THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE ALBERTA – GRADES 1-5 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

The Fraser River’s Journey

Lesson Overview

This lesson will give a brief overview of the route, life, history and pollution issues facing the Fraser River. At completion of this lesson students will have a pictorial map of the Fraser River, while Grade One students will only have pictures on their map, Grade Fives should have pictures labeled.

Grade Level

Grades 1-5 (elementary)

Please note: This lesson plan is based on the foundational understanding that students are aware of what a river is and basic terminology related to rivers. The overview on the Fraser River given through The Canadian Atlas Online website has many difficult words that any student between Grade One to Five will struggle with. Prior to reading the “Fraser River Overview” please alter – as needed - language in order to cater to your grade level and class skill.

Time Required

·  First lesson – 40 minute (written work)

·  Second lesson – 40 minute (computer and completion of written work)

Curriculum Connection (Province and course)

This Grade One to Grade Five lesson is applicable for the province of Alberta. This lesson can meet the prescribed learning outcomes in the Social Studies and Technology subjects.

Link to Canadian National Geography Standards

Essential Element #1 (Grades 4-5) – The World in Spatial Terms

·  Location of major human and physical features on Earth

Geographic Skill #2 (Grades 4-5) – Acquiring Geographic Information

·  Locate, gather and process information from a variety of primary and secondary sources including maps

Geographic Skill #5 (Grades 4-5) – Answering Geographic Questions

Extension Lesson

Essential Element #5 (Grades 4-5) – Environment and Society

·  Human modification of the physical environment (e.g., construction of dams, mining, draining wetlands)

Principal Resource

This lesson is based on the Rivers section of The Canadian Atlas Online

www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/

Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required

·  One large poster/chart paper for brainstorming

·  Copies of The Fraser River’s Journey - Pictures (one for each student)

·  A large piece of paper for each student

·  Each student must have colouring supplies, scissors and glue

Main Objective

The main objective of this lesson is to provide students with information about the Fraser River. It is meant to enhance student learning in the following areas of the Fraser River: the geographical location; historical relevance of the river; pollutants that threaten its life and basic factual information.

Learning Outcomes

Alberta Learning’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) curriculum is infused throughout the social studies program of studies. Use technology to support and present conclusions.

Grade 1: General Outcome 1.2 Alberta:

Moving Forward with the Past: My Family, My History and My Community

·  Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how changes over time have affected their family and influenced how their families and communities are today.

·  1.S.7 Students will apply the research process and navigate within an electronic document.

Grade 2: General Outcome 2.1 Alberta:

Canada’s Dynamic Communities

·  Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how geography, culture, language, heritage, economics and resources shape and change Canada’s communities.

·  2.S.7 Students will apply the research process and navigate within a document, compact disc or other software program that contains links.

Grade 3: Outcome 3.S.9 Alberta:

Skills and Processes

·  Students will be able to develop skills of media literacy and identify key words from information gathered from a variety of media on a topic or issue.

·  3.S.7 Students will apply the research process and navigate within a document, compact disc or other software program that contains links.

Grade 4: General Outcome 4.1 Alberta:

A Sense of the Land

·  Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how elements of physical geography, climate, geology and paleontology are integral to the landscapes and environment of Alberta.

·  4.S.7 Students will apply the research process by accessing and retrieving appropriate information from the Internet by using a specific search path or from given uniform resource locations (URLs).

Grade 5: General Outcome 5.1 Alberta:

Physical Geography of Canada

·  Geography/Mapping

·  Students will be able to read and interpret maps/legends of Canada showing physical features

·  C1: 2.1 Students will apply the research process by accessing and retrieving appropriate information from the Internet by using a specific search path or from given uniform resource locations (URLs).

The Lesson

This lesson plan focuses on students in Grade One to Five and is based on:

·  The Canadian Atlas Online at www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/

·  The Fraser River Overview: www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=rivers&sub=rivers_west_fraser&lang=En

TEACHER ACTIVITY / STUDENT ACTIVITY

Introduction

/
Class One
·  Teacher puts up the name Fraser River on the chalkboard.
·  Teacher asks students to put words that relate to the Fraser River up on the board. / Class One
·  Students put up words such as: Salmon, Mount Robson, British Columbia, Aboriginals.

Lesson Development

/ ·  The teacher has the Fraser River Overview from the website – Canadian Atlas Online’s Rivers of Canada (Fraser River) section: www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=rivers&sub=rivers_west_fraser&lang=En and reads the information about the river to the students once.
·  Teacher then hands out large paper and packet of pictures from The Fraser River Journey - Pictures to students and asks students to bring out appropriate school supplies (scissors, glue, pencil crayons etc.).
·  Teacher asks students to paste the title on the top of their large piece of paper. The teacher then reads the Fraser River Overview and asks students to start at the top right hand corner and paste mountain pictures on the large paper. Secondly, the Fraser River is drawn on the map, starting at the top of the mountain as a small trickle and gets larger when approaching the ocean.
·  Throughout the reading the teacher prompts students to glue the appropriate picture when it is read. If students are having difficulty they can work in pairs. There can be discussion on what needs to be put on the paper next. There should be a conversation about pollution and therefore the colour of the river turning red because of pollutants – in which the students use their markers to colour their Fraser River red.
·  Class Two
·  Teacher guides students through the website http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=rivers&lang=En and moves mouse into “West”, then into “Fraser”.
·  Teacher guides students to the left hand side of “Explore Maps”. After the display shows place “Fraser River” in Feature Name; “British Columbia” in Province and then under Category scroll down to “Rivers, streams and water courses”. Then click on Fraser River. / ·  Students listen to teacher.
·  Students follow teacher’s guidance.
·  Students bring out appropriate school supplies (scissors, glue, pencil crayons etc.).
·  Students cut pictures out of The Fraser River Journey - Pictures and read along with the teacher.
·  Students paste appropriate pictures on their large piece of paper.
·  Students engage in classroom discussion.
·  Class Two
·  Student follows teacher’s lead.
·  Student follows teacher’s lead.

Lesson (cont’d)

TEACHER ACTIVITY / STUDENT ACTIVITY

Lesson Development

(cont’d)

/ ·  Reviews through the Fraser River Journey - Pictures and asks students to add cities, vehicles or other important aspects to the pictorial map.
·  On the original poster paper used in Class One, students brainstorm additional information that they have put on their Fraser River Journey pictorial map. / Students add cities, vehicles or other important aspects to their pictorial maps

Conclusion

/ ·  Prompt students to share their pictorial maps with other students and discuss what they learned. / ·  Students share their pictorial maps with other students and discuss what they learned.

Additional Resources

·  Discover Your Estuary: Understanding and Exploring the Aquatic Environment of the Fraser River Estuary; Kistritz, Ron Udo, Environment Canada Conservation and Protection, North Vancouver, B.C., 118 pages. This resource will help teachers enhance their knowledge on the Fraser River.

·  Salmon Story; Guiberson, Brenda Z., Henry Holt and Company Inc. 1993, New York NY, ISBN: 0-80502-754-8. This storybook is about the salmon life cycle, connections to history, as well as Aboriginal culture.

·  Source of Life: Water in Our Environment; McIntyre Distributors, Victoria, B.C. 1995. This Grade Four level, twenty-two minute video highlights causes of water pollution and its impact on waterways in the United States. It includes a teacher’s manual and activities.

Assessment of Student Learning

The teacher can observe student participation, as well as mark the pictorial maps according to specific learning outcomes for grade level.


The Fraser River’s Journey - Pictures

1

CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR GEOGRAPHIC EDUCATION