Course Profile
Geography of Canada, Grade 9 academic, Public
Unit 3
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Course Profile Writing Team
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Carol Carr, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
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Mike Filip, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
Cec Knight, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
Gale May, York Region District School Board, OAGEE Representative
Sonja Vandermeer, Trillium Lakelands District School Board
Unit 3: Humans in the Environment
Activity 1 | Activity 2
| Activity 3 | Activity 4 | Activity 5 |
Activity 6 | Activity 7
| Activity 8 | Activity 9
Development Date: August 12, 1999
Students develop research skills as they explore the relationship between humans and their environment with a focus on the interaction of human and natural systems. Students use case studies and analysis of systems management to investigate issues related to natural resources. Building on the concept of ecological footprint the culminating activity brings the global concerns related to human and environmental interaction into a local and personal focus.
Strand(s): Geographic Foundations: Space and Systems, Human-Environment Interactions, Global Connections, Understanding and Managing Change, Methods of Geographic Inquiry
Overall Expectations: SSV.03B, SSV.04B, SSV.05B, HEV.01D, HEV.02D, HEV.03B, HEV.04D, GCV.03B, UMV.01B, UMV.02B, MIV.01B, MIV.02B, MIV.03D.
Specific Expectations: SS1.03B, SS1.04B, SS3.01D, SS3.04D, HE1.01B, HE1.02B, HE1.03B, HE1.04B, HE2.01D, HE2.02D, HE2.O3D, HE2.04D, HE2.05B, HE3.01D, HE3.02D, HE3.03D, GC2.01D, GC3.03D, UM1.02B, UM2.01B, UM2.02B, UM2.03B, UM3.03D, MI1.01B, MI1.02B, MI2.01D, MI2.02B, MI2.03D, MI2.04B, MI2.06B, MI2.07B, MI2.08B, MI2.10D, MI2.11B, MI2.14B, MI3.01B, MI3.02D, MI3.04D.
|
Activity 1 |
Valuing the Environment |
60 minutes |
|
Activity 2 |
Determining Our Ecological Footprint |
90 minutes |
|
Activity 3 |
Exploring Water Management |
210 minutes |
|
Activity 4 |
Making a Presentation on an Energy Source |
240 minutes |
|
Activity 5 |
Researching Automobiles and Alternatives |
120 minutes |
|
Activity 6 |
Investigating Urbanization and Loss of Agricultural Land |
240 minutes |
|
Activity 7 |
Creating a Bulletin Board on Waste Management |
180 minutes |
|
Activity 8 |
Examining Resource Use Through Case Studies |
180 minutes |
|
Activity 9 |
Developing an Environmental Futures Tree |
180 minutes |
This unit builds on concepts and skills developed in the elementary curriculum and throughout the first two units of this course. The strands, from Grade 7 Geography, of geographic inquiry, patterns in physical geography and natural resources provide important prior learning. Also important is the Earth and Space Science Strand from the Science and Technology curriculum, especially the expectations for Grade 8 which address Water Systems.
· Review information on waste management, ecological footprint and carrying capacity.
· Review the activities prior to detailed lesson planning, as some activities require completion of tasks prior to class. Consider modifications to the activities appropriate to your class, your facilities, and your community.
· Plan to introduce the culminating activity early in the unit, so students are aware of the focus for their studies.
· Plan to collect samples of student work during the unit that demonstrate achievement at different levels for use in the future.
· Teachers ensure:
· appropriate bookings of technology facilities;
· an adequate supply of textual and graphic resources on ecological footprints, waste management, water management, common and alternative energy sources, information related to the resource and energy costs of transportation, loss of agricultural land in Ontario and materials related to the case studies as well as information on local development;
· preparation of materials for activities (e.g., chart paper, graph paper, tracing paper);
· arrangements and accommodations for field study and field trip.
Student learning takes place in this unit through involvement in a variety of the following:
· Socratic lessons;
· brainstorming;
· concept web development;
· map and graph construction and analysis;
· multimedia production and presentation;
· simulation and role playing;
· co-operative learning;
· oral and visual presentation;
· research of secondary sources.
While many of these activities can be done in pairs and groups, they can also be carried out as individual activities.
During this unit checklists and rating scales, often involving self- and peer-assessment, are used to provide frequent feedback. This provides opportunities for students to set individual goals and improve their learning. Students need guidance from teachers to carry this out. Some assessments are also used to provide data on learning skills, which are reported separately from achievement of expectations on the report card, but are critical for student success.
More complex tasks are assessed using rubrics (some rubrics are included in the appendix as models, and demonstrate connections between their criteria and the categories in the achievement charts). Share rubrics with students beforehand and encourage student input into their creation. Give students the opportunity to view exemplary student work to support improving student learning.
The learning activities are designed to meet a cluster of expectations, and the variety of assessment tools used to assess the learning tasks allow for students to demonstrate their achievement of the expectations at all levels and in all categories of the achievement charts. While self- and peer-assessment of individual and group activities are used for formative assessment, teacher-assessment of individual student work is used for summative assessment and evaluation.
In addition to the listings in the Resources section of Phase I, the following resources are useful for this unit:
Canada and the World Backgrounder: Our Threatened Planet. R/L Taylor Publishing Consultants Limited.
Imprints: Developing Canada’s Resources. Prentice Hall Ginn Canada. ISBN 0-13-240011-1
Wackernagel and Rees. Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth. New Society Publishers. ISBN 1-55092-251-3
Yamada, Karen. Ecoquest: Reducing Our Ecological Footprint. Toronto: Lever-Pond’s, 1996.
ISBN 0-9698878-3-3
The approved textbooks for this course are also useful for this unit, and are referred to in many of the activities.
Cartwright, F., G. Birchall, and G. Pierce. Contact Canada 3rd Edition. Oxford University Press Canada, 1999. ISBN 19-5414-896
Clark, B.W. and J.K. Wallace. Making Connections: Canada’s Geography. Prentice Hall Ginn, 1999. ISBN 0-7702-6633-9
Draper, G. and W. Andrew. Perspectives: Canadian Geography. Irwin Publishing, 1999.
ISBN 0-7725-2757-1
Wright, I.A., L.A. Swatridge, W. Hildebrand, C.A. Oliver, and G.D. Pyzer. Canada: Exploring New Directions. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1999. ISBN 1-55041-377-5
Resources useful for specific activities are listed under the Resources heading for each activity.
