Nigeria Lesson Plan

by Dr. Kay E. Weller - University of Northern Iowa

INQUIRY QUESTION:

How do differing points of view and self-interests play a role in conflict over territory and resources in Nigeria?

OBJECTIVE:

The student will gather data about Nigeria from the learning stations and write a reaction paper based on the information from the graphic organizer and respond to the inquiry question.
The student will create a poster explaining what they learned.

GRADE LEVEL:

7-12

STANDARDS:

Standard 13: How the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth’s surface.

GOAL:

To understand how cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Nigeria.

MATERIALS:

Article from the New York Times Nov. 11, 1995, "Nigeria Executes Critic of Regime: Nations Protest."
Learning stations scenarios (included below)
Topographic map of Nigeria
Poster materials

PROCEDURES:

Create and post the following learning stations around the room. You can even simply cut these out and post on construction paper. Laminating may be a good idea so that they can be preserved. These should be put up prior to class.

Post a topographic map of Nigeria somewhere in the classroom so that students can see where the Ogoni live and the spills take place. Perhaps you should also use a washable marker and mark the general area.

Have students gather data about Nigeria from the learning stations and write a reaction paper regarding the data gathered.

Students will construct a political cartoon that reflects what they learned from the learning stations.

ASSESSMENT:

Reaction paper and political cartoon.

Learning stations scenarios

• Ogoni person: I live in the Niger Delta region. There are 500,000 people in my ethnic group. Since 1958 there has been a lot of oil drilled on our land. The oil company, Royal Dutch/Shell Group, have not been as careful as they could be. There have been oil spills that taint our croplands and water. These spills destroying our crops and fisheries. The flaring off of natural gas has polluted the air and caused acid rain. There is an enormous amount of revenue generated from the oil drilled on our land but we see little benefits from it. We remain living in mud huts, lack roads, electricity and water supplies are inadequate and our schools have few materials. In addition, in January 1993 27 villages were razed by government police, 2000 Ogonis were killed, and 80,000 others were displaced. We have formed the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) issuing a "Bill of Rights." I believe that I am entitled to a safe environment and more federal support of our people.
• Shell Oil Executive: I run Shell Oil of Nigeria. Yes, we have experienced frequent oil spills. Even though the MOSOP would like us to do a better job they have exaggerated the environmental impact of our operations. International groups believe that we should try and influence the Nigerian government to secure clemency for Ken Saro-Wiwa who was tried for citing the Ogoni activists to kill 4 founding members of MOSOP. I believe that Saro-Wiwa was indeed supporting violence, however, I will be willing to write the Nigerian leader asking that Saro-Wiwa’s life be spared on humanitarian grounds alone.
• Ken Saro-Wiwa: I am a leader in the MOSOP movement, a playwright, an author, and TV producer. I have a great influence on some people. I want self-determination for the Ogoni people. Our government has "hearts of stone and the brains of millipedes; because Shell is a multinational company with eh ability to crush whomever it wishes; and because the petroleum resources of the Ogoni serve everyone’s greed." I helped organize an antigovernment rally for the Ogonis. Government police razed 27 villages and killed 2000 Ogonis. I was accused of inciting the murders of 4 founding members of MOSOP in May 1994. It is believed that I incited their murders because I did not think these individuals did not take a more active position with Shell and the government. I was found guilty and hanged on November 10, 1995 even though I received the 1995 Goldman Environmental Prize and was a 1995 nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize.
• Governments of the US and Britain: We are recalling our ambassadors due to the human rights violations for hanging Saro-Wiwa and his 8 codefendants.
• World Bank: We have decided NOT to extend a $100 million loan for a project to develop liquefied natural gas even though it would help reduce pollution caused by the flaring off of natural gas.
• General Abacha: I was head of the military government of Nigeria. I am always afraid of rivals for head of the government, especially within the military. Therefore, it is necessary for me use whatever means necessary to discourage those opposed to my regime. The execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa was essential to squelch efforts of the Ogoni people and those associated with them. That execution should help prevent opposition to Shell Oil and my government.
• Nigerian map showing where the spills took place and where the Ogoni live.

Student Instructions:

You are to gather information and data from the learning stations and enter on the graphic organizer provided. Then you will use that information to write a reaction paper.

Information Matrix

Poster instructions: Create a political cartoon that reflects what you learned on the graphic organizer.