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QUEBEC – SECONDARY II
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway: Gateway
to Canada's Industrial Heartland
Lesson Overview:
The lesson is based on the strategic education structure or a learning and assessment
situation (LAS) as proposed by the Quebec geography curriculum.
The lesson is divided into four specific parts.
1)
2)
3)
4)
Brainstorming (LAS Introduction)
Group debate preparation (LAS Development)
Group debate presentation (LAS Development)
Review of each position and general discussion of what was learned (LAS Conclusion)
Grade Level:
This lesson was designed and developed for grade 8 students (Secondary 2 level or 2nd
year of junior high). It can be used for grade 7 if industrial territory is covered at this level.
However, we believe that the issues may be difficult for these students to grasp.
Time Required:
The lesson requires approximately two 75-minute classroom periods. The first period covers
the introduction and development phase. The second covers the development and
conclusion stage.
Curriculum Connection for Quebec:
Quebec, Secondary 1 level, Geography.
Main concept: Industrialization
Territory: Region
Skill 1 - Read the organization of a territory: The US and Canadian Great Lakes Region
• Components of Skill 1: Decipher the landscapes of a territory; Understand the
significance of human activity in the territory; Establish relationships between different
geographic scales; Use mapping vocabulary.
Skill 2 - Interpret a territorial issue: Harmonize industry and the environment.
•
Components of Skill 2: Ask questions about how the issue is handled; evaluate
proposals by the groups present.
Cultural benchmarks:
•
•
•
•
Ontario
The St. Lawrence Seaway
The Great Lakes
The St. Lawrence
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QUEBEC – SECONDARY II
Links to Canadian National Geography Standards:
Essential Element #1 (Grades 6-8): The World in Spatial Terms
Essential Element #2 (Grades 6-8): Places and Regions
Essential Element #3 (Grades 6-8): Physical Systems
Essential Element #4 (Grades 6-8): Human Systems
Essential Element #5 (Grades 6-8): Environment and Society
Essential Element #6 (Grades 6-8): The Uses of Geography
Geographic Skill #1 (Grades 6-8): Asking geographic questions
Geographic Skill #2 (Grades 6-8): Acquiring geographic information
Geographic Skill #3 (Grades 6-8): Organizing geographic information
Geographic Skill #4 (Grades 6-8): Analyzing geographic information
Geographic Skill #5 (Grades 6-8): Answering geographic questions
Links to the Canadian Atlas Online:
Canadian Atlas Online: http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas
Tabs of the Canadian Atlas Online used:
a) Rivers of Canada: East, St. Lawrence
b) Mixedwood Plains: Features, The Great Lakes and the Seaway
c) Evolving cities: In the East
Additional Resources:
•
•
•
•
•
Computer with Internet connection for research.
St. Lawrence Seaway Internet site: http://www.greatlakesseaway.com/en/index.html
Geography textbook approved by the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport,
regardless of the publisher.
Flash tour site: St. Lawrence Seaway, Gateway to North America;
http://www.media-seaway.com/seaway_handbook/flash-tour-en/tour-e.html
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway Study: http://www.glslsstudy.com/English%20Site/home.html
Main Objectives:
• Students will determine the influence of the St. Lawrence Seaway on development in
Canada.
• Students will determine the choices that entrepreneurs must make to ensure the most
effective distribution of their products.
• Students will determine the influence of the St. Lawrence Seaway on the economic
development of the St. Lawrence plains and Great Lakes.
• Students will consider all of the stakeholders and players involved when an issue is a
key factor in important decisions.
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QUEBEC – SECONDARY II
Learning Outcomes:
After this lesson, students will be able to:
• Understand the position of the various stakeholders in relation to the Great Lakes and
St. Lawrence industrial area
• Locate the various features of the Seaway on a map;
• Explain the features of the Seaway;
• Forecast the choices that stakeholders will have to make concerning transportation on
the St. Lawrence Seaway and throughout the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence industrial
area.
Task Explanation:
The task involves making oral presentations on transportation in the Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence Plain Seaway region. The objective is to determine how the positions of the
various stakeholders and players differ in this region, and offer proposals to clarify and allow
a global outlook on all transportation-related issues in this industrial region of Canada.
