Grade Level

Grades 4 to 5

Time Required

2 lessons (40 to 60 minutes in length)

Curriculum Connection

Alberta, Social Studies Grade 4 – Topic A: Alberta, Its Geography And People

Link to Canadian National Geography Standards

Essential Element #1 – World in Spatial Terms

• location of major human and physical features on Earth – Grades 4 to 5 standard
• major rivers of the province and Canada – Grades 4 to 5 standard

Geographic Skill #2 – Acquiring Geographic Information

• use maps to collect and/or compile geographic information – Grades 4 to 5 skill

Geographic Skill #3 – Organizing Geographic Information

• prepare maps to display information – Grades 4 to 5 skill

Atlas of Canada Resources

Go to the Atlas of Canada Web site found at: atlas.gc.ca The following parts of the Web site will be accessed by students during the main lesson:

• Explore Our Maps

Reference Maps » Provincial and Territorial » Alberta Map (download as JPEG)

Reference Maps » Provincial and Territorial Outline » Alberta Map

The lesson extension makes use of the following maps from the Atlas Web site:

• Explore Our Maps

Freshwater » Distribution of Fresh Water » Drainage Patterns Map

Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment

• blue pencil crayon

Main Objective

The primary goal of the lesson is to introduce students to the online Atlas of Canada so that they can identify the lakes and major rivers of Alberta and the drainage basin to which they belong.

Learning Outcomes

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

• access the Atlas of Canada Web site
• navigate the Atlas of Canada Web site with some confidence
• use the Explore Our Maps, Reference Maps and Freshwater sections to locate the rivers and lakes of Alberta and the drainage basins to which they belong
• label the lakes and rivers of Alberta on a base map

The Lesson

Before the lesson, print off and make one copy for each student of an outline map of Alberta from:

• Explore Our Maps

Reference Maps » Provincial and Territorial Outline » Alberta Map

Introduction

Teacher Activity

• Ask the students to list the uses of water.
• Ask the students for different classifications or synonyms for bodies of water.

Student Activity

• The students will be able to provide various uses for water that relate to their daily lives.
• The students will provide names such as lakes, ponds, sloughs and rivers.

Lesson Development

Teacher Activity

• Hand out outline map and student worksheet.
• Introduce the students to the Atlas of Canada atlas.gc.ca showing them how to type the URL in the address section of the browser.
• Monitor and assist students as they work through the activity.

Student Activity

• Students complete the worksheet and label the outline map as they work through the activity.

Conclusion

Teacher Activity

• Instruct the students to hand in their hard copy map and worksheet when completed.

Student Activity

• The students will give the finished product to their teacher.

The student worksheet is printed separately for distribution to students.

• Student Worksheet – The Rivers and Lakes of Alberta

The students may look at the maps in the section on Freshwater and determine the drainage basin to which each of the Alberta rivers that they were able to identify belongs.

• Explore Our Maps

Freshwater » Distribution of Fresh Water » Drainage Patterns Map

Students may be assessed on their ability to identify and locate the major rivers and lakes of Alberta and label them correctly on an outline map of Alberta.

• PDF version (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)