Climate change in Canada

Human Activity and the Environment 2007 and 2008

Downloadable versions of this lesson are available in the following formats:

(Text (rtf), PDF)

Overview

Students will use Human Activity and the Environment: Annual Statistics 2007 and 2008 to develop an understanding about climate change in Canada. Students will investigate greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, the impacts of climate change, and how we are adapting to climate change.

Contributor: Amy Wallwork, Queen's University

Objectives

The student will:

• Illustrate an understanding of the impact of human activities on the environment
• Investigate sources of non-renewable and renewable energy in Canada
• Explore trends in climate change and reasons for these trends
• Analyze and interpret information from data and graphs
• Use written, oral, and visual communication skills to present findings
• Use various inquiry methods to gather, analyze, and synthesize ideas and information

Suggested grades and subject areas

• Intermediate, secondary
• Geography, Science (Environment)

Duration

One to three 70 minute periods depending on assignment(s) used.

Vocabulary

Greenhouse effect – a heat-trapping process that occurs naturally in the atmosphere. Incoming energy from the sun penetrates the atmosphere to warm the earth. The planet then radiates heat back out toward space. Some of the outgoing heat is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and re-emitted back to earth, keeping the planet warm.

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) – the name given to a group of gases released to the atmosphere that contribute to the greenhouse effect. Some of these gases are produced by both human and natural processes, while others are entirely human-made. A large proportion of human-made GHGs are produced by activities that require combustion of fossil fuels, such as driving cars or the production of electricity.

Climate change – change in average weather patterns and can be caused by both natural processes and human activities. In the past, the earth's climate has been affected by natural factors such as changes in solar output and the discharge of volcanic ash. In fact, the planet has been through many periods of cooling and warming. The last period of major cooling ended about 10,000 years ago.

Global warming – an increase in average global surface temperature.

Climate – average weather that a region experiences, usually calculated over a 30-year period. It encompasses all aspects of weather—temperature, air pressure, humidity, wind, cloudiness and precipitation—and is a guide for what kind of weather to expect. While weather can vary dramatically from one day to the next, climate can only change gradually.

Weather – the state of the atmosphere at a given time and place. It refers to the temperature, air pressure, humidity, wind, cloudiness and precipitation of a region over a short period of time.

Renewable energy – any energy of which the source is regarded as practically inexhaustible such as water, biomass, wind, sunlight, earth and waste, etc.

Gross domestic product – a method by which a government measures the total value of all goods and services produced in a country in a given year, excluding price changes. It is calculated using prices from a base year.

Materials

• Human Activity and the Environment: Annual Statistics 2007 and 2008, a copy of relevant sections of the article "Climate change in Canada" from the print or PDF version.
• Worksheet 1.1: Climate change in Canada    Answers
• Worksheet 1.2: Greenhouse gas emissions    Answers
• Worksheet 1.3: Climate change impacts    Answers
• Worksheet 1.4: How are we adapting? How are we responding to the challenge?    Answers
• Assignment 1: Poster
• Assignment 2: Debate
• Assignment 3: Research paper
• Assignment 4: Renewable energy    Renewable energy presentation chart
• Assignment 5: My province is better than yours!
• Student assignment rubric (at teacher's discretion for Assignments 1,4,5)

Classroom instruction

• This lesson could be used as a central or additional activity within a unit. Depending on the level of students' introductory understanding, the teacher can decide to have them do all the worksheets or only one or two of them.
• The worksheets are designed with enough room for students to fill in their answers or they can be adapted as overheads to save on photocopying costs.
• Students should complete the worksheets on their own, since this is a self-discovery guided approach to learning. The teacher should emphasize the need for paraphrasing to ensure they do not plagiarize (depending on grade and level).
• Give students access to computers or print copies of the article and allow a full class period to complete the worksheets. For assignments, at least one class period and computer access may be needed, depending on the assignment(s) selected.

Evaluation

• The worksheets can be reviewed together in class, handed in to the teacher or peer-evaluated.
• Selected assignments have a corresponding rubric for evaluation.

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