Life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can compare urban and rural life in the DRC.
Key learning points
- Life in the DRC varies greatly between rural villages and urban areas like Kinshasa.
- Rural life relies on subsistence farming and small-scale trade.
- Urban life includes a wide range of jobs, from informal market vendors to high-income professionals.
- High-income careers exist in areas such as banking and the oil and mining industries.
Keywords
Rural - something to do with the countryside
Urban - something to do with a city or town
Subsistence farming - farming that provides enough food for the farmer and their family to live on, rather than for them to sell
Migration - moving from one place to another with the intention of staying there for some time
Informal employment - jobs that are not officially recorded or regulated and do not involve the payment of taxes
Common misconception
That housing in cities is better / bigger / cheaper / more available than in rural areas.
Cities are often perceived to have better or more housing but this is not always the case. Inner city housing can be small and run down; people who move to cities may not find accomodation at all and may have to live in informal settlements.
Teacher tip
There is opportunity for further research and comparison between the earnings of people in various industries of the DRC and people in the same industries and professions in other countries. Direct comparisons like this can be useful in making situations more tangible for students to understand.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Where is the DRC located?
Q2.Which of the following best describes the DRC’s population?
Q3.Match the term to its description:
Country controlled by another country
Something handed down from the past
Dividing line between countries
Q4.What language is commonly spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
Q5.What has been one lasting impact (legacy) of colonialism in the DRC?
Q6.The DRC shares the Congo with its neighbour, the Republic of the Congo.
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which of these are primary industries?
Q2.Most people in rural areas of the DRC ...
Q3.People migrate to cities like Kinshasa because ...
Q4.Informal employment ...
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: Life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: Life in the Democratic Republic of the 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.