Section 4: Learning Activities

ACTIVITY 3: What is Wildlife?

STEP 1. With your club, review the discussion on page 7 (STEP 1.)

STEP 2. Play an observation game to help your club learn to observe-

1. Take your club out into a flat spacious area in the school compound and tell them that they are going to play a game to help them learn observation skills.
2. Ask your club members if anyone can tell you what Observation is?
3. Tell your members that Observation is looking very closely for details. It is an important skill that Wildlife club members must use in learning about the environment.
4. Divide your members into two parallel rows with an equal number of club members in each row. The rows should be about one arm length away from each other.
5. Ask members who are standing in the two rows to turn towards each other so that they are directly facing each other. Tell members to look very closely at the person directly opposite them. Tell them to observe the club member standing directly opposite very carefully. Tell them to take notice of everything they can. For example, the buttons on their shirt, what kind of shoes, earrings, a watch, a pen in the pocket.
6. Now tell the two groups to turn away from each other so that they are back to back and cannot see the person standing opposite to them.
7. Tell each member to change something about his or her appearance. Encourage club members to think of something small that will be difficult for others to observe. Some changes that you can suggest that they make are:

• undo a button or a shoelace
• tie an extra knot in their shoelace,
• turn in their collar,
• take off a shoe, or an earring or their watch
• pull down a sock

8. Walk up and down the two rows and ensure that each member has changed something.
9. Tell the members to turn back and face each other.
10. Now ask them to use their observation skills to find the thing that the person standing opposite them had changed.

STEP 3. Observe Wildlife in your school compound with your club -

1. Keep the club members in two rows.

2. Tell them that you are now going to use their observation skills to find examples of things that are Wildlife and things that are not Wildlife in the school compound.

3. Remind your club what is Wildlife.

Ask your members if they can give you examples of Wildlife?

Ask your club to give some examples of things that are not Wildlife?

4. Using the two rows, put the members into pairs.

5. Tell each pair that they need to use their observation skills to find five things that are Wildlife and five things that are not Wildlife in the school compound. Tell the club members to look in the air, in trees, to look very closely at the ground and all around the compound. Look for worms, weeds, insects and birds. You may want them to write down their examples.

6. The first pair that can find five things that are Wildlife and five things that are not Wildlife in the school compound wins.

STEP 4. Lead the following discussion with your club.

Ask your members to list all of the things that they observed in the compound that were Wildlife.

Ask them why it is Wildlife?

Ask your members to list all of the things that they observed in the compound that were not Wildlife.

Ask them why it is not Wildlife?

ACTIVITY 4: Defining and Exploring the Environment

STEP 1. Lead the following discussion with your club.

Ask your club if they know what is the Environment?

The environment is everything around us that keeps us and other living things alive. The air we breathe, the land on which our crops are grown, the water we drink all form part of the environment.

There are several types of environment; the environment that we learn about in the Wildlife club is the natural environment.

The natural environment is the environment that was created without the help of man. It includes the mountains, valleys, rivers, soil, seas and the Wildlife. The natural environment consists of two main components; living and non-living things. Non-living things include water, energy, heat, rocks and soil. Some of these are visible (rocks and soil) and some are invisible, (wind and heat). Living things in the natural environment are Wildlife.

The difference between a living thing and non-living things is that living things can move in response to their surroundings. They grow and they can reproduce themselves. The non-living things of the environment influence living things.

Ask your club if they can name some living things in a forest.

As members provide a list of living things, ask them to explain why it is a living thing.

Now read the following to your club.

Non-living things do not move in response to other things. They do not grow, or reproduce. The role of the non-living things in an environment is to provide the living things with everything they need to live such as the minerals in the soil and the heat and light energy that comes from the sun.

Some non-living things are easily observed. For example water, rocks and soil. These things provide a place to live for living things. Sunlight provides energy in the form of light and heat, allowing living plants to photosynthesize. Some non-living things are not easy to observe, such as air, energy and heat.

Ask your club if they can name some non-living things in a forest.

Ask members to each provide a list of non-living things and ask them to explain why it is a non-living thing.

STEP 2. Play the following Environment Exploration Game with your club.

1. Take your group outside.
2. Tell them that they are going to investigate the compound and identify living and non-living things in the natural environment.
3. Take a ball, stick or object.
4. Choose a club member and tell him or her to throw it or kick it in a safe direction within the playground.
5. Take the entire club to where the thrown object had fallen and get them to identify the closest thing to the thrown object.
6. Ask them if it is a living or non-living thing.
7. Ask them why it is a living or non-living thing.
8. Choose another club member and tell him or her to throw the object or kick it in a safe direction within the compound.

