Curriculum Expectations

B2. Inquiry: The Impact of Land and Resource Use 

FOCUS ON: Cause and Consequence; Perspective

By the end of Grade 3, students will:

B2.1 formulate questions to guide investigations into some of the short- and/or long-term effects

on the environment of different types of land and/or resource use in two or more municipal regions of Ontario (e.g., the impact of mining,forestry, agriculture, suburban land development) and measures taken to reduce the negative impact of that use 

Sample questions: “What are some of the differences in the impact of land use in a big city and a rural area?” “What impact can mining have on the surrounding environment? What can be done to limit the negative impact on the environment?” “What natural resources are available in the local First Nation community? How have they affected that community?” “What types of development might result in water

pollution?” “What criteria might you use to judge the impact of land and/or resource use?”

Student talk: “Last spring we almost hit a moose that was crossing the highway. My dad said he hit a deer there before. Why would they build a road where animals live?” “When I was skipping stones on the river, I saw yellowy-brown foam on the water. I wonder where the pollution comes from and how it could be cleaned up.” “My cousin spends his summer planting trees for a forestry company. He says they are replacing the trees they cut down. Do all companies do that?”

B2.2 gather and organize a variety of data and information on the environmental effects of different land and/or resource use and measures taken to reduce the negative impact of that use (e.g., photographs, resource books, magazines, online articles, information from regional conservation authorities or provincial and national park websites, information from municipalities on recycling, an interview with an Elder on traditional ecological knowledge about a region and his or her observations on changes in that region) 

Sample questions: “Where might you find information on how public transportation can reduce car emissions?” “How could you use photographs to help you determine the impact of mining and of rehabilitating mines?” “What sources could you use to study the effectiveness of constructing natural bridges over roadways to allow animals to follow their regular migration patterns?”

B2.3 analyse and construct print and digital maps, including thematic maps, as part of their investigations into the environmental impact of land and/or resource use in different municipal regions (e.g., use maps and atlases to locate information about the spatial boundaries of municipal areas and the different land uses within them; use an interactive atlas to identify natural resources in your local area)

Sample question: “What information would you need to include on a map showing natural resources in your community?”

Student talk: “On my computer last night I looked at a map of a big mine outside Timmins.I zoomed in and followed the roads from my

house to the mine.”

B2.4 interpret and analyse information and data relevant to their investigations, using a variety of tools (e.g., use a graphic organizer to help them determine the environmental impact of an aggregate mine; plot trends in forest cover of a municipal region on a line or bar graph and compare it to a graph showing land-use trends for the same municipal region)

Sample questions: “How might you use a graphic organizer to help you determine the impact of different types of land use on the

environment?” “How could using a bar graph help you determine the impact of municipal waste and recycling practices?” “What do these

photographs show about the impact of this type of land use?”

B2.5 evaluate evidence and draw conclusions about some of the short- and long-term effects on the environment of different types of land use in municipal regions of Ontario and about key measures to reduce the negative impact of that use

Sample questions: “What did you find out about the environmental impact of some types of agricultural land use?” “What is your position

on the creation of provincial parks or regional conservation areas?”

Student talk: “I found out that mining can generate air and water pollution and can scar the land, but some mining companies have donated their old mines to local regional conservation authorities. They are hoping to turn these into parkland.”

B2.6 communicate the results of their inquiries, using appropriate vocabulary (e.g., municipality, county, reserve, population, pollution, deforestation, rehabilitation, public transportation, ecological footprint, natural resources, traditional ecological knowledge [TEK]) and formats (e.g., a plan of action to address a local land-use issue; a cooperatively produced book of photos showing the environmental impact of a mine; a report on the benefits of forestry in provincial parks; song lyrics, a rap, or a poem about the effects of industrial pollution on a local waterway;

an informational poster on what individuals can do to reduce their ecological footprint)

Student talk: “I am writing a letter to our mayor explaining why we should build bridges over the roads so the deer and moose do not get hit

by cars.”