Time: 60 minutes
Students brainstorm the topic “Elements of the Environment”. Students draw from their previous knowledge of what makes up the environment and then determine what value each of these elements has in the world. Students then create a web to identify the interconnections between these elements. Students are asked to generate their own definition of the concept of our ecological footprint, so they may realize the impact that their way of life has on the environmental elements.
Strand(s): Human-Environment Interactions
Overall Expectations: HEV.01D, HEV.03B.
Specific Expectations: HE1.01B, HE2.01D.
· Prepare materials for brainstorming activity.
Students draw upon prior learning in Grade 7 and 8 in which they demonstrated an understanding of geographic inquiry and the different methods in which to communicate geographic information, the ability to identify factors that affect the use and value of natural resources, and an understanding of how human activity affects the environment.
1. Individually, students generate a list of the different elements of the environment, writing each element on a separate post-it note. In groups, students each post their elements on a piece of chart paper and then move them into identifiable categories. The students share the elements they have agreed on with the rest of the class. They may add categories to their chart once they have heard ideas from the other groups.
2. In groups students then place values on each of the elements on their chart paper to identify why they are important (e.g., Forests - valued as a natural resource, a place for wildlife, a source of oxygen).
3. Each group then posts their chart paper, reporting on one of their elements.
4. The teacher then summarizes and uses the student charts to generate a web showing the interconnections.
5. At this point, the teacher identifies how an ecological footprint can be used as a way for students to consider the impact that their way of life has on the different elements of the environment. Students create their own definition of “my ecological footprint”. The teacher has students share definitions in order to reinforce the concept and provide a transition to the next activity.
|
Tool |
Purpose |
Who |
Activity |
|
Observation |
diagnostic |
teacher |
Group Charts |
· Work with a peer/buddy or scribe.
· Use the textbooks (Making Connections and Perspectives) to generate ideas.
· Provide expectations in written form.
Textbooks
Time: 90 minutes
Students develop the concept of ecological footprint through discussing renewable and non-renewable resources, carrying out a one-day inventory of their personal behaviours and habits (their ecological footprint), and identifying how they affect resource depletion and resource sustainability. Individual results become part of a class set of data from which they can determine how they can work towards reducing their ecological footprint.
Strand(s): Human-Environment Interactions, Understanding and Managing Change, Methods of Geographic Inquiry
Overall Expectations: HEV.01D, HEV.02D, UMV.02B, MIV.02B, MIV.03D.
Specific Expectations: HE1.01B, HE1.02B, HE2.05B, UM2.02B, MI1.02B, MI2.03D, MI2.04B, MI2.10D.
· Ensure chart paper, markers, and graph paper are available.
Students need to draw upon prior learning in Grade 7 and 8 to focus their inquiry to the theme of environment; gather, process, and communicate geographic information through graphing and written skills, demonstrate an understanding of how human activity affects people and the environment.
1. With a partner, students create a list of classroom objects and identify those that are not made from natural resources. They quickly recognize that all items are made from natural resources. The teacher can create a chart to identify the different resources used in making the various items.
2. Students develop the concept of a renewable versus a non-renewable resource by creating definitions in their notebook. Then students write a brief paragraph to outline the impact that their way of life and consumption has on resource depletion and sustainability. They can share their paragraphs with the class. (This also serves as a way of predicting their consumption patterns before they complete the inventory activity.)
3. Students keep a one-day inventory (could extend the inventory up to 7 days), of their personal behaviours according to the five ecological footprint areas: water, food, garbage, energy use, and transportation (see Appendix 3.2.1 for sample inventory). The teacher gathers all of the data from the students
4. Once the data is collected for each area, the teacher divides the class into five groups, with each group assigned to one set of class data.
5. Each group creates a graph of their data (suggestions are bar graphs or circle graphs). The graph can be done on chart paper or on graph paper to create a visual analysis.
6. Each group then examines their results and determines ways in which they could reduce their consumption or practices (e.g., Food - eat more fruits and vegetables to decrease the amount of packaging, or Garbage - recycle more items) and summarizes their conclusions on chart paper.
7. Each group briefly presents their results to the class and identifies ways to work towards resource sustainability in their designated area.
8. The teacher posts the graphs and the summaries in the classroom and has each student write a response to summarize the class results, focussed on working towards resource sustainability and decreasing the impact of our ecological footprint.
9. The teacher explains that the rest of the activities in the unit explore the components of the ecological footprint, leading up to the culminating activity in which students are able to identify personal actions to reduce their ecological footprints.
|
Tool |
Purpose |
Who |
Activity |
|
Checklist (teacher-generated) |
formative |
teacher |
Graph |
|
Rating scale (teacher-generated) |
formative |
student |
Group Participation (learning skills) |
|
Checklist (teacher-generated) |
formative |
teacher |
Written Summary of Class Results |
· Extend the activity by increasing the inventory up to seven days in length and have the students graph and analyse their own individual results.
· Encourage students to get help from a parent or guardian to complete the inventory or work with a partner to complete the summary of the class results.
· As an extension, expand the inventory to itemize all foods and their sources, in order to relate food consumption to the energy involved in production and transportation.
Textbooks
Time: 210 minutes
In this activity, students investigate water consumption and management in Canada and in their local region. First they review their own use and examine statistics on water consumption. Then they carry out an exercise to simulate the management of a watershed using dams and reservoirs. This is followed by a field study of their local watershed.
Strand(s): Geographic Foundations: Space and Systems, Human-Environment Interactions, Understanding and Managing Change, Methods of Geographic Inquiry
Overall Expectations: SSV.03B, SSV.05B, UMV01B, UMV.02B, HEV.01D, HEV.02D, HEV.03D, HEV.04D, MIV.01B, MIV.02B, MIV.03D.
Specific Expectations: SS1.03B, SS1.04B, SS3.01D, SS3.04D, HE1.01B, HE1.02B, HE2.01D, HE2.04D, HE2.05B, UM1.02B, UM2.01B, UM2.02B, UM2.03B, UM3.03D, MI1.02B, MI2.03D, MI2.04B, MI2.08B, MI3.01B, MI3.04D.
· Visit your local Public Works Department and obtain a guide to water efficiency - this provides local data on consumption.
· Contact the local Conservation Authority for information on local water management issues and floodplain controls.
· Prepare the equipment required for the water management simulation as outlined in Appendix 3.3.1.
· Refer to the resources listed for a more detailed explanation of this experiment.
· Using a topographic map of your region, prepare this Watershed Field Study by locating certain water resource sites. The Public Works department or local Conservation Authority may be of great help.
