UMLIBO LESSON PLANS

The 'Umlibo Lesson Plans' is a teaching guide published by WWF South Africa designed for high-school, post-matric, and adult learners. The resource uses a large tapestry and accompanying personal stories from artists in Hamburg, Eastern Cape, to educate students on climate change, environmental hazards, and sustainable livelihoods through four structured lessons.

• The educational resource is centered around the 'Umlibo' tapestry, a 5 m by 2 m work created by 43 artists, primarily women, from the village of Hamburg in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The tapestry and its associated stories illustrate the vulnerability of coastal communities to climate change, highlighting impacts such as "Unseasonal rainfall, cold and wind, unpredictable heat, a decrease in fish stocks and other marine species, anxiety about the future, pollution and the negative impacts on physical and mental well-being".
• The guide provides four lesson plans that integrate multiple subjects, including geography, history, life sciences, life orientation, and art. The lessons aim to raise awareness about climate impacts, the balance of nature, and the importance of resilience, which is defined as "being able to withstand difficult circumstances".
• The material addresses biodiversity loss and the dangers of poaching in South Africa. It identifies specific species at risk, noting that black rhinos are endangered due to poaching, and the African wild dog is "persecuted by humans and killed in snares". It also lists the quagga and Cape lion as species that were "hunted to extinction".
• The guide teaches the relationship between fossil fuels and global warming, stating that "Over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas)". It explains that burning these fuels releases greenhouse gases that trap heat from the sun, leading to global warming and health issues such as asthma, allergies, or chronic bronchitis.
• The resource emphasizes the concept of sustainable livelihoods, which are described as those that "balance people’s need to earn a living with the need to ensure that local natural resources are not depleted". It contrasts this with unsustainable practices, such as abalone poaching, and discusses the impact of climate change on traditional livelihoods like fishing, raising livestock, and growing basic crops.
• The guide addresses the psychological impact of the climate crisis, specifically "climate anxiety". It encourages learners to find "healthy ways to turn that anxiety into action rather than feeling helpless and overwhelmed" and suggests using art, music, and creative expression to share messages of resilience.

APA

WWF South Africa (n.d.). UMLIBO LESSON PLANS. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/umlibo-lesson-plans-a-resource-for-teachers-and-trainers_wwf-south-africa.pdf

Chicago

WWF South Africa. UMLIBO LESSON PLANS. n.d. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/umlibo-lesson-plans-a-resource-for-teachers-and-trainers_wwf-south-africa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF South Africa |title=UMLIBO LESSON PLANS |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/umlibo-lesson-plans-a-resource-for-teachers-and-trainers_wwf-south-africa.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfsouthafricandumlibo, author = {{WWF South Africa}}, title = {{UMLIBO LESSON PLANS}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/umlibo-lesson-plans-a-resource-for-teachers-and-trainers_wwf-south-africa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }