Course Profile
Geography
of Canada, Grade 9 academic, Catholic
Unit
3
Course Profiles are professional development materials designed to help teachers implement the new Grade 9 secondary school curriculum. These materials were created by writing partnerships of school boards and subject associations. The development of these resources was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education. Permission is given to reproduce these materials for any purpose except profit. Teachers are also encouraged to amend, revise edit, cut, paste, and otherwise adapt this material
for educational purposes.
Any references in this document to particular commercial resources, learning materials, equipment, or technology reflect only the options of the writers of this sample Course Profile, and do not reflect any official endorsement by the Ministry of Education or by the Partnership of School Boards that supported the production of the document.
©Queen’s Printer for Ontario
Lead Board
London District Catholic School Board
Mary Jane Lally, Project Manager
Course Profile Writing Team
Marion Austin, London District Catholic School Board
Steve Patterson, London District Catholic School Board
Jim Sweeney, London District Catholic School Board
John Marinelli, London District Catholic School Board
Mike Taylor, London District Catholic School Board
Catholic Curriculum Cooperative of Central Ontario (CCCC)
Institute for Catholic Education (ICE)
Unit 3: Canada’s Resource Stewardship
Activity 1 | Activity 2
| Activity 3 | Activity 4 | Activity 5
Unit Developer(s)
J. Marinelli, London District Catholic School Board
Development Date: July 1999
Canada has been blessed by God with an abundance of physical natural resources. We have a rich tradition of responsible stewardship from our aboriginal peoples and early settlers. Students are expected to critically examine our use and management of resources; promote the wise use of resources; and cherish our resources as gifts to be used and shared by God. In this unit students demonstrate an understanding of Canada’s resource utilization and the distribution and sustainability of selected Canadian resources. Energy management is examined in an energy megaproject and municipalities’ use of water in waste management. The unit culminates with students simulating a government committee charged with the task of developing a set of criteria to determine whether a specified area of crown land should be open to resource development.
Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations: OCSG1d, OCSG2e, OCSG3f, OCSG4f, OCSG5e, OCSG7h, OCSG7i.
Strand(s): Global Connections, Human-Environment Interactions, Methods of Geographic Inquiry, Understanding and Managing Change
Overall Expectations: HEV.01D, HEV.02D, HEV.03B, HEV.04D, GCV.02B, GCV.03B, UMV.02B, MIV.03D.
Specific Expectations: HE1.02B, HE1.04B, HE1.05D, HE2.01D, HE2.02D, HE2.03D, HE3.01D, HE3.02D, HE3.03D, GC3.01D, GC3.02D, UM2.01B, UM2.04D, UM3.02D, MI1.01B, MI1.02B, MI2.01D, MI2.02B, MI2.03D, MI2.04B, MI2.07B, MI2.14B, MI3.01B, MI3.02D, MI3.03B, MI3.04D.
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Activity 1 |
Canada’s Resources and Consumption |
150 minutes |
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Activity 2 |
Canada’s Energy Sources |
300 minutes |
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Activity 3 |
Valuing Natural Resources |
150 minutes |
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Activity 4 |
Local Management of Energy, Water, and Waste |
150 minutes |
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Activity 5 |
Sustainable Resource Use |
330 minutes |
· Ensure that students have access to the Internet and other hypermedia for research purposes for Activities 2 and 5.
· Collect a variety of sources (texts, hypermedia, magazines, etc.) pertaining to alternative energy sources.
· Obtain information from local governing bodies regarding the management of waste and the conservation of energy and water in the area
· Provide transparencies for each group in Activity 4.
· Decide on the various groups who value our resources and shape roles for the students who represent these interest groups in Activity 4
· Develop or acquire a case study involving a logging company wishing to harvest trees from crown land.
· Check IEPs for identified pupils.
Note: The numbering system used in the Assessment/Evaluation section for each activity is tied directly to the numbers in the Teaching/Learning Strategies section.
· Expectations contained in Grade 7 and 8 Geography Programs.
· Use of the Internet and other hypermedia when researching a topic.
· An understanding of “ecological footprint” from Unit 2.
· Internet protocol - school policy regarding the use of the Internet
· discussion, brainstorming, analysis, note-taking, questioning
· brainstorming, feasibility report, collaborative learning, issue analysis, presentations, researching an issue, computer assisted learning
· calculations and graphing, comparative chart, evaluating, chart, advantage/ disadvantage analysis, response writing, computer assisted learning, political cartoon, pictograph
Roving Conferences/Formal Teacher Observation/Valuing Resources Checklist/Probe Questioning
Formal Teacher Observation/Response Writing Rubric/Oral Presentation Rubric/ Report Card Rubric/Written Report Rubric/Paper and Pencil Test
Approved texts:
Making
Connections: Canada’s Geography
Canada: Exploring
New Directions
Perspectives:
Canada’s Geography
Contact Canada
Atlas
World Resources 1998-99. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Internet Sources/Estat
Multimedia Encyclopedia/PCglobe
Spreadsheet software
Battle for the Trees, National Film Board of Canada
Oil Means Trouble, National Film Board of Canada
Power, National Film Board of Canada
Waste Management - A Time for Action, National Film Board of Canada
Newspaper articles
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Local Government/ Utilities Company
Time: 150 minutes
In this activity, students examine Canada’s rich resource base. Using selected resources, students compare Canada’s share of resources with the rest of the world by means of a display. Knowledge of Canada’s share of resources is needed to make recommendations for sustainable resource use in the culminating activity. Comparison of an average Canadian’s resource use and consumption with citizens from developing countries is also analyzed in this activity and resource distribution is addressed from the viewpoint of Catholic social justice.
Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations: OCSG5e, OCSG4f.
Strand(s): Global Connections, Methods of Geographic Inquiry, Human-Environment Interactions
Overall Expectations: HEV.02D, GCV.02B.
Specific Expectations: GC3.01D, GC3.02D, HE1.04B, MI2.11D, MI2.14B.
· Some tasks may be carried out by means of selected spreadsheet software. If teachers decide to employ this tool, ensure accessibility to computers.
· Identify which resources can be successfully investigated given the sources available to the students for this activity.
· Knowledge of what a commodity is from Unit 1.
· An understanding of “ecological footprint” from Unit 2.
· Knowledge of Grade 7 Geography unit “Natural Resources”.
· Review Catholic point of view regarding resource distribution.
1. The teacher introduces the unit and explains how the knowledge, skills, and thinking processes needed in the culminating activity are addressed.
2. Review the term commodity (goods or services purchased or used by consumers) and compare it with natural resource (a substance found in nature that is useful or valuable to people).
3. The teacher leads a class discussion on resources in Canada. The discussion focuses around the following questions:
i) What are natural resources and what are the different types of resources ( renewable & non-renewable)? Provide examples.
ii) For which natural resources is Canada known?
iii) Why is Canada rich in resources?
iv) What is the importance of resources and the production of commodities, to Canadians?
4. Using statistics from a textbook, atlas, Internet, or any other source, students calculate Canada’s share of selected resources with the rest of the world (e.g., minerals, petroleum, fish). This can be done by dividing the class into groups and assigning specific resources to each group.
5. Students make use of appropriate visual material to present the information to the class (e.g., pictograph). Material can be displayed in an area of the classroom.
6. Using information regarding resource use and consumption (e.g., energy use, food consumption), students compare Canadians with citizens of various developing countries utilizing a comparison organizer (Appendix 3.1.1). A point should be made about the correlation between our share of commodities and our consumption and use of resources.
7. A teacher-led, class discussion addresses the teachings of the Church concerning the moral responsibilities of wealthy nations such as Canada.
3. Informal teacher observation and feedback to students can be used to monitor progress in small groups. Anecdotal notes can be recorded when needed.
4. Formative teacher assessment of the students’ completion of the visual display using a checklist with the following criteria: knowledge of facts, ability to research information, accuracy of display, appropriateness of graphing techniques (Appendix 3.1.2).
5. The teacher checks the comparison organizer for completion.
Atlas or textbook
World Resources 1998-99, Oxford University Press, New York (1998)
World Resource Institute
http://www.wri.org/sdis/data_tbl
Statistics Canada
http://www.statcan.ca
Energy Usage
http://www.undp.org/hdro/energy
Food Consumption
http://www.undp.org/hdro/food
Ryan, Michael. Solidarity: Christian Social Teaching and Canadian Society. London, Ontario: Devine Word Centre, 1986.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, moral responsibility of wealthy nations ~ 2439-2440
· Provide individual help with finding and organizing information.
· Some students may need additional explanation on how to use statistical methods or with mathematical calculations.
· Mixed ability groups may be formed.
· Some students may need peer assistance with completing the comparison chart.
Appendix 3.1.1 - Comparative Chart
Appendix 3.1.2 - Checklist for Visual Display
Time: 300 minutes
Through this activity, students gain knowledge of the regional distribution of Canada’s energy sources and evaluate energy megaprojects undertaken in Canada. The feasibility of using alternative energy sources and implementing conservation strategies is evaluated. Students realize the relative importance of each energy source in Canada and recognize the importance for consumers to practise responsible stewardship of energy resources.
Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations: OCSG3f, OCSG4f, OCSG7i.
Strand(s): Human-Environment Interactions, Methods of Geographic Inquiry, Understanding and Managing Change
Overall Expectations: HEV.02D, HEV.03B.
Specific Expectations: HE1.04B, HE2.03D, HE2.02D, MI1.01B, MI2.02B, MI2.03D.
· The teacher arranges access to a computer lab and the Internet.
· The teacher needs a variety of sources (texts, hypermedia, books, etc.) pertaining to alternative energy sources for use by the students.
· Knowledge of Grade 7 expectations on Natural Resources
· Knowledge of different forms of energy (i.e. hydro-electric, nuclear)
· Some computer skills in order to use the Internet
· Internet protocol - school policy regarding the use of the Internet
1. Students examine the energy sources in Canada using an atlas and then create a map to display the distribution of these resources across Canada. The map is reviewed by the class to ensure correct information.
2. Students use a text to list the importance of each source of energy to Canadians. This can be accomplished by means of a chart with the headings (sources of energy) and points made under each heading.
3. Students individually research an energy megaproject (e.g., Hibernia, James Bay, Athabaska Tar Sands, Churchill Falls) and conduct a pro/con analysis using the Internet. With this information students produce a short report (roughly 1 page in length) of the megaproject.
4. Each energy project studied is discussed as a class, and general aspects that are common to all of the megaprojects are noted in notes by the students and on the blackboard.
5. Small groups of students use a variety of sources, (provided to them by the teacher) to evaluate the feasibility of using and implementing conservation strategies associated with one alternative energy source (e.g., solar, wind, tidal, geothermal). Evaluation is based on:
i) What is the cost of the alternative energy source relative to the mainstream sources?
ii) What are the advantages/disadvantages of the alternative energy source?
6. Each group reports to other classmates using the jigsaw method. Through a class discussion, the teacher summarizes the findings and makes general conclusions regarding the research.
1. Formative teacher assessment of the students’ maps using a Map rubric (Appendix 1.4).
3. Formative teacher assessment of the written report on a megaproject using a Writing Rubric.
3. Informal teacher assessment using probe questions to assess student skills in the inquiry process. Observations can be recorded using a checklist or anecdotal notes can be made.
6. Formative teacher assessment of the jigsaw activity using anecdotal notes if necessary and by use of a checklist based upon the following criteria: student knowledge of their assigned energy source and their ability to communicate information to classmates. Both these criteria are evaluated as one of the following: not evident, satisfactory, or excellent.
Classroom text and atlas
Power (James Bay II Project), National Film Board of Canada
Oil Means Trouble (Hibernia), National Film Board of Canada
Hibernia
http://www.gov.nf.ca/exec/premier/hibernia.htm
Churchill Falls
http://www.ptm.ca/churchill
http://www.nlh.nf.ca
Athabasca Oil Sands
http://www.nsask.ca/education/ideas/tplan/sslp/yukon/bitumont.htm
Alternative Energy Sources
http://www.nrel.gov/ceb.html
http://www.solstice.crest.org/renewables/index.shtml
http://www.eren.doe.gov/
· Find alternate information sources for students experiencing difficulty with computer searches.
