Page 160 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies

Grade 11, University/College Preparation
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies
D2. Population and Disasters
FOCUS ON: Patterns and Trends; Interrelationships
By the end of this course, students will:
D2.1 analyse factors that influence human settle- ment in hazardous areas (e.g., slopes of active volcanoes, floodplains, Tornado Alley, coastal areas of Bangladesh), and assess ways of moderating the risks of living in these areas
Sample questions: “Why might people live
in an area that they know is prone to natural disasters?” “What is the difference between a natural hazard and a natural disaster?” “How can people adapt to natural hazards in order
to reduce the risk of disasters? What determines whether they can adapt effectively or not? Should people be allowed to settle in areas where there is a high risk of a natural disaster?”
Using spatial skills: Using a world map as
a base, students can identify disaster-prone regions by adding layers showing where different types of natural disasters have occurred. They can also use this information to identify the place where, in their opinion, people face the highest natural disaster risk in the world.
D2.2 explain how the earth’s physical processes can affect the impacts of a human disaster (e.g., wave action and BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010; wind patterns and Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2012; wind, precipitation, and forest fire spread)
Sample question: “Why is it important to understand the earth’s physical processes when dealing with disasters caused by humans?”
Using spatial skills: On a map of the affected region, students can plot the point of origin of a disaster and shade in the areas that experienced impacts. The map can be used to support further investigations of the processes that determined which areas were affected and in what ways.
D3. Earth’s Planetary Characteristics and Life
FOCUS ON: Spatial Significance; Interrelationships
By the end of this course, students will:
D3.1 explain the biological significance of Earth’s position in space (e.g., with respect to temperature, presence of liquid water, presence of a life-supporting atmosphere)
Sample questions: “Why is the story of Goldilocks often referred to when describing Earth’s position in space?” “What are the characteristics of Earth that would need to change in order
for Earth to be like Venus or Mars?”
D3.2 explain how the earth’s shape, orbit, rotation, and tilt produce seasonal and regional varia- tions in climate and support biodiversity by creating regionally diverse conditions for life
Sample questions: “What is the significance
of the following lines of latitude to the seasons – the tropic of Cancer, the tropic of Capricorn, the equator, the Arctic and Antarctic circles?” “How does the tilt of the earth’s axis cause seasons?” “Why is it summer in the Northern Hemisphere when it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere?” “Which parts of the earth have the greatest quantity and diversity of living organisms? Why?”
D3.3 demonstrate a critical understanding of various theories of the origins of the universe and of Earth’s formation and evolution (e.g., formation: big bang, nebular hypothesis; evolution: continental drift, plate tectonics), and describe the theories’ contribution to our understanding of some of Earth’s major characteristics
Sample questions: “What are the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence used to support the theory of plate tectonics?” “How has continental drift contributed to biological diversity?” “How does the nebular hypothesis explain the varying densities of the earth’s layers?”
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