Collaboration and Compromise: The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement

Transcription

1 Lesson Overview Collaboration and Compromise: The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement In this lesson, students are introduced to the concept of stakeholders. They will collaborate and cooperate to explore the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement during a round table discussion from the perspective of various stakeholders in the agreement. Grade Level Grade 11 Time Required Two sixty minute classes Curriculum Connection (Province/Territory and course) British Columbia, Social Studies 11 This lesson could also be used in Geography 12 and Social Studies 10. Additional Resources, Materials and Equipment Required Canadian Geographic/FPAC Boreal Forest poster-map Access to computers and the Internet Websites: Canadian Atlas Online Future of Forestry theme (Basics and Goals sections) The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement Student Activity #1: Canada s Boreal Forest web (attached) Student Activity #2: Stakeholder Position on the Boreal Forest Agreement (attached) Assessment Instrument GROUP PARTICIPATION (attached) Assessment Instrument GROUP PRESENTATION (attached) Assessment Instrument SOCIAL STUDIES 11 ESSAY SCORING CRITERIA Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement BC Fact Sheet (attached)

2 Main Objective To understand the complexity of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, the stakeholders involved and its importance as a land use agreement in British Columbia. Learning Outcomes By the end of the lesson, students will be able to: Identify and explain the goals of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement; Demonstrate an understanding of the complexity of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement and its impact on its stakeholders; Summarize information from primary source documents; Work efficiently and effectively in a small group. The Lesson Introduction Teacher Activity Inform students that a local forested area in their neighbourhood (it is helpful to refer to one they all know) is going to be converted into another facility (e.g. a shopping mall, big box store, old age home etc.) Try to choose a forested area that students would feel is meaningful to them given their location. The more realistic you can make this, the better the impact for students. Explain the term stakeholder. Have students brainstorm stakeholders in the decision to convert the forested area (e.g. homes/families in the area, government, workers in the area, small business owners, environmentalists etc.) and how would they be impacted? Would they be upset or happy or indifferent to the decision? Be sure to mention that a single stakeholder may have different perspectives on the project (e.g. a family might be happy to have close shopping but unhappy about an increase in traffic). Inform students that this situation is similar to one faced by environmental and industry groups in Canada who were deciding what to do with the more than 72 million hectares of boreal forest in Canada (32 million hectares in British Columbia). Student Activity As a group, brainstorm the stakeholders affected by the park conversion. List the positions of various stakeholders and the reason they may feel the way they do about the park conversion.

3 Lesson Development Conclusion Divide students into small groups. Distribute or display the Canadian Geographic/FPAC Boreal Forest poster-map. Have student groups list cities and/or towns in British Columbia that are contained within the Canadian boreal forest region. Brainstorm potential stakeholders involved in decisions regarding the boreal forest in British Columbia. Ask students to read the Goals section of the Canadian Atlas Online Future of Forestry theme and complete a web using Student Activity #1: Canada s Boreal Forest Web. The web should show the six goals of the Boreal Forest Agreement and briefly outline each one in point form (e.g. sustainable forests, expanding protected areas, recovery of species at risk, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving prosperity and recognizing environmental performance etc.) Divide students into the following groups: a member of the David Suzuki Foundation, a manager from Weyerhaeuser Company Limited (logging company), an elder from a British Columbia Aboriginal group living in an area affected by the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, the mayor of a small town in the boreal forest region and a forestry worker. Ask students to use the following documents to research their stakeholder s position on the Boreal Forest Agreement: Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement BC Fact Sheet (attached) The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement Canadian Atlas Online Future of Forestry theme Basics section Study the Canadian Geographic/FPAC Boreal Forest poster-map and list cities and/or towns in British Columbia covered by the boreal forest. Brainstorm potential stakeholders involved in the creation of the Boreal Forest Agreement and list their positions on the agreement. Complete a web diagram. Outline in point form the six goals of the Boreal Forest Agreement. Research a position on the Boreal Forest Agreement using the documents provided. Complete Student Activity #2: Stakeholder Position on the Boreal Forest Agreement and indicate the stakeholder s position on the Boreal Forest Agreement. Record research findings on the activity sheet.

4 Distribute Student Activity #2: Stakeholder Position on the Boreal Forest Agreement and ask students to record their position and research findings on the handout. With the teacher as the mediator, ask all student interest groups to participate in a round table discussion of their positions on the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement. This may be as formal or informal as you like. Students should explain which of the goals of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement are most significant from their perspective and discuss their point of view. Discuss how a document like the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement leads to consensus building and compromise among groups that have, at times, had an adversarial relationship. Final Essay using their knowledge from the handouts and the presentations, students should write a final essay on the following topic: Using the information gained during this activity, evaluate the environmental, social and economic benefits and challenges of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement on the various stakeholders environmental groups, forest industries, First Nations, B.C. and federal government, customers and citizens. Present research findings to each other in a round table format. Complete the final essay.

