Postcard Activity: Discovering Canada’s Physical Diversity
Grade 9 Academic Geography
In this activity, you will choose one of several pre-determined locations in Canada and research important information for
that location. Next, you will design a creative postcard and feature the most important information, based on your research.
The postcard will include the letter message as well as pictures & important information. Please use the following as a
checklist to complete your postcard.
Requirements
1. Select your city from the choice box/bag.
2. Use regular 8.5’’ x 11’’ paper – no bigger, no smaller.
3. Poster must demonstrate logical and creative lay-out (organization of pictures, etc.)
Front of postcard:
1. Name of location (i.e. your city’s name) prominently displayed.
2. Pictures that show LANDFORMS (mountains, plains, lakes, etc.) of your selected area.
3. Pictures that show VEGETATION (types of trees, shrubs, flowers that grow naturally) of your selected area.
* Pictures may be hand-drawn but if so must be coloured, or they can be cut from magazines or pamphlets,
computer-generated or actual photos (with permission from parents or guardians!). Make sure you number
each picture and complete a legend on the back of the post card.
Back of postcard:
1. Restate the name of your city at the top of the postcard..
2. Paragraph #1: The Postcard is a message to Mr. Riso about your trip to the chosed location. The first
paragraph will be a message about the types of recreational activities available in or around your city. The
message will include details about the “trip” to the area, activities offered in and around the area (Must be
recreational activities, not shopping or going to museums). Try to include relevant information in an interesting
and/or humorous way and be sure to include at least 3 activities. This information will be gathered through
internet research.
3. Paragraph #2: A detailed description of the landforms located in or around your city. You will use the map on
page 101 of your textbook to determine the landform region your city is located in. Next find the section of the
textbook (between pages 101-115) that describes your city’s landforms and use this information to help complete
your landform write up.
4. Paragraph #3: A detailed description of the vegetation located in or around your city. You will use the map on
page 148 of your textbook to determine the vegetation region your city is located in. Next find the section of the
textbook (between pages 148-155) that describes your city’s vegetation and use this information to help complete
your vegetation write up.
5. Paragraph #4: A brief description of the ecozone your city is located in or around. You will use the map on
page 160 of your textbook to determine the ecozone your city is located in. Next find the section of the textbook
(between pages 160-163) that describes your city’s ecozone and use this information to help complete your
ecozone write up.
6. Right hand corner of postcard must be properly addressed to Mr. Riso at our school address. Be sure to include
the proper school address and postal code (find it online, do not ask me for the address). A reproduction of a
stamp(s). Do NOT include real stamps. Draw an existing Canadian stamp or create your own design based on your location.
7. Legend which explains each of the pictures on the front of your postcard. This should be located at the lower
right hand corner on the back of the postcard.
Name: __________________________
City: ______________________________________
Due date for post card and presentation: ________________________________________
Rubric
Name: _______________________________
Level 0/R-/R/R+
Knowledge/
Level 1-/1/1+
-
Able to explain the
landforms of your region
with limited detail and
accuracy using few
examples.
-
Able to explain the
vegetation of your region
with limited detail and
accuracy using few
examples.
Understanding
-
Thinking/
-
Inquiry
Communication
Application
Able to explain the climate of
your region with limited
detail and accuracy using
few examples.
Able to explain the various
types of recreational or
economic activities you
experienced within your
region with limited detail and
accuracy using few
examples.
Date: ______________________
Level 2-/2/2+
-
Able to explain the landforms
of your region with some
detail and accuracy using
some examples.
-
Able to explain the vegetation
of your region with some
detail and accuracy using
some examples.
-
Able to explain the climate of
your region with some detail
and accuracy using some
examples.
Level 3-/3/3+
-
Able to explain the
landforms of your region
with good detail and
accuracy using many
examples.
-
Able to explain the
vegetation of your region
with good detail and
accuracy using many
examples.
-
-
Able to explain the various
types of recreational or
economic activities you
experienced within your
region with some detail and
accuracy using some
examples.