Repeat the instructions until you wish to finish the game.

ACTIVITY 5: Mouse, Mouse Hawk Game

STEP 1. Lead the following discussion with your club members.

Ask your club members if they know what hawks eat?

Tell members that even though most people think that hawks eat chicks, hawks mostly eat mice. Hawks eat many, many mice and rats every day and this helps us otherwise, the mice would destroy our crops. We should be thankful for all of the help that hawks give us, even if they sometimes eat a chick.

STEP 2. Play the following game with your club members.

1. Take your club to a flat spacious area, either in an empty classroom or in the school compound. Tell your members that they are going to play a fun game to help them learn why hawks are important for controlling mice and rats.
2. Have your members form a circle and sit down.
3. Choose one member to be the "mouse".
4. Tell the mouse to walk around the outside of the circle, tapping each club member on the head or shoulder saying, "mouse" at each tap.
5. Explain to members that the 'mouse' would chose another member sitting in the circle to be the "hawk". The "mouse" chooses a hawk, by tapping the club member on the shoulder and saying, "hawk!" As soon as a club member is made the "hawk", the "hawk" must immediately try to catch the mouse by rising from the circle and running after the mouse around the circle.
6. the "mouse" can only escape by running all the way around the circle to where the "hawk" was sitting and sit down in the "hawk's" place.
7. Tell your club members that if the "mouse" is caught, the "mouse" remains a "mouse" for the next round. If the "mouse" eludes the "hawk", the "hawk" becomes the "mouse" for the next round.

ACTIVITY 6: Wildlife Song

1. Ask your club if any of them know the hymn "When the Saints go Marching In". If they do, or if you do, sing several lines to the club.
2. Tell members that the song they are about to sing has the same tune as "When the Saints go Marching In".
3. Teach the words to the song to your group by singing it for them, or writing the words on the blackboard. The words to the Wildlife song are as follows:

We are the Wild, oh yes, we are
We are the Wild, oh yes, we are
We are the Wildlife Clubs of Ghana
We promise to save our Wildlife
We are the Wildlife Clubs of Ghana

ACTIVITY 7: Important Wildlife Laws

STEP 1. Read the following to your club members and have them repeat it after you.

Wildlife is any animal or plant that is not fed, bred, or otherwise taken care of by man. We have laws to protect Wildlife. Every member of the Wildlife Clubs of Ghana should know the Important Wildlife Laws.

1. It is illegal to:

• hunt in groups .
• set fires to hunt Wildlife.
• hunt from August 1st to December 1st. This is the closed season.
• hunt with dogs.
• hunt without a valid license.
• hunt protected species, such as Mona Monkeys or Sea Turtles.

2. If you see anyone breaking these laws it is your responsibility to report them to the police or a Wildlife officer.

STEP 2. Lead the following discussion with your club.

The government of Ghana has made laws so that we can hunt the animals without killing all of them. If we kill all Wildlife, there will be none left for the future. The laws are such that we will be able to hunt Wildlife without killing all of them.

Ask members if they know why it is against the law to hunt in groups of people.

If there are many people hunting they will easily kill many animals and there won t be enough animals left to reproduce more animals for the future.

Ask members why it is against the law to set fires to hunt Wildlife.

If you set fires when hunting, the fires can go out of control and destroy farms and forests. Fires can also kill many animals and there will not be enough left for the future.

Ask members why it is against the law to hunt from August 1^st to December 1^st. This is the closed season.

This period is the breeding season. If you hunt during this period, you will kill mothers who are pregnant with young. You will kill both the mother and their offspring. If you kill the young there will be no animals left for the. future.

Ask members why it is against the law to hunt with dogs.

If you hunt with dogs, you will easily kill many animals and there won't be enough animals left to reproduce more animals for the future.

Ask members why it is against the law to hunt without a valid license.

Because the hunting license tells you what animals you can hunt and how many. Without a license there is no way of controlling the number of animals you kill and there will not be enough animals left for the future.

Ask members why it is against the law to hunt protected species, such as Mona Monkeys or Sea Turtles.

There are very few of these animals left and if you hunt them there will be none left.

Ask members why it is against the law to hunt Wildlife in protected areas or Wildlife reserves.

It is against the law to hunt in reserves because it is a safe place for Wildlife to live. The animals can increase their numbers in reserves so that there will be enough animals for the future.

STEP 3. Review the important Wildlife laws with your club.

STEP 4. Review the important Wildlife laws with your club members at the beginning of every meeting.

