Planning a Canadian Expedition

Suggested Grades

6+

Objective

Students will examine the physical and climatic characteristics of a physiographic region in Canada through planning an expedition of the area as though they are early explorers (with a present-day knowledge of the geography, though without settlements!).

Materials

• atlases, with maps of specific physiographic regions which include:
  • Cordilleran Region
  • Interior Plains
  • Arctic Region
  • Canadian Shield
  • St. Lawrence Region
  • Appalachian Region
• climate information for these regions

Method

• Split class into groups of 3 or 4.
• Assign a Canadian physiographic region to each group.
• Each group will be responsible for:
  • Researching the region's climate and physical environment
  • Planning an expedition to this region, keeping in mind what supplies they would bring, their mode of transportation (no modern forms, only by foot/boat/canoe/raft/horse/etc.), and their accomodation (tent/lean-to's/dugouts/caves...)
  • Presenting their expedition to the class, including details of their journey (plants, animals, and physical obstacles they encountered)- be specific, including names of rivers/mountains/lakes/etc.
• As an extension to this geography lesson, each group could investigate the First Nations of their region.

Additional Resources

Internet Resources

Resources Atlas - Natural Resources Canada
Allows you to view a map of Canada, based on whatever features you want to include- ie: rivers, forest regions, geology....

National Atlas Cover Page / Atlas National page couverture
Has thematic maps of Canada.