· Be sure to visit the sites and construct a valid and informative worksheet of questions.
· Provide a local map so that the students can follow the route precisely.
· On the worksheet, include questions such as: list the names of lakes and rivers that we pass; what kinds of businesses do you see along route and how many of these businesses depend on water activities; stop at a flood plain and discuss the effects of a rise in water levels; stop at a hydro electric installation and discuss who operates the dam, what kind of resources does it create, what has been lost or changed by building this dam; stop at a wetland and ask in what way is a wetland like a sponge, what role do wetlands play in the quantity and the quality of water; stop at a wild life preserve and discuss and note the lack of development and the amount of management visible; stop at a natural spring of groundwater and discuss how this water might become contaminated by nearby sources; stop at a trout spawning shoal and observe how a trout ladder works and ask whether this type of technique is worthwhile; stop at a watershed divide and ask if the students can envision the natural flow of water; stop at a detention pond and discuss why these are required now that infrastructure has been built.
· Depending on your area, you may also include such sites as reservoirs, canals, irrigation streams, ditches constructed for heavy rain, water treatment plants, harbours, and the mouth of rivers as they enter a lake (perhaps testing temperature, acidity, or water quality).
· Choose a nice setting (beside a lake or river) to eat lunch, allowing students to appreciate the aesthetic value of water resources.
· If cost for the field trip is a concern, try visiting some local water management sites within walking distance. Most creeks and streams have regulating dams, and storm ditches are located beside most roads to catch a surplus of precipitation.
Students draw on their understanding of the themes that geographers use to organize their inquiries such as location, environment, region, and interaction as well as locate relevant information from a variety of primary sources, of how human activity affects the environment and how technology has affected natural resources, and of how people use renewable, non-renewable, and flow resources in a variety of ways to meet their needs. They also use their ability to communicate results through graphs and charts.
1. The teacher introduces the topic of water management using reference to the data collected as part of their personal inventory in Activity 2. Students gather data for their household consumption of water and then compare their use of water. The activity in Making Connections (p. 442) may be used as a guide.
a. Construct a graph with Daily Water Use (L) on the vertical axis and Family Size (people) on the horizontal axis. Each student in the group plots the data.
b. What is the relationship between the number of people in a household and the amount of water used?
c. Determine per person consumption by dividing the total water consumption of each household by the number of people in that household
d. What are some of the similarities and differences between students and their water uses?
e. What things could you and your family do to reduce the amount of water you use?
(Adapted from Making Connections, Prentice Hall Ginn)
2. The teacher discusses water consumption on a national level (reminding them that this is only personal use and does not include industrial, commercial, recreational or agricultural usage, which increases Canada’s per capita use to over 950L!) using the following data:
|
Average Daily
Household Water Use (per capita). |
||||
|
United States |
425L |
|
France |
150L |
|
Canada |
350L |
|
Germany |
150L |
|
United Kingdom |
200L |
|
Israel |
135L |
|
Sweden |
200L |
|
|
|
3. The teacher discusses water consumption at a regional level, using local information, if possible, and asks students what the impact of this is. The following statistics are a sample of what can be obtained from a local guide to water efficiency in litres per person per day.
|
Pickering |
950 |
Oshawa |
964 |
Newcastle |
936 |
|
Ajax |
968 |
Orono |
609 |
Bowmanville |
732 |
|
Whitby |
973 |
Uxbridge |
809 |
Courtice |
736 |
4. Students create a bar graph using these or local statistics, and suggest reasons why their regional statistics are high or low. The teacher provides students with the following information: most of the water in southern Ontario is used for domestic purposes (61.8%); other uses are commercial (24.5%), industrial (11.1%), and institutional (2.6%). Almost 50% of our water is used during the summer months putting stress on municipal water supply and treatment systems.
5. The teacher reviews the hydrological cycle and assigns homework to define the following terms: run-off, groundwater, water-table, flood plain, and wetlands in preparation for the water management simulation.
6. The teacher introduces the simulation exercise by asking the students why it is important to learn about water management in a province that contains ½ of Canada’s abundant fresh water supply.
7. Students brainstorm the advantages and disadvantages of dams and reservoirs (one of the most common means of managing water resources) by considering both large scale (Hoover Dam) and local scale (regulating dams on your local creek) examples.
8. The teacher reviews the importance of water supply to a community and discusses sources of water in Ontario communities, including the impact of settlements on flood plains, with local examples if possible.
9. The teacher explains that the goal of this problem-solving simulation exercise is to prevent the river and lakes from flooding the town.
10. The teacher explains the set-up as follows:
Attach each funnel to a clamp so that the large one is on top (referred to as funnel #1) and the small one is second from the bottom (referred to as funnel #4). All funnels should be over top of each other, equally spaced, and the plastic container at the very bottom to catch the water. The container top with a hole in it will sit on funnel #5 (this is the flood plain) and the houses are built on this flood plain. Funnel #1 represents nature, the input of water into a watershed system. This abundance of water may be due to a heavy rain, or snow melt. This volume of water demands the placement of dams (stoppers) in all three lakes (funnels) to prevent the river and town (bottom funnel) from flooding. Funnel #5 represents a river moving through your town - most settlement are situated on a flood plain (because of the good soil) and beside a river (because of all the uses discussed in the earlier class). Funnels #2, #3, and #4 represent lakes and smaller bodies of water illustrating the water storage capacity. One of the funnels should be smaller to show that not all lakes have the same storage capacity and that the design of a flow management system is dictated by the physical variables of the watershed. The stoppers represent dams, because the rate of flow across a dam can be controlled to a certain degree. Since each stopper has a different size hole in it, a certain amount of water flows through. Just as a dam operator can control how quickly or slowly a water body drains, the students have control over the drainage of the funnels by choosing from the five available stoppers. The students discover that the only stopper order that prevents all flooding is as follows: 11 mm, 7.2 mm, and then 5.5 mm.
11. The students use the same, designated volume of water in the top funnel during each trial. (Use a fingertip to plug the top funnel spout to allow filling the funnel to the correct level. Remove the finger abruptly and cleanly to begin every water trial and observe the flow of water.) When the lakes (funnels) overflow, the town below is washed out, and a new management system must be devised. The teacher encourages the students to approach the task trying to use the least number of stoppers to prevent the flooding, even though the students will realize they need all three dams to properly manage the river. Students add and arrange stoppers in the three lakes until all flooding is prevented.
12. Students complete a reflection paper on the exercise, including discussion about costs and benefits of dams and alternatives to control flooding.
