West Africa Food Crisis Teacher Notes
Early Childhood / Primary / Secondary
Australian Curriculum Links:
Cross-Curriculum Priorities/Sustainability
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/CrossCurriculumPriorities/Sustainability
All of the resources in this package address the issue of sustainability
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Overview/General-capabilities-in-theAustralian-Curriculum
Literacy
capability
Numeracy
ICT capability
Ethical behaviour
Critical and creative thinking
Personal and social
Intercultural understanding
Curriculum Areas: Early Childhood Education/Primary: RE, English, S+E, Drama,
Music
1. General awareness about Africa-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoYp2_MxkMI. Students could
discuss similarities and differences between image in clips and Caritas photos.
1. Learn a song from West Africa. Create actions to go with it and use drums and other musical
instruments to make it come alive. http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=e_cont&c=13
2. Read a story from West Africa. Use puppets to retell it. Simple sock puppets could be
used.http://africa.mrdonn.org/fables.html
Last updated: July 2012
3. Make a spiral prayer for West Africa to hang from the ceiling of your classroom. Draw a spiral that
takes up most of an A4 sheet of cardex (be sustainable- use up the remainders that have been lying
around for a while). Make the space between the lines 2-2.5 cms. Cut out spiral. Write a prayer for
West Africa on the spiral. Decorate with colours of the West African countries and other African
motifs. Carefully put a hole in the top of the spiral and use coloured wool to suspend them from the
ceiling. They will usually stick on with blutack.
Curriculum Areas: Primary/Secondary RE, English, S&E, Maths
1. Geography research
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Where is West Africa?
How far is it from Australia?
What countries make up West Africa?
Where is the Sahel? Show it on a map. How did it get its name?
What has caused the drought in this area?
What is ‘desertification’? How has this made the situation worse for people in this area?
Understanding the crisis
Research the situation in West Africa, using the following Caritas Australia website
(http://www.caritas.org.au/learn/emergency-response/west-africa-sahel-food-crisis-appeal).
Read the stories from the ground to find out what Caritas is doing (see the box below). Write a small
article to include in your school newsletter.
Test you understanding by completing the word search (primary) or the crossword (upper primary
and secondary)
How does Caritas operate in these situations?
Find out more about how and why Caritas operates the way it does by visiting our
website. http://www.caritas.org.au/
What beliefs lie behind its decisions?
The PowerPoint on Catholic Social teaching explains the beliefs behind decisions and
actions that Caritas takes in times of emergencies and in its development
projects.http://www.caritas.org.au/act/secondary-school-teaching-resources
Last updated: July 2012
West Africa Word Search
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HUNGER
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REFUGEES
RELIEF
SAHEL
SECURITY
WATER
Last updated: July 2012
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Q
Find each of the words in the puzzle.
Choose five of the words and use each
one in a sentence about the food crisis
in West Africa.
Share your sentences with others in
the group. Compose a series of “Did
you know?” posters about West Africa
for your classroom or the library.
Use the information and photos on
the Caritas website
http://www.caritas.org.au/
West Africa-Food Crisis
Across
4. country in West Africa
6. prolonged period without rain
8. severe food shortage
9. flee from their homes to find food or peace
13. agency for aid and development
14. did not come to this area
15. important protein crop in the region
16. Mintou lives in this part of West Africa
17. food -------18. mosquito borne disease
19. important grain crop in the area
20. stock animals
21. synonym for humanitarian aid
1. several countries have declared this
2. lack of this is a crisis for people, animals and
crops
3. no child should feel this
5. rising food ------ contribute to the crisis
7. gather crops
10. area of food crisis in West Africa
11. effect of lack of or inadequate food
12. area of very low rainfall
13. fighting
Last updated: July 2012
Solutions to crossword
Across
4. Mali
6. drought
8. famine
9. refugees
13. Caritas
14. rains
15. beans
16. Niger
17. security
18. malaria
19. millet
20. goats
21. relief
Down
1. emergency
2. water
3. hunger
5. prices
7. harvest
10. sahel
11. malnutrition
12. desert
13. conflict
Last updated: July 2012
Time for some Maths
These are the estimated figures that the UN has given for the number of people affected by the West Africa
food crisis:
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Niger 5.5 million
Mali 3 million
Burkina Faso 1.7 million
Chad 1.6 million
Source: UNOCHA, 2012
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Create bar graphs for these figures
Research the population of your state and of Australia.
Present these figures on bar graphs.
Compare the figures for your state and the figures for
numbers of people going hungry in one of the
countries in West Africa.
Compare each of the figures with the Australian
population. Calculate the percentage of Australians
who would be hungry if this same number of people
were affected here by food shortages.
Graphic: http://school.discoveryeducation.com
Last updated: July 2012
Secondary /Upper Primary RE
What’s it really like to be hungry?
View Youtube clip http://www.examiner.com/video/pizza-arrives-deliberatelylate
Discussion
1.
Why did the charity group deliver the pizzas late on purpose?
2.
How did the customers react at first? Why?
3.
What happened when many of them found out about the reason for the late delivery?
4.
Why do you think the ‘most important pizzarias in Ascenscion’ became involved?
5. The campaign was very successful in getting people to
donate to Foodbank in Ascension. Why?
6.
7.
Have you ever been really hungry? How did it feel?
“When you are hungry, you
understand hunger.
Your food was late, for many it
never arrives.”
For many people having their hunger satisfied
means having food delivered. How do people in West Africa satisfy their hunger?
8.
Is it ‘just’ that getting enough food is so easy for some people and so hard for others?
9.
Is it ‘just’ that people in wealthy countries have to feel hunger before they help the poorest
people in the world?
10. What Catholic Social Teaching (s) are relevant to this clip and to the situation in West Africa?
Bible Scavenger Hunt-Find references to hunger in the Gospels. List the reference and if possible
describe the action Jesus took in this situation.
Graphic:http://food-clipart.blogspot.com.au/2010/04/pizza-clipart.html
Extra activity-How would you feel if your school bell for lunch rang 2 hours late? Ask your friends
during lunchtime and discuss your answers to the above questions.
Photo credit: Nick Harrop/CAFOD (Caritas UK)
Last updated: July 2012
Secondary RE, S+E
Reflecting on what you have
learned
No it is not really a test but a way to critically evaluate your
thinking and the ways that people from wealthy nations
approach aid and development.
Reflect on what you have learnt:
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about the crisis
about Caritas Australia and emergency aid responses
about how our faith can inform our responses
Graphic: http://school.discoveryeducation.com
Last updated: July 2012