· The length of the writing assignment may be shortened for some students.
· Mixed ability groups may be formed.
· Students with a keen interest in energy may wish to create a poster describing how energy from damming is created.
Appendix 1.4 - Map Rubric
Time: 150 minutes
Students further develop their sense of how human activities affect the environment by studying some local disturbances to the natural environment. Students develop criteria to determine the value of natural resources from various viewpoints, and test the criteria by means of a role playing endeavour. This activity concludes with a short, response-writing assignment concerning our moral obligation of resource sustainability for future generations as “God willed creation as a gift to man, an inheritance destined for and entrusted to him”.
Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations: OCSG1d, OCSG2e, OCSG7e.
Strand(s): Human-Environment Interactions, Methods of Geographic Inquiry
Overall Expectations: HEV.01D.
Specific Expectations: HE1.02B, HE2.01D, MI2.01D, MI3.01B, MI3.04D.
· Teachers are to be aware of the kinds of human activities occurring in the local area that affect the local environment (e.g., urban development, agricultural land use etc.).
· Provide transparencies for each group in this activity.
· The teacher should identify various interest groups who value particular resources. The teacher then shapes the roles for the students who represent these interest groups (e.g., logging company, environmentalist).
· Students need to have a good understanding of “ecological footprint” from Unit 2, Activity 7.
1. The teacher begins the class by reviewing, through discussion, the concept of an ecological footprint (definition - the total human impact on an ecosystem).
2. The teacher lists two or three local, human activities which have had some environmental impact on the area (e.g., landfill site, urban development, agricultural land use, etc.). Each small group discusses one of the activities listed by the teacher and determines the various ways, they believe, that particular human activity has had an impact on the area. Each group compiles a list on an overhead transparency and when complete, displays and presents their list to the class.
3. By means of a class discussion, a list of criteria is produced which is used to determine the value of our natural resources. Some ideas may include: ecological value, ethical value, economic value, and aesthetic value among others.
4. The Catholic view of the value of natural resources can be addressed through a class reflection and discussion exercise using selections from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The teacher can take selections from the Catechism and have students reflect on their meaning and follow with a class discussion.
5. The teacher assigns each student a role to play in valuing resources (e.g., developer, naturalist, construction worker, priest, etc.). Each student then values the resources from the viewpoint of their assigned role, using the criteria developed by the class and a self-developed point system. The point system weights certain criteria ahead of others and results in a score out of 100 (e.g., a developer weights economic value high whereas the naturalist weights aesthetic values high).
6. To conclude, the results of the various roles can be compared, and a discussion of the process and outcomes can occur as a class. The class needs to realize that although the scores may be similar, the weighting of the criteria varies amongst the groups.
7. Students write a half- to one-page response addressing the benefits and complications of trying to determine the value of our natural resources using the rubric (Appendix 3.3.1) as a guide. Students assess our moral responsibility to future generations regarding human activity and the environment based on the teachings of the Catholic Church from previous class discussions.
2. Informal teacher observation and feedback to student. Teacher monitors student progress in small groups. Anecdotal notes can be recorded when needed.
4. Informal teacher assessment of the students’ understanding of Catholic teachings using probe questions during the class discussion.
5. Formative teacher assessment using a checklist to collect evidence of each student’s ability to apply, integrate, and transfer his/her knowledge, skills and values required when valuing resources. These can be evaluated using one of the following: not evident, satisfactory, or excellent.
7. Formative teacher assessment using a rubric for each student’s response paper assessing personal growth and development, an understanding of Catholic teachings, use of written language, and an understanding and application of knowledge (Appendix 3.3.1).
Newspapers can be used to find local human activities which have environmental effects.
Catechism of the
Catholic Church
Respect for the integrity of creation ~ 2415 - 2418
God creates an ordered and good world ~ 299
Alberta Bishops’ Statement on the Care of God’s Creation, October 4, 1998
http://www.cccb.ca
· Mixed ability groups may be formed.
