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The Arctic and Taiga Ecozone of Canada

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The Arctic and Taiga Ecozone of Canada THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE NUNAVUT – GRADE 6 The Arctic and Taiga Ecozone of Canada Lesson Overview Students explore the various sub regions of the Arctic and Taiga ecozone, identifying specific physical and human characteristics of each. Grade Level Junior high (Grades 7-9); could be modified for high school as an introduction to a more in depth lesson in General Science, Biology, Environmental Science or Northern Studies. Time Required 90 min. (plus extra time if extension activities are attempted) Curriculum Connection • Nunavut – Inuuqatigiit/Piniaqtavut Integrated Program • Gr. 7 LAND: Canada’s Natural Resources and Canadian Geography Units • Gr. 8 COMMUNITY: Circumpolar Peoples Now Unit • Gr. 9 COMMUNITY: Young Northerners & Choice of Lifestyle • LAND: Responsibilities on the Land Link to Canadian National Geography Standards Essential Elements #1 (Grades 6-8) - The World in Spatial Terms • Distribution of major human and physical features at country and global scales • Expanding mental maps Essential Elements #2 (Grades 6-8) - Places and Regions • Physical and human characteristics of places and regions in Canada and the world Essential Elements #3 (Grades 6-8) - Physical Systems • Ecozones (major ecological communities such as boreal forest, polar regions, grasslands, wetlands and desert) Essential Elements #4 (Grades 6-8) - Human Systems (brief coverage) • Population density, distribution and growth rates Geographic Skill #2 (Grades 6-8) - Acquiring Geographic Information • Use maps to collect and/or compile geographic information Geographic Skill# 3 (Grades 6-8) - Organizing Geographic Information • Prepare various forms of graphs, tables and charts to organize and display geographic information • Integrate various types of materials to organize geographic information The Canadian Atlas The main resource for this lesson is the printed version of The Canadian Atlas: Our Nation, Environment and People (2004), more specifically the thematic pages entitled, The Far North: Arctic and Taiga, pg. 18-19. You can also use the related pages of The Canadian Atlas website at www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas. Canadian Council For Geographic Education 1 THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE NUNAVUT – GRADE 6 Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required 1. Globe or print map of the world 2. Print map of Canada’s far north 3. Student hand out: Far North Map from the Atlas (make a copy from the Atlas or download and print from the Atlas website at www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas) 4. Student worksheet (provided) 5. Overhead projector 6. Acetates of world map and the Canadian far north 7. Acetate of student activity sheet Main Objective • To locate and describe the characteristics of the 6 terrestrial sub regions of the Arctic and Taiga ecozone of Canada Learning Outcomes By the end of the lesson, students will be able to: • Effectively use information presented to them in the Canadian Atlas • List the 6 sub regions of the Arctic and Taiga ecozone, and locate each of them on a map of Canada’s far north • Give specific information regarding each of the 6 sub regions The Lesson If multiple copies of the Canadian Atlas are available, have students access the Far North section of the Atlas themselves, either individually or in small groups. If this is not possible, the teacher must photocopy the required pages or visit The Canadian Atlas website at www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas to download or print the relevant pages. Teacher Activity Student Activity Introduction • Focus students on a world map. Either a • Students locate a few specific large wall map or a projected map will continents then countries on the do. Review/orient them to the location world map. They can take turns of Canada’s Far North with respect to coming up to the map to point out the rest of the world. the locations. • Switch to a wall map or projected image of northern Canada only. Review the • Students locate their own specific locations of northern community on the map, then a few communities on the map. others. Start with nearby communities and then locate A scanned copy of the map from p. 18 Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, Iqaluktuutiaq, of The Canadian Atlas is provided as an and finally Kuujjuaq, Yellowknife overhead/acetate master. and Inuvik. • Ask students if the far northern part of • Students discuss differences in the Canada is all the same everywhere. land throughout the north. Canadian Council For Geographic Education 2 THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE NUNAVUT – GRADE 6 The Lesson (cont’d) Teacher Activity Student Activity Lesson • Introduce and define the word Development ecozone. • Students answer questions as • Introduce new vocabulary as topic asked and