THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas NOVA SCOTIA – GRADE 10-11 The Boreal Forests of Nova Scotia: An Alternate Energy Source? Lesson Overview The nature of this lesson is for students to research the topic of biomass fuel, develop a thesis statement and write a 1000-word essay on the use of biomass as a sustainable fuel source for Nova Scotia. Grade Level Grades 10-11 Time Required 2-3 classes Curriculum Connection (Province and course) Atlantic Provinces Curriculum for Social Studies: Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training (CAMET): Nova Scotia Grade 10 Physical Geography and Grade 11 Canadian Geography Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required Essay Rubric (attached) Thesis Statement Form (attached) Thesis Statement Form Sample (attached) Computer lab, LCD Projector, and internet access Websites: o Canadian Atlas Online Future of Forestry theme www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas o Hinterland Who’s Who (video clip) http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=354 o Forest Products Association of Canada http://www.fpac.ca/bio-pathways http://www.fpac.ca/fact-sheets/pdfs/Biopathways_EN_web_2011.pdf o Forest Products Association of Nova Scotia http://www.fpans.ca Main Objective Students will understand, evaluate and predict the sustainability of using biomass as an alternative fuel source in Nova Scotia. They will have a new perspective on Nova Scotia’s energy policy as it relates to renewable/alternative fuel sources. Learning Outcomes By the end of the lesson, students will be able to: access information from a variety of sources of information; acquire information about boreal forests, biomass and sustainable forestry practices; analyze data, identify trends and make predictions; strengthen essay writing skills. THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas NOVA SCOTIA – GRADE 10-11 The Lesson Introduction Lesson Development Conclusion Teacher Activity Show the “Hinterland’s Who’s Who” video clip. http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=354 Ask: 1. What is the boreal forest? 2. How large is the boreal forest? 3. What does the boreal forest provide for humans? 4. What does the boreal forest provide for nature? 5. Can we balance the requirements of both people and nature? 6. How can we ensure that the boreal forest continues to meet the needs of future generations of Canadians? Instruct students to go to the Canadian Atlas Online Future of Forestry theme and read the various sections on the Canadian boreal forest for background information. Student Activity Watch the video clip and participate in the discussion. Students will research Nova Scotia’s forest industry, biomass as a fuel source and sustainable forestry practices. They will use the information from their research to produce a thesis statement and an essay. Conduct the research necessary to produce a thesis statement. Distribute copies of Thesis Statement Form. Ask students to complete a plausible thesis and outline the context of their paper in a summary paragraph. Complete the Thesis Statement Form. It should be approved by the teacher before the essay is written. Locate and review the Canadian Atlas Online Future of Forestry theme. Review the Thesis Statement Forms and provide feedback to the students before they begin writing their essay. Instruct students to create an essay on the topic of “The suitability of biomass as a sustainable fuel source for Nova Scotia.” Students should produce an outline (which may also need to be approved) and then write a formal essay. They will present a summary of their main findings to the class. Create an outline. Conduct class presentations. Present the essay to class. Hold a general discussion of findings and conclusions. Follow writing process to complete the essay. Participate in the class discussion. THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas NOVA SCOTIA – GRADE 10-11 Lesson Extension Create a visual representation (a traditional poster or a multimedia program) of the other types of renewable fuel sources: solar, wind and tidal. Analyze data from Statistics Canada <www.statscan.gc.ca> on the use of renewable fuel sources in Canada and the world (use tables, charts and graphs). Assessment of Student Learning Use the Essay Rubric (attached) to assess the written essay. Further Reading Canadian Geographic/FPAC Boreal Forest poster-map Canadian Geographic/FPAC Boreal Forest interactive map www.canadiangeographic.ca/boreal Natural Research Council - http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/ eng/news/irap/2010/12/20/nexterra-biomass-energy-gasification.html Natural Resources Canada http://canmetenergy-canmetenergie.