13. Students prepare for the field study by locating the route and sites on a topographic map on the day prior to the trip. The teacher explains the purpose and process of each human-made site and the importance of each natural site.
14. The teacher distributes the worksheet that the students complete during their field study. The teacher may begin by asking what a watershed is, which national watershed we live in, and which regional watershed we live in (usually each one has a name). Students locate distinct watershed boundaries (high ridges of land) on the map and discuss the direction of water flow.
15. The teacher leads the field trip and the students complete the field trip worksheet.
16. The teacher facilitates follow up discussion at the start of the next class to tie in some of the key concepts and management techniques examined.
|
Tool |
Purpose |
Who |
Activity |
|
Checklist (teacher-generated) |
formative |
peer |
Group Water Use Graph |
|
Checklist (teacher-generated) |
formative |
teacher |
Local Consumption Graph and Questions |
|
Rating Scale (teacher-generated) |
formative |
self or peer |
Management Experiment |
|
Rubric (teacher-generated) |
formative |
teacher |
Reflection Paper |
|
Checklist (teacher-generated) |
formative |
teacher |
Watershed Field Study Worksheet |
· Draw the outline for Water Use vs. Family-Size graph
· Provide the following extension: The teacher tells the students that the sponges represent wetlands. They can insert the 7.2 mm stopper into funnel #4, moisten the sponges so that the surface tension of incoming water is broken allowing proper absorption, insert sponges (wetlands) into funnels #2 and #3 so that the spout is slightly stuffing into the sponge below and then gently pour the 2 cups of water into the top funnel. Ideally, the water flows through the simulator without causing the bottom funnel and flood plain to flood. The teacher can ask students to notice how the wetlands (sponges) swell to absorb the water, then slowly release the water over an extended period of time. Students can remove the sponges to simulate draining the wetlands for development of that area (golf course, shopping mall, subdivision) and then conduct another water trial. (The activity “Wetland Metaphors” from Project WILD! would be a valuable follow up exercise.)
· Provide students with a sketch of the water management set up, complete instructions, and a checklist.
· Structure the groups so there is a range of abilities.
· Work through the exercise step by step as a class.
Textbooks
The Green Teacher, June-September 1996 (“Floods and Dams”, p.13)
Large scale maps of the field study route.
Topographic maps of the region.
The Waterworks: A Water Management Simulation produced by Leslie M. Frost Natural Resource Center.
Time: 240 minutes
In this activity, students work in small co-operative groups to produce a model and deliver a presentation on an energy source.
Strands: Geographic Foundations: Space and Systems, Human - Environment Interactions, Methods of Geographic Inquiry
Overall Expectations: SSV.04B, HEV.02D, MIV.01B, MIV.03D.
Specific Expectations: SSI.04B, HE1.02D, HE1.04B, HE2.03D, MI1.01B, MI1.02B, MI2.03D, MI2.08B, MI2.10D, MI2.13B, MI3.02D, MI3.04D.
· Consider doing the activity using multi-media software such as Corel Presentations or Microsoft PowerPoint. (If so, the teacher may wish to provide a template for all groups to follow.)
· Ensure a variety of resources on each energy source and available materials for student models.
· Make reservations of the library/resource centre/computer lab for research.
· Consider having a science and/or technology teacher come in to talk about the mechanics of electrical power generation or discuss connections with the Grade 9 Science curriculum (Electricity unit).
· Consider having a representative from a local utilities company or power plant come in to talk to the class and/or help assess the presentations.
· Consider taking students on a tour of a local power-generating station.
From the elementary curriculum in Science and Technology students draw on their general understanding of energy and its sources, measurement of energy, and energy production.
1. Referring to students’ personal inventories from Activity 2, and the items for which they use energy, the teacher introduces this project as a way of finding out more about the energy systems in use. The teacher divides the class into groups of four students and assigns each group one of the following energy sources: biomass, coal, energy from waste, geothermal, hydroelectricity, hydrogen, natural gas, nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, ocean thermal, oil, photovoltaic cells (solar), tidal, wind.
2. The teacher assigns the following roles to students in each group:
|
Role |
Responsibility |
|
Researcher |
Researching: · the energy production process of the assigned source and providing this information to the designer/engineer; · the distribution of the power plants that use the source; · data illustrating the percentage of electrical power in Ontario, Canada, North America and/or the World that is generated from the source and providing this information to the cartographer; · the pre-requisite conditions necessary for the successful generation of power using the source; · the benefits/disadvantages of using the energy source to generate power; · information on a Megaproject related to the energy source and providing this information to the writer. |
|
Writer |
Use the information and data provided by the Researcher to write a brief report outlining: · the energy production process of the source; · pre-requisite conditions and benefits/disadvantages of the energy source; · the feasibility of generating power in this manner in the local region; · an overview of a Megaproject related to the energy source. Incorporate the maps and graphs provided by the cartographer into the report. Produce visuals (e.g., a chart or a poster, or slides if multimedia software is used) for use in the group presentation that highlights important information from the report. |
|
Cartographer |
Use the information and data provided by the Researcher to: · produce maps of Ontario, Canada, North America, and/or the World showing the distribution of the power plants that use the assigned energy source; · produce a series of graphs illustrating the percentage of electrical power in Ontario, Canada, North America, and/or the World that is generated from this source and provide these maps and graphs to the Writer. |
|
Designer and Engineer |
Use the information and data provided by the Researcher to: · construct a model that demonstrates the energy production process of the assigned source. |
3. The teacher discusses the critical elements for successful co-operative group dynamics (e.g., individual accountability and positive interdependence). Though individual roles are assigned in this activity, students should be encouraged to assist fellow group members with their tasks. Under the guidance of the Writer, students develop a presentation to the class that:
· involves all group members;
· focusses on an illustration and discussion of the energy production process using the group’s model;
· highlights important information in the group’s report (i.e., maps/graphs, pre-requisite conditions, local feasibility, and benefits/disadvantages).
4. The teacher provides groups with resources related to their energy source and time in the resource center to use hard copy resources, electronic media, and/or the Internet for research.
5. The teacher provides students with available materials for their models and suggestions on sources for additional materials.
|
Tool |
Purpose |
Who |
Activity |
|
Self Peer Evaluation - Appendix A |
formative |
self and peer |
Group Work |
|
Presentation Evaluation Rubric - Appendix D |
summative |
teacher |
Presentation |
|
Report Evaluation Rubric (teacher-generated) |
summative |
teacher |
Group Report |
|
Rating Scale (teacher-generated) |
summative |
teacher |
Model |
Canada and the World Energy. R/L Taylor Publishing Consultants Limited
Canada and the World Backgrounder: Out Threatened Planet. R/L Taylor Publishing Consultants Limited
Human Activities and the Environment. Statistics Canada, 1994. ISBN 0-660-15439-0
· Arrange heterogeneous groupings of students according to learning style and give students the opportunity to select roles according to their strengths and interests.
