Forests (Mangroves)

TOPIC: FORESTS
SUB TOPIC: MANGROVES
SUBJECT: SOCIAL STUDIES
LEVEL OF STUDENTS: 11- 14 YEARS

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the lesson the students would be able to

• Highlight the features of the mangroves.
• Know the importance of mangroves.
• Know the problems faced by the mangroves and what their degradation means for human beings.

Feeling:

• Feel the need to save the mangroves.
• Think of and feel the problems developed by the loss of the mangroves.
• Feel concern for all the natural resources.
• Be sensitive towards the use of natural resources.

Doing:

• Create awareness in their families, friends and neighbours about the importance of mangroves.
• Read and find more about mangroves.
• Prepare slogans, charts and different role plays to inform other students about the mangroves.

RESOURCES REQUIRED:

Web site for mangroves , flash cards, and map of Sindh and Balochistan

WHAT TO DO:

• Discuss the types of forests including mangroves with the students.
• Discuss the different types of forests in Pakistan.
• Tell the students about the physical features of the mangroves, with special reference to Pakistani mangroves.
• Now discuss the location of the mangroves in the different areas of Sindh and Balochistan with the help of the maps. The teacher can ask the students to bring the maps and ask them to work as groups or individually, to locate the mangroves in Sindh.
• Based on the above information, ask the students to think about the benefits of the mangrove forests. Collect their ideas through brainstorming.
• The importance of mangroves can be highlighted by a role-play. Select 3-4 students randomly from the class and give them a flash card each (description on the flash card is given below) and explain them their roles.
• Let the students perform the role-play in front of the class.
• After the completion of the role-play, ask the students to think about and share their feelings concerning the mangroves.
• Now divide the class into 4-5 groups. Write the main causes of degradation of the mangroves on the black/white board or on the flashcards (such as over-grazing by camels and other animals, use of mangrove's wood for fuel and other purposes, building of barrages and dams, building of industries and houses on the coastal areas.). Now ask the students to discuss how and in what way these actions are harmful to the mangroves and write them under the following columns. The teacher can facilitate this process.

• Now discuss the findings with the whole class and share their ideas, opinions and feelings about the destruction of mangroves.

Evaluation:

• Ask the students to make slogans or charts (encourage the use of recycled paper or charts) to raise awareness about the mangroves. The charts can highlight the physical features, importance of or threats to the mangroves. This can aid in spreading this message to other classes and their home localities.
• The teacher can initiate a debate in the class on different topics such as "Saving the mangroves is really important", "Are mangroves important for us?" or "Can we save our- selves by saving the mangroves?"

Examples of the dialogues written on the flash cards which can be used in the role- play

Mudskipper :

"I live in the seawater near the mangroves. Sometimes I come out of the water and skip around on the land where the mangroves are growing, to look for food. I like to hop around on the mud during low tide. I live in holes that I make in the ground, sometimes with my neighbours, the crabs."

Mangroves: (The teacher can perhaps ask 3 or 4 students to be a mangrove plant and they can stand together to form a forest)

"We are highly salt-tolerant. Our wood is useful in fulfilling the fuel requirement of the people who live with us and our leaves are used as fodder for the animals. Our roots trap the soil that is washed down by the river to reduce sedimentation in the sea. A large number of animals make their home with us such as insects, microorganisms, birds and different mammals. There are many snakes, jackals, fish, shrimp and crabs among them. During winter, many migratory birds come from cold areas to make their homes here as well. Altogether we form the 6 th largest mangrove forest in the world."

River Indus:

"I am the 5 th largest river in the world and I originate from the Himalayas. My delta is at the coast of Pakistan, east of Karachi. The mangroves that live at my delta protect the coasts from cyclones and hurricanes, which are strong enough to destroy everything. My fresh water is necessary for the mangroves because although they can live in salt, they still need some freshwater to be able to survive."

A mangrove dweller:

"I am a fisherman and I live in the village near the mangroves of Korangi creek. I catch fish in my boat thrice a week. Mangroves help me because many animals of the sea use the mangroves as breeding ground and as nurseries for the their youngs. When they grow old they go out to the deeper sea and I am able to catch them. If the mangroves disappear, the fish and shrimps would be unable to lay their eggs and there would be no more animals to catch from the ocean. Our animals graze on the leaves of these forests and we use the wood for cooking and heating. Sometimes we just let our camels loose in the mangrove forests and do not keep a watch over them. This results in overgrazing of the trees. Many times people cut the trees unnecessarily, which is very harmful for us because they save us from cyclones."