In their chapter of the book Endangered Spaces, David Henry and David Gauthier begin by quoting Adrian Forsyth:
Within one human lifetime, the prairies have passed from wilderness to become the most altered habitat in this country and one of the most disturbed, ecologically simplified and overexploited regions in the world. (Hummell, 1989)
This unit is designed to allow students to examine
the ecosystem in which they
live
, to compare that system to other environments in Saskatchewan, and to appreciate
both how much and why human habitation has changed the face of the province.
The optional unit Diversity of Life may be
integrated with this unit.
Science writing and reading activities, as discussed in this Guide, should be incorporated into each lesson. When students read from a variety of sources Ä newspapers, magazines, both narrative and expository nonfiction Ä and when they are given opportunity to use reflective, narrative, and expository writing in various formats to express what they are learning, students refine their understanding of the concepts of science and develop their ability to communicate through the written word. It is critical not to confine science reading to textbooks and science writing to structured laboratory reports. Each of these is important, but is only one component of a well-rounded science program. Several suggestions for appropriate writing and reading assignments are found in the Suggested activities section of this unit.
Science challenge, as described in this Guide, is meant to extend students' critical and creative thinking abilities in the context of the science concepts being studied. Activities involving science challenge should be incorporated into science lessons in each unit. The challenge is intended to give each student a chance to investigate an area of interest in more depth than would be possible for all students in a class to do. Science challenge is a key strategy for bringing the Adaptive Dimension to the classroom, and for encouraging independent learning. With topics such as ecology and the environment there is lots of scope for student-initiated science challenge activities in this unit. These may involve student research, writing or action to help them understand and preserve their environment.
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Note: Many of the resources listed in Science: An Information Bulletin for the Middle Level - Key Resource Correlations describe activities or ideas for activities.
Produce the video and exchange it with a class in another region of the province. Include written and pictorial documentation with the video.
Factors: A2, A3, B1, B12, C2, C12, D4, E2, F3, F4, G6
Objectives: 1.4, 2.1, 3.3, 3.4
Assessment Techniques: peer assessment, rating scales, homework
Instructional Methods: case studies, field observations, circle
of knowledge
The series "Soil Capability for Agriculture", done as part of the Canada
Land Inventory is available for purchase from:
Use the maps to create a soil description of the region in which you live.
How much of the soil in the region is suited for growth of grain crops?
How much is suited for growth of forage crops? How much is suited for unimproved
pasture and range? How do the estimates of land for these uses in your area
compare with the province as a whole?
Factors: A7, B12, B24, C3, C15, E13, F3, G3
Assessment Techniques: written assignments, oral assessments
Instructional Method: research projects
Press-dry these samples and mount them together on a large display card,
including the name, location where the sample was taken, niche, and growth
habit of the plant on the card. Indicate as well where each plant can be
seen in situ by those who are interested.
An extension of this would be to create a field guide to the area. Using
the guide, people would be able to follow a fixed course, reading a commentary
on the plants along the course. The guide could contain sketches and keys
to help people identify the plants.
Factors: A3, A7, B1, B18, B26, C3, D5, F3
Assessment Techniques: observation checklists, performance assessments,
short answer test items
Instructional Methods: research project, structured overview, reading
for meaning
Collect water, soil, and organisms from local sources to stock the pond.
What part do these bodies of water play in the local ecosystem?
Write either a narrative description of wetlands and their place in the
Saskatchewan ecosystem, or a 'first-person' account of some organism (plant,
animal, microbe) living in a wetland environment. Deal with some or all
of the above questions in your writing.
You might include such things as a videotape of the bird, its song, and
its flight. Videotape the bird's nest Ä location, design, construction,
and use. How many eggs does the bird lay? How and for how long are the eggs
incubated? How are the baby birds fed? Are the birds precocial or altricial?
What social organization is there among the birds? What do the birds eat?
What predators attack these birds?
Using materials from Environment Canada gives students a chance to read
materials written for the general public rather than targeted at fourteen
year old students. This type of material will be one of their major sources
of information about the environment once they leave school. (Few publishers
print textbooks designed to give 22 year old adults everything they need
to know about science and the environment.) They can also use these materials
as models for reporting the results of their own research. Saskatchewan Land Resource Centre
Room 5C26, Agriculture Building
51 Campus Drive
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7N 5A8
Canada Map Office
Energy, Mines, Resources Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0E9
SOE Reporting
Environment Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H3
