Introduction to Canada's ecozones

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Overview

Studying Canada's ecozones, students will develop a basic understanding of geographic concepts such as location, environment, region and interaction. The lesson applies text material from the Canada Year Book 1999 or CD-ROM.

Objectives

• To learn the characteristics that define Canada's ecozones
• To analyse text material to extract information
• To develop presentation skills for both visual and oral reporting
• To develop an appreciation of the diversity of Canada's natural environment
• To study the impact of Canada's human settlement on the natural environment

Suggested grade levels and subject areas

Intermediate, Secondary
Geography, Social Studies

Duration

40–60 minutes to research and prepare draft reports
40–60 minutes to consult and rewrite the final reports
40–60 to find or draw visuals (this can be done as a homework assignment)

Vocabulary

Ecozone — a broad-scale ecological unit based on patterns that include climate, geography and ecological diversity.
Tundra — a treeless, level or gently undulating plain characteristic of arctic and subarctic regions. It usually has a marshy surface, which supports a growth of mosses, lichens and numerous low shrubs and is underlain by a dark, mucky soil and permafrost.
Permafrost — a blanket of iced earth covering the land.
Boreal forest — one of three main forests zones in the world. It is located in northern regions and is characterized by the predominance of conifers.
Wetland — land that is seasonally or permanently covered by shallow water, or land where the water table is close to or at the surface. In either case, the presence of abundant water has caused the formation of hydrolic soils and has favoured the dominance of either hydrophytic or water-tolerant plants.

Materials

• Canada Year Book 1999

  Print version: pp. 3-20
  CD-ROM version: go to The Environment > The Land
  HTML
• outline map of Canada
• Student worksheet

Classroom instructions

1. Divide class into small groups.
2. Assign 3 or 4 of the 15 land-based ecozones to each group of students, making sure that each ecozone is assigned to at least two groups.
3. Provide each group with
   1. an outline map of Canada;
   2. a copy of the Student Worksheet; and
   3. information from the Canada Year Book 1999, print or CD-ROM version, about the assigned ecozones (see Materials above).
4. Have each group read the Canada Year Book 1999 sections that apply to the assigned ecozones and complete a copy of the Student Worksheet for each ecozone.
5. Have groups post their draft reports, compare them with those of other groups, and modify them.
6. Have groups prepare and display their finished work, including
   1. a written report (an oral report could be included in the activity);
   2. visuals, drawings or pictures that illustrate the conditions of the ecozones; and
   3. a map showing the location of the ecozones.

Evaluation

A high degree of accuracy should be expected in the written report and may be assessed. Marks should be given for the process of creating a draft, comparing, discussing and modifying the report.

Marks should be appointed for the visuals attached to the text, based on appropriateness, clarity and creativity. The Montane Cordillera is an example of what students might produce. The photos are taken from the Canada Year Book 1999.

Enrichment

The final reports could be displayed on a wall in the school, placed in their relative geographic locations on a large outline map of Canada. The map could be prepared as an art project using a grid technique to enlarge the scale of group maps or by using an overhead projector to project and trace the map on the wall.

Please e-mail comments or examples of how you used this exercise in your class.