The situation simulation exercise is as follows: A shoe manufacturer in Quebec City has won
a very lucrative contract with a Chicago-based distribution company that will eventually
distribute these shoes to the entire North American market. What would be the least costly
means of getting the shoe products to the Chicago warehouse on a regular basis?
Working in teams, students must develop a rationale that clearly identifies the position of
the player they represent. Several "players" take different positions on the matter. These
positions (illustrated using the role definitions in appendix) lead to an understanding of all
transportation-related issues and use of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
In order to clearly state this rationale, students will have to rely on resources that
substantiate and support their position. They will therefore have to use the tools made
available to them: Internet access, maps and documentation provided by the teacher in
advance. During their delivery, a computer-assisted presentation (slide show) could be an
interesting tool.
To substantiate their arguments, students will first have to perform Internet research. Two
sites are recommended and mandatory: the Canadian Atlas Online site and the St.
Lawrence Seaway site.
Students will have to perform research to identify the major components of transportationrelated issues in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region, as well as the features of the
Seaway: these elements will allow them to flesh out their presentation with more detail.
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QUEBEC – SECONDARY II
In the end, the entire class will have to reach a consensus. Obviously, this consensus will
not satisfy every argument. However, the entire process will call attention to all of the
issues and lead to an overall portrait of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.
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QUEBEC – SECONDARY II
The Lesson:
Learning and Assessment Situation Plan
Teacher Activity
Introduction
•
How will the lesson
open?
•
•
•
•
•
•
The teacher asks the
students to name the
different means of
transportation available.
A list developed from
this brainstorming is
written on the board.
The teacher then asks
students to name the
two largest cities in
Canada (Montreal and
Toronto)
The teacher then asks
what channels, routes
and means of
transportation connect
these two Canadian
cities together.
The teacher presents
the following simulation
exercise: "A shoe
manufacturer in Quebec
City has won a very
lucrative contract with a
Chicago-based
distribution company
that will eventually
distribute the shoes to
the entire North
American market. What
would be the least
costly means of getting
the shoe products to the
Chicago warehouse on a
regular basis?"
Students are divided
into 5 teams. They have
ten minutes to come up
with a solution, the
advantages and
disadvantages, and a
map illustrating their
solution.
Then, each team
presents its answer to
this simulation activity.
The answers are
Student Activity
•
•
•
•
•
Students participate in a
full group discussion.
Students are divided into
5 teams to perform the
simulation activity.
They have ten minutes to
answer the following
questions: A shoe
manufacturer in Quebec
City has won a very
lucrative contract with a
Chicago-based
distribution company that
will eventually distribute
the shoes to the entire
North American market.
What would be the least
costly means of getting
the shoe products to the
Chicago warehouse on a
regular basis?"
Students must work
together to identify
advantages and
disadvantages, and draw
a skeleton map that
illustrates their solution
to the simulation.
Each team presents its
solution to the entire
group.
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Lesson Development
•
Detail point by point
how the lesson will
develop by student and
teacher activity.
•
•
•
•
Conclusion
How will the lesson
conclude? What final
product or culminating
activity is expected?
•
hypotheses that will be
checked during
development. The
teacher writes the
answers on the board.
From the answers given
by the students, the
teacher explains the
assignment. Based on
the role they are given,
they will have to take a
position according to the
"player" they represent
and that player's issues,
written on a small
explanation card (see
appendix)
Students are divided
into 10 teams and each
team is given a different
role (see list of roles in
appendix).
They must identify the
advantages and
disadvantages of using
the Seaway or road
transportation (1st
period).
Students present their
points of view during
the next period. It is
important that they find
statistics, maps, etc.
they must have good
visual aids to show the
arguments of every
player.
Each team must present
its player's position
during a 5 to 10-minute
presentation.
Once all the
presentations are over,
the class must reach a
consensus on which is
the most beneficial
means of
transportation.
QUEBEC – SECONDARY II
•
•
During team work,
students must use the
resources provided to
identify all of the issues
of concern to the players
involved.
