THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE ALBERTA – GRADE 4 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
Lesson Overview:
This lesson plan offers students the opportunity to investigate the differences between Calgary in the early 1900s and Calgary in 2009, focusing on the changes in people, economy, size, population. (This lesson may easily be adapted for different cities.)
What did the city look like in 1910? What type of education system was in place?
What was the population? What natural resources did people rely on? How has the economy changed over 100 years? What similarities exist between communities 100 years ago and today? What predictions can be made as to how the city will look in
100 years?
Students will participate in a teacher guided brainstorm to complete a Venn diagram that illustrates the differences in Calgary in 1910 and now, as well as the similarities between the two time frames. Students will then work to complete a collage that illustrates the evolvement of Calgary over 100 years. Students will develop an appreciation for the past and examine how respect is important to a community.
Students will be able to apply their knowledge of Calgary to make predictions of how
Alberta has changed over 100 years.
This lesson may be extended by having all the pictures quilted together, which would also serve to show the connection between the past and the present. This lesson may be modified by adding different sources for the students to use to come to different conclusions, bringing in different art forms or music. It is possible to challenge the more academic students by having them draw more complex conclusions between Calgary in 1910 and Calgary now. These may include connections to economic activity, city planning, and evolving populations.
Grade Level:
Social Studies Grade 4
Time Required:
Two classes to allow for effective brainstorm and illustration time. Time may be extended if the project turns into a quilting activity or if more extensive research is completed.
Curriculum Connection for Alberta Social Studies Grade 4:
Alberta Social Studies Grade 4
Link to the Canadian Atlas Online (CAOL): www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/
Additional Resources, Materials, and Equipment Required:
 Student Activity Worksheets
“Calgary” Work Booklet

THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE ALBERTA – GRADE 4 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

“Calgary” Venn diagram
Large chart paper
 Markers
 Blank paper
 Pencil crayons, crayons, markers
Additional Resources that may be used to guide students or to extend the lesson:
Calgary Economic Development. “Demographics.” http://www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com/liveWorkPlay/Live/demographics.cfm
##ethnic_diversity
Calgary Economic Development. “History of Calgary.” http://www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com/liveWorkPlay/Live/historyOfCalgary.cf
m
The Canadian Encyclopedia (in conjunction with the Youth Encyclopedia and
Maclean’s Magazine) has various entries on Calgary. Have students enter “Calgary” into the search criteria. Ensure that “Youth Encyclopedia” and “Maclean’s Magazine” are also selected. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCESubjects&Params=A
1 .
Main Objective:
Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how Calgary has grown and changed economically, socially, and culturally over 100 years.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
 Explain the economic, social and cultural dimensions of Calgary in the early
1900s.
 Explain the economic, social, and cultural dimensions of Calgary now.
 Evaluate the information presented and come to conclusions that explain the differences and similarities in Calgary over 100 years.
 Use a variety of sources to draw connections between the past and present.
 Illustrate their understanding of Calgary in the past and in the present.
 Using learned knowledge, make predictions about the future of Calgary.
The Lesson
The Lesson
Introduction
Lesson Development
Teacher Activity
Teacher introduces topic by providing and reviewing booklet with students.
Teacher directs class brainstorm then guides and prompts students with questions. Teacher instructs how to complete
Student Activity
Students engage in reading of booklet materials and respond to questions.
*Students participate in class brainstorm and record answers on Venn
Diagrams. Students review sources given

THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE ALBERTA – GRADE 4 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
Conclusion the Venn Diagram; then divides class into three sections, each with one portion of the Venn
Diagram.
Teacher gives a summary of finished collage, reviewing key concepts and subjects covered. them; then work in groups to create illustrations/writing samples for each section and link all illustrations together.
Students explain significance of their collage.
*Students will participate in a teacher-guided brainstorm to complete a Venn diagram that illustrates the differences in Calgary in 1910 and now, as well as the similarities between the two time frames. Students will then work to complete a collage that illustrates the evolvement of Calgary over 100 years. Students will develop an appreciation for the past and examine how respect is important to a community. Students will be able to apply their knowledge of Calgary to make predictions of how Alberta has changed over 100 years.
Lesson Extensions
This lesson may be extended by having all the pictures quilted together to show the change in a city over 100 years. Students may also investigate online and print sources to create their own Venn diagram before a whole-class one is completed.
This lesson may be extended by having all the pictures quilted together, which would also serve to show the connection between the past and the present. This lesson may be modified by adding different sources for the students to use to come to different conclusions, bringing in different art forms or music. It is possible to challenge the more academic students by having them draw more complex conclusions between Calgary in 1910 and Calgary now. These may include connections to economic activity, city planning, and evolving populations.
Assessment of Student Learning
Student illustrations may be evaluated using a rubric that outlines the criteria
(relation to the past or present, accurate illustration, etc.). Students may also complete a journal response explaining their understanding of how Calgary has changed over 100 years, or predicting changes that may occur in the next 100 years.
This will allow students to internalize the content in relation to themselves.

THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE ALBERTA – GRADE 4 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE ALBERTA – GRADE 4 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas

THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE ALBERTA – GRADE 4 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
The city of Calgary is in south-central Alberta at 51°02'43" north latitude and 114°02'23" west longitude. When the Canadian Pacific Railway reached the area in 1883, Calgary began to grow into an important commercial and agricultural centre. Today, Calgary is the third-largest civic municipality by population in Canada. As of the 2008 civic census, Calgary had a population of 1 042 892 iv . The oil and gas industry, agriculture and tourism are mainstays of the economy. Calgary holds many annual festivals, including the Calgary Stampede. In 1988,
The City also played host to the XV Olympic Winter Games.
Calgary is situated at the junction of the Bow and Elbow rivers in an area of foothills and high plains, approximately 80 kilometers (km) east of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Average daily temperatures range from 16°C in July to −9°C in January. The city is among the sunniest in
Canada, with 2 400 hours of annual sunshine on average.
Most residents rely on natural gas for space heating and domestic hot water. Most electricity is generated by natural gas and coal. Calgary’s CTrains, however, are powered entirely with electricity generated by 12 wind turbines in southern Alberta, offsetting 26 000 tonnes (t) of
2 ) emissions annually. carbon dioxide (CO

THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE ALBERTA – GRADE 4 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
Originally established in 1875 as a fort by a contingent of the Northwest Mounted Police,
Calgary has grown from a frontier settlement to a world class city. The fort was named
Fort Calgary , after Calgary Bay on Scotland's Isle of Mull. When Canadian Pacific Railway arrived in Calgary in 1883, the outlook of the settlement immediately improved.
Thousands of settlers, businessman and tourists flooded into the area. In 1894 Calgary officially became a city. In the following years the population grew from 1,000 to 3,900.
See Calgary Quick Facts for more information.
After the arrival of the railway, the Dominion Government started leasing grazing land at minimal cost (up to 100,000 acres for one cent per acre per year). As a result of this policy, large ranching operations were established in the outlying country near Calgary.
Already a transportation and distribution hub, Calgary quickly became the center of
Canada's cattle marketing and meatpacking industries.
Between 1896 and 1914 settlers from all over the world poured into the area in response to the offer of free "homestead" land. Agriculture and ranching became key components of the local economy, shaping the future of Calgary for years to come. The world famous
Calgary Stampede , still held annually in July, grew from a small agricultural show and rodeo started in 1912 by four wealthy ranchers to "the greatest outdoor show on earth."
Two major oil discoveries sealed Calgary's fate as the "oil and gas capital of Canada" and fueled the city's growth.
 The first occurred in 1914 in the Turner Valley area 30 miles south of Calgary
 The second in 1947 at Imperial Oil's famous Leduc field near Edmonton
The economic booms and busts associated with an oil-based economy had a significant impact on Calgary's development and character as a city. In the years leading up to the deep recession of the early 1980s, politicians and businessmen diversified the economy in an effort to minimize the impact of fluctuating oil prices and build a stronger economic base for the future.
Although agriculture and the petroleum industry continue to play a significant role,
Calgary is now home to a wide range of companies involved in telecommunications, environmental sciences, consulting engineering, food processing, finance and advanced technologies. http://www.calgarykiosk.ca/history.php
Number of Schools in Calgary – 1910
12 – mostly one and two room schools that taught grades one to twelve.
Number of Schools in Calgary - 2009
Around 350. There are elementary schools, elementary/junior high schools, junior high schools, and high schools.
There are also specialty schools like
French Immersion, Spanish Immersion,
Sports schools, and Fine Arts schools.

THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE ALBERTA – GRADE 4 www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas