THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
ALBERTA – GRADE 6
Where We Live
Lesson Overview
This lesson will explore Canada’s population distribution in terms of rural and urban regions. Students
will compare and contrast two Canadian cities in terms of quality of life.
Grade Level
Grades 6-8
Time Required
Two 60-minute lessons
Curriculum Connection
Alberta Social Studies

Infer relationships from data shown on maps.

Identify relationships among variables within charts, graphs and tables.

Categorize information to develop concepts – regions, location, place, movement and
environmental interaction.

Display information using a variety of methods such as maps, time lines, charts and graphs.

Use critical and creative thinking skills to gather, organize and generate information.
Link to Canadian National Geography Standards
Essential Element #2 (Grades 6-8) – Places and Regions

Physical and human characteristics of places and regions in Canada

Factors that influence people’s perception of places and regions
Essential Element #4 (Grades 6-8) – Human Systems

Population density, distribution and growth rates

Types and patterns of human settlement

Internal structures of cities

Cities as providers of goods and services
Essential Element #5 (Grades 6-8) – Environment and Society

Limits and opportunities of the physical environment for human activities
Geographic Skill #2 (Grades 6-8) – Acquiring Geographic Information

Use a variety of research skills to locate and collect geographic data.

Use maps to collect and/or compile geographic information.
Geographic Skill #4 (Grades 6-8) – Analyzing Geographic Information

Use statistics and other quantitative techniques to evaluate geographic information.

Interpret and synthesize information obtained from a variety of sources.
The Canadian Atlas
The online version of the Canadian Atlas (http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/) is used in this
lesson. The Where We Live (pages 40 – 41) of the printed Canadian Atlas can also be used.
Canadian Council For Geographic Education
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THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
ALBERTA – GRADE 6
Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required
 Access to the Internet
 The Atlas of Canada website - Quality of life index:
http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/peopleandsociety/QOL
Main Objective
Students will be able to identify concepts relating to Canada’s population and make inferences about
factors that contribute to the quality of life in Canadian cities.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
 Categorize information to develop an understanding of regions, location and place.
 Conduct research using various sources of information and present findings to the class.
 Identify relationships among variables within charts, graphs and tables.
 Use critical and creative thinking skills to gather, organize and generate information.
The Lesson
Teacher Activity
Introduction
 Using the information on pages 40 –
Student Activity
 Write down terms and definitions.
41 of The Canadian Atlas, define and
review terms such as population
growth, population density, rural
versus urban, urban sprawl, etc.
 Ask students to predict which
 Predict populations.
Canadian cities have the largest
populations. Name other cities and
have students guess the population.
 Discuss issues/problems that large
 Discuss issues affecting cities.
cities might face compared to small
rural villages or towns.
Canadian Council For Geographic Education
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THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
ALBERTA – GRADE 6
The Lesson (cont’d)
Teacher Activity
Lesson
Development
 Using the list of urban amenities on
page 41, brainstorm other ‘quality of
life’ factors students feel are important
to a city.
 In small groups or individually,
students choose five quality of life
factors they feel are most important.
Next, ask students to choose two
Canadian cities in different regions of
the country.
 Using The Canadian Atlas as well as
the Atlas of Canada (Natural
Resources Canada) and municipal
websites of the two cities, students
will compare and contrast the two
cities in terms of the quality of life
factors they have chosen.
Student Activity
 As a class, students brainstorm ‘quality
of life’ factors.
 Students choose five factors that are
most important to them.
 Choose two Canadian cities.
 Using the Atlas and the internet,
students compare and contrast quality
of life in two Canadian cities. Students
fill in Student Activity Sheet.
 Encourage students to use a variety of  Students construct graphs, use
ways to represent their findings:
construct graphs, use illustrations, or
create a collage. This could be
presented as a poster, a workbook or
a power point presentation.
Conclusion
 Students present their findings to the
illustrations or download pictures to
represent their findings in a notebook
or as a poster. Students choose in
which of the two cities they would
rather live, and give their reasons why.
 Present findings to the class.
class.
Lesson Extension



Students could choose one different Canadian city and research the same quality of life
factors. Each student could enter their findings on class graphs according to the various
factors.
Students could create their ‘ideal’ Canadian city. The class could brainstorm ‘quality of life’
goals to reach such as safe drinking water and reduced air pollution as well as pitfalls such as
unaffordable housing and insufficient infrastructure.
For the senior grades, students could problem-solve issues facing some Canadian cities such
as: urban sprawl, stagnant downtown cores, transportation and air pollution.
Assessment of Student Learning
Assess the students’ work based on the amount of research conducted as well as the variety of ways
they chose to represent their findings (graphs, illustrations, collage).
Canadian Council For Geographic Education
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THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
ALBERTA – GRADE 6
Student Activity Sheet:
Quality of Life Comparison - Two Canadian Cities
Quality of Life Factors
City #1: ______________________
City #2: ______________________
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Canadian Council For Geographic Education
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