The teams may choose
the type of presentation
they wish to make.
However, it must meet
the assessment criteria
(see assessment chart in
appendix).
In their workbook or journal,
students enter all of the results
and positions stated during the
presentations.
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QUEBEC – SECONDARY II
Requirements:
Presentations must be performed in teams. Presentations must be given in front of the
class.
Other approaches/alternatives:
•
This task may be assigned as a computer-assisted presentation (Power-Point style)
to provide visual support to the presentations.
•
The activity may also be incorporated into a language instruction approach; this
would involve using core language and second language instructional resources to
assess the oral presentations.
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QUEBEC – SECONDARY II
Appendix #1
Assessment Chart
Assessment Criteria
Performance
Students present the information sources they used for
their work and presentation.
5
4
3
2
1
Students use information and reference material related
to techniques in geography (maps, statistical charts,
etc.)
5
4
3
2
1
Students base their presentation on accurate and
specific information.
5
4
3
2
1
Students are able to explain, in their own words, the
position of the player they chose and the issues
involved.
5
4
3
2
1
During their presentation, students use rich and varied
vocabulary.
5
4
3
2
1
Appendix #2: List of roles assigned to students
Role Card (students)
Captain
This person is the captain of a
large cargo ship.
Activist
He works for an environmental
advocacy group (such as
Greenpeace)
Role cards (additional information for teachers –
suggestions only)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Trucking company owner
•
•
This company is hired by
various people to ship goods by
truck in Canada and the United
States
•
•
Easy to move on water.
Almost always arrives on time.
Boats use only 10% to 20% of the energy that trucks
require.
No traffic on the water.
Easy to cross international borders.
It is the means of transport with the most benign
impact on ecosystems.
1 ship = 870 trucks
To ship 1 tonne of goods 800 km takes 4 litres of
gasoline.
No need to build new roads and therefore less
deforestation.
A ship emits 1/10 of what a truck emits.
It employs a lot of people and gives them a means of
supporting their families and contributing to the
economy.
Less expensive than by ship.
No limit on the locations serviced: it provides access to
every city.
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Owner of a company in
Portugal
The owner of a company that
manufactures high-end shoes
for men. The company has a
large market in Canada and the
United States.
Government Employee
•
•
•
•
•
•
He works for the government of
Canada with the Department of •
Transportation.
•
A man living in a suburban
city (for example, Laval)
•
•
He has to take his car to work
•
every morning. He leaves home •
at about 6:30 and gets to work
at about 8:15.
Farmer
•
Located in Ontario on the shores •
of Lake Ontario, he grows soya
bean and corn.
A worker on a boat engaged
in domestic shipping in the
Great Lakes
•
This work allows him to
financially support his family.
•
•
Fisherman
•
•
Fishing is not only his livelihood,
it has also been part of his
family's traditions for
generations.
Board of Directors of an oil
company
This oil company supplies fuel to
trucks.
•
QUEBEC – SECONDARY II
Ports on the H2O highway are located closer to
European markets.
It can export goods within an acceptable time frame.
Competitive prices.
Various ship sizes.
Easy to cross borders with merchandise.
300 million m2 tonnes of commodities were
transported by cargo ship in 2004 = a significant
amount of economic benefits.
Government revenues: tax on income, transportation
taxes.
Maintaining roads in general and maintaining the St.
Lawrence Seaway is expensive. However, some people
have presented arguments to the government that the
cost of maintaining the Seaway far exceeds the
tangible and intangible benefits that the Seaway
generates.
Always stuck in traffic.
Having a lot of trucks on the roads slows the flow of
traffic.
Ships relieve traffic congestion.
Trucks create a lot of noise pollution.
Easy access to the water which makes transportation
easier.
Connected to roads and the "door-to-door" train
service.
An expanding means of transportation: over the next
twenty years, the amount of goods shipped by
container will triple. This means that there will
probably always be work.
Can support his family.
The safest means of transportation. Less risk of
accidents.
Ships cause ocean pollution, which affects fish.
They disturb the fish schools, which makes fishing
more difficult.
Trucks use more fuel than cargo ships, and therefore
trucks earn the company a lot more money.