Canadian Studies · Grade 9

Active learning ideas

Classifying Natural Resources

Active learning helps students grasp the complexity of natural resources by connecting abstract categories to real Canadian examples. Moving beyond memorization, students analyze trade-offs in sustainability, economics, and geography through hands-on tasks that mirror real-world decision making.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• Ontario Curriculum CGC1D/1P: C1.1. Describe the different types of resources (e.g., renewable, non-renewable, flow).
• Ontario Curriculum CGC1D/1P: C1.2. Describe the distribution and availability of various natural resources in Canada.
• Ontario Curriculum CGC1D/1P: C1.3. Explain the importance of various natural resources for Canada’s economy.

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Concept Mapping
• 35 min · Small Groups

Card Sort: Canadian Resource Categories

Prepare cards listing resources like maple syrup, uranium, and tidal power with descriptions. In small groups, students sort into renewable, non-renewable, and flow piles, then justify placements with evidence. Groups share one challenging example with the class.

Differentiate between renewable, non-renewable, and flow resources, providing Canadian examples for each.

Facilitation Tip

Before the Card Sort, ask students to brainstorm examples in small groups to activate prior knowledge and surface misconceptions early.

What to look for

Provide students with a list of 10 Canadian natural resources (e.g., Alberta natural gas, Saskatchewan potash, Manitoba hydro, Great Lakes water, B.C. salmon). Ask them to categorize each as renewable, non-renewable, or flow, and briefly justify their choice for three of the resources.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Jigsaw
• 45 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Economic Viability Factors

Assign expert roles on technology, market prices, or policy for each resource type. Pairs research Canadian cases, like wind farms or tar sands. Experts teach their home group, then mixed groups discuss how factors shift viability.

Analyze how technological advancements and market prices can alter the economic viability of a resource.

Facilitation Tip

During the Jigsaw, assign roles to ensure each student contributes a clear economic factor before the group shares their findings.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How might a significant increase in the global price of oil affect Canada's investment in and development of solar and wind energy?' Facilitate a class discussion where students use the concepts of market prices and resource viability to support their arguments.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Formal Debate
• 40 min · Pairs

Formal Debate: Flow vs Fossil Fuels

Pairs prepare arguments for or against expanding flow resources over non-renewables in Canada's energy mix, using economic data. Hold a class vote and reflection on key points raised.

Explain why flow resources like wind and solar energy are gaining prominence in Canada's energy mix.

Facilitation Tip

Set a strict time limit for the Debate prep to build student fluency under pressure and keep the focus on evidence rather than rhetoric.

What to look for

Ask students to write down one Canadian example of a non-renewable resource and explain one technological advancement that could make its extraction more economically viable. Then, have them name one Canadian city or region that benefits from a flow resource and explain why.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Concept Mapping
• 30 min · Whole Class

Map Markup: Regional Resources

Provide a Canada outline map. Whole class annotates renewable, non-renewable, and flow hotspots with labels and notes on economic roles. Discuss regional dependencies.

Differentiate between renewable, non-renewable, and flow resources, providing Canadian examples for each.

What to look for

Provide students with a list of 10 Canadian natural resources (e.g., Alberta natural gas, Saskatchewan potash, Manitoba hydro, Great Lakes water, B.C. salmon). Ask them to categorize each as renewable, non-renewable, or flow, and briefly justify their choice for three of the resources.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with local examples students know, like their own regional forests or hydro dams, to anchor abstract concepts in lived experience. Avoid separating the environmental from the economic; instead, use case studies to show how stewardship and profitability often conflict or align. Research suggests that students retain more when they analyze real data (e.g., oil price charts, forestry reports) rather than generalized textbook summaries.

Students will confidently distinguish between renewable, non-renewable, and flow resources and articulate why these distinctions matter for Canada's economy. They will also evaluate the economic and environmental trade-offs involved in resource use, using evidence from the activities.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Card Sort: Canadian Resource Categories, watch for students who assume all biological resources are renewable without considering regeneration rates.

  Have students compare their card sort results with real-world data on cod or salmon stocks, then revisit their categories to adjust based on sustainability timelines.

• During Debate: Flow vs Fossil Fuels, watch for students who conflate flow resources with other renewables because of their constant availability.

  Prompt students to compare the intermittency of wind or solar with the steady output of hydro or tidal projects using the debate prep sheets.

• During Jigsaw: Economic Viability Factors, watch for students who believe non-renewables become less valuable as they deplete.

  Ask groups to use their case studies to explain how technology (e.g., fracking, deep-sea drilling) can make previously uneconomic deposits viable, changing the depletion narrative.

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Methods used in this brief

• Concept Mapping
• Jigsaw
• Formal Debate