Cotton is sold in European countries, like France. It is sometimes called 'white gold'. Print out and photocopy the linked photos below. With children working in small groups, ask them to list what they can see in each picture, then give them a set of the captions and ask them to match pictures with the captions to describe how cotton is produced in Mali. A. Mali produces thousands of tons of cotton each year.
Most cotton is harvested by machine and taken by truck from the fields ready for transportation.
B. Temperatures in Mali can reach 40 C so Malian women and men like to wear robes made of cotton called bobos . The robes are brightly coloured and the patterns represent things from the Mali people's lives and folktales. C. Malian farmers grow cotton and other crops in their fields. Cotton bushes need regular watering. Some cotton is picked by hand.