· Provide templates or guides, including sequential steps, to students to assist them with their role.
Time: 120 minutes
In this activity students examine the use of the automobile and alternative methods for transporting people by considering the efficiency of various forms of transportation and discussing programs, incentives, and facilities that promote the increased usage of the more efficient modes. They research alternative fuel sources and complete tasks related to Ontario’s Clean Drive program and Automobiles and the Environment. The investigation concludes with a discussion of the complexities involved in achieving sustainable development in the automotive industry.
Strand(s): Geographic Foundations: Space and Systems, Human - Environment Interactions, Global Connections, Understanding and Managing Change, Methods of Geographic Inquiry
Overall Expectations: SSV .05B, HEV.01D, HEV.03B, HEV.04D, GCV.03B, UMV.02B, MIV.01B, MIV.03D.
Specific Expectations: SSI.04B, HE1.02B, HE2.02D, HE2.04D, HE2.05B, HE3.02D, GC2.01D, UM1.02B, UM2.02B, UM2.03B, MI1.01B, MI1.02B, MI2.03D, MI2.04B, MI2.08B, MI2.11D, MI2.14B.
Students use their ability to interpret bar graphs and perform simple mathematical calculations, and draw on their understanding of transportation networks from Unit 2.
· Make appropriate reservations of the computer lab and Internet access or download contents of the Internet sites to prepare hard copies for students.
· Ensure materials for production of posters are available.
1. The teacher refers to the Unit 2 activity on moving goods and peoples and to the data collected in their personal inventory in Activity 2 to introduce the concepts of transporting people. The teacher uses the text, diagrams and graphs on p.108-109 of Perspectives, p.51-52 of Canada and the World: An Atlas Resource 2nd Edition or other suitable resources to extend the concept.
2. The teacher draws students attention to: Figure 6.4.f “Vehicle Ownership and transit ridership” and Figure 3.6.c “Comparing efficiency of methods of moving people” on p. 205 of Perspectives and Figure 3.6.b “Average energy used moving people per person per kilometer” on p.108, (alternative: “Energy efficiency: Average energy use per person per kilometer” graph on p.51 of Canada and the World: An Atlas Resource 2nd Edition), and proposes the following questions for discussion:
· What is the most efficient way of moving people? What is the least efficient?
· Compare other forms of transportation to the streetcar by calculating how many times less efficient each is in moving one person one kilometre (i.e., how many times the number of megajoules are required?)
· Since the 1950s, what has been the trend involving the use of transit vs. the use of the automobile? Why is this trend is occurring? What impact will it have on humans and the environment?
· From your knowledge, how are cars being improved to reduce the problems they create?
· What areas in your local area experience traffic congestion? At what times of day is this congestion the worst? Where are all these people going?
· What programs, incentives, facilities, etc. are you aware of in your local area or other areas of the province that are encouraging the use of carpooling and public transit?
(Questions adapted from Perspectives, Irwin Publishing)
3. Students read the Case Study on Natural-gas powered vehicles on p.75 of Perspectives and complete Question 6 for homework: Use your Resource Centre and the Internet to research an alternate source of fuel for automobiles, e.g., hydrogen fuel-cell, solar-or battery-powered cars. Write a “consumers’ report” on the chosen fuel.
4. The teacher introduces the Environmental Impacts of Automobiles by sharing the following information with students:
With the increases in
automobile traffic, it has become apparent over the last 20 years that the
automobile has many negative impacts on human health and the environment. The
majority of these impacts are the result of tailpipe emissions from the
combustion of gasoline or diesel fuel. The main pollutants from automobile
emissions, for conventional gasoline and diesel engines, are: carbon dioxide,
carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, suspended particulates and
lead.
5. Students visit the web sites related to Ontario’s Drive Clean program and the Automobile and the Environment (www.driveclean.com), follow the links shown below and complete the tasks for each section:
Link: Why " Drive Clean will make a difference
Question: How will Drive Clean help us and our environment?
Link: Back " Ontario’s smog problem
Question: What is smog? What is it composed of? Where do these pollutants come from? How are they created? How does smog affect us?
Link: Back " Fine particles in our air " What are fine particles?
Question: What are fine particles composed of and where do they come from?
Link: Back " Why are we concerned about particles?
Question: What effects do fine particles have on materials and on us?
Link: Back " What are we doing?
Question: Summarize the four steps that Ontario has taken to improve air quality in our province.
(Optional) Link: Back " Back " Learn " Write a story
Question: A Story About Our Future: Write a science fiction story about Ontario in the 2025, focussing on pollution. Has it been beaten? Or, does it continue to be a problem? Send us your original stories (about 500-750 words) and we’ll post a selection on the Drive Clean web site.
6. Students use the Energy Fact Sheet, originally published by the Energy Educators of Ontario in 1993, and now available at The Automobile and the Environment site www.iclei.org/efacts/auto.htm to complete the following chart, using the Environmental Impacts section of the page.
|
Impacts of
the Automobile Tailpipe Emissions |
||||
|
Pollutant |
Description |
Creation |
Environmental
and Human Health Impacts |
Other
Significant Facts and Statistics |
|
carbon dioxide |
|
|
|
|
|
carbon monoxide |
|
|
|
|
|
nitrogen oxides |
|
|
|
|
|
hydrocarbons |
|
|
|
|
|
suspended particulates |
|
|
|
|
|
lead |
|
|
|
|
|
Other Impacts
of the Automobile Not Resulting from Tailpipe Emissions |
||||
|
aspect |
Description |
|||
|
manufacturing |
|
|||
|
air conditioners |
|
|||
|
agricultural land |
|
|||
|
inner cities |
|
|||
|
disposal sites |
|
|||
7. Students use the information in the Reducing the Impacts section of the web page to create a poster that promotes Options for Reducing the Environmental Impacts of the Automobile using the template below:
|
Fuel efficient vehicles |
Car pooling |
Alternative fuel vehicles |
|
Logo and Slogan |
||
|
Bicycling and Public Transit |
The teacher facilitates a gallery tour of the posters when completed.
