| Theme: | Water Attitudes |
| Location: | The Pines |
| Map #: | 40 |
| Download the PDF | |
Purpose
Students will become familiar with watersheds and the effect of surrounding landscapes on the flow of surface water. Becoming familiar with causes of flooding, such as spring snow melt, students become “water managers” and learn how the manipulation of surface water can be used as a management tool to decrease the effects of spring flooding. Climate change is creating increased erratic weather patterns resulting in more and more flooding activity. Students learn the importance of maintaining natural infrastructure, specifically wetlands, for flood attenuation and how they are important sources of slow release water throughout drier summers.
Key Messages
- A watershed is a system of wetlands, streams, rivers and lakes draining to a common point on the landscape.
- Surface water is water found in rivers, lakes and streams.
- People manage surface water using dams to control water quantity, including flooding
- Climate change results in more unpredictable weather patterns, causing increased flooding and draughts.
- Wetlands are beneficial for many reasons and are important in decreasing the effects of flooding
- Wetlands need to be conserved and protected.
Ontario Curriculum Connections
Science and Technology- Understanding Life Systems, Grade 4 (Habitats and Communities)
- analyze the positive and negative impacts of human interactions with natural habitats and communities, taking different perspectives into account and evaluate ways of minimizing the negative impacts
- identify reasons for the depletion or extinction of a plant or animal species (e.g. changes in or destruction of its habitat), evaluate the impacts on the rest of the natural community, and propose possible actions for preventing such depletions or extinctions from happeing
- describe structural adaptations that allow plants and animals to survive in specific habitats
- Understanding Earth and Space Systems, Grade 5 (Conservation of Energy and Resources)
- evaluate the effects of various technologies on energy consumption, and propose ways in which individuals can improve energy conservation
- identify renewable and non-renewable sources of energy
- People and Environments, Grade 4 (Political and Physical Regions of Canada)
- analyze some of the general ways in which the natural environment of regions in Canada has affected the development of industry
- asses aspects of the environmental impact of different industries in two or more physical and/or political regions of Canada (e.g. hydro-electric development in Quebec)
- describe some key actions taken by both industries and citizens to address the need for more sustainable use of land and resources
- identify some of the main human activities, including industrial development and recreational activities, in various physical regions of Canada
- People and Environments, Grade 5 (The Role of Government and Responsible Citizenship)
- assess the effectiveness of actions taken by one or more levels of government to address an issue of national, provincial/territorial, and/or local significance (e.g. the effectiveness of policies related to the management of the Great Lakes)
- create a plan of action to address an governmental issue of local, provincial/territorial, and/or national significance, specifying the actions to be taken by the appropriate level (or levels) of government as well as by citizens, including themselves
- describe key actions taken by different levels of government to solve some significant national, provincial/territorial, and/or local issues
- People and Environments, Grade 6 (Canada's Interactions with the Global Communities)
- explain why some environmental issues are of international importance and require the participation of other regions of the world, along with that of Canada, if they are to be effectively addressed
- analyze responses of Canadian governments, non-governmental organization (NGO's), and individual citizens to an economic, environmental, political, and/or social issue of international significance
- identify some of the major ways in which the Canadian government interacts with other nations of the world
