You have just been made Minister of Land and Natural Resources in Ghana.  What changes might you make to gold mining in Ghana?  Why?

Handout

Link to 'Minister of Land and Natural Resources in Ghana' pdf

How this fits

This scenario encourages children to think about who benefits from the mineral wealth of many African countries and why they are the beneficiaries.

Curriculum links

Geography:

1.2b Knowing where places and landscapes are located, why they are there, the patterns and distributions they create, how and why these are changing and the implications for people.

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

2.1g Solve problems and make decisions to develop analytical skills and creative thinking about geographical issues.

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

Where to go

Economy & Industry.

What to watch

Welcome to Ghana! (video); Economy (video).

Follow-up questions

1. Are foreign mining companies likely to want to the situation in Ghana to change?
   
2. What might they do to keep the situation as it is?
3. What might prevent the Ghanaian government from nationalising the gold mines or the oil fields?

Tags: development; interdependence; poverty; economic activities; mining; resources; minerals

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.