8. The teacher concludes by leading a discussion on the complexity of the factors and interactions that need to be considered when an industry tries to bring production in line with sustainable development. (For information on this topic, refer to Figure 8.2.a on p 264 of Perspectives.)
|
Tool (all
teacher-generated) |
Purpose |
Who |
Activity |
|
Observation |
formative |
teacher |
Student Participation in Class Discussion |
|
Checklist |
formative |
teacher |
Completion of Questions and Chart for |
|
Rating Scale |
summative |
teacher |
Poster |
Canada and the Environment: An Atlas Resource 2nd Edition, pp 55-56.
Perspectives, pp 75, 108-110, 205, 256, 264 and 281.
www.driveclean.com
www.iclei.org/efacts/auto.htm
· Pair students for this activity.
· Provide a variety of articles with a range of reading levels.
· Provide opportunities for vocabulary referencing.
· As an extension have students do a comparison between Ontario’s Drive Clean program and similar programs in British Columbia and several of the U.S. states, using information at sites linked to the Drive Clean site.
Time: 240 minutes
This activity builds on the students’ understanding of urban development and investigates how this development affects our agricultural resources. They recognize the shifting population from rural land to urban life and the problems that are associated with this migration. Students derive possible solutions to urban expansion and examine a case study on the Niagara Fruit Belt.
Strand(s): Geographic Foundations: Space and Systems, Human-Environment Interactions, Understanding and Managing Change, Methods of Geographic Inquiry
Overall Expectations: SSV.03B, HEV.01D, HEV.02D, HEV.03B, HEV.04D, UMV.01B, UMV.02B, MIV.01B, MIV.02B, MIV.03D.
Specific Expectations: SS1.03B, SSI.04B, HE1.02B, HE2.01D, HE2.04D, UMI.02B, UM2.01B, UM2.02B, UM2.03B, MI1.02B, MI2.03D, MI2.04B, MI2.08B, MI2.01D, MI3.01B, MI3.04D.
Students draw on their understanding of the themes of place, environment, region, and movement; their ability to locate relevant information from aerial photographs and produce a wide variety of graphs, charts, and diagrams. In addition, students draw on their learning from Unit 2 to identify factors that influence people to move to another place (urban/rural migration).
· Investigate local development in your area (housing or commercial).
· Make sure students have access to graph paper, tracing paper, and calculators.
· Consider a field trip to the Niagara Fruit Belt.
1. The teacher refers to the food consumed section of their personal inventory in Activity 2, and discusses where our food comes from. The teacher then introduces the topic of urbanization by asking students about changes (e.g., building developments, closing of local industries) in their community, and about changes in nearby cities or rural areas using terms such as urban sprawl, urbanization, urban fringe and rural-urban migration. Students identify reasons for these trends, and problems that urban sprawl might be creating. Use the resource Communities: Urban Canada to define terms and provide national examples of urbanization.
2. The teacher provides information on classes of farmland in Canada (e.g., Prime farmland (class 1 & 2) accounts for 1% of Canada’s soils. General farmland (class 3) accounts for only 9% - meaning 90% of Canada is infertile). (A good explanation of soil classes is in Making Connections, p. 265). The teacher then asks students why most towns and cities are on top of the best farmland in the country. Why is land in the urban fringe worth so much money? What problems occur if prime farmland is reduced significantly? Students construct an organizer to address these points:
|
What are the reasons for urbanization? |
What are some of the problems a loss of farmland might cause? |
Why is most of Canada’s prime farmland adjacent to cities? |
|
|
|
|
3. Students complete the following table and construct a divided bar graph illustrating the Changes in the Urban/Rural Composition of Canada’s Population.
|
Year |
1871 |
1881 |
1891 |
1901 |
1911 |
1921 |
1931 |
1941 |
1951 |
1961 |
1971 |
1981 |
1991 |
1999 |
|
Urban % |
20 |
25 |
32 |
37 |
45 |
49 |
54 |
55 |
60 |
69 |
76 |
76 |
77 |
78 |
|
Rural % |
80 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
They then analyse the graph and answer the following questions:
A. What has happened to the urban-rural composition of the population over the past 120 years?
B. Why are there proportionately less people living in rural areas and more in urban areas today?
C. What problems may be caused by large numbers of people moving from the rural to urban areas?
D. Will this trend continue until 100% of Canadians are living in urban areas? Why or why not?
4. The easiest way to stop the loss of farmland (but not always feasible) is to stop urban expansion through city bylaws and zoning. Students write a letter from the position of a farmer who wants to sell her land after 40 years of farming. The city wants to prevent the farmer from selling to a developer, who is offering a great deal of money for the acreage. The land represents her retirement savings, and not selling her land for the highest possible value may cause financial difficulties in years to come. The teacher may also use a simulation on farming the urban fringe found on page 102 of Contact Canada.
5. In Contact Canada (p. 102) there are data for the amount of converted land in each province (that is, the land that was agricultural and has been urbanized). Also, the average farm size in each province is listed. Students calculate the number of farms that were lost in Canada during the last twenty years and address question #28 on that same page. (See Appendix A if the textbook is not available.)
6. The students interpret aerial photographs of a site in Toronto - before urbanization (rural agricultural land) and after urbanization (vast amounts of infrastructure). In Contact Canada (p. 102), question #29 asks the student to prepare two land use maps of the area. Students use tracing paper to outline the major roadways and different colours to indicate the land uses. What land uses had consumed the farmland in the second photo? Which of these uses had consumed the largest area?
(Adapted from Contact Canada, Oxford University Press)
7. The teacher introduces the Niagara Fruit Belt as a case study in urbanization with the following information: It produces 90 percent of the nation’s grapes, 70% of its peaches and over 40% of its other tender tree fruits (source: Contact Canada, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press, pp. 98-102). What makes this area so productive is its combination of climate, physical features and soils. Students read page 202 in Canada: Exploring New Directions. What physical advantages does the Niagara Fruit Belt have that allow it to grow tender tree fruits? What advantages are there for the fruit growers in being located on a major expressway linking Hamilton and Toronto?
8. Using information from Contact Canada (p. 98-101) or other resources students conduct a case study on the Niagara Fruit Belt. Students locate the region on a map of southern Ontario as well as the major cities located along the belt and answer the following:
A. List five factors that make the Niagara Fruit Belt such a “fruitful” region.
B. Where is the only other place in Canada that enjoys these physical advantages?
C. Why is fruit farming highly specialized?
D. How do farms save labour and transportation costs and what is the problem with this alternative?
E. What were some of the changes that the grape growers and wineries, together with the governments, made to meet the challenges of urbanization?
