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Activity
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Methodology
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Resources
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1. What Is the Environment?
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a. Values and the environment
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Brainstorm 16 different elements that make up the environment, and construct a definition of what this means. Complete an organizer with several parts of the environment distinguishing its ecosystem and instrumental values.
Complete a short worksheet on the value of wilderness, that ask students to describe various ways of using wilderness, and evaluate how they feel about it.
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What is the Environment? worksheet
Wilderness Canada worksheet; readings from Perspectives p. 144-147.
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2. Ecological Footprints
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a. What are they?
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Take a short note introducing ecological footprints. Use ecological footprints as a window to all the ways humans impact on the environment to be reviewed in this unit.
Complete an ecological footprint questionnaire to determine one's own ecological footprint
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Ecological Footprint Questionnaire (e.g. Recycling Council of Ontario)
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b. Determining your ecological footprint
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Design an ecological footprint questionnaire to be given to residents of local community. Use a fill-in-the-blank empty survey with questions to be developed in categories including housing, food, transportation, purchases and waste.
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Treading Lightly Survey assignment sheet
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3. Preview of Natural Resources
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a. What are they?
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Complete an overview worksheet package which introduces the major natural resources in Canada (fish, minerals, forestry, soil (agriculture), water, and furs).
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Ontario's Natural Resources (fact sheet) worksheet package (source unknown)
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b. Extractive industries
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Complete an organizer with a list of common products that come from natural resources. Determine the natural resource used, and name the extractive industry chosen from a list provided.
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Natural Resource Industries Canada worksheet
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4. Forestry
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a. The forest industry
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Complete an overview worksheet package which introduces forestry, distinguishing hardwood and softwood industries, products, and location of forestry operations in Northern Ontario.
Complete a short reading assignment on the forest industry, and answer several questions.
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Forestry in Ontario worksheet package (source unknown)
Forestry Canada worksheet; readings from Perspectives p. 60-63
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b. The forest around us
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Take students on a field trip through the local forest (on snowshoes if appropriate). Use an illustrated key to local trees to identify tree species. Upon returning complete a worksheet about the local effects and impacts of forest fires, and potential forest extraction.
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The Forest Around Us worksheet; a key to local tree species; snowshoes
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5. Mining
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a. The mining industry
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Complete an overview worksheet package which introduces mining, distinguishing types of mining, and products of mining.
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Mining in Ontario worksheet package (source unknown)
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b. Mine development
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Complete a short reading assignment on the mining industry, and answer several questions about types of mining, prospecting, and mine development.
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Mining Canada worksheet; readings from Perspectives p. 76-82
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6. Fisheries
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a. The fishing industry
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Complete an overview worksheet package which introduces fisheries, distinguishing inshore, offshore fisheries, methods and types of fish caught.
Read a short newspaper article on life in Newfoundland after the cod stocks disappeared. Answer several questions.
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The Atlantic Fisheries worksheet package (source unknown)
The Fish Vanished questions
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b. Comparing east and west coast fisheries
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Complete a short reading assignment comparing the east and west coast fishing industries, methods used, and impacts on human populations.
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Fisheries Canada worksheet; readings from Perspectives p. 54-59
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7. Energy
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Complete a worksheet interpreting data on energy use in Canada from a variety of sources.
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Energy Canada worksheet
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8. Water
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a. Water sources
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Take a graphic and text note on sources of water in Canada. Using an image of the water cycle to explain it. List a series of names for freshwater bodies in Canada. Distinguish these from saltwater bodies.
Each student completes an assessment of their household's water use. Class data is collected, summarized, and interpreted.
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Household Water Use assignment sheet
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b. Water conservation and pollution
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Complete a worksheet analyzing the water flow in the community, and identify sources and reasons for pollution.
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Water Use Flow Chart worksheet
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9. Natural Resources
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a. Canadian resources in geographic context
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Complete an assignment using tables, graphs and charts obtained from a recent Atlas of Canada to develop a map of Canada which emphasizes the primary resource industry in each province.
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Natural Resources Canada assignment sheet; Natural Resources Canada Data Sheet with figures and tables from the Oxford Atlas of Canada
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b. A natural resources fact sheet
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Choose any of the natural resources we have considered in the course (add agriculture), and use textbook, atlas, and internet sources to produce a graphic and text fact sheet on this resource in Canada (facts required include geography, extractive information, processing information, impacts on the natural environment associated with extracting and processing the resource, etc.).
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Natural Resources Fact Sheet assignment sheet; various textual reference sources
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c. Evaluating a resource deal
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After reading an imaginary case study of a mineral find adjacent to the community, and the deal proposed to extract it, students evaluate the benefits and costs associated with signing this deal for the community and the natural environment.
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Evaluating a Resource Deal assignment sheet
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10. Unit Test & Review
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Complete a review of all knowledge and skills developed in the unit
Write a paper and pencil test.
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Unit 3 Review worksheet
Unit 3 Test
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