Canada's Forests: Learning from the Past, Building for the Future- Vol. 1

Description

Canada’s Forests - Learning from the Past, Building for the Future explores Canada’s rich forest heritage and the development of sustainable forest practices to ensure healthy ecosystems. The resource takes a look at the past, present and future of Canada’s forests and forest industries. The lessons incorporate interactive, hands-on activities that help students to see how forest practices have evolved over Canada’s history and present an understanding of forest ecosystems. The resource contains a series of eight lessons, for this review we take a look at lessons one, three, five and seven.

Lesson 1- Trees in our Community – Past, Present and Future

Students observe trees in their community and participate in a class discussion about past and present patterns of trees and tree communities. Through creative writing, drawing or mapping exercises students are invited to share their observations. They explore the role that trees have played in the lives of local residents past and present and make predictions about what the community will look like in the future based on the patterns noted.

Lesson 3 – Harvesting Timber – Old Ways, New Ways Students begin by discussing past and present logging practices; they gather information about logging tools which were used in the past and those that we use today. They record their findings and prepare to be interviewed by their peers.

Lesson 5 – Creating a Miniature Forest

Students participate in an outdoor forest mapping activity. They locate and observe an interesting patch of forest floor and note their observations. They identify parts of their mini forest ecosystem such as insects, climate and life cycles.

Lesson 7 – Paper making – A 2000-Year-Old Art

Students investigate the history of paper by constructing an illustrated timeline using the information provided. Based on their timeline, they research and write a brief story about the role that paper played in a specific place, at a specific time in history. They make their own recycled paper using the same basic concepts that have been used since it was first invented.

General Assessment

Question	Response
What skills does this resource explicitly teach?	interpreting and communicating information how to make paper
What important, related ideas/issues are not addressed in this resource?	Early aboriginals and settlers had a more sustainable and respectful relationship with the forest than modern-day North Americans
What important ideas are implied by the resource, but not taught explicitly?	The impact of humans on the changing environment, before and after people settled in the community. Aboriginal inhabitants and early settlers used the trees more efficiently than today's North Americans.
To enhance this resource the following changes are strongly recommended:	Create a campaign to educate others in the school and community about the role of trees in our community. Include some action skills which can be explicitly taught Include some assessment strategies and tools Include some formal cooperative learning instruction Create opportunities where students can share their learning with parents or the community.

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle	Rating	Explanation
Bias Minimization	Good	Students are given the opportunity to look at the past, present and future of Canada’s forests and forest industries. The materials in the resource are drawn from many sources involved in forest-based education. The Canadian Forestry Association website provides more information on the organization's values, biases and assumptions.
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions	Good	The resource addresses environmental, economic and social dimensions of the forest.
Respects Complexity	Mediocre	The resource promotes dialogue and exploration but it will be up to the teacher to ensure a problem-solving approach is explored and respected.
Action Experience	Poor/Not considered	No action experiences are suggested in these lessons.
Action Skills	Poor/Not considered	No actions skills are explicitly taught.
Empathy & Respect for Humans	Good	Students explore the role that trees played in the lives of local residents as well as in the lives of Native communities and the first settlers.
Personal Affinity with Earth	Good
Locally-Focused	Very Good	The learning takes place in the student's community.
Past, Present & Future	Very Good	Students draw conclusions about their community before and after people settled there. They make predictions about the future of the trees in their community. Students learn about past and present logging practices. They explore the history of paper making in different cultures and the significance of its development.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle	Rating	Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction	Very Good	Students are encouraged to make their own predictions and observations which they will share during class discussions. Reflection questions allow students to further explore issues of interest to them.
Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Learning	Good	Science Social Studies Geography
Discovery Learning	Good	Students have the opportunity to choose questions to further investigate.
Values Clarification	Good	Students present their observations and predictions about the forest. Some of the activities do encourage older students to reflect on the changing forest and its future. There are opportunities for students to share their perspectives.
Differentiated Instruction	Good	Hands-on activities, exploration, observation, self discovery
Experiential Learning	Very Good	This resource is focused on experiential learning. Outdoor learning is part of the approach taken. Discussion and research begins from examining trees in the neighbourhood.
Cooperative Learning	Mediocre	The resource suggests students can work independently, in small groups and in large groups. Cooperative learning skills are not specifically taught.
Assessment & Evaluation	Mediocre	Teacher assessments would be in the form of activity products and anecdotal information gathered from group discussions. Self assessment is through student reflections.
Peer Teaching	Mediocre	Opportunities exist for students to present their work to their peers.
Case Studies	Good	Some case studies are provided.
Locus of Control	Mediocre	The activities are a mixture of learner-centered and teacher-directed. There is some flexibility regarding content and medium for student work.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

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Alberta
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    - A Community in the Past
British Columbia
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    - Life Science: Habitats & Communities
Manitoba
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    - Our Local Community
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New Brunswick
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    - You and Your World: Changes and the Physical Environment
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Newfoundland & Labrador
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Northwest Territories
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Nova Scotia
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Nunavut
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    - Provinces and Territories: Our Places, Stories, and Traditions: The Land: Place & People
Ontario
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Prince Edward Island
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Quebec
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Saskatchewan
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Yukon Territory
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    - Human and Physical Environment
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Canada's Forests: Learning from the Past, Building for the Future- Vol. 1

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Description

General Assessment

Sustainability Education Principles

Pedagogical Approaches

Relevant Curriculum Units

A project of

with support from

Canada's Forests: Learning from the Past, Building for the Future- Vol. 1

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Description

General Assessment

Sustainability Education Principles

Pedagogical Approaches

Relevant Curriculum Units

A project of

with support from