Desertification, Fulani Herders, and Ecosystems in Nigeria

Students will compare and contrast maps of Africa showing climates, vegetation, and precipitation and analyze them as they relate to Nigeria in a 1 page essay. Students will search the Internet (or library) for information regarding desertification locating the region of Africa where desertification is an environmental issue on a blank map. Students will define desertification in one paragraph, and explain what two human processes cause it (overgrazing and overplowing/mismanagement). Students will research the Internet or library about Fulani herders in Nigeria and how they help prevent desertification through migration from Northern Nigeria to Southern Nigeria and back. Students will write a fiction story about a young Fulani herder (age 10-13) and his adventures as he grazes his herd