Official Web site sponsors:

• Have students visit Ghana Life and Ghana Home Page to learn about and choose a Ghanaian festival to celebrate.

Festival clothing
Adinkra and Kente cloths are made by the Asante people of Ghana. Ask students to recall from Theme 2 details about the Asante people. If students need their memories refreshed, they can visit Wonders of the African World.

• To learn about the history, significance, symbols, and making of the Adinkra cloth, students can visit Adinkra Symbols, On the Line, and Akan Adrinkra Cloth Symbols.
• Ask students: How was the Adinkra cloth used historically? How is it used today? Where did the symbols originate? Collectively, what do the symbols represent?
• Students can create their own Adinkra cloth for the festival (on paper or fabric) by following the instructions in Kid's Africa.
• To learn about the history, significance, and making of the Kente cloth, students can visit Akan Kente Cloths and Wonders of the African World.
• Ask students: What does the Kente cloth represent in Ghanaian society? Who wore Kente cloth garments historically? Who wears them today?
• Students can create their own Kente cloth for the festival by following the instructions from Africancrafts.com for Kente Paper Weaving, Building a Triangular African Children's Loom, or Building a Loom for Weaving Kente Cloth.

• In the southern part of the country–where the Asante people are concentrated–music is usually drum-based, but in the far north, fiddles and other string instruments are more common. Students can visit On the Line to learn about music in Ghana.
• Have students visit Africa Online to learn about popular music in Ghana. Students can check the public library or local music stores for CDs of Ghanaian music or create their own to play at the festival.
• Storytelling is one of the ways in which Ghanaian people hand down traditions from one generation to the next. Folktales were especially important in the times before print materials existed. Have students visit geocities.com to learn about folktales involving Anansi the spider. Anansi is one of the main characters in African folktales.
• Have students choose one of the folktales about Anansi or write their own to tell at the festival. If they create their own folktale, encourage them to follow Ghanaian tradition by incorporating a lesson in their story. Remind students that a good storyteller is one who encourages the audience to participate through answering questions, clapping, or singing.
• Students can visit Kid's Africa to learn how to make their own Anansi the spider to use as a prop while telling a story.

• Students can test their knowledge of Ghana by playing Bingo! The African Connection.

• Are you familiar with any of these African cultural traditions?
• Have you seen any clothing in the United States that resembles the traditional clothing of the Ghanaian people?
• How do you suppose these traditions found their way to the Americas? Visit Wonders of the African World to find out.

• Have students share one project that resulted from this theme with other students at their school. Consider creating a display in a central location so the whole school can see what students have learned.
• If they haven't done so already, challenge students to complete their KWL charts for all themes.

Official Web site sponsors:

Official Web site sponsors:

Official Web site sponsors:

• Ask students: What do you know about the people who live in Ghana?
• How might lifestyles differ for different groups of people? (e.g., language, foods)?
• What would you like to know about different groups of people in Africa and Ghana?

• Fill in the names of all the countries in Africa.
• Locate the homelands of the Asante people, and shade them with colored pencil.
• Find the homelands of other groups of people, such as the Banti, Fulanu, and Ewe, and shade them with different colored pencils.
• Make a list of the different groups of people living in Ghana today and find out where else in Africa they live.
• What is the official language of Ghana? Are other languages spoken there? What are they?
• What is the most commonly used non-English language in Ghana?

• Are the homelands of the different groups of people in Africa and the boundaries of the countries the same? Why do you think they are different?
• Conduct Web research to determine why.
• Look at the map you made. If country boundaries were determined by where ethnic groups live, what are some other possible boundary choices for African countries? For Ghana?
• Brainstorm a list of everyday words and expressions that you use in English ( How are you?, mother, father, and so on). Find out how to say them in Twi.
• Complete your KWL chart.

• Fill in the names of all the countries in Africa.
• Locate the homelands of the Asante people and shade them with colored pencil.
• Find the homelands of other groups of people, such as the Banti, Fulanu, and Ewe and shade them with different colored pencils.
• Make a list of the different groups of people living in Ghana today and find out where else in Africa they live.

