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YUKON – GRADE 12
Infrastructure in the North
Lesson Overview
In this lesson, students will learn about the impact of climate change on the infrastructure
of communities in northern Canada. First, they will find and map several communities in
northern Canada that have experienced changes to their infrastructure from climate change.
Next, they will visit the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE)
website to research the different types of impacts to infrastructure that occur from climate
change. In the culminating activity, students will use information from interactive satellite
images to describe and explain the specific changes that have occurred in each community
that they have mapped. They will refer to the Canadian Geographic/NRTEE A Changing
Climate poster-map to identify the temperature change required for each of these impacts,
when possible to draw such a link.
Grade Level
Grade 12
Time Required
Two sixty minute classes
Curriculum Connection (Province/Territory and course)
Yukon, Geography 12 (British Columbia Curriculum)
Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required

Chart paper or use of a blackboard or whiteboard

A class set of atlases and copies of a blank map of Canada
(A reference map of Canada is available from the Atlas of Canada at
http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/auth/english/maps/reference/outlinecanada/canada01/refer
encemap_image_view)

Access to computers and the Internet
Websites:
Government of Yukon – Climate Change Strategy
http://www.environmentyukon.gov.yk.ca/pdf/yg_env_climate_change_final.pdf
NRTEE - True North: Adapting Infrastructure to Climate Change in Northern Canada
– How Climate Change Affects Infrastructure
http://www.nrtee-trnee.com/eng/publications/true-north/infrastructure-true-northeng.php#warmer_temperatures
NRTEE - True North: Adapting Infrastructure to Climate Change in Northern Canada
– Interactive Satellite Images
http://www.nrtee-trnee.com/eng/publications/true-north/interactive-satellite.html

Canadian Geographic/NRTEE A Changing Climate poster-map
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
YUKON – GRADE 12
Infrastructure in the North Student Activity
Main Objective
The goal of this lesson is for students to understand how climate change will affect the
infrastructure of communities in northern Canada.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

Locate, map and label communities in northern Canada;

Conduct research using secondary sources of information;

Describe and explain how climate change affects infrastructure in northern Canada.
The Lesson
The Lesson
Teacher Activity
Introduction
Student Activity
Use a projector to show students the
first page of the Climate Change
Strategy website by the Government
of Yukon. This page has 8 images
that relate to the impacts of climate
change in the Yukon.
Look at the images from
the Government of Yukon
website.
Ask students if they can guess what
has happened in each photo and
how it is related to climate change.
Guess what has happened
in each image.
Record the guesses on chart paper
or on the board. Ask students to
group or categorize the guesses.
Introduce the term infrastructure
and give examples to students.
Classify and categorize the
types of impacts listed.
Inform students that they are going
to map and research several
communities in northern Canada to
learn more about how infrastructure
is affected by climate change.
Distribute the student activity and
decide if students will work
individually or in groups. Review
the instructions.
Review the student
activity.
Lesson
Development
Monitor and assist students with the
activity as required.
Complete the student
activity.
Conclusion
Review the answers to the activity
Share responses from the
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
as a class or collect for assessment.
What did students notice about the
changes taking place in the North?
Ask them to make inferences about
temperature changes and impacts
that are currently being realized in
the North.
YUKON – GRADE 12
student activity or submit
the assignment for
assessment.
Participate in the class
discussion.
Go back to the Government of
Yukon site. Each image featured on
the first page is described later in
the document. Show students the
images with the description and see
if their guesses were accurate.
Ask if they have observed changes
to the infrastructure in your
community.
Lesson Extension

Photo-document changes to the infrastructure in their community or local area that
are due to climate change.

Research other communities in the Yukon that are experiencing changes to their
infrastructure due to climate change. Present findings on a poster or as presentation
to the class.
Assessment of Student Learning
Collect the student activity for accuracy and completeness.
Further Reading
Climate Prosperity thematic module in the Canadian Atlas Online
http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=climateprosperity&lang=En
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 #1: The World in Spatial terms

Map, globe and atlas use
Essential Element #2: Places and Regions

Regional analysis of geographic issues and questions
Essential Element #5: Environment and Society

Environmental issues
Essential Element #6: The Uses of Geography
THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
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
YUKON – GRADE 12
Local, regional and world policies and problems with spatial dimensions
Geographic Skill #3: Organizing geographic information

Use a variety of media to develop and organize integrated summaries of geographic
information.
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YUKON – GRADE 12
Infrastructure in the North
Student Activity
Section A: Mapping Northern Communities
Instructions:
1.
Use an atlas to match each of the communities below to the correct coordinates.
Community
2.
Matching
Coordinates
Letter
(Latitude/Longitude)
Pangnirtung, Nunavut
A) 67N, 139W
Dawson, Yukon
B) 64N, 110W
Churchill, Manitoba
C) 66N, 65W
Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories
D) 64N, 139W
Gjoa Haven, Nunavut
E) 68N, 95W
Old Crow, Yukon
F) 58N, 94W
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut
G) 69N, 133W
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories
H) 62N, 92W
Tasiujaq, Quebec
I) 58N, 69W
Hall Beach, Nunavut
J) 68N, 81W
Map and label each community on a blank map of Canada. Remember that your
map should have a title, legend and follow all other proper mapping conventions.
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YUKON – GRADE 12
Section B: How Climate Change Affects Infrastructure
The NRTEE (National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy) has developed a
list of 6 impacts that describe how the infrastructure of communities in northern Canada will
be affected by climate change. Visit their website, and briefly describe and explain each
impact below.
Website: http://www.nrtee-trnee.com/eng/publications/true-north/infrastructure-truenorth-eng.php#warmer_temperatures
Impact
A) Warmer
temperatures and
changing
precipitation
patterns
B) Permafrost
degradation
C) Flooding and
streamflow
changes
D) Sea-ice loss and
coastal erosion
E) Weather extremes
F) Wildfires
Section C: Putting it all together
Description
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YUKON – GRADE 12
Each of the communities that you mapped in Section A has been profiled by the NRTEE
because their infrastructure is vulnerable to climate change. In this culminating activity you
will find each community and record the impacts of climate change to their infrastructure.
Website: http://www.nrtee-trnee.com/eng/publications/true-north/interactivesatellite.html
Instructions:
1. Go to the interactive satellite images map and click on the name of each community
from Section A.
2. Read about the impact of climate change on their infrastructure.
3. Choose the appropriate category from Section B and record it in the organizer below.
(Use your judgement to decide which impact is the best fit.)
4. Explain your choice of category, using details about the community.
5. Finally, refer to the Canadian Geographic/NRTEE A Changing Climate poster-map and
indicate the temperature increase that is predicted for these changes to occur. An
example has been provided.
Community
EXAMPLE
Old Crow, Yukon
Dawson, Yukon
How Climate Change Affects Infrastructure
Category C: Flooding and streamflow changes
Explanation: Silt build-up in the Porcupine River
is disrupting boat access to the town.
Category ___:
Explanation:
Churchill, Manitoba
Category ___:
Explanation:
Lac de Gras, Northwest
Territories
Category ___:
Explanation:
Temperature
Increase
1 degree
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Gjoa Haven, Nunavut
Category ___:
Explanation:
Pangnirtung, Nunavut
Category ___:
Explanation:
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut
Category ___:
Explanation:
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest
Territories
Category ___:
Tasiujaq, Quebec
Category ___:
Explanation:
Explanation:
Hall Beach, Nunavut
Category ___:
Explanation:
YUKON – GRADE 12