You are a farmer living on the banks of the Zambezi.  What threat to your crop might you be most worried about?  What do you think might be the underlying cause of this threat?

Handout

Link to 'Farming on the banks of the Zambezi, Zambia' pdf

How this fits

This scenario requires pupils to think about the causes of changes to climate patterns and the consequences of those changes to people whose livelihoods are affected by the weather.

Curriculum links

Geography:

1.4a Exploring the social, economic, environmental and political connections between places.  

1.6b Exploring sustainable development and its impact on environmental interaction and climate change.

2.1a Ask geographical questions, thinking critically, constructively and creatively.

3f Physical geography, physical processes and natural landscapes.

3h Interactions between people and their environments, including causes and consequences of these interactions, and how to plan for and mange their future impact.

Science: 

3.4c Human activity and natural processes can lead to changes in the environment. 

Where to go

Climate & Agriculture; Map of Zambia; Economy & Industry.

What to watch

Welcome to Zambia! (video); Under the tree (video).

Follow-up questions

1. Why might a farmer choose to locate his or her farm in the Zambezi River basin?
2. What do you think happens to the farmer if his or her crop is destroyed by flooding?  What do you think would happen if the crop of a farmer in the UK was destroyed?

Tags: environmental hazards; floods; environmental hazards: floods; weather & climate

About scenarios:

Scenarios are teaching resources designed for use in the classroom or as homework. They are linked to the National Curriculum and content on the Our Africa website. See about scenarios for more information on the topics used and their position in the curriculum.