NIE ACTIVITY

GEOGRAPHY CONNECTIONS
This year-long series is presented in collaboration with the Connecticut Geographic Alliance.

UGANDA DID
Uganda is about the size of the state of Oregon.
Ugandans use motorcycle taxis called boda-bodas to get around--even
CITY/COUNTRY VIEW
Rachel Caffey YOU elementary school children will ride motorcycles to school!
A fruit called Jackfruit is sold on the side of the road which tastes
When you hear Rolex do you think of an expensive KNOW? exactly like Juicy Fruit gum.
watch? If you were from Uganda, a rolex would Over half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas can be found
mean a delicious street food- kind of like an
in Bwindi National Park. There are only about 700 mountain gorillas left on the planet, and
omelette wrapped in a pancake and eaten like
most of these endangered animals live in the Virungu mountains of Uganda, Rwanda, and
a burrito. Uganda is a country in East Africa,
located between Kenya, South Sudan, Democratic the Congo.
Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania. The Equator runs straight through Uganda. If you
It has 10 national parks including the Bwindi stand with one foot on either side of the line, you can
Impenetrable Forest, and is home to 34.5 million be in the northern and southern hemispheres at the
people as well as many different species of same time and say you’re in two places at once.
animal. Uganda is most famous for its population Their currency is the Ugandan shilling: 1 US dollar is
of mountain gorillas- more than half the world’s equal to approximately 3,500 Ugandan shillings.
population of this endangered species live in
Uganda and the surrounding region. The country
also contains part of the Nile River, the Equator,
and Lake Victoria (second largest freshwater lake in the world). There are many
adventure activities to do in Uganda, from white-water rafting, bungee jumping,
and tubing down the Nile to riding ATVs through the jungle and tracking gorillas
through the mountains. There are also plenty of opportunities for hiking, bird-
MAPPING ACTIVITY
watching, exploring volcanoes and waterfalls, and learning about local culture. Before becoming an independent country in 1962, Uganda
After gaining independence from Britain in 1962, Uganda suffered through two was a British colony. There is still a lot of British influence
violent dictatorships. Half a million Ugandans died under the rules of Idi Amin in Uganda to this day. For example, English is one of the
and later Milton Obote, but under current president Yoweri Museveni it has official languages of Uganda (along with Swahili), but
grown into one of the most hospitable countries in East Africa. As a visitor you many people in Uganda still speak variations of native
cannot walk anywhere without Ugandan children running out to meet you with languages such as
big smiles and greetings of “Mzungu (foreigner), how are you?!” Luganda. Looking at
the map, what other
countries were occupied
by the United Kingdom
in 1945? Besides
language, what other
aspects of culture could
you compare between
countries if you were
looking for the lasting
effects of colonialism in
Uganda’s Flag African countries?

Community Connections/ Using the News

Take
LOCATION: Uganda is bordered by
Kenya to the East, South Sudan to the Yoweri Museveni is the current President of Uganda. He has been in power

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North, the Congo to the West, and Rwanda since his political party took over in 1986, that’s over 30 years ago! He
and Tanzania to the South. is now known as the longest-serving leader in East Africa. In 1951 the
PLACE: Uganda sits on the equator in East United States created term limits on our presidential appointments, no
Africa and is roughly the size of Oregon. It lies in leader can serve more than two terms. Use www.courant.com to explore
the Nile basin, and its many lakes and rivers make it a the history of our presidents and examine pros and cons for not having
green and fertile area. a cap on presidential terms? What might Ugandans say about their own
HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION: There is history to persuade Americans that their way is better? What might be an
a great deal of conservation in Uganda to protect its animals argument against reelection?
and natural resources, and many national parks throughout
the country. It is even said that if you cut down a tree in Online Resources:
Uganda, you are required to plant three more in its place. http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/
uganda-facts/
MOVEMENT: There is a large Asian population in Uganda, http://www.our-africa.org/uganda/
For students who are blind, learning
and Asian influences can be seen everywhere including the disabled or print challenged,
http://www.ugandawildlife.org/ visit CRIS Radio at
food. Masala chips are a popular dish, made of french fries http://www.bwindiforestnationalpark.com/ http://www.chrisradio.org and click
smothered in an Indian spice sauce. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-fact- Kids On-Demand for a free audio
REGION: Proximity to the equator and many bodies of water book/geos/ug.html version of Geography Connections.
make Uganda a fertile country with a tropical climate. There Common Core Curricular Connections
are no real summer or winter, but there are two dry seasons CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI4.10; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI5.10; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI6.10
every year. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI7.10; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI8.10