By: Melinda Butler Schaddalee, Goshen Middle School; Goshen, IN, 6/15/1997

Purpose:

Comparison of hometown life with that of life in a Canadian city will enhance students’ abilities to research, mentally relate point `a’ to point `b’ and comprehend life in another location.

Grade Levels: 6-9

Geography Standards Addressed:

• #4) The physical and human characterisitcs of places.
• #5) That people create regions to interpret Earth’s complexity.
• #6) How culture and exprience influence people’s perceptions of places and regions.
• #9) The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth’s surface.
• #10) The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth’s cultural mosaics.
• #11) The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth’s surface.
• #12) The processes, patterns, and functions of human settlement.
• #13) How the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth’s surface.
• #14) How human actions modify the physical environment.
• #15) How physical systems affect human systems.

Objectives: Upon completion of this lesson, students will

• 1. use cooperative learning to explore the cultural characteristics of absolute location in Canada,
• 2. locate an assigned region on a map of Canada as well as a Provincial map,
• 3. gain an understanding of Canada through reading Canadian peers accounts of their own city,
• 4. compare and contrast their own culture with that of a Canadian culture, and
• 5. compare and contrast their Canadian culture with one other culture in Canada.

Materials Required:

• Map of Canada for each student
• Map of each Province assigned
• Preview of Web Site by teacher prior to first lesson to familiarize yourself with the information.

Procedure:

1st Session

1. In groups of 2, students log onto site and locate their assigned area.

2. Give students a chance to explore a bit and look at the picture of the students who authored that site.

3. Students read "Information about this Community" together, then download both maps. - Regional scale map and Boundary information.

4. Students complete map handout: providing the relative location on the large map of Canada, and the absolute location on the provincial map.

2nd Session

1. Groups locate their site and print information in the following sections: Things to change about this community, Best things about this community; Community overview; and Place name information. The section "Information about this Community" can be printed as well if it holds pertinent information.

2. Using the "jigsaw" approach, have students read the information and relate it to each other. Some city areas have a lot of information in each section, so decisions will have to be made as to how to break up that reading. This can be done by the students... or teacher.

3. Students complete the notesheet -- adding any extra notes.

3rd Session

1. Students organize and compile their information.

2. Students Compare things about their own community with things they have learned about the Canadian Community. (Suggested Worksheet at end)

3. As a class, create a large "web" to compare and contrast information that students have compiled.

Decide as a class what topics the web should include. Topics can include: Region or Location, Languages Spoken, Weather (might have to be researched further) Things the students like best about their community, Tourist Attractions. Compare and Contrast between the information charted from the different regions. Discuss with students the similarities and differences. Point out the variations. Canada is a real diverse place!

Extensions/Adaptations:

* Ask each student to write about "How my life would change if I moved to _____!" Put in the name of their town or city that they have researched.

* Create a travel brochure of the area that was assigned, doing further research on the surrounding area.

What is the Name if your community? _________________________________________

Do they say where this name originated? _____________ If yes, where?______________

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List 5 "Places of Interest" that was included in your information and write at least two sentences about each place.

1._____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

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2.____________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

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3.____________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

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4.____________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

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5.____________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

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Name One thing that the website authors think is the Best thing about their community.

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Name one thing that they would like to change.__________________________________

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Find Three words in French (try looking in the French language section) and write them down. Try to find out what they mean!!

1. ____________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________

Other notes and information you might not want to forget!!

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Compare Your community with the Canadian community that you have been reading about.

YOUR COMMUNITY CANADIAN COMMUNITY

Weather

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Things Young People Like to Do

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Tourist Attractions

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Types of Jobs

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Best Things About Your Community

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Things That Need Changed

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School

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Other

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