• Brainstorm kinds of information (e.g., language, religion, and food) that would help you learn more about the different groups that live in Ghana and write them on the board.
• Select a group to research with two or three other students.
• Present your findings to the class by creating a profile of the people you chose.

• Are the homelands of the different groups of people living in Africa and the boundaries of the countries the same?
• Why do you think they are different?
• Conduct Web research to determine why.
• Identify the European countries involved in colonial rule in Africa.
• Look at the map that you made. How would you determine what Ghana's boundaries were before colonial rule?
• Using different colored pencils, outline some possible pre-colonial boundaries for Ghana and discuss them with your classmates.
• What is the largest ethnic group in Ghana? Most politically powerful? Economically wealthy?
• Based on your research of different ethnic groups, how do you think these groups interact with one another culturally, politically, and economically?
• Complete the information in your KWL chart.

• Check out these Web sites to learn about Ghanaian schools online:
  

  Windows on the World

  Africa Online

  Africast.com

  Classroom Exchange: Epals.com
  
  

• Brainstorm a list of the different ethnic groups that live in your community. Generate a list of questions that would help you learn more about them (e.g., What languages are spoken?).
• Select an ethnic group in your community to research with two or three other students. Use the questions you developed to interview members of a chosen group and report your findings to the class.
• Go to Kids' Africa to learn how to make your own Adinkra Cloth.
• What cloth or clothing is part of ceremonies or special occasions in your life? How can a piece of cloth be a symbol? What are some symbols of the United States (e.g., eagle)?
• Compose a message using Adinkra symbols and send it to your Ghanaian school partners.

• Make a list of the different ethnic groups living in Ghana today.
• Brainstorm kinds of information (e.g., language, religion, women's roles) that would help you learn more about Ghanaian ethnic groups and write them on the board.
• Select an ethnic group to investigate with two or three other students.
• Present your findings to the class by creating a profile of your ethnic group.
• Conduct Web research on colonial rule of Ghana.

• What is the largest ethnic group in Ghana? Most politically powerful? Economically wealthy?
• Based on your research of different ethnic groups in Ghana, how do you think they interact with one another culturally, economically, and politically?
• How were the different Ghanaian ethnic groups used in the colonial power's strategy?
• What was the impact of colonial rule on these ethnic groups?
• How did colonialism impact Ghana's agriculture? What persisting environmental issues resulted?

• Check out these Web sites to learn about Ghanaian schools online:

  
  

  Windows on the World

  Africa Online

  Africast.com

  Classroom Exchange: Epals.com
  
  

• Ghanaian women suffer from health problems caused by the heavy loads they carry for great distances on their heads. One proposed solution is bicycle use. Read more about this issue and go to Pedals for Progress to learn how your class or school can help. This could be a possible collaboration between you and your Ghanaian school partner.

Official Web site sponsors:

THEME 3: "HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?"

Although Ghana is not a large country—about the size of Oregon—its climate and terrain are highly variable, ranging from warm, tropical rainforests to hot, dry plains. Since climate and terrain largely determine what will grow in a certain area, it is not surprising that variability in these factors has a large impact on agriculture in Ghana. Working in cooperative learning groups, students will explore Ghanaian agriculture from four perspectives: home gardener, farmer, environmentalist, and nutritionist. In addition to learning about this fundamental aspect of the Ghanaian economy, students will examine the preconceptions that they have—from magazine photos, adventure movies, and news stories—about Ghana and the people who live there.

Laying the Groundwork
Ask students:

• Can you tell me what the Ghanaian landscape looks like in your mind's eye?
  
• Describe what you think the weather is like.
  
• Where did you get these ideas from?
  
• What do you think farming and gardening are like in Ghana?
  
• What might be some challenges faced by Ghanaian farmers and gardeners?
  
• Based on your expectations about Ghanaian climate and terrain, what types of plants do you think they might grow?
  
• What questions do you have about farming and gardening in Ghana?

On the board:

• Compile a list of the characteristics ascribed to Ghana by your students. Keep this list in a visible spot throughout the entire theme. Students can use it to fill out the first two columns of their KWL charts.

