THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
SASKATCHEWAN – GRADES 6-8
Shipping Grain from Saskatchewan to the Atlantic
Lesson Overview:
In this lesson, students will learn about the significant role the St. Lawrence Seaway plays
in transporting goods from western Canada to the east coast of North America and beyond.
They will compare and contrast several of the environmental advantages to using shipping
as compared to other modes of transportation, namely via truck and rail.
Grade Level:
Grades 6-8 (middle school)
Time Required:
Teachers should be able to conduct the lesson in one class.
Curriculum Connection (Province/Territory and course):
Saskatchewan Social Studies (Grade 6 – Maps and the Earth, Location and Atlases; Grade 8
– Causality, examining cause and effect).
Link to the Canadian Atlas Online (CAOL):
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/
Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required:

“From the Prairies to the Atlantic” student handout, one per student.

Outline map of Canada, one per student.

Student atlases (hard copy or online).
Main Objective:
The primary goal of this lesson is to examine the process in which goods are transported (in
this case, grain) using a variety of transportation modes, trucks, rail and ships. The
economic value of reducing fuel consumption is examined with the direct benefits to the
environment.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Identify the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway on a map and trace the route of a
shipment of grain from a Saskatchewan farm to the port of Montreal.

Compare and contrast the three modes of transportation noting both the economic
and environmental advantages and limitations of each.

Appreciate the costs involved in the transportation of goods and how this may affect
the consumer.
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
SASKATCHEWAN – GRADES 6-8
The Lesson:
Development
Introduction
How will the lesson open?
Teacher Activity
Introduce the concept of the
global economy by examining
where common goods are
manufactured. Have students
work in small groups of 2 or 3
to make a list of 10 items they
have with them (clothing,
school supplies, electronic
devices, etc) and identify
where those were
manufactured. Using an atlas,
have students identify which
item had to travel the furthest
to reach the Canadian market.
Ask the class to hypothesize
how these items were shipped
to Canada and then to a store
in your town/city.
Note: the vast majority of
items that have been imported
from overseas arrived in
Canada in a container on board
a ship. This is the most
economical mode of
transportation over vast
distances. Depending on the
location of your home
community the item was then
transported by rail and/or
truck.
Student Activity
Students will form small groups
as instructed by the teacher.
On one sheet of paper they will
list any 10 items and the
country of origin.
With the aid of an atlas (or
map of the world) identify
which item had to travel the
farthest to reach their
classroom.
Have each group report this
item and country of origin to
the class.
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
Lesson Development
Detail point by point how
the lesson will develop by
student and teacher
activity.
SASKATCHEWAN – GRADES 6-8
Students are to be divided into
new groupings of 2 or 3 (or
remain in the same groups).
Pass out the handout “From the
Prairies to the East Coast”. Have
a student read the introductory
paragraph to the class. Go over
the instructions for the activity.
Ask for any questions.
Monitor the progress of each
group by circulating around the
room. Provide assistance where
necessary.
Conclusion
How will the lesson
conclude? What final
product or culminating
activity is expected?
Students are to do the activity
following the instructions on
the handout “From the Prairies
to the East Coast”. (Though
working together as a group,
each student will be
responsible to fill out his/her
activity sheet).
After completing all the
questions, have each member
of your group conclude which
method of transportation is
best for the economy and
environment.
Have each group identify which
mode of transportation is best
for the economy and
environment. Ask and discuss
the following as a class (option –
discuss the four questions from
the handout):
1. What is the main reason why
it is cheaper to transport goods
by ship than by any other mode
of transportation?
2. Why is this beneficial to the
environment?
3. Were any surprised that grain
travels further by ship within
Canada than by both rail and
road combined?
Assessment of Student Learning:
Students will be assessed through their participation in classroom discussion, specifically in
their small groups. Each student will be required to answer the questions at the bottom of
the handout, which can be checked by the teacher to make sure the concepts were clearly
understood.
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
SASKATCHEWAN – GRADES 6-8
Further Reading and Additional Resources:

Hwy H2O, The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway System, published by
The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. Website: www.hwyh2o.com/ -this is an excellent resource explaining the advantages to using the Great Lakes and
the Seaway.

http://www.greatlakes-seaway.com/en/navigating/map/index.html Interactive map
of the Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Seaway showing the location of current ships,
names and locations of the locks and of both Canadian and American ports. It also
displays details of each ship within the system.

