GHANA
Among the Treetops
By Gina Masselli and Josué Moreno
New Britain, CT, United States
Ghana is a country on the coast of western Africa that is approximately 92,099 square miles in size. In 2017, Ghana had an estimated population of 28.83 million people.
Ghana was the first African country south of the Sahara to free itself from colonial rule. Known as the Gold Coast while under British control, Ghana became an independent nation on March 6, 1957.
Ghana is very rich in culture, and its history is quite extensive. For example, it contains one of the approximately forty “slave castles” built along the coast of Africa. This historic landmark is located in the city of Cape Coast, the Central Region’s capital, so it is known as Cape Coast Castle. Built in 1555 by Portuguese traders, the fort came to play a major role in the transport of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean.
Protection for the Park
Near Cape Coast is one of Ghana’s seven national parks. In 1931, local activists successfully petitioned the government for the headwater region of the Kakum River to be protected as a forest reserve. Logging finally ended there until 1989.
Kakum National Park is situated 33 kilometers north of Cape Coast and 170 kilometers west of Ghana’s national capital, Accra. The drainage of Kakum is very rich so the park has several rivers and cascades. The Kakum River supplies water to Cape Coast and surrounding areas.
The key attraction of the park is its tree canopy walkway. This series of seven suspension bridges enables you to walk in the tropical treetops for almost 500 meters. To protect the trees, some of which are hundreds of years old, the walkways hang securely without any hardware penetrating the bark. From 40 meters above the ground, visitors experience a unique view of the rainforest ecosystem.
Biodiversity
As you meander among the treetops, you’ll be tempted to look down at the ground. If it’s not too scary, though, keep your focus on the canopy around you. More than 500 species of butterflies and 250 species of birds will dazzle you with their color and activity. The park also provides a habitat for primates such as the endangered Diana monkey.
Some lucky tourists may catch a glimpse of the African forest elephants that live in the park. Because mammal sightings are rare during the day, you might stick around and take a later tour or even camp overnight. Predators such as leopards venture out in the dark to hunt for their food.
No matter what flora and fauna you’re able to see, after your visit to Kakum National Park you’ll hear the phrase “bird’s-eye view” and smile at the memories it evokes.
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Math Resources
Learning Activity for Middle School: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division
Sample Operations Problems:
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- Amanda is doing the suspension bridge course. If there are seven bridges, and she just finished the fourth bridge, how many bridges does she have left to cross?
- Please answer the following questions about seeing animals in Kakum National Park.
- One afternoon, Joe counted 24 butterflies around the four trees near his campsite. On average, how many butterflies are in each tree?
- On her trip, Keira was very lucky because she saw five elephants one night and seven more the next. How many elephants did Keira see in all?
- When Mark visited the park, the park rangers told him to be careful at night because they had spotted so many cheetahs. Over the past week, rangers recorded 15 cheetah sightings. Park visitors saw nine. Rangers saw the rest. How many cheetahs did the park rangers see?
- For a snack, Elizabeth and Denby were splitting some nkate cake, a popular Ghanian treat made from peanuts. Denby ate five squares of nkate cake, and Elizabeth ate seven. When they were finished eating, four squares were left at the table. How many squares were brought to the table in the first place?
- Francisco is watching Diana monkeys playing in a tree. At first, he sees seven monkeys playing together. Then three of those monkeys leave to begin playing with another group of five monkeys. How many monkeys are left in the tree? How many are in the second group now?
- Before returning home, Andrew, Nathan, and Samuel decide to get some presents for their friends. Nathan buys two presents, Andrew buys two presents, and Samuel buys one present. If each present costs US$3, how much money in total will they spend on all of the presents?
- Karthik is helping to set up a campsite for an overnight stay in the park. He needs to set up 18 tents and needs to place tents in each row. If he has already set up four rows, how many more tents will he need to set up? How many more rows will it take?
- Momoka is a ranger in charge of helping the butterflies to emerge safely from their cocoons. Initially, she plans to place five cocoons in each of five trees. However, before she can start, her boss brings seven more cocoons and points out three more trees she can use.
- Now, if she wants to divide the cocoons evenly between all of the trees, how many cocoons can she put into each tree?
- If she can put up to six cocoons in each tree, what is the largest number of cocoons she can have?
Social Justice Question
In Ghana, the Akan ethnic group practices a rite of passage called Bragoro, which is a tradition marking the transition of girls into womanhood. Interestingly, there is no equivalent rite of passage for boys. How might this cultural practice influence gender roles and perceptions of equality between boys and girls? What impact do you think it has on opportunities and expectations for girls compared to boys?
Explore Further
- Guided tour of Cape Coast Castle
- Information about the Cape Coast Castle Museum
- Facts about wildlife at Kakum National Park
- Video of the canopy walk
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