You work in Botswana’s Ministry of Trade and Industry.  In what areas of the economy would you recommend the government invests over the next ten years?

Handout

Link to 'Working in Botswana's Ministry of Trade and Industry' pdf

How this fits

This scenario requires pupils to think about how economies change over time and to consider the reasons behind those changes.  Comparisons might be drawn between the closure of coal mines in the UK and the approaching end to diamond mining in Botswana.

Curriculum links

Geography:

1.3a Appreciating different scales – from personal and local to national, international and global.

1.5a Understanding how sequences of events and activities in the physical and human worlds lead to a change in places, landscapes and societies. 

2.1d Analyse and evaluate evidence, presenting findings to draw and justify conclusions.

History: 

3c Appropriate links should be made to some of the parallel events, changes and developments in British, European and world history. 

Citizenship: 

3h How economic decisions are made, including where public money comes from and who decides how it is spent.

Where to go

Economy & Industry; Education & Jobs; Climate & Agriculture; Tourism & Communications.

What to watch

Welcome to Botswana! (video); Living standards (video).

Follow-up questions

1. How are the decisions made by the Ministry of Trade and Investment likely to affect people living in Botswana?
2. If you were at school in Botswana what sorts of jobs might you be thinking about doing when you finished school?
3. In what areas of the economy do you think the UK government are likely to invest in over the next decade?

Tags: economic activities, mining; tourism; 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.