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/ eng/bioenergy/biomass_resources.html http://canadaforests.nrcan.gc.ca/article/biomass FPInnovations http://www.fpinnovations.ca/ http://versicolor.ca/biomass/index.html Canadian Biomass - http://www.canadianbiomassmagazine.ca/ A National Scan of Regulations & Practices Relevant to Biomass Harvesting http://www.wwf.ca/newsroom/reports/forests_freshwater/nationalscan.cfm Link to Canadian National Standards for Geography Essential Element #2: Places and Regions Critical issues and problems of places and regions Essential Element #4: Human systems Global economic interdependence (e.g. regional specialization, trade, transnationalism, multinationals) Essential Element #5: Environments and Society Use and sustainability of resources Geographic Skill #5: Answering Geographic Questions Formulate valid generalizations from the results of various kinds of geographic inquiry. THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas NOVA SCOTIA – GRADE 10-11 Essay Rubric CATEGORY 4 - Above Standards 3 - Meets Standards 2 - Approaching Standards 1 - Below Standards Score Focus or Thesis Statement The thesis statement The thesis statement names the topic of the names the topic of the essay and outlines the essay. main points to be discussed. The thesis statement outlines some or all of the main points to be discussed but does not name the topic. The thesis statement does not name the topic AND does not preview what will be discussed. Support for Position Includes 3 or more pieces of evidence (facts, statistics, examples, real-life experiences) that support the position statement. The writer anticipates the reader's concerns, biases or arguments and has provided at least 1 counterargument. Includes 3 or more pieces of evidence (facts, statistics, examples, real-life experiences) that support the position statement. Includes 2 pieces of evidence (facts, statistics, examples, real-life experiences) that support the position statement. Includes 1 or fewer pieces of evidence (facts, statistics, examples, real-life experiences). Evidence and All of the evidence and Examples examples are specific, relevant and explanations are given that show how each piece of evidence supports the author's position. Most of the evidence and examples are specific, relevant and explanations are given that show how each piece of evidence supports the author's position. At least one of the pieces of evidence and examples is relevant and has an explanation that shows how that piece of evidence supports the author's position. Evidence and examples are NOT relevant AND/OR are not explained. Closing paragraph The conclusion is strong and leaves the reader solidly understanding the writer's position. Effective restatement of the position statement begins the closing paragraph. The conclusion is There is a conclusion, but it recognizable. The does not clearly restate the author's position is author’s position. restated within the first two sentences of the closing paragraph. There is no conclusion - the paper just ends. Grammar & Spelling Author makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. Author makes 1-2 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. Author makes 3-4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. Author makes more than 4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. Sources (if used) All sources used for quotes, statistics and facts are credible and cited correctly in APA format in a bibliography. All sources used for quotes, statistics and facts are credible and most are cited in a bibliography, but not in APA format. Most sources used for quotes, statistics and facts are credible and cited, but not in a bibliography. Many sources are suspect (not credible) AND/OR are not cited correctly. TOTAL: ________ THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas NOVA SCOTIA – GRADE 10-11 Thesis Statement Form Thesis ____________________ Proof _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________ Summary Paragraph _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ THE CANADIAN ATLAS ONLINE www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas NOVA SCOTIA – GRADE 10-11 Thesis Statement Form (Sample) Thesis This is where you write down Proof This is where you prepare multiple statements about the subject the argument you will be matter that supports your thesis. making in your paper in a You may want to include statistics and paraphrase significant quotes concise manner. Make sure to support the stance you are taking in the paper (your argument). the point you are attempting to make is clear. You do not want any ambiguity in writing the thesis statement. Remember, the thesis of the paper is like a roadmap, it provides the direction the reader needs to interpret and analyze what is being written. Summary Paragraph Write a summary paragraph on the subject matter on which your thesis statement is based. It should be approximately 5 to 6 lines in length and is meant to quickly capture the essence of what topic on which you are writing.