Geography lesson sample (Lydia's Grade Eight)

Subject: Geography. Time: 30 minutes.  Eastern Tanzania—Zanzibar in Particular (Lesson One of Two*). Book studied: Journey to the Source of the Nile, by Christopher Ondaatje.

Objects.

I. To introduce the student to Eastern Tanzania and the Zanzibar Archipelago.

II. To foster interest in foreign countries.

III. To teach the student how to learn the map of a country by means of map questions.

IV. To implant mental pictures of the characteristic scenery of Zanzibar in the student's mind.

Lesson.
Step I.—Before the lesson begins, have a blank map already drawn on the blackboard, and the map questions written up on another board.  Let the student learn the map of Eastern Tanzania, Zanzibar in particular, by means of the map questions previously written on the blackboard, writing down her own answers.

Step II.—After giving fifteen minutes to study the map and the questions, ask for a general description of the region.

Step III.—Let the student fill in the blank map.

Step IV.—Require the student to give the answers to the questions, and as she answers give information, in order that she may become acquainted with each place as it is mentioned, and be able to picture it in her mind.

Step V.--Teacher read the section about the group's arrival on Unguja (Zanzibar) on pages 58 to halfway down page 60, then pages 66 to the top of page 69, including the description of the harbour at Zanzibar City, and their exploration of Stone Town. Narration to follow.  (More information about the history of Stone Town)

 Map Questions. 

 I.—On a map of Africa, find the country of Tanzania, and find Mount Kilimanjaro. (Who do we know that climbed Mount Kilimanjaro recently?) Look at the map of Tanzania, and name four cities on the coast. (Tanga, Pangani, Bagamoyo, Dar es Salaam). Name two cities on Pemba and two cities on Unguja / Zanzibar (the island).

Note. Bagamoyo is the mainland port nearest to Zanzibar (the island and the city), thirty-five kilometres farther east, off the coast of Tanzania. Have the student read aloud the section on Bagamoyo, page 57-58, and narrate.

 II.— Look at a map of the world. What other countries of the world lie partly in the same latitude as Zanzibar?  What waters bound the two major islands in the Zanzibar Archipelago?

 Note. Zanzibar (/ˈzænzɨbɑr/) is the semi-autonomous part of Tanzania in East Africa. It is composed of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 kilometres (16–31 mi) off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar or Spice Island) and Pemba. The capital is Zanzibar City, located on the island of Unguja. Its historic centre is Stone Town, which is a World Heritage Site. (Wikipedia)

*Lesson One of Two: the second lesson was based on the last few pages in the chapter, which we read together--no extra work assigned.

 Lesson plan adapted from these original Notes of Lessons.