CANADIAN NORTH – LIFE AND LAND ONTARIO – MIDDLE
International Polar Year: Focus on Canada’s North
Lesson Overview:
Students will discover the significance and scope of the International Polar Year (2007-2008) through internet research
Grade Level: Grades 6 - 8
Time Required: 90 minutes (1 - 2 lessons)
Curriculum Connection:
The Ontario Curriculum for Social Studies (Gr. 6) – Canada’s Links to the World
The Ontario Curriculum for Geography (Gr. 7) – Patterns in Physical Geography
The Ontario Curriculum for Geography (Gr. 8) – Patterns in Human Geography
Links to Canadian National Standards for Geography:
Essential Element #2: Places and Regions
· Physical and human characteristics of places and regions in Canada and the world
Essential Element #5: Environment and Society
· Effects of human modification of the physical environment (e.g. global warming, deforestation, desertification, urbanization)
Geographic Skill #2: Acquiring Geographic Information
· Use a variety of research skills to locate and collect geographic data
Geography Skill #5: Answering Geographic Questions
· Develop and present combinations of geographic information to answer geographic questions
Link to the Canadian Atlas Online (CAOL)
The Canadian Atlas Online> Explore by Themes> The Issues> Climate Change
http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=climate&lang=En
Read these three sections:
– Basics (introduction)
– Changing landscapes > North
– Human impact > North
Additional Resources, Materials, and Equipment Required:
· computers with a high-speed internet connection, ideally in a lab setting
· Adjacent Regions and Names of Canada Map (attached)
(Source: Atlas of Canada (Natural Resources Canada) http://atlas.gc.ca
>Explore Our Maps > Reference Maps > Canada Outline > Adjacent Regions and Names of Canada Map)
· Student sheet “Taking the Northern Quiz - Cold” (attached)
· Teacher sheet “Taking the Northern Quiz – Cold (attached)
· CBC’s Internet Research Rubric (attached)
Additional Internet references:
Interactive Polar Ice Cap Melter
www.everybodysweather.com/Static_Media/Polar_Ice_Cap_Melter/index.htm
Canadian Polar Commission
http://www.polarcom.gc.ca
CBC News Indepth: Polar Bears
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/polarbears/
Main Objective:
To identify the importance of the International Polar Year and its role as a catalyst for polar studies
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
• answer the questions posed on the ‘Taking the Northern Quiz’ sheet
• explain why Canada needs to focus on its northern region, especially during International Polar Year
The Lesson:
Introduction / Place an ice cube in a glass at the front of the class and challenge the students to predict how many minutes it will take to melt completely.
Record melting time.
While waiting, discuss what it means to take a quiz ‘cold’. (without advanced preparation)
Alternative Introduction – Provide each student with his/her own ice cube. Most people underestimate the melting time. It usually takes between 60 and 90 minutes.
Relate this to today’s world where experts are alarmed that global warming is melting glaciers and ice sheets much faster than expected / Predict melting time in minutes.
Contribute to the meaning of taking a quiz ‘cold”.
Lesson Development / Distribute the ‘Taking the Northern Quiz – Cold’ sheets. On a separate sheet ask students to answer questions.
Allow approx. 10 minutes for students to complete the quiz. (Reassure “worriers” that results on this quiz will not be graded.)
Collect quiz answer sheets.
Show of hands – ‘How many feel that they would have done better if they had a chance to prepare?’
Assign one quiz question to each pair of students to research.
Provide internet references from the Canadian Atlas Online
Review Ice cube melting time.
“Just as we have had difficulty predicting the time that it takes for ice to melt, experts have also misjudged. One reason the IPY is important is to improve our knowledge of the polar regions of the Earth.” / Students answer as many questions as possible.
Student pairs research the answers to quiz questions.
Class reconvenes to discuss and provide answers they have found.
Class members contribute to discussion.
Conclusion / Provide outline map of Canada and adjacent regions. Assign locating and drawing on in pencil, the Arctic Circle, and give the exact latitude (66.5 degrees north)
Give the ‘Taking the Northern Quiz’ a second time.
Mark using the answer sheet provided.
Collect completed maps for assessment. / Draw on the Arctic Circle and label the correct latitude.
Take quiz a second time.
Submit completed maps.
Lesson Extensions
- encourage students to collect and discuss articles from newspapers and other sources that relate to the International Polar Year
- Note - information can also be found at: http://www.ipy.org/
- invite students to use a variety of search engines to find other references for IPY
Assessment of Student Learning
- evaluate the second attempt for completeness and accuracy of “Taking the Northern Quiz”
- evaluate the completed Adjacent Regions and Names of Canada Map
(Source: See the rubric for assessing “Internet research skills” at the following location:
CBC Archives for Teachers: http://archives.cbc.ca/for_teachers
> Assessment Suite > Assessment Suite > Internet Research Rubric. The rubric is also attached to this lesson plan.)
Student Worksheet
Taking the Northern Quiz - Cold
1. Name Canada’s three Northern Territories. (3)
2. Where and when will the next Arctic Winter Games be held? (2)
3. What two countries are Canada’s neighbours to the west? (Hint: one is attached; the other is separated by a narrow strait) (2)
4. Greenland, Canada’s neighbour to the north and east, belongs to what country? (1)
5. What parallel of latitude marks the northern boundary of B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba? (1)
6. What is the common name given to the parallel of latitude at 66.5 degrees north? (1)
7. The special parallel of latitude named in question 6 runs through, or touches, eight countries. Name four of these circumpolar countries. (4)
8. The letters ‘IPY’ represents a special event to geographers and other scientists. What is ‘IPY’? (1)
9. When is the next IPY? (1)
10. With reference to Canada’s northern regions, explain the expression, ‘land of the midnight sun’. (1)
11. With reference to Canada’s northern regions, explain the expression, ‘canary in a coal mine’. (1)
12. Name three valuable resources currently found in Canada’s northern regions. (3)
13. What is the main source of food for the polar bear? (1)
14. What is the common term for ‘aurora borealis’? (1)
15. What is the total Inuit population of Canada? (1)
16. What recent issue may seriously disrupt the traditional way of life for the Inuit? (1)
Taking the Northern Quiz - Cold: Answers
1. Nunavut; Northwest Territories; Yukon.(3)
2. Yellowknife, NWT; 2008 (2)
3. USA (state of Alaska); Russia (2)
4. Denmark (1)
5. 60 degrees North (1)
6. Arctic Circle(1)
7. Four of - Canada, USA, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Greenland (a self-governing part of Denmark) (4)
8. International Polar Year (1)
9. 2007 - 2008 (1)
10. During the month of June, the Earth’s axis is tilted toward the sun. In the Arctic at this time, the sun never really sets, even at midnight. (1)
11. Canaries were kept in coal mines, because their deaths would alert miners of dangerous gases. Changes in climate that may be detected first in the Arctic regions are a warning that more global problems may occur, if action is not taken. (1)
12. Three of - oil, gas, diamonds, gold, lead, zinc (3)
13. Ringed seals (1)
14. Northern Lights (1)
15. Approximately 42,000 (1)
16. Global warming (1)
· Total = 25
Canadian Council for Geographic Education www.ccge.org 1
Canadian Polar Commission www.polarcom.gc.ca