CANADIAN NORTH – LIFE AND LAND NEW BRUNSWICK – MIDDLE

Living off the Land: “You are on the Right Path”

Lesson Overview:

Students will understand how the people of the North depend on the resources of both the land and the water in order to survive. They will create a visual representation, anInukshuk, as a symbol of the traditional Inuit way of life which showsthe path leading to their resources.

Grade Level:

Grades K – 6

Time Required:

120 minutes

Curriculum Connection:

This lesson meets the general curriculum outcomes as identified in the Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation Curriculum for Social Studies, grades K-6 New Brunswick Social Studies Curriculum Outcomes with Delineations, June 2003.

Culture and Diversity Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of culture, diversity and worldview recognizing the similarities and differences in various cultural, racial and ethnic perspectives.

People, Places and Environment Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the interactions among people, place and environment

Interdependence Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the interdependent relationships among individuals, societies, and the environment – locally, nationally and globally – and the implications for a sustainable future.

Time, Continuity and Change Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the past and how it affects the present and the future.

Links to Canadian National Standards for Geography:

Essential Elements (Grades K to 3)

Essential Elements 1: The World in Spatial Terms

  • Location of continents and oceans
  • Map elements (title, scale, symbols, legend, grid, cardinal and intermediate directions)

Essential Element 2:Places & Regions

  • Concept of physical features (e.g. mountains, plains, hills, oceans, and islands)

Essential Element 5:Environment & Society

  • Introduction to resources (e.g. food from farms, wood from trees, minerals from the ground, fish from the sea)
  • Earth’s natural resources(e.g. minerals, air, water, land)

Essential Elements (Grade 4-5)

Essential Elements 1:The World in Spatial Terms

  • Latitude, longitude and the global grid

Essential Element 2:Places & Regions

  • Physical and human characteristics of places and regions within the province and Canada

Essential Element 5:Environment & Society

  • Renewable (land, forests, water) and non-renewable (minerals, fossil fuels) resources

Geographic Skill 1:Asking Geographic Questions

  • Ask geographic questions - Where is it located?

Geographic Skill 2: Acquiring Geographic Information

Locate, gather and process information from a variety of primary and secondary sources including maps (Grades K – 5).

  • Use maps to collect and/or compile geographic information (Grades 6-8)

Geographic Skill 3: Organizing Geographic information

  • Prepare maps to display geographic information
  • Construct graphs, tables and diagrams to display geographic information

Geographic Skill 4:Analyzing Geographic Information

  • Use tables and graphs to observe and interpret geographic trends and relationships
  • Use texts, photographs and documents to observe and interpret geographic trends and relationships
  • Use simple mathematics to analyze geographic data

Geographic Skill 5:Answering Geographic Questions

  • Present geographic information in the form of both oral and written reports accompanied by maps and graphics (Grades K to 5)
  • Develop and present combinations of geographic information to answer geographic questions (Grades 6 to 8)

Links to the Canadian Atlas Online (CAOL)

Two themes are of particular relevance: The Far North: Arctic and Taiga, and Canada’s Changing Climate.

The Learning Centre contains lesson plans on Northern topics such as “The Harvesting Cycle: The Cycle of Seasons in the Far North”

Additional Resources, Materials, and Equipment Required:

  • Suitable material to construct aninukshuk
  • Computer with Internet access and printer
  • Student Activity Sheets 1,2,and 3. (Attached)
  • View the map of Canada on the Atlas of Canada site online:
  • Blank map of Canada:
  • To show location of Nunavut:Canadian Atlas Online:
  • To copy map of Nunavut:
  • Illustrated learning poster, with colouring component “Discover Canada’s North” (free by e-mailing: )
  • Related pictures from newspapers or magazines
  • Your choice of recording information for the class at the front (overhead, poster paper, board)
  • Students build their own inukshuk:
  • Oceans Theme:

The Arctic Ocean**

PowerPoint Presentation of Images of the Arctic:

**This lesson will introduce students to the Eastern Arctic Region and the benefits of the Arctic Ocean to the people who live in the Far North.

Print Resources

North Pole: South Pole. Double-sided map of the Polar Regions created to commemorate International Polar Year 2007-2008. Ottawa: Canadian Geographic, 2007.

The Canadian Atlas: Our Nation, Environment and People. Montreal and Ottawa: Readers Digest and Canadian Geographic, 2004.

Canadian National Standards for Geography: A Standards-based guide to K-12 Geography. Ottawa; Canadian Council for Geographic Education, 2001. (Also available online at

Canadian National Standards for Geography: Scope and Sequence Chart. Ottawa: Canadian Council for Geographic Education, 2001. (Also available online at

Canadian Geographic magazine. Ottawa: Canadian Geographic. Published 6 times a year. Each issue in 2007 contains an article on Canada’s North.

