The
Forest Industry
Program
Area
This activity
can be used in the Grade 9 Self and Society Program after an introduction
to the forest industry in Canada.
Learning
Outcomes
Teaching,
learning and evaluation will focus on the student's ability to:
- Identify
the role of individuals and governments in resolving issues;
- Become
more receptive to, and tolerant of the needs and aspirations
of others;
- Appreciate
the emotional issues involved in the use of Canada's natural
resources;
- Recognize
the differing points of view held by various people and groups
towards the use of wilderness areas;
- Write
to persuade.
Classroom
Development
Environmental
hearings are becoming an increasingly popular way of coping with
controversial environmental issues in our society. During such
a hearing, individuals and groups appear before a hearing panel
to argue persuasively for their particular points of view. The
hearing panel receives these submissions, evaluates them, and
arrives a recommendations which are submitted to the appropriate
regulatory body.
As environmental
educators charged with preparing our students for the future,
we have an obligation to prepare them for participation in environmental
hearings. In addition, participation in simulated environmental
hearings offers many important learning advantages.
- View
and discuss the videos: The Temperate Rainforest, Carmanah Forever.
- Appoint
a Hearing Panel of four or five students to hear the presentations,
receive the written submissions, evaluate them, arrive at a
decision, and present the decision to the class along with a
rationale for having reached that decision. The panel should
elect a chairperson.
- Prepare
role descriptions and give one to each person or group
- Hand
out the instruction page.
- Allow
about one week for students to prepare for the hearing. Some
class time may be allowed.
- Handout
the package of readings. They can be collected and used again.
The rest of the class may select from the following roles or
other roles:
- logger
- loggers
spouse
- provincial
minister in charge of forestry
- president
of a forest company
- self-employed
wildlife biologist
- aboriginal
leader whose tribe has a land claim on this area
- stock
holder in the forest company
- owner
of a store in a town close to the site to be logged
- director
of an environmental group
- provincial
Minister of Tourism
- mayor
of a town close to the site to be logged
- tourist
who enjoys hiking and camping
- other
characters such as tree planters or radical environmentalists
More than one person may select the same role.
However, all roles should be covered. You may wish to have students
who select the same role work on a joint presentation.
Evaluation
If you wish
to evaluate students in this part of their course work, you should
consider the following components:
- oral
presentation
- written
submission to the panel
- written
reaction to the panel's decision
- the
learning outcomes listed above
Resources
Videos:
Carmanah Forever, Temperate Rainforest which are available
from the National Film Board. 150 John street Toronto, Ontario
M5V 3C3 (416) 973-9110
Forest Hearing
Assignment and Role Playing Cards accompanying this Guide.
Cross-curricular
Links
English
and/or Business: effective letter and position paper writing skills.
Art: Scenes
from Old Growth forests as subjects for creative work.
History:
A portion of the Grade 9 Self and Society program section on aboriginal
Canadian land claims could be included.
Dramatic
Arts: Assist students with the preparations for effective presentations
before the Hearing Panel.
Present
the following information to the students along with the role
cards. Each group/individual will prepare a paper to present to
the Hearing Panel. You will be given 3-5 min to present your paper
orally. Then you must leave a copy with the Hearing Panel. In
your paper, you should try to convince the Panel that your position
is sound.
The Hearing
Panel must listen to the presentation and ask questions for clarification.
Then, after the hearing, the Panel must study the submissions
and make recommendations. Should the logging proceed? The panel
must give a rationale for its decision.
Following
the Panel's presentation of its recommendations, the whole class
should consider the following points:
a) Are
you satisfied with the Hearing Panel's decision? Why or why not?
b) What
is your opinion of the use of a Hearing Panel for issues such
as this?
c) In what
ways could this procedure be made more effective?
You must
write a short personal reaction to the decision.
Role
Cards
Logger:
You depend on the continued expansion of the area logged to
keep your job. You realize that the forest company has failed
to maintain an adequate replanting policy.
Logger's
Spouse: You have two small children, and are a freelance writer
who is beginning to have conflicts with your wife over her company's
logging practices.
Provincial
Minister in charge of forestry: You believe that Canada must
expand the area available to logging to remain competitive. You
are also concerned about Canada's image in world markets. You
must coordinate with the Minister of Tourism.
President
of the forest products company: You are concerned about remaining
competitive in world markets. You are also concerned about the
image your company presents nationally and internationally.
Self-employed
wildlife biologist: You are concerned about the destruction
of this forest habitat. You believe that it should be preserved
for future generations.
Aboriginal
Leader: Your tribe has always regarded this area as part of
your ancestral lands. You wish to maintain the land in its original
condition. You are concerned that the aggressive actions of the
environmentalists might harm your land claims.
Stockholder
in the forest products company: You live and work in Nepean,
Ontario. Your idea of a good vacation is a nice beach resort on
an uncrowded beach on a tropical ocean.
Store
Owner: You own and operate a hardware store in the town closest
to the area to be logged. Most of your customers are forest workers
who live in the town.
Director
of the an environmental group: You believe that all original
Old Growth forest regions should be preserved at all costs.
Provincial
Minister of Tourism: You realize that the recession and social
contract have meant a decrease in the number of Canadian's traveling.
You are anxious to promote any new ventures which will promote
foreign tourists to Canada and keep Canadian tourists at home.
You must coordinate with the Minister in charge of forestry.
Mayor
of a town close to the area to be logged: You realize that
your town relies on the continued health of the forest industry
for its well being. You also know that expanded logging is only
a short term solution.
European
Tourist: You enjoy hiking and camping in wilderness areas.
The idea of camping in a forest completely untouched by humans
is a lifelong dream. You want this area preserved so that your
children can enjoy it as well.
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