Lesson Plan Template - Canadian Geographic



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 canadiangeographic.ca/atlas.

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 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 canadiangeographic.ca/atlas to download or print the relevant pages.

| |Teacher Activity |Student Activity |

|Introduction |Focus students on a world map. Either a large wall map or a |Students locate a few specific continents then |

| |projected map will do. Review/orient them to the location |countries on the world map. They can take turns |

| |of Canada’s Far North with respect to the rest of the world.|coming up to the map to point out the locations. |

| |Switch to a wall map or projected image of northern Canada |Students locate their own community on the map, then|

| |only. Review the specific locations of northern communities |a few others. Start with nearby communities and then|

| |on the map. |locate Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, Iqaluktuutiaq, and |

| |A scanned copy of the map from p. 18 of The Canadian Atlas |finally Kuujjuaq, Yellowknife and Inuvik. |

| |is provided as an overhead/acetate master. |Students discuss differences in the land throughout |

| |Ask students if the far northern part of Canada is all the |the north. |

| |same everywhere. | |

The Lesson (cont’d)

| |Teacher Activity |Student Activity |

|Lesson Development |Introduce and define the word ecozone. | |

| |Introduce new vocabulary as topic headings for the lesson |Students answer questions as asked and participate |

| |and list on the board: landforms, climate, vegetation, |as required. Students do not write anything down. |

| |wildlife, resources, industries, area, population, and | |

| |temperature. | |

| |Discuss the meaning of each of the above, and ask for | |

| |examples. |Students orient themselves to The Canadian Atlas and|

| |Direct students to The Canadian Atlas, pg 18-19 or hand out |the information on the Far North thematic pages. |

| |the photocopied sheets. Allow them some time to look 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 maps or at the |

| |Using an overhead projector, show a copy of the map on pg 18|projected one in the classroom. |

| |of The Canadian Atlas to the class. |Students repeat the names of the ecozone sub regions|

| |Direct students to the left side of pg 18 and review the 6 |as each one is looked at. |

| |smaller terrestrial sub regions within the larger Arctic and| |

| |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 maps or at the |

| |As each sub region is identified, look for its boundary on |projected one in the classroom. |

| |the map. |Students should recognize that these 2 regions are |

| |Ask students why the Arctic Basin and the Arctic Archipelago|marine areas, not land areas. |

| |are not part of the lesson today… |Students delineate the boundaries of each of the |

| |Hand out a Canadian Far North map to each student and, after|terrestrial sub regions on their own maps. Students |

| |drawing the boundary of an ecozone sub region on the |label each zone. |

| |acetate, allow students to do the same on their own maps. | |

| |Label each area as it is identified. |Students work alone or together in small groups, yet|

| |Hand out the worksheet provided to each student and ask them|each student fills out a separate worksheet. |

| |to fill in the table using The Canadian Atlas thematic | |

| |pages. Do one ecozone sub region together, as an example. | |

The Lesson (cont’d)

| |Teacher Activity |Student Activity |

|Conclusion |After students have completed their work, go over the |Students share the answers to their worksheets with |

| |worksheet by taking it up on a projected acetate. |the class. |

| |Allow students time to add information they may have left | |

| |out on their own sheets. |Students make additions as needed. |

| |Review the individual locations on the map as you go. |Allow students the time to colour their maps. |

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.

Student Activity Worksheet:

|The Far North | |

| |Page 1 of 2 |

|Ecozones |Landforms |

Ecozones |Landforms |Climate |Vegetation |Wildlife |Resources & Industries |Land area |Population |Temperature | | | | | | | |km2 |% * | |mean Jan. min. & mean Jul. min. ºC | |Taiga Plains

| | | | | | | | | | |Taiga shield

| | | | | | | | | | |Hudson plains

| | | | | | | | | | |* % to rest of Canada

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