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Special Places: Eco-lessons from the National Parks in Atlantic Canada

Grades 4, 6, 7

Conservation ‘Ad’vice for National Parks

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Summary

Students will develop a poster (Grade 4) or TV commercial (Grades 6 and 7) that celebrates the essence of a national park in Atlantic Canada and emphasizes the protection of the ecological integrity of all the parks.

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Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • describe each national park in Atlantic Canada with respect to its climate, physical geography and habitats;
  • identify ways their media encourages people to protect and preserve the ecology of their selected park;
  • critique various advertisements and commercial messages.

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Activity Information

Grade levels: 4, 6, 7

Subject: Science (Atlantic)– Habitats and Populations, Diversity of Life, Interactions within Ecosystems; Social Studies (Atlantic)– Interdependence, People, Place and Environment

Curriculum linkages:
Grade 4: 104-6; 108-1; 108-3; 108-6; 205-5; 206-2; 301-2; 302-1 (Students will identify their impacts on habitats and how their actions help conserve habitats, and will identify positive and negative impacts of human and technological developments on natural habitats.)

Grade 6: 105-1; 107-6 (Students will describe why various animals are endangered and describe efforts to study their population and ensure their continued existence.)

Grade 7: 113-11; 211-5 (Students will propose and defend a course of action to protect the local habitat of a particular organism.); 113-10 (Students will provide examples of problems that arise in the environment that cannot be solved using scientific or technological knowledge.); 112-4; 112-8, 209-5 (Students will use various print and electronic sources to research individuals or groups in Canada interested in protecting the environment.)

Duration: Approximately 120 to 180 minutes

Setting: Classroom

Materials: Art supplies (large sheets of paper, pencils, paints, markers, etc.), construction paper, costumes, video camera (optional); other prop materials; Student Information Sheets on each of the seven national parks in Atlantic Canada. Note: Grades 6 and 7 may also use copies of the Park Backgrounders if the language level is considered suitable by the teacher.

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Teacher Background

Each of the seven national parks located in Atlantic Canada has distinctive geologic, environmental and cultural characteristics that make it special and unique. The natural resources and the “sense of place” that each park represents reflects the interaction between the marine and land environments in Atlantic Canada, and how they impact on the region’s human history.

The geology, climate, flora, fauna and ecology of these parks form an intricate web of life that is protected and cared for under the national parks system. The national parks within the Atlantic Provinces are some of the real gems of nature in Atlantic Canada.

Kouchibouguac National Park is part of the Maritime Lowlands natural region and has characteristic sandy barrier islands made up of dunes and beaches, with the Acadian mixed wood forest covering over 50% of the park.

Cape Breton Highlands National Park truly represents “where the mountains meet the sea,” with a blend of Acadian, boreal and taiga vegetation and associated wildlife.

Fundy National Park represents the Maritime Acadian Highlands natural region on the upper Bay of Fundy shoreline, with spectacular tides and moist, coastal spruce and mostly fir forests.

Gros Morne National Park is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its spectacular and unique geologic formations that have resulted in coastlines, boreal forest and alpine plateaus with their inherent diversity of living things ranging from rare plants to Arctic hare and caribou.

Kejimkujik National Park is witness to the legacy of the ice age with a unique land of lakes gouged out by ice and streamlined and elongated, low hills created by glacial movement.

Terra Nova National Park is part of the Appalachian Mountain System and is characterized by low relief and a series of rounded hills rising from sea level to 200 meters. There are rocky headlands, and the bogs, ponds and streams are evidence of glaciation.

And finally, Prince Edward Island National Park is known for its protected barrier beach, coastal flora and fauna, spits and sand dunes, Acadian forest and marine coastal features such as estuaries and associated saltwater marshes as well as freshwater ponds and marshes.

These parks are special for all Canadians, but especially for those who live in the Atlantic Provinces. Unfortunately, many people do not realize that a wide range of human activities can damage the parks’ fragile and dynamic ecosystems. These include misuse of the trail systems causing erosion and other forms of impact, littering, and overuse and expansion of park facilities resulting in habitat loss.

Posters and radio and TV commercials are a proven vehicle for influencing people’s decisions and actions. Every day, many people watch TV and see commercials that affect what they buy and how they act. A commercial that encourages humans to protect and preserve unique habitats and environments in the national parks could influence people to value their parks even more. This activity will have the students preparing a descriptive poster or TV commercial to encourage care and protection of the parks.

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Procedure

  1. Brainstorm with your students ways that the public can damage our natural and cultural resources. Then, continue the brainstorming process with the students, listing ways that the public can protect and preserve the resources in national parks. Consider activities such as:
    • limiting access to parts of the park;
    • ensuring that visitors remain on the trails;
    • ensuring that visitors obey all park regulations and policies;
    • increasing signage with rules, policies and suggestions for park care;
    • ensuring that visitors participate in interpretive activities.
  2. Divide your class into groups of approximately four students. Assign (or have students choose) one of the national parks and hand out copies of the appropriate Student Information Sheet and/or Park Backgrounder. Have each group begin to design its poster or commercial.
    3. Ask students to:
    • identify the audience: Young people aged 7 to 12? Teenagers? Parents? People who hike? People who fish? They can choose whom they wish to target, or you can assign them a specific group;
    • identify their key message – what is the one thing you wish to get across in your commercial?;
    • select a specific advertising technique (see below);
    • develop a slogan or a song for the commercial (Grade 6).
  3. Have students design the visual or audio effects to match their message. Consider how they will use costumes, sets, music, props, etc.
  4. Have students rehearse the TV commercial until it is ready to be presented to an audience.

    Here are some things to think about when preparing the commercial:
    • It should appeal to basic human needs for food, shelter, clean air or water, personal space or love.
    • Use a specific advertising technique, such as one of the following:

      – Join the Club! – The message tells viewers that by using this resource or activity, they become members in a special group.

      – Borrowed Status – Have the activity or resource endorsed by someone with cultural status, such as a sports hero or TV personality. Their presence transfers their special prestige to your message.

      – Boy/Girl Next Door – Instead of a famous spokesperson, this technique uses “ordinary” people, like your friend or the person next door, to support an activity or resource.

      – Word from the Boss! – This technique uses an authority figure or group to support the resource or activity.

      – What the Pollsters Say – The commercial says that this resource or activity has been tried by a large number of people and they support it.

      – The Best of the Best – The commercial uses terms that appeal to the specific audience and make that audience think it is good – words such as honest, clean, natural, etc. People can be proud when using this product, or doing whatever the commercial tells them to do.

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Evaluation

Have the students evaluate each other’s posters or commercials. Ask the viewing students to:

  • identify the key message;
  • identify who the intended audience is;
  • explain and describe what technique was used;
  • indicate how effective they think the commercial will be.

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Extension

Have students present their commercials to a broader audience – e.g. use them during school assemblies, concerts or other school-wide presentations, at a gathering of parents, etc.

Students can develop supporting posters that can be displayed throughout the school to emphasize their commercial messages.

Videotape all the commercials and present a copy to the national parks that have been used as examples in the projects.

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References

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Resources
Last Updated: 2006-10-25 To the top
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