About This Lesson
Teach about the intersection of Biodiversity, Climate, Colonialism, Economic Justice. Indigenous Peoples, and Human Rights with this Searching for Amani climate lesson!
About the Film
Set in a Kenyan conservancy facing extreme drought, documentary film Searching for Amani follows a 13-year-old’s pursuit of truth as he uncovers the invisible forces of climate change threatening his home and future. Climate change affects Indigenous communities, impacting practices, identities, and ways of life. The conflict between environmentalists and Indigenous people, in this case Kenyan pastoralists, lies at the heart of the film’s story.
About the Lesson
In Part 1 of this lesson, students explore the complexity of the conflict through the eyes of the film’s main character Simon, whose efforts to investigate his father’s death lead to frustration but also to a new understanding of the difficulties of pastoralists.
Part 2 of this lesson helps students place current realities within the context of the colonial past.
Part 3 of this lesson sheds further light on the challenges faced by Indigenous communities striving to maintain their traditional ways of life in the face of environmental crises driven by a shifting climate. Students navigate the complexities of these conflicts using a case study model.
This lesson features extension activities and five printable handouts, including a Settler Colonialism and Indigenous Peoples Worksheet and Teacher Answer Key, and an Indigenous Peoples and Climate Justice Worksheet.
Our Kenya Historical Context Handout is also helpful for this lesson.
This lesson works well for classes in Community Service Learning, Environmental Science, Social Studies, and World History. Note: This lesson was created with International Baccalaureate classes in mind.
Learn more about teaching with Searching for Amani across the curriculum.
