B2. Inquiry: The Impact of Land and Resource Use
Specific Expectations
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, including First Nations communities and/or Métis regions (e.g., the impact of mining, forestry, agriculture, suburban land development, First Nation[s] and Métis involvement in land-use planning) and measures taken to reduce the negative impact of that use
- What are some of the differences between the impact of land use in a big city and in 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 has the taking of those resources 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?
- What perspectives can be shared and learned by involving First Nations and/or Métis peoples in land-use planning in various communities across Ontario?
- What are some impacts of climate change on the ways of life of Indigenous peoples in various regions of Ontario?
- “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. Does this help the environment?”
- “If too many trees are cut down, there will be less tree diversity and fewer animals.”
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, oral histories, resource books, magazines, online articles; information from regional conservation authorities or provincial and national park websites; information from municipalities on recycling; an interview with a First Nation, Métis, or Inuit individual or group with Indigenous ecological knowledge about a region and their observations on changes in that region; information from a website sharing Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing)
- Where might you find information on how public transportation can reduce car emissions?
- Where might you find information on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives about stewardship practices, including local harvesting practices?
- 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 wildlife overpasses 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, including First Nations communities and/or Métis regions (e.g., use maps and atlases to locate information about the spatial boundaries of municipal areas / First Nation communities / Métis regions and the different land uses within them; use an interactive atlas to identify natural resources in your local area)
- What information would you need to include on a map showing natural resources in your community?
- “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.”
- “On the map I read, I noticed an area with no trees. That is where a logging company did clearcutting. I wonder if that is why some animals wander into the cities.”
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)
- 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?
- “The graph shows that less garbage was created when they began using blue boxes."
- “In this picture I see a big factory near the river. In another picture it shows that this area used to be a forest. The factory has had an impact on the animals that live in that area.”
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, including First Nations communities and/or Métis regions, and about key measures to reduce the negative impact of that use
- What did you find out about the environmental impact of some types of agricultural land use?
- What do you think about the creation of provincial parks or regional conservation areas? On whose traditional territory is the park or conservation area located?
- “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.”
- “In our community, we talk about the Honourable Harvest. We don’t take the first or the last of something. We show respect by not wasting what is produced. We always give thanks. I think that lots of companies and organizations could learn from this.”
B2.6
communicate the results of their inquiries, using appropriate vocabulary (e.g., municipality, county, reserve, traditional territory, stewardship, restoration, population, pollution, deforestation, rehabilitation, public transportation, ecological footprint, natural resources, Indigenous ecological knowledge [IEK]) 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; with proper permission, a sketchnote of a story told by an individual with community connections and expertise, such as a local Elder, Métis Senator, Knowledge Keeper, Knowledge Holder, or Traditional Teacher, about their community’s or nation’s relationship with the land; 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)
- “I am writing a letter to our mayor explaining why we should build wildlife overpasses and/or underpasses so the deer and moose can get across the roads and not get hit by cars.”