participate as required. headings for the lesson and list on the Students do not write anything board: landforms, climate, vegetation, down. wildlife, resources, industries, area, population, and temperature. • Discuss the meaning of each of the above, and ask for examples. • Direct students to The Canadian Atlas, • Students orient themselves to The pg 18-19 or hand out the photocopied Canadian Atlas and the information sheets. Allow them some time to look on the Far North thematic pages. at the information on the pages. • Ask students to find their community, or their closest neighbour, on the map shown on pg 18 of The Canadian Atlas. • Students may look at their own • Using an overhead projector, show a maps or at the projected one in copy of the map on pg 18 of The the classroom. Canadian Atlas to the class. • Direct students to the left side of pg • Students repeat the names of the 18 and review the 6 smaller terrestrial ecozone sub regions as each one is sub regions within the larger Arctic and looked at. Taiga ecozone: Arctic Cordillera, Northern Arctic, Southern Arctic, Taiga Plains, Taiga Shield and Hudson Plains. Don’t describe these sub-regions, but have students repeat their names aloud. • Students may look at their own • As each sub region is identified, look maps or at the projected one in for its boundary on the map. the classroom. • Students should recognize that • Ask students why the Arctic Basin and these 2 regions are marine areas, the Arctic Archipelago are not part of not land areas. the lesson today… • Students delineate the boundaries • Hand out a Canadian Far North map to of each of the terrestrial sub each student and, after drawing the regions on their own maps. boundary of an ecozone sub region on Students label each zone. the acetate, allow students to do the same on their own maps. Label each area as it is identified. • Students work alone or together in • Hand out the worksheet provided to small groups, yet each student fills each student and ask them to fill in the out a separate worksheet. table using The Canadian Atlas thematic pages. Do one ecozone sub region together, as an example. Canadian Council For Geographic Education 3 THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE NUNAVUT – GRADE 6 The Lesson (cont’d) Teacher Activity Student Activity Conclusion • After students have completed their • Students share the answers to work, go over the worksheet by taking it their worksheets with the class. up on a projected acetate. • Allow students time to add information • Students make additions as they may have left out on their own needed. sheets. • Allow students the time to colour • Review the individual locations on the their maps. map as you go. Lesson Extension • Study the two marine sub regions, the Arctic Basin and the Arctic Archipelago, adding their location to the maps already completed. • Have students use an overhead projector, acetate and Kraft paper to make a pictorial wall map of the ecozones studied, adding images cut out from magazines or hand-drawn pictures to the different regions. • Using the statistics given in the Atlas, have students construct a bar graph comparing the population of each of the terrestrial ecozones. Likewise, similar comparisons could be made using the land area and temperature data. • Although requiring quite a bit of time, further comparisons could be made with the other ecozones highlighted in the Canadian Atlas: the Pacific and Western Mountains, Central Plains, Boreal Shield, Mixed-wood Plains and the Atlantic ecozones. Assessment of Student Learning • Question students throughout the lesson to check for understanding • Monitor student participation in the class activities, including student discussions • Monitor student participation on the map and worksheet activities • Look for neatness and pride in the students’ work • For testing purposes, a blank map and or table could be given and students asked to locate various ecozones and to fill in specific information Further Reading • Pielou, E.C. A Naturalist’s Guide to the Arctic. University of Chicago Press, 1994. • MacQuarrie, Bob.. The Northern Circumpolar World. Edmonton, AB.: Reidmore, 1996. Canadian Council For Geographic Education 4 THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE NUNAVUT – GRADE 6 Student Activity Worksheet: The Far North Page 1 of 2 Ecozones Landforms Climate Vegetation Wildlife Resources & Land area Population Temperature Industries km2 % * mean Jan. min. & mean Jul. min. ºC Arctic cordillera (give average annual ºC here) Northern arctic Southern arctic * % to rest of Canada Canadian Council For Geographic Education 5 THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE NUNAVUT – GRADE 6 Student Activity Worksheet: The Far North Page 2 of 2 Ecozones Landforms Climate Vegetation Wildlife Resources & Land area Population Temperature Industries km2 % * mean Jan. min. & mean Jul. min. ºC Taiga Plains Taiga shield Hudson plains * % to rest of Canada Canadian Council For Geographic Education 6 .
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