Contact with Ghanaian students:

• Invite students to ask their Ghanaian school partners—through letters— questions to determine what preconceptions they may have about farming in the United States. Students in the U.S. evaluate the accuracy of these notions based on their region of the country, state, town, and individual experiences or lifestyles. Ask students: Are these ideas accurate? Are any of them surprising? What might have led the Ghanaian students to develop these images? What do you think is the most effective way to help your Ghanaian school partner better understand farming and gardening in the United States? Encourage students to follow through with their suggestions.

DIVIDE YOUR CLASS INTO FOUR GROUPS: HOME GARDENERS, FARMERS, ENVIRONMENTALISTS, AND NUTRITIONISTS.

HOME GARDENER (Grades K-4)
Exploration
Students can explore some of the following questions:

• What plants do Ghanaian home gardeners grow? Do gardeners across the country grow the same plants? How do they choose which plants to grow? How are these the same as or different from the plants that Americans grow?
  
• What have they planted in the past? Are you familiar with these plants?
  
• Native Americans used plant parts in jewelry and artwork. Do Ghanaians do the same? Visit several museum Web sites to view African art pieces.
  
• What plants and plant parts do they use? How can you find out the significance of these plants or plant parts in Ghanaian society?

Helpful sites:
Food and Agriculture Organization: Food and Nutrition for Africa

About.com: Africa for visitors

The University of Pennsylvania's African Studies page

The West African Vegetable Homepage

Making Connections

• Have students refer to the list of characteristics compiled by the class at the beginning of this theme. How might you modify those ideas based on the new information you have learned?
  
• Use the information you gathered to complete your KWL chart.

Branching Out
How can you use what you have learned?

• After seeing some genuine art samples—either in a museum or on the Web—create your own jewelry or artwork made from plants. Have your teacher get the necessary supplies and teach the rest of the class how to recreate your design. Take photos of your artwork to send to your Ghanaian school partner.

HOME GARDENER (Grades 5-8)
Exploration
Students can explore some of the following questions:

• What plants do Ghanaian home gardeners grow? Do gardeners across the country grow the same plants? How do they choose which plants to grow? How are these the same as or different from the plants that Americans grow?
  
• Who is typically responsible for maintaining the home gardens? Is it a full time job or a hobby?
  
• What tools and techniques do they use to prepare, plant, and harvest their gardens? How are these the same as or different from the tools and techniques we use in the United States?
  
• What problems might Ghanaians face when trying to start and maintain a home garden? How are they able to overcome these obstacles?
  
• How do Ghanaians prepare foods from their gardens? How does garden food preparation compare with that of U.S. gardens? Which plants are used for purposes other than food (e.g., medicinal)?

Helpful sites:
Food and Agriculture Organization: Food and Nutrition for Africa

Food and Agriculture Organization

On the Line: Virtual Journey of Ghana

The West African Vegetable Homepage

Making Connections

• Based on what you have learned, develop a plan for a Ghanaian garden. In what region of the country is this garden located? Be sure to include plants in this garden plan that will do well in the climate of this region. Consult your Ghanaian school partner for advice.
  
• Refer to the list of characteristics you compiled at the beginning of this theme. Are any of the plants you suggested for this list found in your Ghanaian garden plan? How might you modify those ideas based on the new information that you have learned? What can you summarize about home gardens in Ghana? Why should you avoid generalizing about Ghana or Africa?
  
• Complete the information in your KWL chart.

Branching Out
How can you use what you have learned?

• Locate some recipes from Africa that use foods from your Ghanaian garden plan. Use the University of Pennsylvania African Studies Web site. Choose one recipe and prepare it for the class to try. Can you find recipes for traditional Ghanaian home garden foods in the cookbooks that you have at home?
  
• Share the recipes you find with your classmates.

HOME GARDENER (Grades 9-12)
Exploration
Students can explore some of the following questions:

• What plants do Ghanaian home gardeners grow? Do gardeners across the country grow the same plants? How do they choose which plants to grow? How are these the same as or different from the plants that Americans grow?
  
