Watersheds of Canada

THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE NOVA SCOTIA – GRADE 10-11 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

Water Conservation and the Watersheds of Nova Scotia

Lesson Overview The aim of this lesson is to make students more aware of Nova Scotia’s watershed areas, water conservation and the need to secure our surface water supply for future generations. The activities and the project will allow students to understand what a watershed area is and to investigate one of the many watershed areas that exist in Nova Scotia. They will develop a number of geographic and research skills. Grade Level Grade 10-11 Time Required Two 60 minute classes (If more time is required the project can be completed outside of class time.) Curriculum Connection (Province/Territory and course) Atlantic Provinces Curriculum for Social Studies: Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training (CAMET): Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Grade 10 Physical Geography and Grade 11 Canadian Geography Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required  Student Activity Sheet #1: Project Instructions (attached)  Student Activity Sheet #2: Watersheds of Nova Scotia by Name (attached)  Student Activity Checklist (attached)  Assessment rubric (attached)  Computer lab, LCD and internet access Websites: Canadian Atlas Online Watersheds theme http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx? id=watersheds&sub=watersheds_flow_canadaswatersheds&lang=En Canadian Atlas Online Watershed Awareness theme http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=%20watershedawareness&lang=En Video: 4 Four Seasons of a Watershed Creek. Sechelt, Sunshine Coast BC Canada http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/ watersheds /videos (For Activity #1) Atlas of Canada (Explanation of what is a watershed): http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/environment/hydrology/watershed/1

Atlas of Canada (Interactive map of various drainage basins of Canada): http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/environment/hydrology/drainagebasins THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE NOVA SCOTIA – GRADE 10-11 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

Nova Scotia Environmental Network (Background of Watershed Management for Nova Scotia) http://www.nsen.ca/documents/Background%20on%20Watershed%20Management_Veale.pdf

Clean Nova Scotia Adopt a Watershed Initiative http://www.clean.ns.ca/files/02/64/20_Things.pdf

Environment Canada (Water conservation) http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=En&n=F25C70EC-1#introduction

Watershed Atlas (How watershed areas are created) http://www.watershedatlas.org/fs_indexwater.html

Government of Nova Scotia (Watersheds of Nova Scotia) http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water.strategy/docs/WaterStrategy_NSWatershedMap.pdf

RBC Blue Water Project http://bluewater.rbc.com/

Main Objective The lesson is designed to make students aware of the Canadian Atlas Online Watersheds theme. This lesson will strengthen research, writing and geographic skills. Students will develop a deeper appreciation for the watersheds of Nova Scotia.

Learning Outcomes By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:  use the internet to plan and organize a geographic research project on watersheds and water conservation;  systematically locate and gather geographic information from a variety of primary and secondary sources;  produce a Microsoft Publisher document, a PowerPoint presentation, or a poster board;  recognize the global importance of Canada’s freshwater resources;  formulate a geographic perspective of physical systems (Watershed Areas);  become more familiar with the Canadian Atlas Online. THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE NOVA SCOTIA – GRADE 10-11 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

The Lesson

The Lesson Teacher Activity Student Activity Introduction Show the video entitled: “4 Four Seasons of a View the video clip. Watershed Creek. Sechelt, Sunshine Coast BC Canada” Ask the class to brainstorm answers to the following question: Brainstorm answers. “What are ten things you need to know about watersheds and water conservation?” Record the answers on a white board or LCD.

Lesson Group students to work in pairs and give each pair Read the assignment Develop the following assignment, copies of the Student and follow directions. ment Activity Sheets and a copy of the Student Activity Checklist (attached). Direct students to:  Complete their research.  Prepare their presentation format.  Review the Student Activity Checklist before submitting their project. Complete the research, design the project, and use the Review the assignment instructions and assist Student Activity students as needed. Checklist.

Conclusion Direct students to the Clean Nova Scotia Adopt-a- Review/reassess new Watershed Initiative Website. Read the document knowledge through entitled “20 Things You Need to Know About the discussion. Watersheds” and lead the class in a discussion on what they have learned about watersheds, water conservation and the need to secure our surface water supply for future generations.

Lesson Extension  Invite a representative from Clean Nova Scotia as a guest speaker to address the province’s Adopt-a-Watershed program, community stewardship of adjoining watersheds, water preservation, conservation and sustainability and the importance of maintaining a healthy water supply. THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE NOVA SCOTIA – GRADE 10-11 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

 Teachers and students, with the permission of the school administration in conjunction with a local service group, might want to adopt a section of a river and clean up that area. Assessment of Student Learning Student projects will be evaluated by using the Assessment Rubric (attached). Further Reading  Watersheds of Canada poster-map  Protect Your Watershed: An interactive guide to taking action http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/ watersheds  The Source of life Canada’s watershed protection action guide http://192.168.1.8/magazine/jun11/watershed_protection_guide.asp  Clean Annapolis River Project, “Wading In: Watershed management in Nova Scotia” http://www.annapolisriver.ca/projects_wadingin.php

 Government of Nova Scotia (Service Nova Scotia): Digital maps http://www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/land/products/topographic2.asp

 Protection of watersheds http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/surface.water/surfacewater.protection.asp

Link to Canadian National Standards for Geography Essential Element #1: The World in Spatial Terms  Map, globe, and atlas use

