Grade Level

Grades 10 to 12

Time Required

60 to 100 minutes depending on the grade level and the level of computer comfort

Curriculum Connection

Nova Scotia, Grade 11 Canadian Geography and Grade 12 Global Geography

Link to Canadian National Geography Standards

Essential Element #2 – Places and Regions

• regional analysis of geographic issues and questions
• choropleth maps and statistical data, regarding: regional disparities

Geographic Skill #4 – Analyzing Geographic Information

• use the processes of analysis, synthesis evaluation and explanation to interpret geographic information from a variety of sources

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

Economy » Income » Median Income of Individuals, (1995$) Map

Health » Health Resources » Population-to-physician Ratio, 1996 Map

Health » Health Resources » Population-to-specialist Ratio, 1996 Map

Health » Health Resources » Population-to-nurse Ratio, 1996 Map

Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment

• computer lab with Internet access
• access to Statistics Canada E-STAT Web site (optional)
• computer spreadsheet program that would allow students to create scatter graphs (optional)
• printer (optional unless students will be producing the scatter graphs on the computer)

Main Objective

The main goal of this activity is to introduce the concept of economic disparity.

Learning Outcomes

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

• use the interactive thematic maps from the Atlas of Canada Web site
• differentiate between standard of living and quality of life
• analyze choropleth maps for patterns
• construct and analyze scatter graphs in order to determine relationships between variables
• appreciate that many different factors are involved in determining the quality of life in a region, and that not all are easily measured
• understand that some variables have a cultural bias to them

Introduction

Teacher Activity

• To introduce the concept of economic disparities, show choropleth maps of the world that illustrate the concept. Example: Maps that are based upon a number of variables such as income per person, infant mortality, girls in school, and life expectancy, all illustrate the concept of disparities at the international level very well. These maps and others are available at the following Web site : http://nebula.worldbank.org/Website/
• After examining the concept of disparities at the international scale with the entire class, the students start exploring the concept at a Canadian scale and then proceed to the regional and provincial scales.

Student Activity

• Have the students suggest and discuss variables, other than those discussed in the introductory examples that can be used to identify and describe economic disparities.

Lesson Development

Teacher Activity

• Explain the activity sheet and answer any questions.
• Be available to answer questions as the students work through the activity.

Student Activity

• Read the information provided, follow the step-by-step instructions on the sheet, and answer the questions to the best of their ability.

Conclusion

Teacher Activity

• Take in the assignments and mark them. Give them back and go through the desired answers. Perhaps use the follow up activity.

Student Activity

• Correct their mistakes as the teacher goes through the activity.

The student worksheet is printed separately for distribution to students.

• Student Worksheet – Regional Disparities in Canada

A follow up activity would be to use additional variables from the Canadian census data that can be found in other Atlas of Canada maps. Some appropriate maps in the Explore Our Maps section would include:

• Health » Non-medical Determinants of Health

These maps contain additional income and educational data. Although the data is similar to what the students would have already used in the activity, it has been collated in slightly different ways.

• Health » Health Behaviours

Two of the maps in this section are based upon variables that could lead to some very interesting discussion regarding the possible correlation between overall health of a population and the level of economic prosperity. The Prevalence of Smoking Map and Population Who Were Overweight Map can provide the basis for this discussion. Is there a greater proportion of the populations of the more disparate parts of Canada that smoke and is overweight, than in the more prosperous parts?

This exercise starts by examining economic disparity at the international level and works down to the national level and then to the provincial level. A logical final step would be to look at the disparities between specific communities and the surrounding areas and determining patterns of disparities within a particular community.

• Economy » Resource Reliant Communities, 1996

This map contains two useful variables using the Get Info from Map tool above the map. Both the Education Index and the Employment Income Index give indications of the economic health of a particular community. These data would allow students to gain a sense of how particular communities within a census division can be either more or less prosperous than the average for the census division.

The accompanying Student Worksheet: Regional Disparities in Canada would provide the initial evaluation tool and then the concepts could be tested on future assignments or tests.

• PDF version (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)