Grade Level

Canadian Geography 1202 – Grade 10 (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Time Required

60 to 80 minutes

Curriculum Connection

Canadian Geography 1202 – Grade 10 (Newfoundland and Labrador)

• students will describe general climatic patterns in Canada
• identify the factors which most affect the climate of the local area

Link to Canadian National Geography Standards

Essential Element – Physical Systems, Grades 9 to 12 Content-based Standard – Components of Earth’s Physical System and World Climate Regions.

• describe the ways in which Earth’s physical processes are dynamic and interactive
• identify the world’s climatic regions according to Koppen and explain the physical processes that have created the world’s unique climate patterns and cycles

Geographic Skills:

• Skill #2 – Acquiring Geographic Information
• Skill #4 – Analysing Geographic Information
• Skill #5 – Answering Geographic Questions

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:

• Reference Maps
• Map Archives
• Advanced Search (search for the location of a place on a map option)

Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment

• sufficient computers for individuals or small groups to access the Atlas of Canada Web site
• printers
• student worksheet
• Cartwright, Fraser, Garry Birchall and Gerry Pierce 1996. Contact Canada (Second Edition). Don Mills, Ontario. Oxford University Press.

Main Objective

Based on their knowledge of factors that affect climate, and climate data presented for specific unidentified Canadian cities, the student will match the climate data to the city. They will then justify their choice, referring to factors that affect climate.

Learning Outcomes

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

• print reference maps from the Atlas of Canada Web site
• use the Atlas of Canada's Advanced Search to locate specific communities
• analyse temperature and precipitation data
• generalize from temperature and precipitation data to identify the climate region from which the data was gathered
• use the Atlas of Canada Map Archives to find information on Canadian climate regions and there characteristics
• apply knowledge of climate regions and the factors that control climate to match temperature and precipitation data with specific Canadian locations

Introduction

Teacher Activity

• Introduce the purpose of the activity to the students. Assign groups. Distribute worksheets to each student.
• Assist students when locating and printing maps, as required.

Student Activity

• Students find and print base map.
• Students mark the assigned cities on the base map.

Lesson Development

Teacher Activity

• Review the factors that control climate and the characteristics of various climate regions.
• Assist students with worksheets as required.

Student Activity

• Students analyse climate data, further research the characteristics of Canada’s climate regions and apply their knowledge to match climate data with the area of Canada where it would occur while completing the student worksheet.

Conclusion

Teacher Activity

• Go over the answers with the students.

Student Activity

• Discuss answers and justifications for the matches of cities and climate data.

The student worksheet is printed separately for distribution to students.

• Student Worksheet – Climate Regions: Climate Characteristics of Canadian Localities
• Climate Data for Various Sites

Additional data sets and locations could be added to the exercise including some for which the match was less clear.

Students could also be asked to construct climate graphs for each of the locations identified. This could be incorporated into the lesson prior to the student identifying the cities.

Collect and assess the completed map and charts from the student worksheets.

• PDF version (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)