Essential Element #3: Physical Systems  Components of Earth’s physical system (hydrosphere)

Geographic Skill #1: Asking Geographic Questions  Plan and organize a geographic research project

Student Activity Sheet #1: Project Instructions THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE NOVA SCOTIA – GRADE 10-11 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

Assignment: Complete a project on water conservation and the watersheds of Nova Scotia. You will choose one watershed in Nova Scotia and present your findings using one of three presentation formats listed below. Presentation Formats: 1. Microsoft Publisher (4 page newsletter) 2. PowerPoint presentation 3. Poster board display Each project will include the following topics/headings:  Location of the watershed  A drawn map or image  A description of the physical setting and climate (average temperature range and precipitation)  A description of the major communities in the watershed  Fish, fowl and wildlife that use the watershed  Pictures, any water quality surveys and information on water conservation and sustainability Instructions and Resources: 1. Go to:  The Canadian Atlas Online Watersheds theme to review the information found in the Watersheds, Drainage basin and Rivers sections. http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx? id=watersheds&sub=watersheds_flow_canadaswatersheds&lang=En  Canadian Atlas Online Watershed Awareness theme http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=%20watershedawareness&lang=En  The Atlas of Canada http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/environment/hydrology/watershed  “Background to Watershed Management for Nova Scotia” (Adapted from Barbara Veale’s A Review of the State of Research and Practice in Sustainable Watershed Management, 2006) http://www.nsen.ca/documents/Background%20on%20Watershed%20Management_Veale.pdf  Clean Nova Scotia Adopt a Watershed Initiative: “20 Things You Need to Know About Watersheds” http://www.clean.ns.ca/files/02/64/20_Things.pdf 2. Choose a watershed for your project using the list found on Student Activity Sheet #2. 3. Find your watershed, and complete your project as directed using any the information found on the above sites and by researching the following:  Atlas of Canada interactive map of various drainage basins of Canada: http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/environment/hydrology/drainagebasins  Government of Nova Scotia Watershed Map: http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water.strategy/docs/WaterStrategy_NSWatershedMap.pdf  Environment Canada (Water conservation) http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=En&n=F25C70EC-1#introduction  Watershed Atlas (How watershed areas are created) http://www.watershedatlas.org/fs_indexwater.htm

Student Activity Sheet #2: Watersheds of Nova Scotia by Name THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE NOVA SCOTIA – GRADE 10-11 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

Halifax Indian Hants Gaspereau Pictou Shubenacadie/Stewiacke Digby Sissiboo/Bear Inverness River John Kings Philip/Wallace Queens French Colchester Sackville Cumberland Musquodoboit Annapolis Herring Cove/Medway Victoria Wreck Cove Guysborough Parrsboro Economy Lunenburg Barrington/Clyde Yarmouth Shelburne South/West Cape Breton Salmon/Debert Antigonish Kentnetcook Richmond River Inhabitants Mersey New Harbourr/Salmon Lahave Tracadie Annapolis Kelly/MacCan/Hebert Salmon/Mira Meteghan Gold Grand St. Mary’s Cheticamp Tusket East/West (Sheet Harbour) St. Croix East/Indian River Liscomb Isle Madame Tangier Margaree

Student Activity Checklist

Student Names: ______& ______THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE NOVA SCOTIA – GRADE 10-11 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

Item Completed

Location of the watershed

Drawn map or image

Description of the physical setting and climate (average temperature range and precipitation)

Description of the major communities in the watershed

Fish, fowl and wildlife that use the watershed

Pictures

Any water quality surveys (optional)

Information on water conservation and sustainability

Is the layout neat and visually attractive?

Assessment Rubric Names:______&______

4. Distinguished 3. Proficient 2. Apprentice 1. Novice THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE NOVA SCOTIA – GRADE 10-11 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

Content- Presents four or more Gives good and Uses only several Very little information and Completeness accurate pieces of accurate facts for each topic. incomplete topics. information for each information for topic. each topic.

Content-Creativity: Presented material in Used many original Used facts but did Did not attempt to make project Creative delivery of a creative way. Used ideas. Used media not use many interesting. Did not use own content media from various from various original ideas. Used samples or media. sources in interesting sources in a few pieces of ways. Project had an interesting ways. original media. excellent appearance.

Media-Graphics: Used the same Used the same Used too many Did not use backgrounds. Backgrounds, colourful background background for the different Graphics did not match the illustrations, for the entire project. entire project. Used backgrounds. One topic. Used no graphics. photographs, Graphics made ideas graphics that or two graphics did diagrams, and/or in the project easy to matched the topic. not match the animation understand. Used at Used only 2 topic. Used only 1 least 3 graphics. graphics. graphic.

Writing-Spelling Made only one or two Made less than five Made up to ten Made more than ten spelling, and Grammar: spelling, punctuation, spelling, spelling, punctuation, and grammar Correct grammar and or grammar errors. punctuation, and punctuation, and errors. spelling grammar errors. grammar errors.

Design-Layout and Content was well Project was Most of the project Project was hard to read. There Organization: organized with organized with was organized. The is no clear structure. Text and Organized and easy to headings and headings and placement of text graphics were random. read subheadings. Text and subheadings. Text and graphics graphics were neatly and graphics were sometimes made organized and made placed to make the the project hard to the project easy to project easy to read. read. read.

Total Score ______

Comments: