History & Geography · Grade 8

Active learning ideas

Canada's Natural Resources: Economic Importance

Active learning helps students grasp the complexities of Canada’s natural resources because it transforms abstract economic concepts into tangible, collaborative experiences. By engaging with real-world data and scenarios, students see how resource extraction shapes both local communities and global markets in ways that textbooks alone cannot illustrate.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Geography: Global Settlement: Patterns and Sustainability - Grade 8
• ON: Geography: Global Inequalities: Economic Development and Quality of Life - Grade 8

• 40–75 min
• Small Groups
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Resource Mapping

In small groups, students use a map of Canada to plot the locations of major resource industries (e.g., oil in Alberta, mining in Ontario, forestry in B.C.). They identify the physical reasons why these industries are located where they are.

Explain how Canada's economy relies on the export of raw materials.

Facilitation Tip

During the Resource Mapping activity, assign each group a specific province or territory to ensure regional accuracy and encourage students to compare resource distributions across Canada.

What to look for

Provide students with a list of 10 natural resources found in Canada (e.g., timber, diamonds, salmon, oil, fresh water, coal, natural gas, maple syrup, uranium, hydroelectric power). Ask them to categorize each as renewable or non-renewable and write one sentence explaining their choice.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 75 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Resource Negotiation

Students act as representatives of a mining company, a local Indigenous community, and an environmental group. They must negotiate the terms of a new mine, trying to find a balance between economic benefits and environmental protection.

Analyze the global demand for Canada's natural resources.

Facilitation Tip

In The Resource Negotiation simulation, assign roles with clear but conflicting objectives to push students to negotiate realistically and experience the tensions between economic growth and environmental protection.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are advising the Canadian government on resource export policy. What are two key benefits and two key challenges of relying heavily on raw material exports for our economy?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their perspectives.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: The Life Cycle of a Resource

Display images showing the stages of a resource (e.g., from a tree in a forest to a piece of paper and then to a recycling bin). Students use a 'flowchart' to identify the environmental impact at each stage of the process.

Differentiate between renewable and non-renewable resources in the Canadian context.

Facilitation Tip

For the Gallery Walk on The Life Cycle of a Resource, post student-created charts around the room and have students rotate in small groups with guiding questions to deepen their analysis of resource stages.

What to look for

Ask students to identify one Canadian natural resource and name one country that imports it. Then, have them write one sentence explaining why that resource is economically important to Canada.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by grounding discussions in local contexts first, then expanding to global implications to avoid overwhelming students with complexity too soon. They prioritize evidence-based discussions over opinion, using data on depletion rates or trade balances to anchor claims. Avoid oversimplifying trade-offs as purely environmental or economic; instead, frame them as interconnected systems where one decision affects multiple stakeholders.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how resource extraction impacts economies and environments, using precise economic vocabulary to discuss trade-offs. They should also demonstrate critical thinking by evaluating sustainability challenges and proposing thoughtful solutions based on evidence from the activities.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Collaborative Investigation: Resource Mapping activity, watch for students assuming all natural resources are equally abundant or renewable.

  Use the map’s data on depletion rates and non-renewable labels to redirect students: have them identify which resources are finite and discuss what happens when they run out, tying this directly to sustainability challenges.

• During the Simulation: The Resource Negotiation activity, watch for students believing that environmental consequences of resource extraction are limited to the immediate area.

  Challenge groups to include global impacts in their negotiation terms: have them research how their chosen resource affects climate change or international trade, then revise their proposals to address these broader effects.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Simulation Game
• Gallery Walk