Activity 1
Investigation of a disaster…
Objectives
At the end of the learning activity, the students will be able to:
  • Explain the causes of the July 1996 floods in the Saguenay and in Manitoba;
  • Make a description of the consequences of the floods on natural and human environments;
  • Make a description of the consequences of the floods on human populations;
  • Describe the emergency aid given to the population affected by the disaster;
  • Describe the reconstruction started after the floods.

Time laps:
5 to 7 fifty (50) minute periods








































































































































Links with the Quebec school curriculum

General
learning skills
Cross-learning
skills
Subject
curriculum


Environment and consumption – place in his milieu, the building of a viable environment in the perspective of sustainable development.
Intellectual skills
  • To exploit information
  • Using creative thought

Methodology skills

  • Giving oneself efficient working methods
  • Exploiting information and communication technologies.

Personal
and social skills

  • Structuring his identity
  • Co-operation

Communication skills

  • Communicating in an appropriate way


Science and technology

Skills

  1. Proposing explanations or solutions to scientific or technological problems
  2. Using scientific and technological tools, objects and processes
  3. Communicating by using the scientific and technological languages.

Essential knowledges
Earth and Space
Matter – The transformation of matter
The living universe
Systems and interactions – The interaction between the human being and his environment

Essential knowledges – strategies
Investigating, instrumentation and communication strategies

Geography, history and citizenship education

Skills

  1. Reading the organisation of a society on its territory

Essential knowledges – Knowledge

  • Quebec's society circa 1905: elements of the society that have an impact on the territory's development; assets and constraints of the occupied territory, elements of continuity with the present.
  • Quebec's society circa 1980: elements of the society that have an impact on the territory's development; assets and constraints of the occupied territory.

Skills

  1. Give an interpretation of the changes in a society and on its territory.

Essential knowledges

  • The Canadian and Quebec societies between 1820 and 1900: significant changes, events that had an impact on the changes.
  • Quebec's society between 1820 and 1980: significant changes, events that had an impact on the changes.

Learning conditions scenario
1. Preparation of the learning activities

  • Ask the students to tell what they know about the floods.
  • Ask them if they remember the Saguenay's July 1996 floods and invite them in sharing their memories of the events and how it affected them.
  • Invite them in making an outline presenting the sum of their knowledge about the Saguenay and Manitoba floods: the causes, their characteristics, their consequences, etc.
  • Ask them what they would like to know about the Saguenay and Manitoba floods.
  • Introduce the students to challenge at hand during the learning activity which is writing a letter to the people in charge of the Musée du Fjord
  • Tell them that they will be able to live up to the challenge by reading the information presented in the virtual display and by sharing the gathered information in discussion groups.
  • Show the students the material necessary to the realisation of the task : the virtual display When Mother Nature "comes out of its bed" and Annex 1- Investigation sheet

2. Achieving the learning process

2.1 A visit in the virtual display

  • Invite the students to form teams made up of 2 or 3 people and to choose a research subject among the following:
    • The causes of the Saguenay and Manitoba floods;
    • The consequences of the floods on the natural habitat;
    • The consequences of the floods on the human habitat;
    • The consequences of the floods on human populations;
    • The emergency aid brought to the flooded populations;
    • The reconstruction started after the floods.
  • Propose the reading of the corresponding section to the research subject in the virtual display using Annex 1-Investigation sheet.

2.2 Sharing activity

  • Once they have completed the visit of the virtual display, invite the students to present the information found with the help of their investigation sheet.
  • Question them on the causes, consequences, etc. of the floods.
  • Bring them to compare the presented information and to ask question to their comrades.
  • Ask them to justify how the floods of the Saguenay are different from the ones in Manitoba.
  • Once all the information has been shared, summarise the following points :
    • The causes of the floods;
    • The consequences of the floods;
    • The emergency measures;
    • The reconstruction;
    • The human being's influence on this type of disaster.

2.3 Writing a letter

  • Tell the students to write a letter to the people in charge of the Musée du Fjord telling them of what they learned from their visit of the virtual display:
  • Propose the following writing instructions :
    1. Planning the contents of their text :
      - Name two discoveries that occurred during the visit of the virtual display,
      - Describe how they would have felt if they had lived such events;
    2. Writing a rough copy;
    3. Revision and correction of their text ;
    4. Final redaction of their letter.

3. Integration and reinvestment of the learning activities

  • Invite the students in discussing what they have learned by comparing their previous knowledge and the newly acquired ones on the Saguenay and Manitoba floods.
  • Propose the discussion about team research: the efficiency of the research process, the quality of the information found, the abilities that were developed, the contribution of each member of the team, the difficulties encountered, what improvements should be brought on in order to render the task with more efficiency, etc.
  • Have them discuss the redaction of their letter: the efficiency of the process, the abilities developed, the difficulties encountered, the quality of the result, what improvements should be brought on to render the task with more efficiency, etc
  • From what they've discovered, propose the revision of the knowledge oultine drawn up in 1.1 to the students.
  • Discuss the utility of their learning activities in everyday life.