ACTIVITY 8: Pressure on the Environment Game

STEP 1. Lead the following discussion with your club.

Ask your club if they know what is the natural environment?

The natural environment is the environment that was created without the help of man. It includes the mountains, valleys, rivers, soil, seas and the Wildlife. The natural environment consists of two main components; living and non-living things. Non-living things include water, energy, heat, rocks and soil. Some of these are visible and some are invisible such as wind and heat. Living things in the natural environment are Wildlife.

Ask your club if they know how we protect the natural environment?

Traditionally in Ghana, we have used taboos and totems to protect the environment. There were many rules about how and when we use the environment. For instance, some villages in Ghana have a very old tradition of maintained sacred groves. These are protected areas of forest that are important for religious and traditional reasons. Traditionally, it is bad luck, or worse, to clear sacred groves or hunt animals within them. The groves are sanctuaries for Wildlife such as monkeys and antelopes, and protect soils, water supplies and the local climate.

Sacred groves and other taboos are not able to protect the environment because there are many, many more people in Ghana than there were in the past. There are now 18 million people in Ghana and all of them need more and more land to live on and to grow food. This puts forests and sacred groves under pressure.

STEP 2. Play the following game with your club.

1. Tell your club that the game demonstrates how a growing population puts pressure on forests and our environment.
2. Using chalk, or with a cane, draw or scratch a square on the ground about one meter by one meter (if you have a large club you can make several squares).
3. Tell members that this square is the village and the farms. Outside the village is the sacred grove.
4. Choose five club members.
5. Tell the five members to stand inside the square.
6. Tell the five members that they live and farm inside the village and that they can't step outside the village because it is bad luck to farm in the forest.
7. Tell the five members that they must work together to keep everybody in the village without any part of their body entering into the sacred grove. They must not push each other out of the village, and they should help each other to stay in the square.
8. Tell members that the population has grown.
9. Choose three more club members.
10. Tell the three members to join the other five inside the square.
11. Tell them that they must work together to keep everybody in the village without going over the lines.
12. Keep adding more club members in the square until the members in the square are no longer able to stay within the boundary lines.

STEP 3. Lead the following discussion with the club.

Ask your members if they know what population growth is?

Ask your members what happens when population grows?

Ask your members what the people in the village in the game did when more people came to the village?

Ask your members if the population of their village is getting bigger?

If so, ask your members what effect population growth is having in their village?

Tell members that it is because of the pressure on the environment that we need to have rules and laws on how to use the environment.

Ask members if they know any laws about how to use the environment?

ACTIVITY 9: Sustainability Game

STEP 1. Lead the following discussion with your club.

Ask your club if they know what is the environment?

The environment is everything around us that keeps us and other living things alive. The air we breathe, the land on which our crops are grown, the water we drink all form part of the environment. There are several types of environment; the environment that we learn about in the Wildlife club is the natural environment.

The natural environment is the environment that was created without the help of man. It includes the mountains, valleys, rivers, soil, seas and the Wildlife. The natural environment consists of two main components; living and non-living things. Non-living things include water, energy, heat, rocks and soil. Some of these are visible and some are invisible like wind and heat. Living things in the natural environment are Wildlife.

Ask your club what are the things in the environment that we need?

Some things that we need in the environment include water, trees and Wildlife.

Ask your club if they know what sustainability means?

Sustainability means using the things we need in the environment without using them up. Tell your club members that they are going to play a game to learn how to use their trees without using them up.

STEP 2. Play the following game with your club members.

1. Divide your members into "villages" or teams of at least four people in each team and explain the game to them as follows.
2. Each team gets an equal number of pebbles, or "trees," in a shared pile, one pile for each village or team.
3. Distribute the pebbles. In each communal pile there must be at least twice the number of pebbles as there are people in the village, though there can be more. The fewer pebbles you place in each pile, the easier it is to play the game and to count the results.
4. The game is played in rounds. Each round represents a year.
5. During each round everyone in the village must take at least one pebble or "tree". When there aren't enough pebbles in the village for everyone to take at least one pebble, that group has finished the game.
6. Assign one person in each village to record the number of pebbles taken by each village member in each round.
7. After each round, the club leader will count how many pebbles or "trees" each village has remaining in the pile, and add an equivalent number of pebbles or "trees" to the pile.
8. The members of each village must reverse the order in which they take pebbles after each round. Reversing the order will ensure that whoever took pebbles first in the first year must take pebbles last in the next year and thus doesn't have a permanent advantage.
9. The "trees" grow back after each round of play. They grow back by a factor of two. That means that if a village has taken all but one pebble or "tree" in the first round, then only two pebbles or "trees" will be available in the pile for the second round.
10. If the team has 10 trees left, than there will be 20 "trees" available for the next year or round.

While the game is being played, it is helpful if you walk around the groups and check to make sure that they remember the rules: Play three rounds, pausing after each round to find which villages are still playing and which ones are done. At the end of three rounds, those villages that have enough pebbles in the communal pile for each of its members to draw on have reached "pebble sustainability" and have survived and they win.

Tell your club members that if they work together they can make sure that their village survives. By working together and planning, some villages will be able to gain more pebbles and find a level of sustainable use. Then have the villages play the game a second time, only this time ask them to think of ways to work together to make sure that there are pebbles or "trees" for the future.

STEP 3. Lead the following discussion with the club.

In which villages did everyone survive? Which village had the most pebbles in the pile at the end of the game?

Which villages are confident they will always have enough pebbles for everyone as long as the pile is renewed? How did these communities arrive at that point?

Did a leader emerge in any of the villages that reached pebble sustainability?

If there was a leader, why did the village listen to that person?

Could these villages have reached "pebble sustainability" without a plan?

Of all the villages, who has the most pebbles? How did they accomplish this?

ACTIVITY 10: Pollution-Clean Up

STEP 1. Before the clean up read the following to the club members.

Every living thing produces waste. We produce waste from our bodily processes and from things we buy and use. Plants and animals produce waste in the form of droppings and dung. However, in nature waste is naturally used by living things. It helps animals and plants grow as it is eaten or rots and becomes part of the soil. In nature nothing is wasted.

In the past Ghanaians produced very little waste and the waste they produced safely rots or become part of the soil. Nowadays, animals cannot safely eat many of the things that we use every day. Some of the things that we use are even poisonous or dangerous if not disposed of properly.

Ask your club members if they know what pollution is.

Pollution is the spoiling of the environment with poisonous or harmful waste. Pollution can be in different forms. The air, soil, or water can be polluted.

Solid Waste Pollution There are poisons in our rubbish; there are acids and mercury in batteries, bleach in paper and poisons called dioxins in plastics. There are also poisons we can see, such as paint, petrol, oil and other chemicals. When we put this rubbish in the environment, the poisons in it can make plants and animals very sick. If we eat the sick plants or animals, we can become sick as well.

Air Pollution Our daily activities produce poisonous gases called air pollution. Burning rubbish or petrol and diesel in cars creates air pollution. Air pollution is a major factor in causing humans to become ill. Tuberculosis, bronchitis, asthma and cancers can all be caused by chemicals in the air.

Water Pollution Water pollution is caused by human waste, sewage, rubbish and poisons entering the water. When rubbish containing poisons such as acids, mercury, bleach or dioxins are not disposed of properly, the poisons are washed away by rain and may eventually pollute rivers or other water bodies and can make us sick.

Ask members if they know of any places where there is Solid Waste, Water or Air pollution in their community. Be sure to point out that there is pollution at the site that you are planning to clean up.

STEP 2. Lead your club members in the clean up.

ACTIVITY 11: Story Telling about Wildlife

STEP 1. Read the following story.

One day, a very strong Elephant and a very smart Monkey went to the Owl who was known to be very wise to find out whether strength was better than smartness. The Owl looked around and found a big river on his left. So he asked both the Elephant and the Monkey to cross the river and to go to the other bank to pluck some fruits which were on a very tall tree beside the river. The Monkey became afraid because he did not know how to swim. The Elephant therefore took him on his back and swam to the other bank. But when they got to the tree, they did not know how to get the fruit because the tree was exceedingly tall. Hurriedly, the Monkey jumped on to the tree, climbed to the top, and took some of the fruits.

The Elephant took the Monkey again on his back and they came to the wise Owl. Then Owl told them that strength and smartness were of equal value because without strength the Elephant could not have earned the Monkey to cross the river. And without the smartness of the Monkey who hurriedly climbed the tree to pluck the fruits, they would not have gotten the fruits. Strength was therefore as good as smartness. The important thing is that when two people meet, they should realized that with their combined efforts they are stronger, better, and wiser than one person. So the adage goes; "Two heads are better than one".

STEP 2. Lead the following discussion.

Ask your club members why Wildlife is important?

Wildlife is important because it is part of our culture. Tell your club that stories about Wildlife help us to learn and to understand the world.

Ask members who was strong in the story?

Ask members who was wise in the story?

Ask members who was smart in the story?

Ask members what they learned from the story?