· Some students may need help developing a point system for valuing resources.
· Shorter responses may be assigned for those students with writing difficulties.
Appendix 3.3.1 - Rubric for Assessing Response Writing Assignment.
Time: 150 minutes
The focus of this activity is the management of water, energy, and waste materials in the local community. Students examine the success of local waste management practices and their environmental effects on the local natural surroundings. Students produce a report card that rates the success of local waste management. Students follow up with a process that evaluates the success of energy and water conservation strategies in the community by means of a score sheet.
Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations: OCSG3f, OCSG7i.
Strand(s): Human-Environment Interactions, Understanding and Managing Change, Methods of Geographic Inquiry
Overall Expectations: HEV.O4D.
Specific Expectations: HE3.01D, HE3.02D, UM3.03D, MI1.02B.
· Teachers gather or direct students to search for information from local governing bodies regarding the management of waste and the conservation of energy and water in the area.
· Knowledge of local community’s recycling programs.
1. Using materials collected by the teacher or themselves, students analyze local waste management methods focusing on the following two questions:
i) What happens to household garbage and industrial waste in the community?
ii) How are sewage and toxic wastes handled in the community?
(This analysis is carried out by the teacher leading the class in a discussion and creating a flow diagram for the class to copy down)
2. Using the knowledge students have gained from the analysis of local waste management practices, students create a rubric which reflects the successes and failures of local waste management methods on the environment. The rubric/report card uses the following categories:
i) current practices of the local municipality;
ii) benefits to the environment from current practices;
iii) negative effects to the environment from current practices;
iv) suggestions for improvement.
3. Students assess local waste management practices using the rubric they have created.
4. Students share their views on the impact of local recycling programs by brainstorming ideas and listing them in their notebook. The focus is on how recycling programs alleviate some of the environmental problems associated with waste management. A class discussion follows whereby the ideas from the brainstorming are addressed by the teacher and listed on the blackboard.
5. Using a rating scale of 0 to 5 (0 being “non-existent” and 5 being “excellent”), students rate the local community’s efforts in promoting efficiency in energy and water conservation (Appendix 3.4.1). The teacher concludes the activity by summarizing the key points and discussing relevant issues and concerns of the students.
Extension: Students wanting to raise awareness on the issue of local waste and water management, may write an editorial and submit it to the local newspaper.
1. Informal teacher assessment using probe questions to collect evidence of the students’ understanding of waste management methods and the environmental problems associated with them. Anecdotal notes can be made when necessary.
2/3. Formative teacher assessment using the student-created “rubric for assessing local waste management methods”. The rubric reflects the student’s ability to analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and make conclusions, and their ability to communicate these items.
5. The student’s rating of energy and water use is checked for completion by the teacher.
Classroom text
Ministry of the Environment. Guide to Resource Conservation and Cost Savings Opportunities in the Municipal Water and Wastewater Sector.
Waste Management - A Time for Action, National Film Board of Canada
Energy Efficiency Tips
http://www.onhydro.com/residential/energy/index.html
Ontario Water and Wastewater
http://www.oww.org/
Canadian Water and Wastewater Association
http://www.cwwa.ca/
· Mixed ability groups may be formed.
· Students having trouble synthesizing information may need some one-on-one help by the teacher or a peer.
Appendix 3.4.1 - Energy and Water Conservation Score Sheet
Time: 330 minutes
In this culminating activity students simulate a government committee charged with the task of developing a set of criteria to determine whether a specified area should be open to clear-cutting. Recommendations are made for sustainable resource use in the area, developed from a student inquiry into clear-cutting practices. Students synthesize the information they have gathered into a short presentation to the class.
Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations: OCSG3f, OCSG7i.
Strand(s): Methods of Geographic Inquiry, Human-Environment Interactions, Understanding and Managing Change
Overall Expectations: HEV.03B, MIV.03D, UMV.02B.
Specific Expectations: UM2.01B, MI2.01D, MI2.02B, MI2.03D.
· The teacher may develop or acquire a case study involving a logging company wishing to harvest trees from crown land, in turn creating many jobs in the area. This can be based on an actual event or simply fictitious. (The video Battle for the Trees can be used as a basis for a case study.)
· Ensure that students have access to the Internet and other hypermedia for research purposes.
· From Activity 3, students have valued natural resources and they should use the material studied as a reference for this activity
1. Show the class the video Battle for the Trees or Enough is Enough. Both deal with the interests of various people (ordinary citizens, scientists, loggers, environmentalists, and Native peoples), who are witnessing the liquidation of public forests and, with it, a way of life. Students take notes on the following:
i) the battle strategies of all parties involved;
ii) some practical solutions that balance economic needs with the preservation of the ancient forests.
2. The teacher introduces and reads through, with the class, a case study (created by the teacher or from another source - e.g., Temagami) concerning a logging company proposing to harvest trees from an old-growth forest on crown land. With small groups established, each is responsible for the following items:
i) the development of criteria to determine the value of this stand of trees on crown land; these criteria involve the viewpoints of all interest groups (as a start, students use the criteria for valuing resources developed in Activity 3 of this unit and then add to this if needed);
ii) advantages and disadvantages of clear-cutting forest, from all viewpoints, and each group voices opinions on the issue;
iii) recommendations put forth to the government regarding sustainable resource use in the area;
iv) a decision regarding whether the logging company should have access to the old-growth forest and in what capacity (conditions and/or restrictions).
3. Each group presents the findings from the four items above to their classmates via a short, formal presentation using appropriate methods and technology to communicate their findings. The audience simulates a government committee and assesses the presentations of all groups using a rubric (Appendix 3.5.1). The class votes on which presentation is the most persuasive.
4. A debriefing led by the teacher concludes the presentations with discussion being part of this process.
5. Students write a half- to one-page response to the activity, articulating the difficulties in making decisions when groups with various interests are involved, using the rubric (Appendix 3.3.1) as a guide, as in Activity 3.
6. The response writing is accompanied with a student created political cartoon that shows the conflict over our forests. The teacher may use exemplars to give the class an idea of what is involved in their creation. Students make use of the information gathered by their group and communicated by the other groups as the basis for the cartoon as well as their own ideas.
1. Informal observation by the teacher ensuring that students are taking notes while the film is being viewed.
2. Roving conference by the teacher to ensure students are on task, while in small groups, and to help the students with any concerns they may have.
3. Formative peer assessment of the presentation using the Peer Presentation Evaluation rubric (Appendix 3.5.1). The rubric is incorporated into the overall Report to Cabinet Rubric within the Communication criteria.
3. Summative assessment by the teacher using the Report to Cabinet Rubric (Appendix 3.5.2). This rubric assesses the knowledge, inquiry skills and application of concepts of the students. It incorporates the peer assessment of communication completed by the students (Appendix 3.5.1).
5. Formative teacher assessment using a rubric for each student’s response paper assessing personal growth and development, use of written language, and an understanding and application of knowledge (Appendix 3.3.1).
6. Political Cartoon to be assessed by the teacher using a rubric based on the following criteria: understanding of the issue of conflict over our forests, clarity of the message by means of the display, application of knowledge to their display, and ability to make connections between various viewpoints (e.g., environmentalist and developer).
7. Paper and pencil test to assess student progress and achievement of learning expectations and standards for Unit 3.
Class text
Battle for the Trees, National Film Board of Canada
How Much is Enough, National Film Board of Canada
Perspectives in Science 2 - Forestry, National Film Board of Canada
· For students with oral language difficulties, the presentation expectations may be reduced and/or modified to suit their abilities. Specific tasks within the group may be assigned to suit their strengths.
· Some students may be provided with reading material that is highlighted or their task may be otherwise modified (consult IEPs).
Appendix 3.5.1 - Peer Presentation Evaluation Rubric
Appendix 3.5.2 - Report to Cabinet Rubric
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Summarize: (Comment on Canada’s consumption/use of resources compared with some developing countries)
Resource studied: ________________________________
For each criteria check under one of the headings given.
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