F. Examine the multiple line graph (figure 6.24). How can the sales of wine increase so dramatically, yet the production actually decreases?
G. Why are farmers being “forced” to sell their land to developers?
H. Do you think the government should offer financial support to Niagara Fruit farmers to ensure that the region is not lost to urbanization? Give reasons for your answer.
(Adapted from Contact Canada, Oxford University Press)
|
Tool |
Purpose |
Who |
Activity |
|
Checklist (teacher generated) |
formative |
teacher |
Organizer |
|
Rating Scale (teacher generated) |
formative |
peer |
Divided Bar Graph and Questions |
|
Rubric (teacher generated) |
formative |
teacher |
Position Paper |
|
Quiz (teacher generated) |
formative |
teacher |
Land-Use Maps from Aerial Photos |
|
Checklist (teacher generated) |
summative |
teacher |
Niagara Fruit Belt Case Study Questions |
Communities:
Urban Canada
Textbooks
· Create the organizer on the front board as a class.
· Draw the graph ahead of time so that the students only colour in the bars and answer the questions.
· Provide an example of a letter that might have come from a farmer looking to sell his property.
· Do the mathematical calculations as a class or in pairs.
Time: 180 minutes
This activity increases student awareness that waste matters - the more we throw out, the more resources we use, and the larger our ecological footprint. Students work together on a class project and create a bulletin board depicting materials thrown into the cafeteria garbage.
Strand(s): Human-Environment Interactions, Methods of Geographic Inquiry
Overall Expectations: HEV.01D, HEV.04D, MIV.03D.
Specific Expectations: HE1.01B, HE1.02B, MI1.02B, MI2.03D, MI2.08B, MI3.01B.
· Make preparations for the optional field trip several weeks ahead of time.
· Contact the local waste management services to ask for any brochures/pamphlets on the facilities in their area - especially to find out what items are accepted by each facility as the list varies between municipalities. Also check with the school custodian and/or the board’s facility services, as school boards often have separate waste management contracts with collection requirements different from the local municipality.
· Consider using Internet resources to assist student with their bulletin board display.
Students draw upon prior learning at the elementary level regarding recycling and waste reduction programs.
1. Students use their prior knowledge on waste management to complete the following hierarchy, organizing the it in order of importance, defining each of the levels, and giving examples of items that fit into each category.
|
Waste
Management Hierarchy |
Definition |
Examples of
activities that would fit into the category |
Tips to Reduce
Waste |
|
Reduce |
|
|
|
|
Reuse |
|
|
|
|
Recycle |
|
|
|
|
Recover |
|
|
|
|
Disposal |
|
|
|
2. The teacher then leads a discussion on the results and draws out that reduction is the key method of managing waste, but reusing and recycling should be highlighted as well - especially in their own home/school/community. The teacher relates waste management to the concept of the ecological footprint and to the results of their personal inventory from Activity # 2, stressing that this activity builds on good practices developed in elementary school which need to be continued and expanded at the secondary level. The teacher may discuss problems of pollution (from landfills, incineration, industry), NIMBY, and the overuse of natural resources to produce consumer products, and introduce the idea of sustainable development and where waste management might fit in.
3. The teacher may organize a half-day field trip to the local recycling depot and landfill site. The field trip could be entirely experiential; the teacher could prepare a sheet of questions for the students to answer; or the students could write a reflection paper based on the field trip
4. Students complete a waste audit of waste produced in the cafeteria by dumping the contents on a sheet of plastic in the classroom. Volunteers wearing gloves sort through the items in the garbage putting them into piles according to the waste management hierarchy. The students then design and create a bulletin board for display in the cafeteria or school hallway using the items they sorted (some of the items may have to be rinsed - rather than including compostable items, use pictures). The bulletin/display board should focus on the importance of Waste Management, the impacts on the environment both locally and globally, and the practical things individuals can do to make a difference. The library, Internet, magazines, and newspapers are useful resources. The teacher divides the task into smaller pieces and assigns groups of 4-5 to work on them. Each group could be responsible for one level of the hierarchy, and if there are enough students, one group could design and pull it all together.
|
Tool |
Purpose |
Who |
Activity |
|
Checklist - Appendix A |
formative |
self and peer |
Group Work on Bulletin Board |
|
Checklist (teacher-generated) |
formative |
teacher |
Group Work |
· Have students create a video instead of a bulletin board.
· Divide tasks within the groups so that students can use their strengths.
· As extensions: use scales to weigh the materials during the waste audit and graph results; do calculations regarding the mass and volume going to landfill; repeat the audit for several days; repeat the audit at a later date to determine if there has been improvement as a result of the bulletin board display.
Canada: Exploring New Directions, look under ‘environment’ in index
Making Connections, pp. 448-451, 454, 488
Perspectives, pp 160-163
www.pitch-in.ca
Recycling Council of Ontario fax 416-9608053
www.Virtualrecycling.com
http://ecokids.sympatico.ca
Time: 180 minutes
In this activity students build on what they have learned about “ecological footprint” and “sustainable development” earlier in the unit. They work in small groups representing different stakeholders and participate in a consultation session about management issues related to terrestrial ecosystems, such as the continued logging of old growth pine forests in the Temagami region of Ontario. Each group also produces a position paper on their particular stand. Each student produces a written feedback following the consultation session.
Strand(s): Human-Environment Interactions, Understanding and Managing Change, Methods of Geographic Inquiry
Overall Expectations: HEV.01D, HEV.02D, HEV.03B, HEV.04D, UMV.02B, MIV.03D.
Specific Expectations: HE1.01B, HE1.02B, HE1.03B, UM2.01B, UM2.02B, MI2.02B, MI2.03D, MI2.07B, MI2.08B, MI2.10D, MI3.01B.
From the Grade 7 and 8 curriculum, students draw on their understanding of methods of geographic inquiry and the ability to analyse, synthesize, evaluate, and communicate information.
· Book time in the computer lab.
· Consult the teacher librarian regarding information on the topic.
· Consider using computers for the production of pamphlets or fact sheets.
· Use this case study as a model to develop an alternative case study using a local resource management issue (e.g., wetland conservation, hunting in protected areas, management of plantation forests, waterfront conservation).
1. The teacher introduces Temagami as a typical management problem related to terrestrial ecosystems, in which there are a number of points of view, depending on the stakeholder. This is a good place to point out to the students that with such issues there is always more than one point of view, often based on conflicting values and uses for the resources. To resolve such issues, solutions that draw the stakeholders together have more chance of success than those which polarize the points of view. Local issues can be discussed as further examples of this.
