Conservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe conservation efforts in the DRC and explain why they are important.
Key learning points
- The DRC has several national parks that protect endangered species.
- Virunga National Park is home to rare mountain gorillas but faces threats from poaching and conflict.
- Conservation efforts must balance protecting nature with supporting local communities.
- International organisations and local people are working to protect the rainforest and wildlife in the DRC.
Keywords
National park - a large area of land protected by law to keep the natural environment safe
Biodiversity - all the living things in an ecosystem or area
Endangered - a species of plant or animal in danger of extinction
Poaching - the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals
Common misconception
That poaching only involves 'trophy' animals like elephants and wild cats.
Poaching happens on a daily basis all around the world as a means of organised illegal activity (but in some cases for survival). It can include any animal species, large or small, that has a perceived value in its meat, skin, or another biproduct.
Teacher tip
Watch out for National Park and 'national park'. Named parks such as Virunga National Park do have upper case letters as they are part of a proper noun, whereas national parks in general do not have any upper case letters.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Where is the DRC located?
Q2.Which major river flows through the DRC and is a vital natural resource?
Q3.The DRC is rich in resources like copper, cobalt and diamonds.
Q4.What kind of biome is most common in the DRC?
Q5.Which of the following is true about the Congo rainforest?
Q6.Why is the rainforest important for biodiversity?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What is the purpose of a national park?
Q2.What does biodiversity refer to?
Q3.Which national park in the DRC is famous for its mountain gorillas?
Q4.What types of animals are affected by poaching?
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: Conservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: Conservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 geography lessons from the The Democratic Republic of the Congo: What are its opportunities and challenges? unit, dive into the full secondary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.