5 Lesson Extension Students could contact stakeholders (e.g. Suzuki Foundation, Weyerhaeuser Company, Canfor Corporation) in the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement and conduct further research into the positions of these stakeholders. Students could examine how the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement affects another region of Canada. Assessment of Student Learning The following documents have been included as tools to assess student learning: Teachers may evaluate groups using the GROUP PARTICIPATION Assessment Instrument. (attached) Teachers may evaluate student presentations during the round table discussion using the GROUP PRESENTATION Assessment Instrument. (attached) Teachers may choose to evaluate the essay using the SOCIAL STUDIES 11 ESSAY SCORING CRITERIA Assessment Instrument. Further Reading: Canadian Geographic/FPAC Boreal Forest interactive map Forest Products Association of Canada Link to Canadian National Standards for Geography Essential Element #5: Environment and Society World patterns of resource distribution and utilization Use and sustainability of resources Environmental issues (e.g. global warming, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, ozone depletion, air pollution, water pollution, acid precipitation, disposal of solid waste) Geographic Skill #2: Acquiring geographic information Systematically locate and gather geographic information from a variety of primary and secondary sources. Systematically assess the value and use of geographic information

6 Student Activity #1: Canada s Boreal Forest Web

7 Student Activity #2: Stakeholder Position on the Boreal Forest Agreement Our Stakeholder: Describe your group s interest in the boreal forest region (e.g. economic, environmental etc.): What are your primary concerns for land use in the region? Which goals of the Boreal Forest Agreement do you support the most? (Provide evidence from your research.) Write a brief explanation of your group s reaction to the Boreal Forest Agreement to share with the class.

8 GROUP PARTICIPATION Assessment Instrument (Each group member should complete this assessment individually) Your Name: Group Members: Duties I specifically performed during the course of the assignment: My own personal contribution amounted to % of the total group preparation. Strengths/difficulties my group experienced: Things my group could have done better: Group Member Names (include your own) Category Co-operation Criteria Willing to work Listened to group views Followed instructions Asked for help if needed Included all members Dependable Contribution Contributed good ideas Attended meetings and classes Prepared her/his share Finished work on time Stayed on task 5 = Exceeds Expectations 4 = Fully Meets Expectations 3 = Adequately Meets Expectations 2 = Minimally Meets Expectations 1 = Not Yet Within Expectations Adapted from:

9 GROUP PRESENTATION Assessment Instrument Topic: The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement Presenters: Presentation Criteria: Teacher Assessment: Comments: Organization Presented on time and the process and sequence of the presentation was clear. Knowledge Understood the topic. Insightful connections made. High quality, relevant information included. Delivery Speed of delivery and repetition of key points allowed for understanding and included pauses for clarification and audience note-taking. 5 = Exceeds Expectations 4 = Fully Meets Expectations 3 = Adequately Meets Expectations 2 = Minimally Meets Expectations 1 = Not Yet Within Expectations Adapted from:

10 CANADIAN BOREAL FOREST AGREEMENT BC Fact Sheet The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and nine leading environmental organizations have signed an unprecedented agreement the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement. When fully implemented, the Agreement will settle long-standing conflicts over forest practices and result in large-scale conservation of Canada s Boreal Forest, worldleading sustainable forest management, and a competitive market edge for participating companies. This historic agreement has significant implications for the Province of BC, which is home to 52,000 direct forestry-related jobs and contains nearly 32 million hectares of the country s Boreal Forest. The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement in BC s Boreal Forest: In total, BC is home to 32,114, hectares of boreal forest. 9,801, hectares of the FPAC member tenure lands in BC fall under the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement applies to 1,419, hectares of caribou range within the FPAC member tenure lands in BC BC has 32, hectares of commercial forest within its Boreal zone The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement commits to no harvesting or road-building in 1,419, hectares of caribou range in BC The following FPAC member companies have put aside tenure lands in BC under the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement: Canfor Corporation Louisiana Pacific Corp. Economic Landscape of BC s Forest Industry: Employment: 52,000 direct jobs 79,900 indirect jobs Gross domestic product (GDP): $6.1 Billion (2.3% of the provincial total) Forest products establishments: Wood products facilities: 1,528 Pulp and paper facilities: 96 Exports: Total forest products exports: $7.5 billion (29.1% of provincial total) Forest products positive trade balance: $6.2 billion Revenues from manufactured goods: Logging activities: $4.5 billion Wood products: $ 7.5 billion Pulp and paper: $ 5.2 billion Total: $17.4 billion *All data from 2009