2. The teacher presents background information on the different types of harvesting techniques used in the forestry industry and silviculture. Students need to be familiar with the terminology used in the forest industry (e.g., old growth). Textbooks can help here.
3. The teacher explains that the class will be simulating part of a decision-making process on forestry issues. Students act as the stakeholders participating in a Consultation Session being held by the Forestry Advisory Committee, which provides an opportunity for them to voice their concerns about the issue. The Forestry Advisory Committee will be making recommendations to the government.
4. The teacher divides the class into small groups (4 - 5) each of which represents a particular stakeholder group in the Temagami issue. The teacher provides each group with a profile of the particular association or group they represent (Appendix 3.8.1).
5. Each group:
· uses the Internet sites and links provided under resources to research their group’s point of view OR if Internet access is not available, uses the library/resource centre or materials printed from web sites;
· produces a summary of their position to be submitted to the teacher before the Consultation Session;
· prepares and participates in the consultation session, putting forth the position of the stakeholders they represent.
6. After the forum each student submits a written feedback to the Forestry Advisory Committee (represented by the teacher) in which they state which association they represent, along with at least three recommendations towards solving the problem, with supporting points (facts, reasons) for each.
|
Tool |
Purpose |
Who |
Activity |
|
Quiz (teacher-generated) |
summative |
teacher |
Forestry Terms |
|
Rubric (Appendix 3.8.2) |
summative |
teacher |
Written Feedback |
|
Rating Scale (Appendix A) |
summative |
self and peer |
Contribution to Group |
“Are Canada’s Forests Shrinking?” - Canadian Pulp and Paper Association Poster 1-888-398-TOUR
“The Boreal Forest” Poster Map - National Atlas of Canada, Canadian Geographic
Canada: Exploring New Directions, (pp. 186 - 196)
Making Connections, Chapter 23 (pp. 280 - 294)
Perspectives, Chapters 2.6 and 2.7 (pp. 60 - 63)
www.uoguelph.ca/~rolajos/tem_env.htm
www.ontariosnearnorth.on.ca/temagami.htm
www.twptemagami.on.ca/mmm/infoflyr.htm
www.open.doors.cppa.ca
· Develop groups so that there is a range of strengths within each group
· Provide extended timelines where necessary.
· Provide templates or step-by-step instructions with checklists for students requiring assistance with organization.
· Provide samples of written feedback for the assignment.
· Provide an additional case study on a mismanaged resource as an extension activity as follows:
1 The teacher divides the students into five groups. Each group researches one of the five suggested conditions responsible for the collapse of the fishery: over fishing, improved fishing technology, uncontrolled foreign fishing, destructive fishing practices, and changes in natural conditions (as outlined on p. 253 of Making Connections).
2 Students generate a list of key terms to define throughout the course of the activity. Students may use the textbook Making Connections (Chapter 21) or Perspectives (Chapter 2.4). Key words can include: renewable resource, groundfish, pelagic fish, shellfish, inshore fishing, offshore fishing, offshore limit, quotas, balance of trade, plankton, fishing banks, continental shelf, sustained yield management, and aquaculture.
3 Students research the condition using their textbook, the Internet, and library resources. With this information they are to create a poster to educate the public about this condition (e.g., Over fishing: the poster must contain a message to alert the public about the dangers of over fishing, it can include facts, drawings and magazine pictures.)
4 Each group displays their poster and briefly discusses the issue they researched to the class.
Time: 180 minutes
This culminating activity for the unit gives students the opportunity to use information and skills from previous activities to create a diagram showing how their own actions have an impact on nature. Each student investigates existing methods that attempt to improve the balance between human needs and natural systems. They identify changes in personal behaviours to reduce their ecological footprint.
Strand(s): Geographic Foundations: Space and Systems, Human-Environment Interactions, Understanding and Managing Change, Methods of Geographic Inquiry
Overall Expectations: SSV.05B, HEV.01D, UMV.02B, MIV.03D.
Specific Expectations: SS3.04D, HE1.01B, HE1.O2B, HE2.05B, HE3.01D, HE3.O2D, HE3.03D, UM1.02B, UM2.02B, MI2.08B, MI2.11B.
· Gather recycled materials to use for posters
· Collect brochures and pamphlets about environmental programs - e.g., Drive Clean, Local recycling.
1. The teacher identifies the previous activities and relates them to the categories of the Ecological Footprint: water, energy, transportation, food and waste. The teacher then leads a discussion on how individual behaviours as recorded in Activity 2 contribute to environmental problems.
2. Groups of up to five students draw a futures tree on chart or mural paper (recycled) showing the impact their actions have on the future environment. The roots represent current student actions and each of the five large limbs represents a different category of the ecological footprint; the leaves are the specific impacts of their actions - e.g., loss of fish species. Ideally one student should be assigned to each limb. Students indicate their current negative actions at root level by labeling these on the tree with colours other than green. Movement from the roots signifies an increase in scale from personal to local bioregion to ecozone to globe (4 levels). Students complete the tree using a variety of autumn colours for leaves to indicate the negative impacts their collective actions have on each category at each level.
3. Each student chooses one limb for further study. For their chosen category, students use previous activities and further research to investigate what is being done to reduce the environmental impact through changes in behaviour, technology, and protection or remediation of natural areas. Examples include Drive Clean, local recycling, global carbon dioxide reductions. An evaluation of these current methods should be done at this time. Students must select the most effective solutions in their categories, trying to provide one solution at each scale.
4. Using green to indicate positives, students label their limbs with the chosen solutions to environmental problems and green leaves to indicate the positive results.
5. The group then labels the roots of the tree with the actions they as individuals will take to create a healthy environment.
6. The class posts their trees on a large wall or in the hall to make an environmental forest. Students walk through the forest, viewing each other's posters. Groups assess proposed solutions and tree designs. At this time, each group is given an opportunity to make changes they feel are required based on peer feedback, prior to the individual branch being assessed by the teacher.
|
Tool |
Purpose |
Who |
Activity |
|
Verbal feedback |
formative |
peer |
Forest Walk |
|
Rubric (Appendix 3.9.1) |
summative |
teacher |
Futures Tree (individual branch) |
Education for Development. pp. 292- 296, ISBN 0-340-61904-X
Pamphlets from variety of government sources describing management plans
· Create a summary chart of problems as identified in earlier lessons
· Provide examples
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