• What have they planted in the past? Are you familiar with these plants?
  
• What is the purpose of home gardens in Ghana? Do home gardens serve the same purpose in the United States?
  
• How can we find out how Ghanaians value plants? Often when people value objects—like plants—they express how they feel about them in stories, myths, or folktales. This is also how they pass along information about the history, culture, and beliefs of their people. Can you find any evidence of this in African, or more specifically Ghanaian, literature? Based on these writings, can you infer which plants are valued the most? What important roles do these plants play in the lives of Ghanaian people?

Helpful sites:
Food and Agriculture Organization: Food and Nutrition for Africa

Africa Access Review

Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute: Multiculturalism through African Folk Tales

Ghana.com

The West African Vegetable Homepage

Making Connections

• Can you think of examples in American literature where plants are represented in similar ways? Are there Native American tales that reference plants? Are the plants that Native Americans value the same as or different than those valued in Ghanaian or African literature? Why do you think this is so?
  
• Refer to the list of characteristics you compiled at the beginning of this theme. How might you modify those ideas based on the new information you have learned? What new questions do you have?
  
• Complete the information in your KWL chart.

Branching Out

• The media frequently highlight the starvation taking place in parts of Africa. Based on what you now know about home gardens in Ghana, what do you think about the media's coverage of the hunger problem? How does the food situation impact the relationship between plants and people in Ghana? Do people in the United States share a similar relationship with plants?

How can you use what you have learned?

• After reading several samples of Ghanaian or African literature that incorporate plants, choose a typical Ghanaian home garden plant, research its value in Ghanaian society, and write your own folktale about it to share with the class.
  
  

FARMER (K-4)
Exploration
Students can explore some of the following questions:

• What is the history of farming in Ghana? Have Ghanaians always been farmers? If not, how did they get their food historically?
  
• When and why did they become a farm-based society?
  
• What was the first crop grown in Ghana? Who grew this crop? Why was this crop grown?
  
• What crops are grown in Ghana today?
  
• Are these the same as or different from crops that are grown in the U.S.? In your state?

A day in the life:

• Brainstorm what the daily life of a farmer in Ghana might be like.
  
• How can you find out what their daily life is actually like? Brainstorm how you might gather this information, then try out your ideas. How closely did your vision match reality?
  
• What types of difficulties do Ghanaian farmers encounter? How do they overcome these? Do farmers in the United States face similar difficulties?

Helpful sites:
University of Pennsylvania African Studies Center

The "Working in Ghana" Project

Ghana—A Country Study

Food and Agriculture Organization

Navrongo and Lawra Homepage

The West African Vegetable Homepage

Making Connections

• Contact a local farmer in your state and interview him or her about daily farm life. Compare and contrast the lives of the Ghanaian and American farmer. How do they compare with your predictions?
  
• Use the information you have gathered to complete your KWL chart.

Branching Out

• Are there any practices used by Ghanaian farmers that might benefit the American farmer you interviewed, or vice versa? How could you share this information with the farmers? Brainstorm what kinds of materials you could use to effectively convey this information.

FARMER (5-8)
Exploration
Students can explore some of the following questions:

• What is the history of farming in Ghana? Have Ghanaians always been farmers? If not, how did they get their food historically?
  
• When and why did they become a farm-based society?
  
• What was the first crop grown in Ghana? Who grew this crop? Why was this crop grown?
  
• What crops are grown in Ghana today?
  
• Are these the same as or different from crops that are grown in the U.S.? In your state?
  
• What role does agriculture play in Ghana's economy?

From hand to mouth:

• Brainstorm what products you think are made from the agricultural plants grown in Ghana.
  
• Which of these products do you use in your daily life? Do we grow some of the same plants that are used to make these products in the US? Which ones?
  
• Are the agricultural products made in Ghana used domestically? Are there some big, money-making export crops raised in Ghana? What type of impact does trade export of these crop products have on the welfare of this country?

Helpful sites:
Mbendi: Information for Africa

On the Line: Virtual Journey of Ghana: Food

Ghana—A Country Study

Navrongo and Lawra Homepage

The West African Vegetable Homepage

The University of Pennsylvania African Studies page

Food and Agriculture Organization

Making Connections

• Although cocoa production has declined in Ghana, in the 1960's Ghana was the world's largest producer of cocoa. What are the difficulties associated with cocoa production that may have contributed to its decline? What other factors contributed? How have cocoa farmers attempted to make a comeback? What effect, if any, did the decline in cocoa production have on the people and economy of Ghana?
  
• Make some candy bars! Visit the Thinking Fountain site to learn how.
  
• Complete the information in your KWL chart.

Branching Out

• Who do you think should benefit the most from the sale of an agricultural product? Examine the concept of fair trade.
  
• How could you use the information that you have just learned to help others become conscientious shoppers?
  
• Brainstorm what factors you think you should—or do—consider before you purchase a product. How often are these factors a consideration for you when you are buying a product? What do you think is the most important factor that most people consider when they are buying a product?

Helpful sites:
The American Museum of Natural History

Ghana—A Country Study

FARMER (9-12)
Exploration
Students can explore some of the following questions:

• What is the history of farming in Ghana? Have Ghanaians always been farmers? If not, how did they get their food historically?
  
• When and why did they become a farm-based society?
  
• What was the first crop grown in Ghana? Who grew this crop? Why was this crop grown?
  
• What crops are grown in Ghana today?
  
• How do they compare with crops that are grown in the U.S.? In your state?
  
• Are the same crops grown all over the country? What factors determine what crops are grown in different parts of the country? Where does the majority of farming take place in Ghana?
  
• What land is used for farming? What characteristics does a Ghanaian farmer consider when choosing farmland? How is farmland created in Ghana?
  
• What techniques and practices are used to farm in Ghana? How do these compare with those used in the U.S.?

Helpful sites:
Ghana—A Country Study

Food and Agriculture Organization

University of Pennsylvania African Studies Center

Navrongo and Lawra Homepage

The West African Vegetable Homepage

Making Connections

• There is a natural conflict over land use between farmers and environmentalists in Ghana. Your student farmers and environmentalists should use the information they have gathered to formally debate their positions concerning farming in Ghana.
  
• Are there compromises that those on each side of the debate could make to resolve this issue?
  
• Complete the information in your KWL chart.

Branching Out

• Contact PeaceCorp volunteers living in or near your community, especially those who were involved in agricultural programs in Ghana. They might come to your class to answer questions and talk about their experiences while working in Ghana. Contact World Wise Schools Office (800) 424-8580 (ext. 2283) to locate volunteers living nearby.
  
• If a PeaceCorp volunteer does not live nearby, visit the Friends of Ghana Web site to hear the accounts of other PeaceCorp volunteers who served in Ghana.

ENVIRONMENTALIST (K-4)
Exploration

• Using the resources you used in Theme 1: Sense of Place, reproduce a map of Ghana and a map of the United States (same scale). Paste as many maps of Ghana inside the United States map as will fit. How many fit?
  
• Visit the Animal Info site for Ghana to find out how many mammals there are in Ghana. Since the United States is __ times larger than Ghana, how many mammals would you guess there are in the United States (based on the number found in Ghana)?
  
• Now visit the Animal Info site for the U.S. to see how accurate your guesses are. Were you close? What does this tell you about the biodiversity—the variety of living things in an area—of Ghana?
  
• Where do the majority of wildlife live in Ghana?
  
• What types of activities have been taking place in this ecosystem that might threaten the wildlife that live there?
  
• Why do the activities taking place in this ecosystem pose a threat?

Helpful sites:
Conservation International: West Africa

World Resources Institute

The Conservation Agriculture Network: Sustainable Agriculture in West Africa

Rainforest Alliance

Making Connections

• Why do you think it is important to protect the rainforest ecosystem in Ghana? How do you think that we might benefit from these rainforests?
  
• Brainstorm things that you can do—like buying rainforest friendly products—to help preserve the rainforest in places like Ghana. Are there ecosystems in the United States that are being used in a non-sustainable way? How could you find out if anything is being done to protect these ecosystems? What can you do?
  
