THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE YUKON – GRADES 6 TO 8 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

Climate Change Jigsaw

Lesson Overview

In this lesson students will conduct research about the impact of climate change for a region of Canada and share the information gathered in a jigsaw exercise. They will discuss and debate which region of Canada is at greatest risk from climate change.

Grade Level

Grades 6-8 (middle)

Time Required

This lesson can be completed in two forty-minute classes.

Curriculum Connection (Province and course)

Yukon - Grade 8 Social Studies: Application of Social Studies

Link to Canadian National Geography Standards

Essential Element #3 (Grades 6-8) - Physical Systems

·  Causes and patterns of extreme natural events (e.g. floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes)

Essential Element #5 (Grades 6-8) - Environment and Society

·  Effects of human modification of the physical environment (e.g. global warming, deforestation, desertification, urbanization)

·  Impact of natural and technological hazards/disasters on the human and physical environment

Geographic Skill #2 (Grades 6-8) - Acquiring Geographic Information

·  Use a variety of research skills to locate and collect geographic data

·  Use maps to collect and/or compile geographic information

Geographic Skill #5 (Grades 6-8) - Answering Geographic Questions

·  Make generalizations and assess their validity

Principal Resource

The resource used for this lesson is the Rivers of Canada section of The Canadian Atlas Online website at www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/.

Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required

·  Access to computers and the internet to access the following website: www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/

·  Climate Change Jigsaw Activity Sheet

Main Objective

Students will gain an appreciation for the consequences of people’s interaction with the environment.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

·  Gather and summarize factual information from The Canadian Atlas Online (CAOL) to address a problem

·  Appreciate the idea of interdependence as a common feature of life

·  Reach consensus while making difficult decisions in a group

Lesson

TEACHER ACTIVITY / STUDENT ACTIVITY

Introduction

/ ·  Distribute the simulation activity sheet and read/explain the instructions.
·  Create expert groups (size is dependent on the class) for the five regions of Canada in the atlas.
·  The regions used on the site are Prairies, Ontario/Quebec, Atlantic Provinces, the North, and British Columbia. / ·  Read the instructions and ask for clarification if necessary.
·  Meet with members of expert group.

Lesson Development

/ ·  Monitor and help students as they find the facts for their region.
·  Ask students to form new groups (home groups) where each region is represented.
·  Monitor and guide students as they share and record information. Each student should record information for all the regions and have a completed activity sheet.
·  Ask the groups to rank the regions in terms of greatest risk from climate change. Explain that they must come to a consensus and explain why they have ranked one region over the others. / ·  Collect information about the assigned region of Canada.
·  Form a home group where there is a representative from each region of Canada.
·  Present your findings and record findings from the other regions of Canada.
·  Make decisions about the threat of climate change to regions of Canada. Reach consensus in the group while ranking the regions.

Conclusion

/ ·  Gather rankings and discuss them as a class.
·  Ask students to write a paragraph about their local region and the potential impacts of climate change. / ·  Participate in the group discussion.
·  Complete writing assignment.

Lesson Extension

Here are some potential ideas:

·  Conduct research on the potential impacts of climate change to your local area.

·  Plan and carry out a project to take action on climate change in your local area.

·  Try the games on The Canadian Atlas Online (CAOL) website in the climate change section.

·  Design your own climate change game based on the information collected in the simulation.

Assessment of Student Learning

Activity sheets could be collected and assessed for completeness and accuracy. The written component at the end of the lesson could also be assessed.

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CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR GEOGRAPHIC EDUCATION

THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE YUKON – GRADES 6 TO 8 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

Student Activity Sheet

Climate Change Jigsaw

Part A:

Use The Canadian Atlas Online to become an expert about the impacts of climate change in one region of Canada.

Steps for finding the information:

·  Go to www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

·  Choose English.

·  Select Explore by Themes and then choose Issues.

·  Choose Climate Change and then find your region of Canada.

Expert Group Region:

Impacts from climate change: (Record the physical landscape changes and the human impacts. Choose the most significant impacts – try to keep it to five impacts.)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.


Climate Change Jigsaw

Part B:

Form a group that contains one member from each region. Share your findings and record the facts (approx. five impacts per region) gathered by others below.

REGION / IMPACTS / RANK
PRAIRIES
ONTARIO/
QUEBEC
ATLANTIC PROVINCES
NORTH
WEST


Climate Change Jigsaw

Part C:

Which region of Canada is at greatest risk from climate change? (You must reach consensus in your group while ranking the regions.) Explain why you have chosen this region over the others.

Region:

Why?

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CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR GEOGRAPHIC EDUCATION