-
Able to explain the climate
of your region with good
detail and accuracy using
many examples.
Able to explain the various
types of recreational or
economic activities you
experienced within your
region with good detail and
accuracy using many
examples.
Level 4-/4/4+
-
Able to explain the landforms
of your region with a high
degree of detail and accuracy
using many great examples.
-
Able to explain the vegetation
of your region with a high
degree of detail and accuracy
using many great examples.
-
Able to explain the climate of
your region with a high degree
of detail and accuracy using
many great examples.
-
Able to explain the various
types of recreational or
economic activities you
experienced within your region
with a high degree of detail and
accuracy using many great
examples.
-
Did not fully connect
recreational or economic
activities to your regions
landforms, vegetation and
climate.
-
Limited connection of
recreational or economic
activities to your regions
landforms, vegetation and
climate.
-
Good connection of
recreational or economic
activities to your regions
landforms, vegetation and
climate.
-
Excellent connection of
recreational or economic
activities to your regions
landforms, vegetation and
climate.
-
Postcard shows limited
creativity. Organization and
neatness of postcard is
limited.
-
Postcard shows some
creativity. Organization and
neatness of postcard is
somewhat limited.
-
Postcard shows good
creativity. Organization and
neatness of postcard is
good.
-
Postcard shows high degree of
creativity. Organization and
neatness of postcard is
excellent.
-
Postcard contains high
degree of grammatical errors
and is limited in detail.
-
Postcard contains many
grammatical errors and is
somewhat limited in detail.
-
Postcard contains some
grammatical errors and
contains good detail.
-
Postcard contains few
grammatical errors and
contains high degree of detail.
-
Visuals lack relevance and
are not explained well in
your legend.
-
Visuals contain some
relevance and are somewhat
explained well in your legend.
-
Visuals are relevant and are
explained well in your
legend.
-
Visuals are extremely relevant
and are explained well in your
legend.
-
Included all/some of the
paragraphs with limited
detail.
-
Included all/some of the
paragraphs with some detail.
-
Included all of the
paragraphs with good
detail.
-
Included all of the paragraphs
with a high degree of detail.
Postcard includes some of
the following, six visuals on
front, and paragraphs on
back left, postage stamp on
top right, address of school
below along with legend for
visuals.
Postcard includes many of the
following, six visuals on front,
and paragraphs on back left,
postage stamp on top right,
address of school below
along with legend for visuals.
-
-
-
Postcard includes all of the
following, six visuals on
front, and paragraphs on
back left, postage stamp on
top right, address of school
below along with legend for
visuals.
Postcard includes all of the
following, six visuals on front,
and paragraphs on back left,
postage stamp on top right,
address of school below along
with legend for visuals with a
high degree of creativity.
Postcard Assignment City List
City
Student Name
City
Student Name
Victoria (B.C.)
_________________ Edmonton (Alta.) ________________
Prince Albert (Sask.) ___________ The Pas (Man.) __________________
Kapuskasing (On.) _____________ Montreal (Que.) __________________
Fredericton (N.B.) ______________
Sydney (N.S.) _____________________
Charlottetown (PEI) ____________
Gander (Nfld) _____________________
Iqaluit (Nun.) __________________
Yellowknife (NWT) _________________
Whitehorse (Yukon) ____________
Thunder Bay (On.) __________________
Kamloops (B.C.) _______________ Quebec City (Que.) __________________
Dawson (Yukon) _______________ St. John’s (Nfld) _____________________
Calgary (Alberta) _______________
St. John (N.B.) ______________________
Prince Albert (Sask.) ____________
Prince George (B.C.) _________________
Tuktayuktuk (NWT) ____________
Labrador City(Nfld.) _________________
Windsor (ON) ________________ Toronto: (ON) _______________________
Vancouver (B.C.) _____________ Halifax (NS) ________________________
Churchill (MAN) _____________ Winnipeg (MAN) ____________________