THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
ONTARIO – GRADE 4
The Effects of Climate Change in Canadian Regions
Lesson Overview
Global warming will affect every region in Canada, though there can be differences in how
the people of each region will be affected.
Grade Level
Grades 1-5 (elementary)
Time Required
One 50-minute period in a computer lab and 30 minutes in class
Curriculum Connection (Province and course)
Ontario Social Studies, Grade 4, Canada and World Connections – Canada’s Provinces,
Territories and Regions
Link to Canadian National Geography Standards
 Essential Element #4 (Grades 1-5) – Human Systems
 Essential Element #5 (Grades 1-5) – Environment and Society
 Geographic Skill #1 (Grades 1-5) – Asking Geographic Questions
 Geographic Skill #2 (Grades 1-5) – Acquiring Geographic Information
 Geographic Skill #5 (Grades 1-5) – Answering Geographic Questions
Principal Resource
 The Canadian Atlas Online website at www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
 Follow the > Issues > Climate Change links
Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required
 Overhead projector
 Outline for student essay (attached)
Main Objective
To have students understand the challenges facing us due to global warming.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
 define climate change and global warming
 describe the effects of global warming in one or more regions of Canada
CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR GEOGRAPHIC EDUCATION
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THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
ONTARIO – GRADE 4
Learning Outcomes (cont’d)
 discuss the challenges facing Canadians because of global warming
 comfortably browse The Canadian Atlas Online
 use information gathered to write a short essay
Lesson
Teacher Activity
Introduction
 This lesson will work best after you have
completed a study of the regions of Canada.
As well, it is a good lesson to complete with
reading buddies from older grades as much
of the reading is difficult. The lesson can be
integrated with environmental studies.
Student Activity
 Listen carefully. Take part in the discussion.
Ask questions until you are sure that you
understand.
 Open the site,
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas. Go to
>Themes, > Issues, > Climate Change.
If your computer lab has a projector hooked
to one computer, have all students follow
from the screen. Otherwise, they will each
need to open the site above.
 Read this introductory section to the
students, one paragraph at a time. Stop for
discussion. Possible discussion questions:
- Why is Canada important in the study of
climate change?
- What is climate change?
- What is the greenhouse effect?
- What change in climate is the main issue
today?
- What is global warming?
- Why is it a problem?
- What human activities add to this problem?
Lesson
Development
 Assign each pair of students a region to
research – North, Prairies, Ontario and
Quebec, Atlantic Provinces, British Columbia.
 Record the name of the region you has been
assigned. Write your assigned headings.
 Show them how to access information about
particular regions using this website
(> Landscape, > Changes and Human
Impact on top bar).
 Tell them to record what they find in point
form notes under the two headings,
Landscape Changes and Human Impact.
 Read the Web site information. Record
findings in point form under the correct
heading. Ask for clarification when needed.
 Circulate as students are working to help
with reading difficulties.
 Encourage students who finish early to try
the puzzles available on the site.
 If you have time, try the Puzzles on the web
site page.
 Back in class, use an overhead projector to
show students an outline for the short essay
they are to write using their point form
notes. (See possible outline below.)
 Write the short essay on the work sheet.
CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR GEOGRAPHIC EDUCATION
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THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
ONTARIO – GRADE 4
Lesson (cont’d)
Teacher Activity
Conclusion
 Group students so that every group has one
person from each region.
 Have students share what they learned.
Later, post some of the essays at
appropriate locations on a bulletin board
map of Canada.
Student Activity
 Present your findings to the group. Listen
carefully while other presentations are made.
Ask appropriate questions.
Lesson Extension
For an environmental studies assignment, have students find out how they could help the
problem of global warming. Keep track of actual improvements made on a wall chart.
Assessment of Student Learning
 Essay
 Group work skills in discussion groups
 Questions on unit test:
1. a. What is global warming?
b. Why is it a problem?
2. Discuss the impact of global warming on one of the regions of Canada.
CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR GEOGRAPHIC EDUCATION
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THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE
www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
ONTARIO – GRADE 4
Student Worksheet:
Essay Outline
Name:
When you write the essay on Climate Change for your Region, make sure to include:
Paragraph One:
an introduction to the problem. Include:
 meaning of global warming
 cause of global warming
 importance to Canada
Paragraph Two:
Give the natural changes that global warming will cause in the region you were assigned.
Paragraph Three: Show how the natural changes will affect the economic life of people in your region.
Paragraph Four: Conclusion. Tell why it is important for scientists to study this problem and for citizens to listen
to what they have to say.
Write your essay below.
CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR GEOGRAPHIC EDUCATION
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