• Complete the information in your KWL chart.

Branching Out

• How can you use what you have learned to educate others about the rainforest destruction taking place in Ghana? How can you help others to care for the environment? Brainstorm how best to share this information and then do so. Use whatever method you choose to inform your classmates.

ENVIRONMENTALIST (5-8)
Exploration

• The most important export crop in Ghana is cocoa.
  

Students can explore some of the following questions:

• Where is cocoa grown in Ghana? Where does it grow best? What factors make this location ideal for growing cocoa?
  
• What problems are associated with using this location for cocoa production?
  
• Why is it important to preserve this land? Are there plants and animals that are unique to this area? Why is it important to protect them?
  
• What is being done to help protect any species that are unique to Ghana?
  
• Choose a plant or animal that can be found in the Ghanaian rainforest. Use the Internet to find out about your organism. What does this organism need to survive? How does the rainforest meet these needs? Is this organism found in other parts of the world or is it unique to Ghana? Is this organism in danger of becoming extinct? If so, why?

Helpful sites:
Rainforest Alliance Conservation Programs

Rainforest Alliance Activities for Kids & Teachers

Africanconservation.org: Ghana

Biodiversity Support Program

World Resources Institute

Conservation International: West Africa

Animal Info - Ghana

Making Connections

• What is biodiversity? Why do you think it is important to maintain biodiversity in our world's natural ecosystems?
  
• What effect do you think the loss of biodiversity has on humans?
  
• Complete the information in your KWL chart.

Helpful sites:
Biodiversity Support Program

Branching Out

• Is this situation unique to Ghana? Are there species in other parts of the world or the U.S. that are being threatened by human activities?
  
• What can you do?
  
• Are there ways that you can act locally to preserve biodiversity in places like Ghana?
  
• How will you inform your schoolmates about what you have learned and what actions they can take to prevent a further loss in biodiversity?

ENVIRONMENTALIST (9-12)
Exploration

• The most important export crop in Ghana is cocoa.
  

Students can explore some of the following questions:

• Where is cocoa grown in Ghana? Where does it grow best? What factors make this location ideal for growing cocoa?
  
• What problems are associated with using this location for cocoa production?
  
• Why is this land worth protecting? Gather the information you think would be necessary to convince a cocoa farmer that this practice is damaging.
  
• Can you think of another way to produce cocoa without causing this damage?
  
• Who produces the majority of cocoa in Ghana? Do they rely on this crop to survive? Do these same people rely on the rainforest for things other than cocoa production?
  

On the map:

• Print out a blank map of Ghana from About.com. Next, visit Conservation International's site. These are maps of the Upper Guinea Forest Ecosystem in West Africa. Using the maps to identify the country boundaries, locate the land in Ghana that is covered by rainforest and transfer this information—using colored pencils—to the blank map of Ghana. Based on the information that you have obtained through your Web quest, what percentage of rainforest is being destroyed by non-sustainable agriculture? Black out that percentage of the rainforest on the map that you have just compiled. Is it a large enough area to warrant concern? How do you decide what " large enough" means?

Helpful sites:
Rainforest Alliance Conservation Programs

Rainforest Alliance Activities for Kids & Teachers

Jamieson's

The American Museum of Natural History

Conservation International

Making Connections

• There is a natural conflict over land use between farmers and environmentalists in Ghana. Your student farmers and environmentalists should use the information they have gathered to formally debate their positions concerning farming in Ghana.
  
• What types of compromises might be made by those on each side of the debate to address this issue?
  
• Complete the information in your KWL chart.

Helpful sites:
Biodiversity Support Program

Branching Out

• Is this situation unique to Ghana? How are humans practicing non-sustainable agriculture in other parts of the world? In the United States?
  
• What can you do?
  
• Are there ways in which you can act locally to preserve the environment in places like Ghana?
  
• Search the Web for organizations that sell environmentally friendly products. How do these places ensure that environmentally-friendly practices are being used?
  
• How will you inform your schoolmates and your Ghanaian school partners about what you have learned and what actions they can take to prevent further damage?

