Page 287 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies

of the natural environment?” “How do various resource-based industries view their respon- sibilities for protecting species and natural spaces?” “What arguments do environmental non-governmental organizations use to promote the protection of the natural environment?”
B2.2 assess impacts of human settlement and activities on selected ecosystems (e.g., deforestation and loss of habitat from resource development in the boreal forest; loss of habitat and degradation of water quality from aggregate mining and increased agriculture in the Carolinian forest in southern Ontario; water pollution from industry, agriculture, and human waste in the Florida wetlands; threats to coral reefs from rising water temperatures and increased human interaction)
Sample questions: “What are the benefits of protecting the boreal forest, coral reefs, or wetlands?” “Can population growth and preservation of natural environments coexist, or does there have to be a winner and a loser?”
Using spatial skills: Using a world base map, students can add layers showing ecosystem and human settlement data in order to identify and analyse ecosystems that have been affected by population growth. Web diagrams can be created to illustrate how an impact on one element of an ecosystem can affect other elements of the ecosystem.
B2.3 assess impacts of population growth on
the natural environment in their local area,
and identify some of the social, economic, and political consequences of these impacts (e.g., social: the loss of aesthetic qualities and recreational areas as a consequence of loss of green space; economic: the cost of building infrastructure
to manage stormwater runoff and flooding as
a consequence of an increase in paved area and loss of wetlands; political: the increased need for government to monitor and regulate air and water quality as a consequence of a greater number and variety of sources of pollution)
Sample questions: “How has population growth affected local streams and wetlands? What has been the effect on fish and wildlife? Has the community invested in measures to protect water quality in the area?” “Has the community become more car-dependent? How has that shift affected air quality? What is the community doing to control air pollution and its effects?” “Have new industries come into the area? How have they affected population growth, the economy, and the local environ- ment?” “Has the quality of life changed in the community as it has become more detached
from its natural surroundings?” “Have there been disagreements in the community about whether it should grow or how it should grow?”
B3. Ecosystem Characteristics
FOCUS ON: Spatial Significance; Interrelationships
By the end of this course, students will:
B3.1 explain ways in which living things depend on other components of the Earth system (e.g., atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere) and describe some of the interactions between them
Sample questions: “What does the term ‘global commons’ mean? Which components of the global commons are essential to the existence of life on Earth?” “How does the biosphere affect the atmosphere?”
Using spatial skills: Students can use a flow diagram with visuals to illustrate interrelation- ships between different components of the Earth system.
B3.2 identify the elements of an ecosystem and explain how they interact
Sample questions: “How do climate and soils affect the types of vegetation in an ecosystem? How does the vegetation affect the wildlife?” “Of all the elements in an ecosystem, which one has the greatest effect on the other elements and on the characteristics of that ecosystem?” “What is the place of humans in an ecosystem? In what ways do they depend on the other components of the ecosystem? What are some of the ways in which they affect other components of the ecosystem?”
B3.3 describe the characteristics of different types of ecosystems in different regions of the world
Sample questions: “What are the similarities and differences between the Siberian tundra and the Sahara desert?” “How is the Brazilian rainforest different from the rainforest found along the west coast of North America?” “Why are some wildlife species, such as the polar bear or the koala bear, found only in certain regions of the world?”
Using spatial skills: Students can support their investigations of different kinds of ecosystems by adding an ecosystem layer to a world base map and adding annotations, including visuals, to describe the identifying characteristics of particular ecological regions.
SPECIES AND SPACES
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Living in a Sustainable World
CGR4E