SHS1 Geography · Semester 2 Week 10: Physical Settings and People

Lesson notes

Learning Objectives

Indicator: 1.3.1.LI.3 - Discuss the climate, vegetation and soil types in Ghana and their importance and challenges to socio-economic development

By the end of the lesson, learners can:

Classify Ghana into its major climatic zones (wet equatorial, moist semi-deciduous, tropical continental/savanna and the dry equatorial/coastal savanna) and describe the characteristic rainfall and temperature patterns of each zone.
Describe the major vegetation zones of Ghana (wet evergreen forest, moist semi-deciduous forest, transitional zone, guinea savanna, sudan savanna and coastal savanna) and match each zone to its corresponding climatic conditions.
Identify the three main soil types of Ghana (forest ochrosols, savanna ochrosols and the tropical black earths) and state at least one defining characteristic of each.
Analyse at least two socio-economic benefits and two challenges posed by each of the climatic, vegetation and soil zones to agriculture, industry, settlement and transport in Ghana.
Construct a simple combined map of Ghana showing the climate, vegetation and soil zones, using a legend and appropriate boundaries.

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Curriculum details

Strand: Human and Environment (Strand 3)
Sub-strand: Physical Settings and People (3.1)
Content standard: 1.3.1.CS.1 - 1.3.1.CS.1 Demonstrate understanding of the physical environment of Ghana and its socio-economic importance and challenges 1.3.1.LO.1 Examine the physical environment of Ghana (relief, drainage, climate, vegetation and soils) and their socio-economic importance
Indicator: 1.3.1.LI.3 - Discuss the climate, vegetation and soil types in Ghana and their importance and challenges to socio-economic development
Suggested placement: Semester 2, Week 10 (Week 30 of the year)
Our suggestion, laid out in curriculum order across three terms of twelve weeks. NaCCA does not fix the week, so follow your school's scheme of learning.
Source document note: The official curriculum document has a fault in this entry, so the curriculum text above is transcribed exactly as printed:

indicator text - the indicator code is printed 1.3.3.1.LI.3, with five segments
Curriculum reference: NaCCA curriculum document, p. 51

Exemplars (from the NaCCA curriculum)

Collaborative learning: In small all-inclusive groupings, with emphasis on learners from different vegetation zones, use maps to (i) Identify the climatic, vegetation zones and soil types. (ii) Describe the factors that affect climate and vegetation zones and the soil types of Ghana. Learners should create an environment in which others believe that their thoughts and opinions are valued.
Activity-based learning: In mixed-groups of different climatic regions (i) Draw the climate, vegetation and soil maps of Ghana (ii) Discuss the characteristics of the climatic zones and their associated vegetation and soils including their economic importance

Assessment (1.3.1.AS.3). The document marks these depth-of-knowledge levels for this indicator: Level 4 Extended critical thinking and reasoning.

Teaching and Learning Resources:
- Atlas
- Administrative map of Ghana to determine the size, describe the position and identify administrative regions.
- Relief maps of Ghana
- Drainage map of Ghana
- Use climate, vegetation, soil maps of Ghana and soil samples to identify climate, vegetation and soil types.