1. Grade 7 Geography: Natural Resources
By: Sarah Honeyford, Candice Lee, Stacey Robinson, Cris Turple, and Michelle Turco

2. Big Ideas: Know, Do, Be
KNOW: Students will explore the many ways that people use natural resources, and the environmental impact of these actions.
DO: Students will gather, process, and communicate information about the distribution, use and importance of natural resources in a variety of ways
BE: Students will acknowledge how humans’ actions can positively or negatively affect natural resource sustainability, and take action to better the health of the environment

3. Unit Guiding Questions
What are natural resources and why are they important in our lives?
How does demand and accessibility determine the importance of natural resources?
What is sustainability and how does this relate to natural resources?
How has technology affected the process of obtaining natural resources?
How is a country’s economy affected by the value of their natural resources?

4. Integration
Art
Drama
Geography
Language
Physical Education
Science

5. Assessment for Learning: Lesson 1
Class discussion
What is a natural resource?
What natural resources are found in Canada? In other parts of the world?
Students will brainstorm answers to these questions in table groups and record their ideas on chart paper. A class discussion will follow. Teacher will use direct observation and the brainstormed sheets to determine students’ prior knowledge of natural resources. This information will inform future lessons for the unit.

6. Lesson Sequence: 2 Everything comes from something
In groups, students will act in the role of a contributing author, each group is to design a two-page spread for a new Grade 7 geography textbook, using the information that they researched.

7. Lesson Sequence: 3 All things comes out of something
In their same groups from the previous lesson, students will pretend that the publishers have asked them to make a (4-5) information segment on their resource for a C-D that the publishers want to put at the end of the textbook.

8. Lesson Sequence: 4 and 5 The Chain Game: Natural Resources Equity Game
Students will participate in a natural resources simulation game where the object is for each group to construct as many paper chains as possible using construction paper, tape, and scissors.
The craft supplies represent natural resources, and the chain represents a group or country’s wealth or success.
Some groups begin the activity resource-rich, while others must trade their resources to gain the all proper materials to construct paper chains.
Students will then discuss their experiences in the game, and how it relates to the real world.
A short video clip will be viewed to facilitate further discussion on natural resource distribution, the use of technologies to extract such resources, and their role in the world economy.

9. Lesson Sequence: 6
Our use of Technology and its affect on Canada’s Seven F’s
Students will participate in a jigsaw activity to investigate the types of technology used to discover, extract, process, and transport Canada’s Seven F’s (fish, fur, forestry, farming, fossil fuels, ferrous metals, and flowing water). In their resource groups, students will become experts on their assigned natural resource, and share and discuss their findings to their home groups. Students will be asked to discuss how technology has affected our ecological footprint with regards to Canada’s Seven F’s.

10. Lesson 7 Technology’s affect on our Ecological Footprint
To apply their understanding on the impact of using technology to discover, extract, process, and transport Canada’s natural resources, students will participate in a class debate on the issue of using technology with regards to Canada’s Seven F’s. Students will argue whether or not to use more or less technology to reduce our ecological footprint in the use of our natural resources. To put these concepts into perspective, students will be asked to think about how technology affects the everyday use of our natural resources (e.g. driving cars, wearing jewelry, using computers, etc).

11. Lesson Sequence: 8 What is Sustainability?
Students will learn about sustainability and sustainable development through the viewing of videos and participation in think-pair-share and class discussion on the topics. This will allow students to collaboratively create an online, interactive concept map (re: Popplet) to help students understand how sustainability, sustainable development and the environment and natural resources are interrelated. Individually, students will then inductively develop their own definitions of sustainability to be used in the creation of a group paper Tweet for the Classroom Twitter wall.

12. Lesson Sequence: 9 Sustainability of Natural Resources
Students will reflect on their inductive definitions of sustainability to begin thinking about how sustainability relates to the future of natural resources. Students will work collaboratively in groups of three to learn more about the sustainability of one natural resource in order to create a short presentation, involving a visual of their understanding and ideas, to present to the class. Students will use what they have learned from class discussion and the group presentations to reflect in their journals using the two stars and a wish format.

13. Lesson 10 Technology and Sustainability of Natural Resources
To gain an understanding of how media is used to portray either positive or negative views about the issue of natural resource sustainability and technology, students will view advertisements and videos and determine how the companies have used media to effectively convey their message(s). In groups, students will use this knowledge to create their own media piece about how technology will help or hinder the future sustainability of a natural resource.

14. Lesson Sequence: 11 and 12 Uneven Distribution of Natural Resources
Resources trade game - demonstrates connection between wealth of natural resources and economy.
Some continents have more valuable natural resources than others. Students take part in a hands-on and physically active game where they race to collect as much wealth (beanie bags) from other continents as they can within five minutes.
The Value of Canada’s Natural Resources
Research project based on one of Canada’s natural resources and its economic importance to Canada.
Students research the economic value of one of Canada’s natural resources and present its impact on the Canadian economy to the class using their choice of media presentation.

15. Culminating Activity
Canadian Senate debate on the Athabasca Oil Sands in Alberta
Small groups representing key stakeholders of the issue, teacher acts as ‘speaker’
Research background information, formulate opening and closing statements
Utilize visuals or other tactics to express opinion and support main points
Consolidate learning in class discussion, do not have to come to a decision