NIGERIAN LESSON PLANS

NIGERIA ONLINE

By Anne Hoeper

INQUIRY QUESTION:

What is it like to live in Nigeria?

OBJECTIVE:

Students will become aware of various geographical aspects and cultural characteristics found in Nigeria.
Students will consider their reactions if they were to live in an unfamiliar country.

STANDARDS:

Standard 4: The physical and human characteristics of places.
Standard 8: The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth’s surface.
Standard 10: The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth’s cultural mosaics.

THEMES:

Location
Place
Human Environment Interaction
Movement
Region

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES:

Bodily/Kinesthetic
Visual/Spatial
Logical/Mathematical
Naturalist
Intrapersonal
Verbal/Linguistic

MATERIALS:

Access to the Internet
You may want to print the Student Activity Sheet so that students have the questions in front of them and don't have to switch screens to see what each question is.

ACTIVITY:

Use the Internet sites listed to research Nigeria.
Answer the questions provided for each web site.
Students may work individually, with a partner, or in small groups depending on your setup.
Choose the web sites and questions that pertain to the areas you want your students to research.
The study activity questions are available on line at Nigeria On Line (a Nigeria Hot List at <http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/samnigeriamr.html>)

ASSESSMENTS:

Write a newspaper article comparing your life to life in Nigeria.
You are on a trip in Nigeria. Write a letter to a friend or family member that tells of your impressions.
Imagine you are president of Nigeria. What improvements would you make? Write a speech that you will deliver to the people of Ghana to tell them of your plans.
Imagine you are living in Nigeria. What would be your fears? Why? What would be your dreams? Why?
You are working for a magazine and have been hired to write a short article about life in Nigeria.
Include a photograph (illustration) with your article.
You have been asked to lead a tour of Nigeria. Plan an itinerary for the tour. Write down the places you will visit and what you will say about each place.

STUDENT ACTIVITY PAGE

Go to the following web sites and learn more about Nigeria.

2. What landforms are found in Nigeria?

3. How is land used in Nigeria?

4. Who are Nigeria’s neighbors?

5. What are Nigeria’s four geographical regions?

6. What are Nigeria’s two principal rivers?

7. On what type of landform is the city of Jos located?

8. What is its average height?

9. How are the settlements and farm plots demarcated?

10. What was Jos originally established as?

11. What is the name of the currency used in Nigeria?

12. What is the currency’s exchange rate in American dollars?

13. What is the current time in Nigeria?

Scroll down and click on PATRIOTIC STUFF. Then click on FLAG FAMILY TIDBITS.

14. What do the colors on the Nigerian flag represent?

15. Draw and color the Nigerian flag.

Scroll up and click on LANGUAGES & INTRO and slowly scroll down.

16. What is the official language of Nigeria?

17. Fill in the following chart with each ethnic group’s main native language and the word for goodbye.

Scroll upward and click on MARRIAGE & FAMILY and then click on FAMILY TIDBITS

18. Read the paragraph on family tidbits. Write a short paragraph describing family life in Nigeria. Include at least 3 facts.

Scroll upward and click on EDUCATION and then click on SCHOOL ATTIRE.

19. Read the paragraph on school attire. Write a short paragraph telling what Nigerians wear to school and guidelines on hair. Include why is it sometimes difficult to keep their clothing ironed?

Scroll down and click on AGRICULTURE and slowly scroll down.

20. Name 3 things that make Nigeria a good place for growing crops.

21. Write 5 of the "food crops" that are raised?

22. Write 5 of the "cash crops" that are raised?

23. What percent of rural residents live without a safe water supply?

24. What diseases have caused thousands of deaths over the past several years?

Click on Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba to fill in the following chart.

After you find the information for one ethnic group click on the back arrow to return to the chart with the list of ethnic groups.

28. What are the 3 main religions found in Nigeria and what percent belong to each religion?

Draw a pie graph to represent this information.

Click on the top left arrows and go to Health

29. What is the water like in Nigeria? What do you have to do to use the water?

30. The Government-provided health care facilities are of a poor standard. What problems do they have?

31. What 3 problems does Nigeria face now?

32. Who was elected president in 1999?

33. Why is it hard for Nigeria to unite into a single peaceful republic?

34. Name 3 types of music that is found in Nigeria.

Scroll down to History

35. When did Nigeria declare independence?

    Scroll down to Economic Profile

36. Who are Nigeria’s major trading partners?

37. What is Nigeria known for?

38. What is "dash"?

40. How do abandoned child survive in Nigeria?

41. Name 3 common diseases found in Nigeria?

42. What are 3 reasons that medical treatment is a problem in Nigeria?

43. What MINERALS found along the coast were used by indigenous artists of pre-colonial Africa to create Benin bronzes pieces?

44. With all these rich cultural and economic resources, why is Nigeria so poor today?

45. Why are the most desirable jobs with Customs and Immigration?

46. What might a person have to do to get electrical service or telephone service?

47. What does it mean when someone says, "Do you have one for us to remember your country by?"

48. Describe the drive to the square (see paragraph 6).

49. What is four one nine?

50. What is Nigeria's biggest export?

51. How much of Nigeria’s oil does the United States import?

Click on NIGERIA at the top

Scroll down on the left. Under tourism in Nigeria click on TYPES OF FOOD IN NIGERIA

52. Choose one of the popular Nigerian dishes from the list that you would like to try.

Scroll down on the left side to sports development in Nigeria.

Click on SPORTS DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA.

53. What is the most popular sport in Nigeria?

Scroll down and click on Desert Marketplace. Caravans stop at Kano

54. Where is the last southern stop for many desert caravans? What do the traders do there?

Scroll down to The Kurmi market today

55. What is sold in the Kurmi Market today?

56. How are prices decided in the Kurmi Market?

57. Biographies of Nigerian Leaders - Biographies on some key Nigerians. Choose one and explain their role in Nigerian history.

58. Choose an artifact from Nigeria (# 4, 8, 9). Make a sketch of it and write a summary explaining its importance to the culture.

59. What is the weather like in Lagos today? What kind of clothing would you have to wear today?

Click on FACT SHEET

60. When is it best to go to Nigeria? Why?

61. What is the harmattan?

62. Why shouldn’t you travel at night?

Go back to the top and click on WHAT TO DO

63. What is the capital of Nigeria? How was it built?

At the end of the paragraph click on the word MORE

Choose a city you would like to visit.

64. Write the name of the city and what you would do in that city.