STEP 3. Ask the club members if anyone has a Wildlife story to tell.

If so, have them tell the story and then discuss it. Write it down and send it in for inclusion in the NKO magazine.

ACTIVITY 12: Bat, Bat Moth Game

STEP 1. Read the following story

Once upon a time in the animal kingdom two tax men where charged to collect tax. One taxman was to collect tax from all the mammals and the other taxman was to collect tax from all the birds. One day the taxman collecting tax from birds met the bat in the treetop, and demanded the tax. "I am not a bird", the bat said, "so I will not pay tax to you". The taxman asked, "Why are you not a bird?" The bat said, "I have teeth, no bird has teeth". So the taxman went away without collecting tax from the bat.

Shortly after, the taxman collecting tax from mammals found the bat on the ground eating a neem fruit. The mammal tax collector also asked the bat for his tax. But the bat said, "I will not pay you the tax because I am not a mammal, I m a bird because I can fly", And he flew up into a tree.

In both cases, he evaded tax. The question is: To whom should the bat pay tax?

STEP 2. Lead the following discussion with your club

Ask your club members if they know who the bat should pay tax to?

The bat should pay tax to the mammal tax collector because it is a mammal.

Ask your club members if they know why the bat is a mammal and not a bird?

The bat is not a bird because it has teeth, because it has fur, because it has ears on the outside of its head. A bat does not lay eggs - birds lay eggs. Bats give birth and feed their young with breast milk.

Ask your club members if they know how the bat can fly in the dark without hitting houses or trees?

Bats have a very special way of flying in the dark. It is called "echo-location". As they fly, they keep making small sounds. You can hear fruit bats saying "ping, ping" all night. Some kinds of bats make such small sounds that we can't hear them. But bat's ears can hear much better than we can. Their hearing is so sharp and so special that when they make a sound, the sound meets a branch of a tree, or a telephone wire, the sound is reflected back like an echo.

It bounces off the thing and comes back. The bat can then tell exactly how far the obstacle is by hearing the "ping, ping" coming back. This is also the way that bats find the food they eat.

Ask your club members if they know what bats eat?

Many bats eat fruit, such as the fruit of the neem tree. Other bats eat insects such as moths and mosquitoes.

STEP 3. Play the following game with your club.

1. Take your club to a flat spacious area, either in an empty classroom or in the school compound. Tell your club members that they are going to play a fun game called "Bat, Bat, Moth, Moth" to help them learn how bats locate the insects they eat.
2. Have your club members join hands and form a circle.
3. Choose one club member to be the "bat" and blindfold him or her.
4. Choose four club members to be "moths" and blindfold them.
5. Explain to the members that the bat shouts, "Bat, Bat!" When the moths hear the bat say "Bat, Bat" the moths must reply "Moth, Moth!"
6. Explain to the members that even though the bat cannot see, the bat can find the moths by listening to where they are.
7. Tell your club that that the bat should try to locate the moths by calling "Bat, Bat" and then running towards them when he hears "Moth, Moth". The bat should try to catch the moths by touching them with his hand.
8. Tell your club members that when a moth is caught it must return to the circle. The game is finished when the last moth is caught. The last moth to be caught may become the bat in the next round of the game.
9. Make sure that the members forming the circle keep their hands joined. Also, make sure that the club members forming the circle do not say anything while the game is being played.

ACTIVITY 13: Bird Watching

STEP 1. Read the following to your club members.

The Ghana Wildlife Society began in 1985 with the Save the Seashore Birds Project. For the! Ghana Wildlife Society and for those who care about the environment birds are important. Birds are easily seen and observed even in the school compound and they offer us an opportunity to learn about Wildlife without having to leave our school.

When studying birds we will keep a club list of all the birds that we see. This list will stay with our club. We can compare our bird list with other clubs.

STEP 2. Take your club members to your school compound to watch for birds.

1. Start in your school compound. Even if there are not many birds, you will find at least a few. Once you have trained your members in bird watching and they have begun to learn about the birds in your school compound you can take them on trips.
2. Take your members outside. Take them to a quiet shady corner of the school compound. 
3. Tell your members to sit quietly and watch out for visiting birds.
4. When you begin to see birds, the first thing to do is to find out what kind of birds they are. Ask your members if they know the local name of the bird. Make notes on their size, body coloration, bill shape/colour, number in flock, movement, activity being carried out and so on. If members remain quiet, they will be able to get the birds to come closer.
5. Take note of where in the school compound do they come to.
6. Take note of why the birds are there. What are they doing singing, roosting, drinking, bathing, preening (cleaning themselves) or feeding? Do they have special places for certain activities?

