Exploros | Southern and Eastern Africa: Government and Economy

Southern and Eastern Africa: Government and Economy

Students are introduced to the connection between government, economics, and human behavior by learning about the ivory trade. Then they take a brief look at the governments and economies of Eastern and Southern Africa. Next, they learn about the history of apartheid, from its beginning to its end, focusing on the role of Nelson Mandela. Finally, they write a brief news report about the current state of government and economics in one country.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

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Overview

In this experience, students are introduced to the connection between government, economics, and human behavior by learning about the ivory trade. Then they take a brief look at the governments and economies of Eastern and Southern Africa. Next, they learn about the history of apartheid, from its beginning to its end, focusing on the role of Nelson Mandela. Finally, they write a brief news report about the current state of government and economics in one country.

Scene 3 includes both a 6-minute video and an article that focus on apartheid and Nelson Mandela. You might consider setting the duration of this experience to two days to ensure that students have time to interact with the content.

Objectives:

Identify and compare and contrast different governments and economies in Southern and Eastern Africa.
Describe South Africa’s apartheid system and its fall.

Objectives:

Identify and compare and contrast different governments and economies in Southern and Eastern Africa.
Describe South Africa’s apartheid system and its fall.

Africans Holding Elephant Tusks

Begin your exploration of economics and governments by watching History of the Ivory Trade.

Based on the video, describe the relationship between economics and human behavior.

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Human appetite and behavior is often the driving force behind economic action, such as the harvest of ivory in East Africa. Likewise, when human behavior changes—as it does when the sale of ivory is banned—the economics change, and the elephant population can grow.

As a class, discuss what you learned in the video and how you respond to it. What is the role of government and economic systems in protecting the world’s resources, such as elephants?

When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.