A Special Spot on Earth: the Okavango Delta

A Special Spot on Earth: The Okavango Delta

A delta is where a river meets a large body of water. Deltas are very special places. Many animals live near them. Most deltas are found on a coast. But there is one special delta that is not on a coast. It is in the middle of the continent of Africa. The Okavango River Delta is the world’s largest inland delta. It does not have a river that flows out to an ocean. In Africa, the Okavango River flows into a desert.

The rainy season starts the flow of the Okavango River. As the rains continue, the river flows south. The water begins to flow into the Kalahari Desert. The water floods the region. This inland Delta swells to more than three times its dry season size. But laterthe water will dry up. In the hot Kalahari Desert the water evaporates quickly. Also, the plants use the water while it is flooded. So the Okavango goes from dry and hot to wet and full of wildlife. This is a cycle that is repeated every year.

The animals follow the water and feed on new plants. Large herds gather around the watering holes. Then predators, like lions and leopards, follow these big herds of animals. When the Delta is filled with water, there are huge numbers of animals and fish. Hippos swim and feed in the new watering holes. Giraffes, elephants, and wildebeest roam the grasslands.

One of the rare animals found in the Okavango Delta is the African Wild Dog. It is only found in this region. These animals are very colorful and have coats that are black, brown, and white. Wild dogs are one of the most endangered carnivores, or meat-eating animals, in the world.

Being home to the African Wild Dog is just one animal that needs places like this. But people want to make changes. Some people are thinking about building a dam on the river to get electricity, called hydropower. This would change everything as the animals have timed their migration around the wet and dry seasons. Other people want to build fences. This would stop migrations. Conservation organizations are working hard to keep this Delta wild and to protect animals for the future.

1. What is a delta?

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2. Why is the Okavango a special place?

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3. What animals are found in the Okavango Delta?

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4. Explain why animals need to follow the cycle of this Delta.

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5. How are people changing the Delta?

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6. What are your thoughts about changing wild places?

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Dear Colleague,

It's a peaceful night in the Okavango Delta with the cover of stars twinkling overhead and the serenade of the hippo grunts and monkey calls. Tucked into my little cot, I just begin to feel the magical time between wakefulness and sleep when the soft padding of paws interrupts the African peace. The almost imperceptible brush of the claws against the ground cover seems to drown out the other louder night noises. A lion is sneaking through our camp, passing my tent with a light brush. My heart pounds ever louder as my breathing ceases. I know to be still as the great cat passes.

What an adventure I experienced in the Okavango Delta as this entry from my travel journal illustrates. The Okavango is a magical place where the ancient atmosphere of the earth breathes life into the daily interactions of predator, prey, plant, and person. I first read about this inland delta in Jewel of the Kalahari, a lovely book written by friend of Maggie's Earth Adventures, Karen Ross. If you are looking for a good read or special gift book, we highly recommend it. And, as this WAP illustrates, social studies is a broad curricular area. The Okavango is an aide in helping students understand how a specific environmental area impacts our world and how we impact areas in which we live.

Because I looked back in my personal journal as I was writing this WAP, I got to thinking about the importance of journaling. This is both a habit and an art form that many professionals use. Certainly writers rely on their journals for ideas but scientists also use the qualitative data gleaned from observational entries. Anyone can see their own changes over time along with changes in their environment when they look back over past journal entries. Daily writing is just a good habit for everyone to develop. I suggest setting a classroom timer and telling your students they must continually write until the allotted time is up. Do this several times a week, every day if you can manage it, and you will be surprised at both the improved quality of student writing and the increased stamina students have for writing. The length of the writing activity will vary according to grade level. I do suggest that once you find that "just right time" for your class, you not increase it. Let the students see their own growth within the set timeframe. Discuss the growth in both quantity and quality of journal entries.

Happy teaching,

Dr. Kathy

Suggested Answers:(Students may “see” other relevant points. We applaud this and hope you will reward them for it. For example, some students may note that this Delta is special because of the way animals use the seasonal cycles.)

A delta is where a river meets a large body of water.
The Okavango is special because it is in the middle of a continent and the water will dry up.
Some animals include the wild dog, elephants, lions, and wildebeest.
Animals follow the wet and dry seasons as they search for food. (We hope your students will discuss the complexities of this such as the food chain and changes to migration when vegetation does not grow as it might have in the past.)
People want to build dams to get power.
Answers will vary.

Goals:

Students will read an article about the Okavango Delta, a unique spot on the African continent. They will use various components of social studies to think critically about this area. The WAP is available on the intermediate, primary, and emergent reader levels and correlates with the National Social Studies Standards: Culture and People, Places and Environment.