People and Environments: Canada’s Interactions with the Global Community
Expectations:
Application: Inquiry Responses to Global Issues

Inquiry: students will formulate questions to guide investigations on access to fresh water
around the globe.

Students will gather and organize information on access to fresh water and the political,
social, economic, and/or environmental importance and impact on a region.

Students will then select two regions to compare and contrast for access to water based on
the four themes of geographic inquiry.
Name _____________________ Date ___________________ Class_____
Task: Students will then select two regions to compare and contrast for access to water based on
the four themes of geographic inquiry.
Learning Goal: Students will use their skills in reading for meaning, organize the content and develop
their own ideas based on the Four Themes of Geographic Inquiry.
Success Criteria and Skills:
1. Knowledge and Understanding: I will demonstrate my understanding of the content by
organizing details using the Four Themes of Geographic Inquiry.
2. Thinking: I will gather the relevant information from the article by analyzing (taking text apart)
the text.
3. Communication: I will use correct conventions (spelling, grammar etc.) and content terminology
to communicate my ideas
4. Application: I will use my new learned knowledge (concepts are transferred to new ideas) to
develop my own ideas for further inquiry
Inquiry Theme 1:
LOCATION and PLACE: The student draws a map where the event happened and
identifies the relative location by labeling at least 10 landmarks near the site as well the
absolute location (longitude and latitude). Student describes the physical characteristics
of the place that make it unique from any other places. What does it look like? How is it
different from another place?
Data Collection
Developing your own ideas: on the line below generate one original idea that you
could write about with further inquiry based your data collection (Remember to look at
Communication under Skills and Success Criteria for this answer)
Inquiry Theme 2:
ENVIRONMENTAL: Student describes how man and environment affect each other.
What happened? What was the consequence?
Data Collection
Developing your own ideas: on the line below generate one original idea that you
could write about with further inquiry based your data collection (Remember to look at
Communication under Skills and Success Criteria for this answer)
Inquiry Theme 3:
REGIONS: What makes this region unique? Describe how the area characteristics
and/or people contribute to this. It may be that the area has unique but common
language, governmental borders, landforms, problems, or ethnic issues that make them
similar.
Data Collection
Developing your own ideas: on the line below generate one original idea that you
could write about with further inquiry based your data collection (Remember to look at
Communication under Skills and Success Criteria for this answer)
Inquiry Theme 4:
INTERACTION and MOVEMENT: Describe why the people, animals, products or
ideas move to this area and how they interact with people and products from other areas.
What is the reason people/products/ideas migrate here? What new ideas or products has
this produced if any?
Data Collection
Developing your own ideas: on the line below generate one original idea that you
could write about with further inquiry based your data collection (Remember to look at
Communication under Skills and Success Criteria for this answer)
Water Ref: www.ec.gc.ca
Did you know that Canada is one of the highest water users per capita in the world? It's no
wonder that easy access to safe, clean water is considered to be an important issue. Managing
Canada's water resources, which represents about seven per cent of the worlds renewable
freshwater, is everyone’s responsibility.
Comprehensive Approach to Clean Water
Canada is home to roughly seven per cent of the globes renewable freshwater. Water defines our
landscape from the Great Lakes, mighty rivers like the St. Lawrence in the east and the
Mackenzie in the north-west and thousands of other waterways at all points in between. It is one
of our greatest natural resources.
Cleaning Up Our Lakes and Rivers
The Government of Canada is working hard to clean up polluted and problem waters from coast
to coast to coast. Are things getting any better? Click on the thumbnails to learn about the
Government's funding investments and water-science work that help clean up, protect and restore
our lakes and rivers.
Protecting our Waters
The Government of Canada has a strong, comprehensive approach to ensure clean water for all
Canadians and a number of concrete and measurable actions have been taken to implement this
approach over the past few years. This approach includes:

Managing our vast water resources. To preserve and protect our major watersheds for future generations,
the Government of Canada made a series of national announcements under the Action Plan for Clean Water
in late 2007 and early 2008. This includes the Oceans Action Plan; the Plan of Action for Drinking Water in
First Nations Communities; clean-up funding for water bodies; wastewater regulations; and, water science.

Reducing pollution at the source. Pollution Prevention is the most effective means of protecting our
environment, and includes regulation of specific industries like metal mines and pulp and paper.

Taking action on toxic and other harmful substances. Through the Chemicals Management Plan,
regulations are being prepared to limit toxic chemicals such a Bisphenol A (BPA), from getting into Canada's
freshwater reserves. As well, Environment Canada has addressed blue-green algae growth in our lakes and
rivers by introducing regulations to restrict and reduce the use of phosphates in household cleaning products
and laundry and dishwasher detergents.

Monitoring water quality. A significant network of specialists collect water quality data, and monitor the
physical, chemical and biological characteristics of Canada's watersheds from more than 3,000 sites across
Canada.

Investing in infrastructure. Through the Building Canada Fund, measures are being taken so that
municipalities and First Nations communities all across the nation can properly upgrade wastewater treatment
facilities designed to keep our waterways clean and pollution-free.

Developing regulations. Action is being taken to implement the Canadian Council of Ministers of the
Environment (CCME) Canada-wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater Effluent by
developing regulations under the Fisheries Act for more than 4,000 wastewater facilities.

Investing in water research. At the National Water Research Institute, research is being conducted into
water-related issues of concern, and generating and sharing scientific knowledge needed to resolve
environmental issues of regional, national or international significance to Canada, and to sustain our natural
resources and freshwater ecosystems.

Making international contributions. Important international contributions are being made through a $2.5million investment in the United Nations Environment Programme's Global Environment Monitoring
System, GEMS/Water. Through that investment, work will help Canadians to better understand inland water
quality issues.
The above represent only some examples of how Canada's government is working to
protect our water resources. Combined with additional efforts on sustainable water
management, in collaboration with provinces and territories, these measures allow us to
ensure that all Canadians have access to clean, safe and healthy water; that there is a
reliable and secure supply of water; and that our water resources are used wisely, both
economically and ecologically.