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EcoTourism
Brochure
Program
Area
This activity
is designed for the Grade 10 Advanced Science course, Core Unit
2: Interactions. It can also be used in the Grade 10 Advanced
Environmental Science course and the Advanced Geography of Canada,
part of the Grade 9 Self and Society program. It may substitute
for a required activity in which students research and write a
report on a Canadian biome.
Learning
Outcomes
Teaching,
learning and evaluation will focus in the student's ability to:
- Describe
the climate (precipitation and temperature) and dominant vegetation
of a given biome;
- List,
describe and classify the dominant animal species found in a
given biome;
- Describe
the ecological interactions which exist in a given biome;
- Recognize
the interdependence of living things and the interactions in
and between the abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem;
- Present
factual information;
- Demonstrate
a respect for living things and a need to preserve the natural
environment;
- Express
an appreciation for the beauty of the natural environment.
Classroom
Development
- An introductory
discussion of travel and ecotourism would be helpful here. Possibly
career choices should also be addressed.
- Consult
with the geography department before introducing biomes in order
to avoid duplication of introductory videos and other teaching
aids.
- Consider
permitting students to study biomes outside Canada.
- The impact
of tourism on local, regional and global ecosystems should be
discussed.
- Peer
marking with a checklist may be an effective way to evaluate
part or all of this project.
- Test
questions on biomes should be of a general nature or have an
aspect of choice which allows students to answer question on
the biome which they are most familiar with. In science courses,
it may not be necessary for students to be able to describe
the characteristics of all biomes.
Timing
Allow half
a period to introduce the concept of biomes. Detailed notes on
each biome are not required. One and a half periods of class/library
time plus some home time should be expected to complete this assignment.
Resources
Consult
with the school librarian for appropriate resources (e.g. encyclopedias,
textbooks, periodicals, vertical files, magazines, videos, on-line
research materials).
Cross-disciplinary
Links
This project
is cross-linked with the Arts and Language programs, where students
are given opportunities to creatively design and express the factual
information. A possible extension may be a creative writing assignment
which focuses on their main trip experiences.
A variety
of aspects may be considered from a business perspective. These
may include the importance of tourism to the economy of specific
communities; the impact of traditional tourism activities on an
area; the development of ecotourism in struggling economies; and
the use of ecotourism as an alternative to the destruction of
natural resources as a source of income.
Student
Activities
EcoTourism
Brochure
Imagine
that you have returned from a vacation anywhere in the world.
You have spent your vacation exploring and learning about the
biome you visited. You had fun on your vacation but not at the
expense of harming the environment. You would now like to design
a travel brochure which would encourage others to visit this destination.
Your brochure
should include the following items:
- An interesting,
catchy title;
- A logo
(small artistic design or symbol) that represents your biome;
- A theme
for tourism such as-ecotourism, wilderness tourism, frontier
tourism, adventure tourism, birds of a biome;
- Seasonal
attractions (e.g. specific times of the year in which flowers
are in bloom or wildlife is active);
- Features:
a general description of the landscape;
- Climate:
a description of the seasonal temperature and moisture conditions
of the biome. Include a climatogram and suggestions for suitable
clothing, footwear and personal items to pack;
- A description
of the characteristic plant and animal species of the biome;
- An example
of one plant and one animal adaptation to the biome;
- A food
web from the biome;
- Unique
features and characteristics of the biome;
- Suggested
tourism activities suitable for the biome;
- A map
of the world showing the biome and destination;
- A paragraph
explaining one critical environmental issue of the biome which
every tourist should be aware of.
Date Due:
________________________
Ecotourism
Brochure Evaluation
Names: ________________________________________________
Biome: _________________________
A. Content
| 1 |
Accuracy of research |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 2 |
Seasonal attractions |
|
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 3 |
Geographic features |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 4 |
Climate |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Climatogram |
|
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| |
"What to pack" |
|
|
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 5 |
Characteristic plant and animal species |
|
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 6 |
Adaptations of a plant and an animal |
|
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 7 |
Food web |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 8 |
Unique features and characteristics |
|
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 9 |
Suggested activities |
|
|
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 10 |
Environmental issue |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 11 |
Map |
|
|
2 |
1 |
0 |
B. Creativity
and Presentation
| 1 |
Biome Logo |
|
|
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 2 |
Illustrations |
|
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 3 |
Layout and design |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 4 |
Neat and Visually Appealing |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 5 |
Appropriate Headings |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 6 |
Spelling, grammar |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| 7 |
Unity of ideas |
|
|
2 |
1 |
0 |
Comments:
Total mark
/ 60
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