The Lonely Inukshuk. Written and illustrated by students from InuglakSchool, Whale Cove, Nunavut. Markham, ON: Scholastic Book Fairs, 1999. ISBN:0-590-51650-7

Main Objective:

The primary goal of this lesson is to help students to understand the importance of the wildlife to the people of the Arctic Region, particularly Nunavut.

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

  • Identify various sea mammals that inhabit the Arctic Region
  • Identify various birds that inhabit the Arctic Region
  • Identify various land mammals that inhabit the Arctic Region
  • Understand the concept of a marine ecosystem and its key components and it importance to the way of life in the Arctic
  • Investigate the various wildlife in the Arctic
  • Locate suitable pictures to illustrate various wildlife in the Arctic

Background Information: The Inuit people have hunted and fished the vast Canadian Arctic for thousands of years. During their summer hunts, Inuit families sometimes built stone piles, often in the shape of humans with outstretched arms. They called these sculptures "inukshuks." On the wild Arctic landscape inukshuks are often the only sign that humans have passed through, a symbol of the traditional Inuit way of life. They indicate migration routes or places where fish can be found.

The Lesson:

Teacher Activity / Student Activity
Introduction / Present the Historica Minute: “Inukshuk”:
Read the book The Lonely Inukshuk by Inuglak School and discuss the visuals in the book. Tell the students that they are going to learn about the Arctic region’s wildlife.
Instruct students to complete Activity Sheets 1,2,and 3 / Listen attentively to the video.
Discuss the reason for building the outstretched arms. They called these sculptures "inukshuks."
Discuss meaning of "inukshuk."
Complete:
Activity Sheet 1: Where would I find them?
Activity Sheet 2: Unscramble
Activity Sheet 3: Survey
Lesson Development / Provide students with Internet access andput in groups of four.
Instruct students toview the map of Canada online:
Give an outline map of Canada reminding them of the required elements (Title, legend and their name).
Provide students with Internet access and in groups of four, have students go to:

Click on “Explore the Maps” and locate Nunavut.
Give each group of students copy map of Nunavut:
Again, be sure that they understand what is expected of them. (Title, legend and their name).
Find photos of wildlife from magazines, the Internet, or use drawings, and glue around their outline map of Nunavut.
Post Canadian Wildlife Poster: “Canada’s North” in the classroom
Discover that “Canada’s North” poster highlights different species of wildlife.
Pass out copies and have students colour the wildlife. / Follow teacher instructions and view map of Canada online by going to
Locate Nunavuton the outline map of Canada. Complete the legend once the students are online. Students go to:
/atlas.
Click on “Explore the Maps” and locate Nunavut
Use the “Zoom” tool to show the waterways (routes of hunters).
Ensure that outline map has title, legend, and their name.
Add photos of wildlife around the map of Nunavut.
Discuss poster
Students colour the animals that live in Canada’s North.
Conclusion / Provide students with materials to build their own Inukshuk as a symbol of the North: / Students create their own Inukshuk

Lesson Extension:

Children will paint a watercolour of their favourite Arctic animal to display in the classroom.

Children will do individual research on various animal lives in the Arctic.

Assessment of Student Learning:

Include suggestions for assessing the intended learning outcomes.

  1. Formative: Demonstrate a skill

Peer and self-evaluation and teacher observation can be used to evaluate skills/ process.

  1. Communication

Read for detail

  1. Inquiry:

Identify cause & effect

4. Participation

Explain the visual representations

5. Products Created Portfolio

Student Worksheets

ACTIVITY SHEET #1

Arctic Animal: Where would I find them?

Water / Land
Arctic Fox
Arctic Hare
Arctic Tern
Puffin
Beluga Whale
Snow Goose
Short-Tailed Weasel
Polar Bear
Greenland Shark
Snowy Owl
Killer Whale
Reindeer
Moose
Ground squirrel
Weasel
Walrus
Musk Ox
Northern Fur Seal
Woodland Caribou
Wolverine

Students worksheets

ACTIVITY SHEET #2


Unscramble the Arctic animal words below:

1. ekilrl hwlae
2. opral areb
3. npfufi
4. wruals
5. smoeo
6. ales
7. wveorinle
8. sywon olw
9. sown ogeos
10. gnrlandee khars

Answers: killer whale, polar bear, puffin, walrus, moose, seal, wolverine, snow goose, Greenland shark

Student Worksheets

ACTIVITY SHEET #3

Survey:Use the survey below to gather data and make graph about the class’s favourite Arctic Animal. Use Tally Marks to record the answers. Fill in the names of the animals in the last row.

Favorite Arctic Animal Survey

Arctic Fox / Polar Bear
Arctic Hare / Puffin
Arctic Tern / Reindeer
Beluga Whale / Short-Tailed Weasel
Greenland Shark / Snow Goose
Killer Whale / Snowy Owl
Moose / Walrus
Musk Ox / Wolverine
Northern Fur Seal / Woodland Caribou
Which animal got the most votes?
/ Which animal got the least votes?

Canadian Council for Geographic Education 1

Canadian Polar Commission