing) tointerpret text.Strand 3: Comprehending Informational TextConcept 1: Expository TextPO 9. Apply knowledge of organizational structures (e.g.,chronological order, comparison and contrast, cause and effectrelationships, logical order) of expository text to aidcomprehension.

WRITING STANDARD:Grades 6, 7, and 8Strand 1: Writing ProcessConcept 1: Ideas and ContentPO 1. Use clear, focused ideas and details to support the topic.PO 2. Provide content and selected details that are well suited toaudience and purpose.PO 3. Develop a sufficient explanation or exploration of the topic.

Grade 6Strand 1: Writing ProcessConcept 4: Word ChoicePO 1. Use accurate, specific, powerful words that effectivelyconvey the intended message.PO 2. Use words and phrases that consistently support style andtype or writing.

Desertification: Cause and Effect

PO 3 Describe how humansmodify environments (e.g.,conservation, deforestation,dams) and adapt to theenvironment.

Grade 8Strand 4 GeographyConcept 5 Environment andSocietyPO 1 Describe how humansmodify ecosystems (e.g.,deforestation anddesertification).

type or writing.PO 3. Use vocabulary that is original, varied, and natural.

Grades 7 and 8Strand 1: Writing ProcessConcept 4: Word ChoicePO 1. Use accurate, specific, powerful words that effectivelyconvey the intended message.PO 2. Use words that consistently support style and type of writing.PO 3. Use vocabulary that is original, varied, and natural.

Overview

The desert environments around the world areexpanding every day due to both natural causessuch as drought, wind, and erosion, as well ashuman causes such as overgrazing, poorconservation practices, and lack of crop rotation.This process of desert expansion is calleddesertification and is threatening the Sahel regionin Northwest Africa.

Purpose

In this lesson, students will become familiar withthe causes and effects of desertification, througha variety of modalities including: taking vocabularynotes, reading an environmental article,completing cause and effect graphic organizersand writing an expository essay.

Materials

ß African Regions Mapß African Regions Map (with place names)ß Teacher Background Notes on Physical

Regions of Africaß Vocabulary T-Chart on Desertificationß Vocabulary T-Chart Answer Keyß Cause and Effect Student Model #1ß Cause and Effect Answer Key for Model #1ß Desertification Article (for marginal readers)ß USGS Desertification Article (for good readers)ß Cause and Effect Sequences #1, #2, and #3ß Cause and Effect Sequence Answer Keys for

#1 and #2ß Writing Prompt for Cause and Effect of

Desertification

ß Desertification Essay Ideas and ContentRubric

ß Desertification Essay Word Choice Rubric

ß All answer keys should be made intooverheads.

Objectives

The student will be able to:

ß locate: the Sahel, Sahara Desert, KalahariDesert, Namib Desert, Atlas Mountains,Ethiopian Highlands, DrakensbergMountains, savanna, tropical rainforest,Nile River, Congo River and Great RiftValley on a map of Africa.

ß define vocabulary words related todesertification.

ß read an environmental article ondesertification.

ß diagram cause and effect sequences ofdesertification on a graphic organizer.

ß write an expository essay on the causesand effects of desertification.

Procedures

SESSION ONE1. Brainstorm with the students: What it is like inAfrica? What is the landscape like, the people,etc? Write on the chalkboard as the students givetheir impressions.

2. Distribute the African Regions Map and havestudents label and color the regions. Display the

African Regions Map (with place names) as anAnswer Key on the overhead projector.

3. Discuss the physical geography of each of theregions, as they copy and color. (Information on

Desertification: Cause and Effect

the regions is located in the Teacher BackgroundNotes.)

4. Distribute the Vocabulary T-Chart and havestudents fill in the definitions from the overhead.

SESSION TWO1. Distribute the Cause and Effect Student Model#1. Discuss the Cause and Effect SequenceExample, then demonstrate how to diagram thesequence into the Graphic Organizer, using theCause and Effect Answer Key for Model #1.

2. Distribute the appropriate Desertification Article(either for marginal or good readers). Discuss howthe cause and effect sequence model can beused to interpret information in the article.

3. Instruct students that while they read the article,to look for examples of cause and effectsequences.

4. Distribute the Cause and Effect Sequence #1to guide students in completing the cause/effectsequence on Desertification. Help studentsdiagram on the graphic organizer, using theAnswer Key for Sequence #1.

SESSION THREE1. Redistribute the Desertification Article and handout Cause and Effect Sequences #2 and #3.

2. Allow students to work in pairs and explain theywill need to perform the following tasks:

® Reread the article and identify specific causeand effect examples of desertification.

® On Cause and Effect Sequence #2, formulatea complete three-step sequence in fullsentences.

® Diagram the three-step sequence on thegraphic organizer.

® Do Cause and Effect Sequence #3 next,utilizing the above procedures for Sequence#2.

SESSION FOUR1. Distribute Writing Prompt for Cause and Effectof Desertification and discuss the criteria for thewriting assignment.

2. Distribute the Desertification Essay Word Choiceand Desertification Essay Ideas and ContentRubrics for the expository essay

3. Students write a Cause and Effect expositoryessay utilizing the Cause and Effect Sequences#1, #2, #3 and Vocabulary T-Chart.

Assessment

Grade the Cause and Effect sequencing graphicorganizers #1, #2, and #3 for accuracy andcompleteness. Student should score 80% orhigher.

Utilize the Desertification Essay Ideas and ContentRubric and the Desertification Essay Word ChoiceRubric to grade the paper. Mastery is considered 4or higher in each category.

Extensions

Have students analyze Cause and EffectSequences on deforestation (e.g. destruction ofthe tropical rainforests or other types of forests,such as deciduous or temperate coniferous). (SeeDeforestation lesson on the GeoLiteracy CDROM.)

Have students compare desertification withdeforestation by writing a paragraph comparingand contrasting desertification with deforestation.

Sources

- Expanding Deserts by Paula Hogan- The Spread of Deserts by Ewan McLeish- Last Frontiers for Mankind: Deserts by Lawrence

William- United Nations Secretariat of the Convention to

Combat Desertificationhttp://www.unccd.int/main.php

- UN Food and Agriculture on desertificationhttp://www.fao.org/desertification/

- Land Degradation and Desertificationhttp://www.ciesin.org/TG/LU/degrad.html

- National Geographic Video "Africa's PhysicalFeatures"

- NGS Picture Pack transparencies "Geography ofAfrica"

- NGS Africa’s Natural Realms Map, September 2001

Desertification: Cause and Effect