Africa Rising

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question to guide discussion: How might a society that has more young people be different from a society that has a larger population of older people?

2. List Vocabulary
Share with students some of the challenging vocabulary words in this article. Encourage them to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• encompass (p. 11)
• courted (p. 12)
• intractable (p. 12)
• remittances (p. 14)
• diaspora (p. 14)
• invigorate (p. 15)

3. Engage
Ask students to share what comes to mind when they think about Africa. Revisit this discussion after the lesson, having students share any new insights they’ve gained.

4. Read 
Have students read the article, marking the text to note key ideas or questions.

5. Discuss
Distribute or project Up Close: Africa Rising, a close-reading activity for students to work on in small groups. (Note: The questions on the PDF also appear on the following page of this lesson, with possible responses.) Follow up with a class discussion. If you’re short on time, have each group tackle one or two of the questions. Collect students’ work or have each group report its findings to the class.

• What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article? How does the structure of the article support its purpose? Explain. (Author’s purpose, text structure) (The author’s main purpose is to explain how Africa’s young population is changing the continent. Students should discuss how each section of the article describes a different way Africa is changing; e.g., Africa is gaining global influence, attitudes toward Africa are improving, there’s a growing unemployment crisis, climate change is revolutionizing Africa’s economy, and young people are increasingly wanting to stay in Africa.)

• How do the photographs on pages 10 and 11 support ideas put forth in the article? (Visual analysis, integrate ideas)(The first photo shows young people who are energetic, happy, and having a good time at the beach, which illustrates the article’s claim that Africa’s has “a youthful population brimming with energy, ideas, and creativity.” The second image shows young people using their phones at an Afrobeats concert, which conveys the ideas that African culture is “having a moment” and that “it’s cool to be African.”)

• In the section “Chronic Unemployment,” Akinwumi Adesina says, “The African diaspora has become the largest financier of Africa.” What does he mean? Why might this be a possible problem for Africa’s future? (Word meaning, draw conclusions) (Adesina is referring to the fact that many skilled people leave Africa because they can’t find jobs and that its nations rely on the money sent back from its emigrants. This might be a problem because if people leave, they take their skills with them. In addition, if a nation is reliant on the money sent by people who emigrate, it may struggle to create conditions that could keep more skilled workers from leaving.) 

• How does the section “Climate Change” describe climate change’s impact on Kenya? How does the article contrast the environmental effects of climate change with its potential impact on Africa’s economy? (Cite text evidence, compare & contrast)(In the section “Climate Change,” the author describes how climate change has dried up rivers, withered crops, and killed animals. However, the climate crisis might also invigorate the African economy because Africa provides much of the world’s green-energy resources, large-scale projects are on the horizon, and its young people are inspired to find solutions.)

• What is the central idea of the section, “Energy & Ideas?” How does it connect to the rest of the article? (Central ideas, integrate ideas)(The central idea of “Energy & Ideas” is that Africa’s young population is an invaluable resource that much of the rest of the world doesn’t have. It connects to the rest of the article because it reinforces the ideas described in the introductory section and in “It’s Cool to Be African,” and it suggests that the young population may be (or find) the solutions to the problems described in “Chronic Unemployment” and “Climate Change.”) 

• According to the article, Africa’s population is expected to account for “one-quarter of humanity” by 2050. Based on details from the article, what can you predict about how this may affect Africa’s global influence, unemployment crisis, and migration rate? (Make predictions)(Students’ responses will vary, but they should support their predictions with evidence from the text.)

6. Writing Prompt
Imagine you’re an African official tasked with economic development. Using details from the article, write a short pitch to an American company about why it’s a good the time to invest in Africa.

7. Slideshow
Watch the slideshow about Africa’s youth boom. What does it add to your understanding?

8. Classroom Debate
Who benefits a society more­—younger people or older people?

9. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess comprehension and the Analyze the Photo skill sheet to practice visual analysis.