Grade Six Social Studies
Hello Boys and Girls,
This week we are going to learn about our savannah, which we call the Rupununi Savannah because of the main river, the Rupununi River, which runs through it. The Rupununi River is a tributary of the mighty Essequibo River. We will also find out about how people live in this tropical savannah.
How would you describe the Rupununi Savannah as seen in the picture above? Make a list of its physical features. Can you remember what kind of environment is the savannah? Yes, a large area of rolling grasslands with scattered trees and shrubs. What are the two seasons of the savannah? If your answer is rainy or wet and dry, you have answered correctly. Let us learn a little bit more about the location of the Rupununi Savannah and what it is like.
Location of the Rupununi Savannah
The Rupununi Savannah is located in Administrative Region Nine, Upper Takutu – Upper Essequibo. Look at the map below. You will find the Rupununi Savannah in the south-west of the country near the border with Brazil. Can you see the Rupununi River and where it joins the Essequibo River?
The Rupununi Savannah is divided into two sections (North Savannah and South Savannah) by the Kanuku Mountains, which run east to west across it. Now let us find out about the people of the Rupununi Savannah.
People of the Rupununi Savannah
Most of the people who inhabit the Rupununi Savannah are Amerindians who are divided into several indigenous tribes: Wapishana, Macushi, Wai-Wai and Patamona. The Macushi tribe lives in the North savannah. This section has rolling grasslands, with clumps of trees, called Bush Island, in wet areas. The Wapishana tribe lives in the South Savannah. This portion of the savannah has several hills and some forested mountains, like Marudi, Bat and Shiriri. The WaiWai tribe lives in the far south eastern region of the savannah, bordering Brazil. Let’s find out how climate influence the way of life of the people of the Rupununi Savannah.
Climate
The lives of the people in the Rupununi Savannahs are strongly influenced by the climate in the area. For example, the climate affects the clothes people wear, the houses they build, and some of the major activities of the people. Like other tropical savannahs, the Rupununi Savannah has two seasons, a long wet or rainy season and a long dry season, with each season lasting for about six months.
The Dry Season
The dry season lasts from October to around March. During this time the savanna is usually very hot and dry due to the intense heat of the sun. The ground becomes parched, brown and cracked. Trees shed their leaves and young plants and grasses wither and die. Only trees with great resistance to drought can survive. Rivers, creeks, lakes and ponds become very low or dry out. Frequent brush fires destroy much of the grasslands, causing birds, cattle and other animals to migrate to other areas to escape the fire and to find water and food. What work can the inhabitants of the savannah do during the dry season? Let us find out.
Special work/activities of the savannah people during the dry season
● Rounding up of the cattle and branding of the new animals
● Building and/or repairing of houses, fences and bridges
● Fishing in the shallow waters of rivers, creeks and lakes with bows and
arrows; nets; blowpipes; or spears
● Catching of birds such as toucans and macaws
● Harvesting of crops such as cassava, sweet-potato, corn and bean ● Processing of cassava to make bread, farine, cassareep and other
products
Now let’s find out what happens on the savannah during the rainy or wet season.
The wet season, which lasts from April to around September, brings a change in the appearance of the savannah. When the rains begin grasses flourish and savannah trees that survive the fires bloom. Animals return to graze on the plants that grow after the fires. However, the rainfall in this season is very heavy and it is sometimes accompanied by strong thunderstorms. This often results in severe flooding across the savannah. As rivers, creeks and lakes fill up, they quickly overflow their banks and cause some roads to become like rivers covered by deep waters and impassible. Other roads become so muddy that they are difficult and dangerous to use. The people of the savannah now have to use boats and canoes as their main means of travel in the savannah instead of vehicles they use on a normal day during the dry season. What work or activities can be done in the savannah during the wet/rainy season? What will your answer be? We shall find that out next week.
Goodbye boys and girls!