1 Unit Lessons for life Opener 1

---

21
Unit 1 Lessons for life
Opener
1
• Optional step Ask students to describe the photo in
detail. Ask: Where is the man? What is the man wearing, 
and why? What is the man doing? Why? 
In feedback,
elicit ideas. Point out that his clothes and headscarf are
those of someone who lives in the desert (they protect
from the sun). Twilight is the time just before nightfall
when the light starts to disappear. You could elicit
what students know about the Tuareg at this stage (see
Background information below).
• Ask students to work in pairs to discuss the proverbs.
In feedback, elicit ideas from students. Follow up by
asking which, if any, of the proverbs students would
choose to adopt for themselves.
EXAMPLE ANSWERS
Students’ own ideas
Better to walk …
This proverb tells us that the Tuareg have a nomadic 
lifestyle (see Background information below). They think 
that being on the move is positive and that not moving is 
a waste of time.
In life, it is always possible to …
This proverb suggests that the Tuareg are a peaceful 
people – they seek to reach agreement with others; it 
suggests they are a trading people – this is the sort of 
belief system that merchants have, for example, that it’s 
always possible to negotiate a deal.
Acquiring things …
This proverb may be interpreted as meaning that 
possessions are of no importance to the Tuareg – they are 
not materialistic. It may also reflect their nomadic lifestyle – 
if you wander in the desert, taking too many things with 
you can slow you down, which could be a problem.
Background information
The Tuareg /
ˈtwɑːrɛɡ/ are a Berber people who live in the 
Sahara desert in north Africa (mostly in Mali, Algeria, 
Niger, Burkina Faso and Libya). Traditionally, they are 
semi-nomadic, which means that they travel with their 
animal herds at some times of the year, but have a home 
area where they grow some food crops. They are famously 
connected with the great camel trading routes across 
the Sahara. Sometimes they are called the ‘blue people’ 
because of the indigo-dye-coloured clothes they wear.