When you begin to become familiar with the birds in your schoolyard and in your community, you may want to arrange special bird-watching tours to Wetlands (Ramsar) areas, Wildlife parks or forest reserves and other places. Learn how to make arrangements in the field trip activity on page 48.

The following are descriptions of some birds you may see in your school compound.

If you see any birds that you can't identify, write in to Uncle David with a description of your bird and he will answer your question in the NKO magazine.

ACTIVITY 14: Meeting of Traditional Council

STEP 1. Explain to your club members that they are going to act out a drama and debate about bush burning.

1. Explain to your club that they are going to act out a traditional council meeting in which there is a debate about bush burning.

2. Tell them that the debate they are going to act out takes place in a village in the bush. The harvest has just past and the hunters are preparing to burn the bush like they do every year. This year though, a local student who is a Wildlife club member wants the village to stop the burning. The hunters have been doing the same thing every year and are angry with the student for interfering with their hunt. The farmers and herders also burn their land and are in the argument too.

STEP 2. Assign the club members their roles.

1. Tell them that you will give them roles and information about their roles and that they will make up the drama themselves.

• Gongon - Gongon beater summons the people to a meeting
• Queen Mother- consulted by Chief and helps the Chief decide his verdict
• Chief- Listens to the petition, calls a meeting to hear the cases presented
• Linguist-Acts as the official linguist for the Chief
• Guards-Guards the Chief
• Herder-Presents his case to the Chief
• Hunter -Presents his case to the Chief
• Farmer -Presents his case to the Chief
• Wildlife club member -Presents his case to the Chief
• People of the village- Listens to the cases being presented at the meeting

Hunter-You are a hunter. The hunters want to burn the bush. By burning the bush, you can easily catch animals, as the fire drives them out of their hiding places. The hunted animals are an important source of food and money for you.

Wildlife Club Member-You are a Wildlife Club member and you are against burning the bush. You know that burning the bush is very harmful to the natural environment. Burning destroys soil nutrients and it drives away Wildlife. Bush fires can also go out of control and destroy forests and villages. You think it is dangerous and foolish to burn the bush.

Herder-You are a herder and are in favor of burning the bush, though you do not wish the bush to be burned too much. When the bush is burned, fresh new grass will grow with the onset of the rains . Also, it prevents the land from becoming a forest, and cattle need grass, not trees to live. However, you have noticed that land, which has been burned, is not as fertile the year after. You also don't want to burn too much, because if too much is burnt, then there will be no food for the herds.

Farmer-You are a farmer and you are against burning the bush. You are afraid that if the hunter burns the bush, your farm could be burnt.

STEP 3. Act out the meeting of the traditional council.

1. Petition Chief
2. Chief summons people to a meeting
3. Chief listens to all sides of the case
4. Chief consults the Queen mother
5. Chief presents his verdict

STEP 4. Lead the following discussion with your club.

Ask your club members who they agree with and why.

ACTIVITY 15: Wildlife Quiz

STEP 1. Tell your club that everybody in the club is going to do a short quiz.

1. Divide your club into teams.
2. Ask the teams the questions below.
3. Each correct answer is a point. The team with the most points wins.

Questions

1. Who am I? I am black with a white collar. I have a hoarse voice and fly and live around human habitation. Some people choose to call me a scavenger, others call me a choir master. Who am I? Answer: Pied Crow
2. What do hawks eat? Answer: Mostly mice and other small rodents
3. Who am I? I am dark brown with a bald head. I fly, and help to keep the environment clean by removing dead animals, human waste, domestic waste, etc. I am sometimes called sanitary inspector. Who am I? Answer: Hooded Vulture
4. Who am I? I live in water but I don't breathe through gills. I can also live on land, though on land I move a lot slower. I have four legs, a long snout, a long tail, and a scaly body. Who am I? Answer: A Crocodile
5. Who am I? I am white, my legs and bill are yellow. I have a long neck and I eat grasshoppers and other insects. I also follow cows. Who am I? Answer: Cattle Egret
6. Who am I? I am a mammal but I live in the sea. I am the largest animal on earth, about the size of 14 elephants put together. Who am I? Answer: The Blue Whale
7. When is the closed season for hunting Answer: August 1^st to December 1^st
8. Which is the fastest land animal in the world? The leopard or cheetah? Answer: Cheetah
9. What is Wildlife? Answer: Any plant or animal that is not fed, bred or otherwise taken care of by humans
10. Which is the largest land mammal? The Elephant, or hippopotamus? Answer: Elephant
11. Is a bat a mammal or a bird? Answer: A mammal. Bats give birth and feed their young with breast milk.

ACTIVITY 16: Reading the Future Forest Magazine

STEP 1. Read the Future Forests magazine with your club members.

Reading the Future Forests magazine can be more fun and interesting if you use the team reading tools that are provided below. Using these tools can also help your students to practice working together as a team.

1. Paired reading. Two young people sit next to each other, each (if possible) with his or her own copy of the text. They take turns reading paragraphs from the text.
2. Round-Robin reading. In teams of three or four, students take turns reading paragraphs from the text.
3. Read-N-Quiz. Use one of the reading methods above, but after a student reads a section they ask the group a quiz question about the content. The person to his or her left has the first chance to answer without looking at the book. Other team members may offer help or contribute to the discussion as needed.
4. Character reading. Designate one student to each of the characters appearing in the text. When that character is speaking, the designated student reads. When the next character speaks, ask the appropriate designated student to read e.g. one student could be Sky, another could be Earth Bird, another Professor Hoot etc.

STEP 2. After reading the Future Forests magazine lead the following discussion with your club members.

Why are forests important in your community?

Why will forests be important for your future?

Who do you think should be involved in planning how forests will be used in your community?

ACTIVITY 17: Drama-Sketches

STEP 1. Tell your club members that they will be doing dramas.

1. Assign the roles
2. Memorize lines
3. Practice the play

Script 1: "Monkey for Sale"

For this drama, you will need four members. One will be Kwame the hunter, one will be a Kwesi who is buying a monkey, the other will be a Makafui who is a Wildlife club member and the fourth member will be the passerby.

(Hunter stands in the middle holding up an imaginary Mona Monkey)

Kwame the Hunter: Monkey for sale!! Monkey for sale!! Buy this monkey!! Yum yum, monkey!!

(Kwesi comes walking up to Kwame and looks at the monkey)

Kwasi: Oh Charley, I want to buy this monkey. It does look tasty, and it has been such a long time since I ate a monkey. They are so hard to find these days.

Kwame the hunter: Yes, it is very cheap. It is only 80,000 cedis...

(Makafui the Wildlife club member comes walking up, looks at the monkey and interrupts the Hunter while he is speaking)

Makafui: Wait!!! That is a very rare monkey!!! It is endangered!!! It is not to be hunted for eating!!!

Kwame the hunter: What? I don't understand what you are saying.

Makafui: This monkey is endangered. That means that there are very few of them left. If we hunt them and eat them they might disappear and there will never be any more left.

Kwesi: Oh, so that is why I do not often see these monkeys any more. If we continue to hunt and eat them, I shall certainly never see them again.

Passerby: Monkeys and all Wildlife are important; we should protect and conserve them.

Hunter: Ah! But if I do not hunt the monkeys I cannot buy food to eat. How will I live?

Makafui: If you have a hunting license, you can hunt animals that are not protected. But between August and December you can only hunt grass cutters. If you possess protected animals, you can be fined or imprisoned.

Questions for discussion after this drama.

Why do you think it is illegal to hunt monkeys?

What will happen if people hunt for whatever they want?

Script 2: Poisoned Fish, Poison People

For this drama, you will need two club members. One will be Papa Kudzo the Fisherman and one will be Kofi the Wildlife Club member.

(Papa Kudzo comes walking up to the stream with a net and a bottle of poison.)

Papa Kudzo: What a nice day to catch some fish! I am glad I have my secret weapon. Ha ha ha! (Make the laugh sound wicked)

(He puts down his net, holds up his bottle and prepares to poison the stream.)

(Just as he is about to begin, Kofi comes running up from the side and shouts to Papa Kudzo.)

Kofi: Papa Kudzo, Papa Kudzo! Please stop! Why are you poisoning the stream?

Papa Kudzu: Don't disturb me small boy! Don't you know that to poison is the easiest way of catching a lot of fish?

Kofi: Yes, you will catch plenty of fish, but have you thought about tomorrow?

Papa Kudzo: Eh? What does tomorrow have to do with my fishing?

Kofi: Don't you know that by poisoning the stream, all the fish will die, even the ones that you do not catch? This means that very soon there will be no fish left. Also, where do you want the village to get water to drink?

Papa Kudzo: Ei! I was not thinking! If I poison the stream, the water will be polluted and the whole village will get sick!

Kofi: Yes. Fish caught with poison is dangerous to eat. In the end, not only will it be a dead stream, but also animals that drink from it will die.

Papa Kudzo: Yes Kofi. Thank you very much for telling me.