Helpful sites:
Green Consciousness Movement

Rainforest Action Network

The Rainforest Alliance

NUTRITIONIST (K-4)
Exploration

• Conduct a search on the Internet for "food" and "Ghana." What kind of information do you find? How are food-related issues the same as or different from those facing Americans? What would you—as a nutritionist in Ghana—focus on?
• What types of food do they eat everyday? Are you able to find any popular recipes? What do Ghanaian students learn about nutrition in school? How does this compare to what you have learned in school about nutrition?
  
• Why are malnutrition and starvation bad?
  
• What are the root causes of malnutrition and starvation?

Helpful sites:
Kids Can Make a Difference

Bread for the World

Hunger: Myths and Realities

Making Connections

• What does it mean to you to be hungry? What do you do when you are hungry?
  
• If you were among the people in Ghana who are starving, what do you think you might do to find food?
  
• Complete the information in your KWL chart.

Branching Out

• After researching the problems with overcoming starvation and malnutrition in Ghana, brainstorm some solutions. Could you follow through with any of your ideas and actually make a difference, either locally or in Ghana?
  
• Following a recipe you identified through research or from the University of Pennsylvania African Studies Web site, prepare a Ghanaian dish to share with your classmates.

NUTRITIONIST (5-8)
Exploration
Students can explore some of the following questions:

• What is the most important export crop in Ghana? What products have you eaten that are produced from this crop plant?
  
• Learn about the history of this crop at the American Museum of Natural History Web site and make a time-line of its history, including how people through the years have consumed it.
  
• What is the history of this crop in Ghana? How has the crop affected Ghanaians' lives?
  
• What are the health benefits associated with products made from this crop?

Helpful sites:
Mbendi: Information for Africa

Godiva.com

Jamieson's

Science News Online

CNN

OnHealth

Making Connections

• Now that you are aware of the benefits of cocoa, it is time to receive some of those benefits! Visit Jamieson's Web site to choose a recipe to prepare for your classmates.
  
• Complete the information in your KWL chart.

Branching Out

• How will you share this information about the benefits of Ghana's most important export crop with other people?

NUTRITIONIST (9-12)
Exploration
Students can explore some of the following questions:

• What are the root causes of malnutrition and starvation? In Ghana, specifically?
  
• What resources do people need to have to overcome hunger?
  
• What is being done to improve the hunger situation in Africa? In Ghana?
  
• What role are women playing in the fight to end hunger in Ghana?

Helpful sites:
Hunger: Myths and Realities

The Hunger Project

Bread for the World

Kids Can Make a Difference

Making Connections

• Are there people going hungry in your state? In your community?
  
• How do the causes of hunger locally compare with the causes of hunger in Ghana?
  
• Are there organizations in your area that are focused on the hunger problem?

Branching Out

• What can you do about hunger in Ghana? In the United States?
  
• After researching the problems with overcoming starvation and malnutrition in Ghana, brainstorm some solutions. Could you follow through with any of your ideas and actually make a difference, either locally or in Ghana?

Helpful sites:
Kids Can Make a Difference

Wrapping Up

• Since student groups explored different topics related to agriculture in Ghana, we recommend that you close this theme by having each group—home gardeners, farmers, environmentalists, and nutritionists—develop a presentation, using the appropriate resources and technologies (e.g. Hyperstudio, play, posterboard), to share with their classmates what they have learned.

Official Web site sponsors:

• Ecological zones are also referred to as biomes. For the definition of a biome, go to The World's Biomes.
• Visit the Biome Map. Locate Ghana on the map and identify its biome(s). How many are there? What are their names?
• Identify the characteristics of each of Ghana's biomes at Enchanted Learning. What are the temperature ranges in each biome? How much rainfall does each biome get? How many and what types of plants and animals are found in each?
• Make a comparison chart listing the similarities and differences among the biomes of Ghana.
• Now visit the University of Queensland, Australia site. How is this map different from the one you have just seen?

