Grade Level

Grades 4 and 5

Time Required

60 to 90 minutes, depending on the computer comfort level of the students

Curriculum Connection

Grade 4 – The Geography of the Northwest Territories

Link to Canadian National Geography Standards

Essential Element #1 – The World in Spatial Terms

• physical and political maps of the province, Canada and the World
• provinces and territories of Canada

Essential Element #2 – Places and Regions

• physical and human characteristics of places and regions within provinces and Canada
• changes in places and regions over time

Essential Element #5 – Environment and Society

• impact of extreme natural events (for example, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions and mudslides) on the human and physical environment

Geographic Skill #1 – Asking Geographic Questions

• locate, gather and process information from a variety of primary and secondary sources including maps

Geographic Skill #2 – Acquiring Geographic Information

• Where is it located?
• how is its location related to the locations of other people, places and environments?

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 lesson:

• Explore Our Maps

Reference Maps » Canada Outline » Coastline and Boundaries of Canada Map

Reference Maps » Canada » Political Divisions Map

Reference Maps » Canada » Political Divisions (interactive) Map

Environment » Natural Hazards » Major Floods Map

History » Territorial Evolution » Territorial Evolution, 1949 Map

History » Territorial Evolution » Territorial Evolution, 1999 Map

Teacher Resources

To learn more about the five themes of geography you can reference the following Web sites:

• www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/themes.html
• www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson071.shtml

Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment

• computer lab with Internet access
• student worksheet – one copy per student
• Coastline and Boundaries of Canada Map – one copy per student
• coloured pencil crayons
• pencils

Main Objective

Students will use the Atlas of Canada to find basic geographical information about the Northwest Territories.

Learning Outcomes

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

• locate the Northwest Territories on a map of Canada
• locate and identify features on a map, using a legend
• identify where north is on a map
• identify the location of other provinces and territories in Canada in relation to the Northwest Territories using cardinal directions
• determine distance on a map, using relative terms such as near, far, here and there
• identify the five themes of geography and apply them in basic terms to any province or territory in Canada

Introduction

Teacher Activity

• review the Five Themes of Geography if this has been taught in a previous lesson OR
• teacher introduces students to the lesson theme

Student Activity

• students listen to the lesson introduction about the Five Themes of Geography
• if they know the five themes, students can identify them by name
• students can then prepare to complete the activity by having the map, worksheet and equipment ready

Lesson Development

Teacher Activity

• distribute the student worksheet and the outline map of Canada to the students
• depending on the students and their level of computer comfort, the teacher can decide on whether they should work independently, in pairs or as a whole group with the teacher guiding each step
• go over the instructions with the students and help students to access the Atlas of Canada Web site
• monitor and assist students as they work through the activity

Student Activity

• students follow the worksheet as they work through the activity

Conclusion

Teacher Activity

• collect the student worksheets
• assign homework and collect the maps when completed

Student Activity

• complete and hand in worksheets and maps

The student worksheet is printed separately for distribution to students.

• Student Worksheet – Discovering the Northwest Territories Through the Five Themes of Geography

This lesson may be applied to any province or territory in Canada. An advanced lesson would require students to use what they learnt in the lesson and apply the five themes of geography to another region of Canada. The lesson may be adapted for higher grades.

Evaluate students worksheets based on:

• neatness
• accuracy
• following instructions

• PDF Version (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)