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ALBERTA – GRADE 10
Thirsting For More: What is the relationship between
climate change and water?
Lesson Overview:
This lesson offers students the opportunity to examine some of the possible effects
of climate change on water resources. Students will work collaboratively in small
groups to decode and analyze various political cartoons on the topic. Finally,
students will create their own political cartoon related to water and climate change.
Grade Level:
Grade 10
Time Required:
Two classes are required to allow for effective reading, discussion and completion of
work.
Curriculum Connection:
Alberta Social Studies, Grade 10-1
S.1
develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking
S.2
develop skills of historical thinking
S.3
develop skills of geographic thinking
S.4
demonstrate skills of decision making and problem solving
S.8
demonstrate skills of oral, written and visual literacy
S.9
develop skills of media literacy
Additional Resources, Materials, and Equipment Required:
 Canadian Geographic/NRTEE A Changing Climate poster-map

Background reading material:
Prairies chapter in From Impacts to Adaptation (Lemmen et al., 2007)
http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/assess/2007/ch7/index_e.php
Chapter on water resources in Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation: A
Canadian Perspective (Lemmen and Warren 2004).
http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/perspective/water_1_e.php
Summary of climate change impacts for the Prairies
http://www.parc.ca/pdf/research_publications/summary_docs/SD2008-01.pdf
National Geographic – global water issues
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/signsandsolutions/

An example of a political cartoon from a recent newspaper on an
environmental issue

Notes on Political Cartoons (attached)

Political Cartoon Analysis Sheet (attached)

Suggested Political Cartoons and Images (attached)
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
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ALBERTA – GRADE 10
Main Objective:
The goal of this lesson is for students to use political cartoons as a way to explore
different dimensions of environmental issues commonly portrayed in political
cartoons, and apply these lessons to analyze climate change and water issues.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Understand the possible connection between climate change and water
issues;

Decode and explain the significance of political cartoons;

Create their own political cartoons.
The Lesson
The Lesson
Introduction
Teacher Activity
Show students the Canadian
Geographic/NRTEE A Changing
Climate poster-map.
Ask students to find water-related
issues that are linked to changes in
climate on the poster-map. Ask for
opinions about the water issues that
could affect the province of Alberta.
Lesson
Development
Teach the class how to deconstruct a
political cartoon. Use the ‘Notes on
Political Cartoons’ as a resource and a
current political cartoon on an
environmental issue.
Student Activity
Examine the Canadian
Geographic/NRTEE A
Changing Climate postermap.
Find water-related issues
that are connected to
possible changes in
climate on the postermap.
Listen to the instructions
about how to deconstruct
a political cartoon.
Divide the class into groups (each
group will be assigned to a station
with a political cartoon).
Ask students to decode and explain
the significance of each political
cartoon as they rotate through the
various stations.
Distribute copies of the ‘Political
Cartoon Analysis Sheet’. Students
should complete a ‘Political Cartoon
Analysis Sheet’ for each cartoon.
Rotate through each
station in the class.
Decode and explain the
significance of each
political cartoon at the
various stations.
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Conclusion
Instruct students to create their own
political cartoons on the topic of
climate change and water resources.
ALBERTA – GRADE 10
Create a political cartoon
on the topic of climate
change and water
resources.
Decide if students will work in groups
or individually.
Invite students to present and explain
their political cartoons to the class.
Share the cartoon with the
class.
Lesson Extension
Ask students to collect political cartoons from various sources and compare how the
same issue is addressed from different perspectives. Political cartoons also provide
an excellent introduction to writing an argumentative essay.
Assessment of Student Learning
Student work may be evaluated using a rubric that outlines the criteria to be
assessed.
Further Reading
Climate Prosperity thematic module in the Canadian Atlas Online:
http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=climateprosperity&lang=E
n
National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) web site:
http://www.nrtee-trnee.com/
Link to Canadian National Standards for Geography
Essential Element #5: Environment and Society

Use and sustainability of resources
Geographic Skill #2: Acquiring geographic information

Systematically locate and gather geographic information from a variety of
primary and secondary sources.
Geographic Skill #4: Analyzing geographic information

Make inferences and draw conclusions from maps and other geographic
representations.
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
ALBERTA – GRADE 10
Notes on Political Cartoons
A political cartoon is both an artistic and journalistic expression of a current event.
As art, the cartoon must be eye catching. Some common strategies that cartoonists
use are:

Captions – words that go along with the picture to make a joke (use as few
words as possible)

Caricature – to portray a person in a ridiculous/funny but recognizable way

Labels – it is useful to label objects with names, places or dates (especially if
there are numerous parties involved in the cartoon)

Exaggeration – a feature, object or person is overstated (drawing things too
small or too big to convey meaning)

Stereotyping – groups of people are represented in an oversimplified manner

Symbolism – one object represents another object or idea
As journalism, the cartoon must convey insight on a particular current event. The
cartoon must illustrate the cartoonist’s perspective on the topic. It is quite common
for the cartoon to be a metaphor which exposes a hidden meaning and explains the
politics surrounding the issue/event. The cartoon must be easily understood by a
broad audience and so any references or metaphors used in creating a cartoon must
be conveyed using universal symbols.
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
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ALBERTA – GRADE 10
Political Cartoon Analysis Sheet
Title: ________________________
Cartoonist: ________________________
Publication: ________________________
Date: ________________________
Topic: ________________________
Description of cartoon:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What do you think is the message of the cartoon?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Common cartoon devices:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What (if any) changes would you make to enhance this cartoon?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
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ALBERTA – GRADE 10
Suggested Political Cartoons and Images
Source: Climate Institute
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ALBERTA – GRADE 10
Source: http://healthandenergy.com/images/one%20more%20study.gif
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
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ALBERTA – GRADE 10
Source:
http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/ding&CISOPTR=249
7&CISOBOX=1&REC=1
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
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ALBERTA – GRADE 10
By P. Pismestrovic
Source: http://www.manitobawildlands.org/images/it_melt_lg.jpg
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
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Author: Ole Heggen
Source: EKOS Communications Inc.
ALBERTA – GRADE 10
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
Author: Ole Heggen
Source: EKOS Communications Inc.
ALBERTA – GRADE 10