• How is the information you learned about the ecological zone(s) in Ghana the same as or different from what you predicted in your KWL chart? Use the information you have gathered to complete the chart.
• Revisit the Biome Map and determine how many biomes there are in the U.S. Does Ghana or the U.S. have more biomes? Are there any biomes shared by both?

• The EPA could really use the information you have just gathered. How could you share with them what you have learned? Incorporate your comparison chart and puzzle.

• Describe what comes to mind when you think of the following words and phrase in relationship to Ghana: Climate, topography, vegetation, biome, and environmental issue. Make a list of these descriptions and include them in the first column of your KWL chart.
• What led you to make these suggestions?
• How are your descriptions of these environmental features of Ghana similar to descriptions you would use for places you have visited?

• Use the Library of Congress and Encarta sites to explore how the climate differs between northern and southern Ghana.
• Visit Encyclopaedia Britannica. What is the harmattan? How does it affect the climate in northern and southern Ghana? Is the harmattan good or bad for the people of Ghana?

• The topography of Ghana can be divided into three regions. Visit the Library of Congress site to learn about the Low Plains region, the Akwapim-Togo Ranges, and the High Plains region. Using this information, map the three regions on a printout of a political map of Ghana from about.com. How does the topography affect the agricultural practices in these regions?
• One of the most prominent topographical features in Ghana is man-made. Visit Encyclopaedia Britannica to learn more about Lake Volta.

• Use Encarta to investigate how the vegetation differs in northern and southern Ghana.

• Visit the Biome Map. Locate Ghana on the map and determine which biomes are found there. How many are there and what are they called? Use the MapMachine from National Geographic to learn more about the different regions in Ghana.

• What are the main environmental issues facing northern and southern Ghana? Visit the "environment" section of Virtual Journey of Ghana to find out. Explore these issues further using Ghana Virtual Journey and Golden Essays.

• How does the information you learned about the environmental features of Ghana compare with what you predicted in your KWL chart? Use the information you have gathered to complete the chart.
• How do the differences in these environmental features in northern and southern Ghana affect the lives of the people who live there?
• How should the EPA go about designing a conservation plan for Ghana?
• Why is it inaccurate to generalize about Africa-or even Ghana?

• Make a comparison chart for northern and southern Ghana that could be incorporated into the EPA's comparison study report. Make sure to include both similarities and differences.

• Name some environmental issues you are familiar with. Make a list of these issues.
• Are these issues we are facing in the U.S. or are they more common in other parts of the world?
• Based on what you have learned in earlier themes, which of these environmental issues do you think Ghana may be faced with? What led you to suggest these?
• What questions do you have about the state of the environment in Ghana?
• Construct a KWL chart. Include in the chart which environmental issues you think are plaguing Ghana.

• Visit the "environment" section at the Virtual Journey of Ghana to find out what the main environmental issues are in Ghana.
• What regions of the country are most affected by these environmental issues? Why are these regions valuable and why are they vulnerable?
• What are the primary causes of deforestation? Why is it a problem? What can be done to ease the effects of deforestation? What is being done? Why was deforestation not a problem in traditional Ghanaian society?
• What is desertification? Why is it a problem? What natural and human activities contribute to desertification? What are some possible solutions to the problem of desertification? What is being done worldwide to combat desertification? In Ghana?
• Examine the relationship between desertification and deforestation and air/water pollution at the United Nations University site.
• Examine the relationship between desertification and bushfires at the University of Freiburg, Denmark site. What do Ghanaians use fire for? What is being done to prevent bushfires?

• How is the information you learned about the environmental issues facing Ghana the same as or different from what you predicted in your KWL chart? Use the information you have gathered to complete the chart.
• How do deforestation and desertification affect the lives of the Ghanaian people?
• How do you think deforestation affects the plants and animals who have adapted to rainforest conditions? What do you think happens to the plants and animals who depend on the trees for survival?

• Create a brochure for the journalists explaining what you have learned about the major environmental issues in Ghana. Use cause-and-effect diagrams to illustrate the relationship between factors. For an example of a cause-and-effect diagram, visit Clemson University's Web site.
• What other questions do you now have about environmental issues in Ghana?