Tommy Trent's ABC's of the Seaway, published by The St. Lawrence Seaway
Authority, 1988. For copies, call 613-932-5170. An excellent booklet that explains
many details about the Seaway and the ships that travel on it.

Seaway Locks: A 600-Foot Climb in 16 Steps
http://graphics2.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/nov05/LOCKS01.pdf -- this graphic
displays the route from Montreal to Lake Superior describing the lock mechanisms to
rise from sea-level to the level of Lake Superior. (Note: the units are imperial thus
students will need to convert to metric).
Link to Canadian National Geography Standards:
Essential Element #1: The World in Spatial Terms
 Distribution of major human and physical features at country and global scales
 Map types (e.g. topographic, navigational, thematic)
 Major cities of the province, Canada and the world
Essential Element #2: Places and Regions
 Physical and human characteristics of places and regions in Canada and the world
 Factors that influence people’s perception of places and regions
 Concepts of formal, functional and perceptual regions
Essential Element #3: Physical Systems
 River systems of Canada and the world
Essential Element #4: Human systems
 Cities as providers of goods and services
Essential Element #5: Environment and Society
 Limits and opportunities of the physical environment for human activities
Geographic Skill #1: Asking Geographic Questions
 Identify geographic issues, define geographic problems, and pose geographic
questions
 Plan how to answer geographic questions
Geographic Skill #2: Acquiring Geographic Skills
 Use maps to collect and/or compile geographic information.
Geographic Skill #3: Organizing Geographic Information
 Prepare various forms of maps as a means of organizing geographic information.
 Integrate various types of materials to organize geographic information.
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
SASKATCHEWAN – GRADES 6-8
Geographic Skill #4: Analyzing Geographic Information
 Interpret information obtained from maps, aerial photographs, satellite-produced
images and geographic information systems
 Use statistics and other quantitative techniques to evaluate geographic information
 Interpret and synthesize information obtained from a variety of sources – graphs,
charts, tables, diagrams, texts, photographs, documents and interviews.
Geographic Skill #5: Answering Geographic Questions
 Make generalizations and assess their validity
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
SASKATCHEWAN – GRADES 6-8
Handout: From the Prairies to the East Coast
Background: Many of the items we encounter everyday were made in countries on the other
side of the globe, thousands of kilometres away. How do these goods travel such long
distances and which forms of transportation were used to get them from where they are
made to our home community? How much does it cost us as consumers to pay for
transporting these items? What effect do these forms of transportation have on the
environment?
The activity that you will be doing today examines parts of these questions. Your team will
be responsible for getting a shipment of 10 tons of grain from a farm in Saskatchewan to a
grain elevator in the port of Montreal. The farm is located 10 km from Davidson, SK where
the grain is to be delivered by truck. It will then be shipped by train to Thunder Bay, ON,
where it will be loaded on board a ship bound for Montreal, QC. By filling out the table below
you will not only find out which method of transportation is most economical (the cheapest
way to ship your grain) but which is best for the environment.
Directions:
1. Locate Davidson, SK on a map using an atlas or the internet.
2. Using a map, trace the route from Davidson to Regina to Thunder Bay (by rail) and
from Thunder Bay to Montreal, QC (by ship).
3. Answer the questions at the bottom of the page.
From/To
Distance
Mode of
Transportation
Total Fuel
Consumption per
10 tonnes*
Litres of fuel per
100km
(litres/100km)*
Farm to
Davidson, SK
10km
Truck
5 litres
50 litres/100km
Davidson to
Regina, SK
100km
Train
15 litres
15 litres/100km
Regina, SK to
Thunder Bay,
ON
1286km
Train
Thunder Bay,
ON to Montreal,
QC
1062 nautical
miles =
1967km
Ship
192.9 litres
98.4 litres
15 litres/100km
5 litres/100km
*These amounts are approximate as numerous factors can affect the actual fuel consumption (such as
road and weather conditions). Generally, on a single litre of fuel, one tonne of freight can travel 240 km
by ship. By train, the distance drops to less than 100 km and by truck, to less than 30 km.
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
SASKATCHEWAN – GRADES 6-8
Questions:
1. From the above chart:
a. Which mode of transportation consumes the least amount of fuel?
b. List at least three possible reasons to explain why this is the case.
2. In what ways would shipping be helpful to the environment? Are there any other
advantages?
3. What other materials can be conveniently transported by ship?
4. When would it be better to transport items by truck? By train?