Social Studies · Grade 3 · Living and Working in Ontario · Term 2

Ontario's Natural Resources

Students identify key resources like minerals, timber, and water that drive Ontario's economy.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: People and Environments: Living and Working in Ontario - Grade 3

About This Topic

Ontario is a province rich in natural resources, which are the foundation of our economy. This topic introduces students to the 'big three' of Ontario's resources: minerals (like gold and nickel), timber from our vast forests, and water (for both drinking and hydroelectric power). Students learn where these resources are located, often noting the concentration of mining and forestry in Northern Ontario and agriculture in the South.

Understanding resources helps students see the connection between the land and the jobs people have. They also begin to explore the concept of sustainability: how we can use these resources today without running out of them for the future. This topic is particularly effective when students use hands-on modeling to simulate the process of extracting a resource and the environmental choices that come with it.

Key Questions

1. Differentiate between the natural resources found in Northern versus Southern Ontario.
2. Explain the process of transforming raw materials into finished products.
3. Predict the economic and environmental consequences if a major natural resource becomes depleted.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the primary natural resources found in Ontario, including minerals, timber, and water.
• Compare the distribution of key natural resources in Northern Ontario versus Southern Ontario.
• Explain the basic steps involved in transforming raw natural resources into finished products.
• Predict potential economic and environmental consequences of natural resource depletion.

Before You Start

Mapping Skills: Identifying Locations

Why: Students need to be able to locate regions within Ontario to understand where resources are found.

Basic Economic Concepts: Goods and Services

Why: Understanding that resources are used to make goods helps students grasp their economic importance.

Key Vocabulary

Natural Resource	Materials found in nature that people can use, such as minerals, trees, and water.
Mineral	A solid substance found in the earth's crust that is not a plant or animal, like gold, nickel, or salt.
Timber	Wood from trees that is used for building and making things.
Hydroelectric Power	Electricity generated from the energy of moving water, often using dams.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Resources will last forever because Canada is so big.

What to Teach Instead

Resources like minerals are finite, and even forests can be over-harvested. A simulation showing a 'shrinking pile' of resources can help students understand the need for careful management and recycling.

Common Misconception

Resources are only found in the wilderness.

What to Teach Instead

Water is a resource found everywhere, and fertile soil is a vital resource in Southern Ontario's farmland. Mapping different resources across the whole province helps students see that resources are everywhere.

Active Learning Ideas

Simulation Game: The Mining Challenge

Students use 'cookie mining' (using a toothpick to remove chocolate chips) to simulate the difficulty of extracting minerals while trying to keep the 'land' (the cookie) intact. They discuss the costs and the environmental impact.

40 min·Individual

Gallery Walk: Where Does it Come From?

Display everyday items (a pencil, a nickel, a glass of water, a cereal box). Students move around to guess which Ontario natural resource was used to make each item and where in the province it might have come from.

30 min·Whole Class

Think-Pair-Share: Renewable vs. Non-Renewable

Students are given cards with different resources. They must decide with a partner if the resource can 'grow back' or if it is 'gone once it's used,' then sort them on a class board.

20 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Mining engineers plan and oversee the extraction of minerals like nickel and copper from mines in Northern Ontario, which are then processed into materials used for electronics and construction.
• Forestry workers harvest timber from Ontario's vast forests, which is transported to sawmills to be processed into lumber for building houses or into pulp for making paper products.
• Hydroelectric dams, such as those along the Niagara River, use the force of falling water to generate electricity that powers homes and industries across Southern Ontario.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Provide students with a map of Ontario. Ask them to label three different natural resources and indicate whether they are more commonly found in the North or South of the province. For example, 'Nickel - North'.

Discussion Prompt

Pose the question: 'Imagine the province ran out of all its timber. What are two jobs that would be difficult to do, and why?' Encourage students to think about the products made from wood.

Exit Ticket

On a small piece of paper, have students draw one raw natural resource and one finished product made from it. Below their drawing, they should write one sentence explaining how the resource was transformed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most important natural resources in Ontario?

Ontario's economy relies heavily on minerals (gold, copper, nickel), timber (forestry), water (hydroelectricity), and fertile land (agriculture). We are also a major producer of salt and gravel, which are essential for our roads and buildings.

How can active learning help students understand resource management?

Active learning, like a resource-allocation game, forces students to make tough choices. If they 'cut down all the trees' in round one to make money, they have nothing left for round two. This immediate feedback loop teaches the concept of sustainability much more effectively than a lecture.

Why is Northern Ontario so important for resources?

The Canadian Shield, which covers much of Northern Ontario, is full of valuable minerals. The vast boreal forest also provides the timber for our paper and lumber industries. This is why many northern communities are 'resource towns' built around a single mine or mill.

What is the difference between a raw material and a product?

A raw material is the resource as it is found in nature (like a log). A product is what we make from it (like a chair). Understanding this 'value-added' process helps students see how resources create different types of jobs in Ontario.