Our Africa Teaching Resources

San (Bushmen) living in the Kalahari, Botswana

You are a member of the San (Bushmen) living in the Kalahari.  How has the modernisation of Botswana changed your way of life?

Handout

Link to 'San (Bushmen) living in the Kalahari, Botswana' pdf

How this fits

This scenario challenges pupils to think about the impact of globalisation on cultural diversity.  Pupils should be encouraged to think about the issue from the point of view of the government of Botswana as well as from the point of view of the San.

Curriculum links

Geography:

1.2b Knowing where places and landscapes are located, why they are there, the patterns and distributions they create, how and why these are changing and the implications for people.

1.3b Making links between scales to develop understanding of geographical ideas.

1.7a Appreciating the differences and similarities between people, places, environments and cultures to inform their understanding of societies and economies.

3g Human geography, built and managed environments and human processes.

History: 

1.3a Identifying and explaining change and continuity within and across periods of history.

3i The impact of significant political, social, cultural, religious, technological and/or economic developments and events on past European and world societies.

Citizenship: 

1.3d Exploring community cohesion and the different forces that bring about change in communities over time.

Where to go

Food & Daily life; People & Culture; History & Politics; Bush children.

What to watch

Bush children (video).

Follow-up questions

  1. Why might the government of Botswana have wanted to move the San off their ancestral lands?
  2. How do you think different generations of the San might have responded to being moved off their ancestral lands?

Tags: development; education; healthcare; population & settlement; migration; population density & distribution

About scenarios:

Scenarios are teaching resources designed for use in the classroom or as homework. They are linked to the National Curriculum and content on the Our Africa website. See about scenarios for more information on the topics used and their position in the curriculum.