Canadian Agriculture at a Glance Teacher's Kit > Lesson plans

Lesson: From Concord to Chardonnay: Canada's grape transformation

View the article (PDF)
Introduction
Curriculum connections
Notes to teacher
Teaching and learning strategies
Assessment/evaluation strategies
Accommodation and enrichment strategies
Links to other activities
Suggestions for further research

Introduction

This activity looks at how Canada's grape industry has transformed itself in the wake of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Curriculum connections

Geography

• demonstrates understanding of the diversity of agricultural endeavours in Canada
• identifies the human factors that affect food production
• analyses ways in which agriculture depends on certain resources, and the environmental, economic and social implications
• explains ways to balance human needs and the protection of the natural system.

Family Studies/Home Economics

• identifies food supply and production industries in Canada
• identifies factors that affect food supply in Canada
• investigates food-related issues
• promotes understanding of the links between agriculture and the consumer
• describes the effect of economics on food production and supply and, ultimately, costs to consumers
• describes the impact of consumer demand on food production.

Science

• illustrates how individuals, society, and the environment influence and are influenced by scientific and technological endeavours.

Notes to teacher

In this unit, which corresponds to the chapter "Farm Profiles" in the book, farm-profile activities can be a co-operative group activity. Students can be divided into groups of "experts" to learn about one of the farms profiled; they can then teach the rest of the class about their topic (PDF).

Teaching and learning strategies

1. Teacher and students read a summary of the FTA. (Agriculture and Agri -Food Canada has a summary of the FTA's impact on agriculture at: www.agr.gc.ca/itpd-dpci/english/trade_agr/fta.htm.) Teacher leads a discussion about the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and its impact on Canadian agriculture, or the wider economy.
2. Teacher asks students what impact they think the FTA has had on agriculture.
3. Students read article "From Concord to Chardonnay: Canada's grape transformation" on pages 79 to 86 in Canadian Agriculture at a Glance (PDF).
4. Students answer the following questions based on the article:
1. How has the Canadian wine industry changed in the last 20 years?
2. Where in Canada is the climate best suited for growing grapes?
3. How did the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement affect the grape industry?
4. What factors have contributed to the growth of the wine industry?
5. Students log onto the Atlas of Canada website (www.atlas.gc.ca) and download the map on grapes.
6. Students add terminology to their glossaries.

Assessment/evaluation strategies

1. Assess answers for completion and accuracy.
2. Assess glossaries for accuracy and completion.

Accommodation and enrichment strategies

• Some students may require assistance in order to complete written work.
• Students with special needs may work with a partner to complete a task.
• Templates for note-taking should be provided to students with special needs.
• Main ideas and/or new information should be mapped out and organized to meet the needs of all students.
• Wherever possible, vocabulary lists should be provided with a discussion of context clues and related vocabulary.
• For enrichment, students can profile one particular winery and how it has changed.

Links to other activities

This activity is linked to:

• Bud the Spud moves west
• What's in your grocery cart?
• What's growing under glass
• Fresh produce north of 60
• Little bees, big potential
• Tapping the Manitoba maple - a Prairie cottage industry
• The little devils are everywhere!
• Stop the car! Are those llamas in that field?
• From wild beast to docile partner

Suggestions for further research

• Students can investigate other agricultural industries that were transformed by access to markets through free trade.
• Students can use 2001 Census of Agriculture data in E-STAT for data analysis, graphing and mapping activities for specific geographic areas of local interest.

Please send comments or examples of how you used this lesson in your class to Learning Resources.

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