The tropical rainforest in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the importance of the Congo rainforest and the threats it faces.
Key learning points
- The Congo is the world's second largest tropical rainforest.
- The Congo rainforest is in the Congo Basin, which spans 6 countries.
- Over 400 species of mammal live in the Congo, including gorillas and okapi.
- 32 billion tonnes of carbon is stored in trees and plants in the Congo rainforest.
- Deforestation threatens biodiversity and local communities that depend on the forest.
Keywords
Tropical rainforest - areas of dense forest found close to the Equator where it is warm and there are high levels of rainfall
Deforestation - the complete removal of trees
Carbon sink - anything that absorbs and stores more carbon dioxide than it releases
Biodiversity - all the living things in an ecosystem or area
Common misconception
That the Congo rainforest is only found in the DRC.
The Congo rainforest is found in the Congo Basin, which spans six countries in Africa: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Teacher tip
Remember that several of the causes of deforestation can happen by legal means or illegally. For example, logging may be done by commercial companies or through illegal activity. Whether legal or illegal, they all contribute to the total deforestation experienced in the DRC each year.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Where is the DRC located?
Q2.The DRC is rich in resources like copper, cobalt and diamonds.
Q3.What major valley system passes through the eastern part of the DRC?
Q4.Match the term to its description:
Country controlled by another country
Something handed down from the past
Dividing line between countries
Q5.Which major river flows through the DRC and is a vital natural resource?
Q6.A climate is found near the Equator and features high rainfall and hot temperatures year-round.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a rainforest?
Q2.The removal of all trees from an area is called ...
Q3.What does a carbon sink do?
Q4.Which of the following is true about the Congo Rainforest?
Q5.Why is the rainforest important for biodiversity?
Q6.The Congo Rainforest acts as a giant sink, helping to combat climate change.
To help you plan your 8 geography lesson on: The tropical rainforest 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: The tropical rainforest 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.