Program Title: Human-Environment Interactions
Grade level: Recommended for Grade 9
Availability: September - May
Half-day or full-day program
Program Description:
Meets various expectations for Grade 9 Geography - Human- Environment Interactions.
How do humans impact the environment? What impact does the natural environment have on human activity? Using Cootes Paradise as a case study, students explore the answers to these questions.
Choose two of the following one-hour modules for a half-day program or four for a full-day program.
- Ecological footprinting. How many planets would it take to support Earth's population if everyone lived a North American life-style? Students determine their own "ecological foot print." What natural resources do they consume and at what cost to the environment?
- Cootes Paradise - past to present. Through the use of our displays and GIS maps, students track the impact on the Cootes Paradise wetland of human-environment interactions from pre-contact Aboriginal peoples to the present day. A game-show-style quiz tests the student's research.
- Project Paradise. On a guided hike along the shores of Cootes Paradise, students learn about Project Paradise and what is being done to restore our marsh to its former glory. Students have an opportunity to conduct scientific tests to measure some of the changes.
- Planning Paradise. What would you do if Cootes Paradise was yours to do with as you pleased? Would you exploit its natural resources? Build an industrial centre? A transportation hub? A wilderness retreat? Using real geographical data and working in small groups, students develop a land use plan for Cootes Paradise.
Pre-visit Activities:
These activities and resources will help your class to prepare for their visit to RBG: