climatechangehowitimpactscanadiansandwhatwecando.doc

Climate Change: How it impacts Canadians and what we can do to slow it down. Lesson Overview This lesson takes stock of how climate change has already affected Canadians in geographic, economic, and cultural terms. It asks pertinent questions about what can be done to change human behaviour to reduce climate change by focussing on selected problems and solutions. Grade Level Grades 10-11 (Secondary) Time Required 80 minutes Curriculum Connection (Province and course) Alberta Social Studies 10/ 11 Link to Canadian National Geography Standards Essential Element #1 (Grades 9-12) - The World in Spatial Terms Geography studies the spatial relationships among people, places and environments. Maps reveal the complex spatial interactions that touch the lives of all citizens. Essential Element #2 (Grades 9-12) - Places and Regions The identities and lives of individuals and peoples are rooted in particular places and regions, each of which has distinctive human and physical characteristics. Essential Element #3 (Grades 9-12) - Physical Systems Physical processes shape Earth’s surface and interact with plant and animal life to create, sustain and modify the cultural and natural environment. Physical systems include such things as wind and ocean currents, plate tectonics, erosion, deposition and the water. Essential Element #5 (Grades 9-12) - Environment and Society The physical environment has been modified by human activities. In a traditional sense, early settlers cleared the land to plant crops and graze livestock. Today, air and water pollution and the management of solid waste and hazardous materials are a serious problem. The physical environment affects human activity as well. Soil types and water availability help to determine which crops will prosper. More dramatically, natural hazards (e.g., earthquakes, hurricanes and floods) have resulted in substantial loss of life and property. Principal Resource The primary lesson is based on the section Explore by themes, The