(Papa Kudzo puts down the poison and takes up his net, and Kofi walks away)

Questions for discussion after this drama.

Why is it bad to pour poison in streams?

What animals depend on streams in your community?

ACTIVITY 18: HIV/AIDS Game

STEP 1. Copy each of the statements below onto individual scrap pieces of paper.

• Having an injection at your clinic
• Having sex within marriage
• Having a blood transfusion
• Using somebody else's toothbrush
• Swimming in a pond
• Caring for somebody with HIV/AIDS
• Being bitten by a mosquito that has bitten somebody with HIV/AIDS
• Having many sexual partners
• Sleeping in the same room as somebody with HIV/AIDS
• Kissing on cheeks
• Being tattooed
• Hugging somebody who has HIV/AIDS
• Being bitten by bed bugs
• Using a public latrine
• Having sex with a drug user
• Witchcraft
• Deep kissing
• Having your ears pierced
• Group Circumcision

STEP 2. Read the following to your club members.

AIDS stands for:

Acquired- Something that you get rather than what you were born with

Immune- The system that defends the body from diseases

Deficiency- Becomes weakened by a virus

Syndrome- The body shows a variety of symptoms

HIV is the virus that eventually causes AIDS. The most common way that people are infected is through sex without a condom. If you become infected with HIV, you will get AIDS and you will die. There is no cure for AIDS. Traditional healers and doctors can help people with AIDS feel better for a while, but they cannot cure AIDS. In Ghana 200 people contract HIV/AIDS every day. This means that they will eventually die of AIDS. Many of the people that get AIDS are the youth. That is why it is important for you to understand how you get AIDS and what you can do to protect yourself.

STEP 3. Play the following game.

1. After you have copied all of the statements onto scrap pieces of paper, make a line on the ground with chalk or by scratching in the dirt.
2. Label one end of the line "No Risk", the middle of the line, "Low Risk" and the other end of the line "High Risk".
3. Randomly call the names of members.
4. Have them pick a statement card with the statements above written on them and have them read the card.
5. Then have them put it where they think it belonged on the line, "High Risk," "Low Risk" or "No risk".
6. Ask them to explain why they think that their card goes there.
7. After they have placed the card, invite other members to change it and if they change it, explain why they have changed it.

STEP 4. After you have played the game give the answers as follows.

High Risk Activities

Having many sexual partners- Having sex with many partners increases the risk of becoming infected with HIV. However, any one act of unprotected intercourse (Sex without a condom) can result in getting HIV/AIDS.

Having sex with a drug user-If a person uses drugs by injection and does not use a clean needle every time but borrows other people's needles, then he is at high risk of getting infected with HIV.

Group Circumcision- Many societies circumcise young people in groups. When instruments are not sterilised between each use, they could pass on HIV.

Low Risk Activities

Having your ears pierced -If sterile procedures and disposable needles are used there is no risk. However, if everyone in a group is having his or her ears pierced and issuing the same needle, then group members are subject to a small degree of risk. Likewise, Being tattooed also requires sterile instruments.

Using somebody else's toothbrush — Besides the risk of minor infections being passed from mouth to mouth, there are no known cases of AIDS having been passed in this way, but it is possible to catch Hepatitis B, which is a very serious disease.

Deep Kissing - Deep kissing could carry a risk only if there were an exchange of blood from an HIV positive person to his/her partner. Bleeding might occur because of damage caused to the skin or mucous membrane around the mouth. Saliva does not contain HIV in sufficient quantities to be infectious.

No Risk Activities

Having sex within marriage - (with an uninfected partner) this can carry no risk provided you and your partner have not had sex with anyone else. It is important that the partners within marriage remain mutually faithful.

Using a public latrine - Urine or faeces do not pass on HIV

Swimming in a pond. - HIV cannot live outside the human body. Water dilutes HIV.

Kissing on the cheeks- There is no way for the HIV to get into your body by kissing on the cheek.

Caring for somebody with HIV/AIDS- This is a low risk activity if you follow good hygiene practices. The person that you are caring for deserves all the care and attention that anyone might expect to receive.

Being bitten by a mosquito that has bitten somebody with HIV/AIDS - mosquitoes, head lice or bed bugs do not transmit HIV.

Hugging someone with HIV/AIDS - No risk. It is important to show that you care. There is no way that the virus can get into your body by hugging somebody.

Witchcraft- HIV/AIDS is caused by a virus, not by ill wishing or other such activities.

Additional Activities for learning about the environment

In addition to the activities provided in this guide, you can try to make up your own activities based on the suggestions below.