Work The Web

Find a development project in your geographic area on which a planner worked. Research the issues and final outcome of the project, and give a short presentation to your class.

Canadian Institute of Planners. This site describes career opportunities available in urban planning.
For the teacher: To help students refine their searches to find actual job offerings, suggest that they go to their municipal government's Web pages and check the urban planning department or search the jobs section.

Ploughing fields actually reduces the population of earthworms. Earthworms help decomposition and improve soil quality. Research the role of earthworms. What recommendations would you make to farmers based on your research?

Farming Earthworms, Dr. Jill Clapperton and Nancy Lee, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Centre
For the teacher: This short treatment describes how earthworm populations increased when fields are not plowed. [zero tillage]

Frequently Asked Questions: About Earthworms, Dr. Cathy Fox, Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada
For the teacher: This page covers a lot of information about the effect of earthworms on soil, the effect of no-till farming methods as well as a wealth of earthworm biology.

Zero-Tillage: The No-Till Soil, The Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Tillage Farmers Association
For the teacher: Students should scroll down this page to the section on how earthworms increase in zero tillage.

Earthworm ecology and sustaining agriculture, Matthew R. Werner, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, University of California, USA
For the teacher: This site focuses on the many roles earthworms play in agroecosystems, and reviews recent information on earthworms as they relate to sustainable agriculture.

Earthworms are Soil's Best Friend, University of Guelph
For the teacher: This page describes earthworm's role in soil fertility, etc.

Select population data that could be represented by a histogram. Present the data first in table format and then in a histogram. Based on your histogram, make a prediction about the growth of the population.

Statistical Profile of Canadian Communities, 1996, Statistics Canada
For the teacher: Students can use this search page to access data on their communities: data on population, education, income and work, families and dwellings, births and deaths.

Canadian population chart by age and sex, Statistics Canada
For the teacher: The complete statistics on the population of Canada is presented here by age and sex.

Canadian population chart by age and sex by province and by territory, Statistics Canada
For the teacher: This chart presents data by age and sex by Canada as a whole and by province and territory.

CSO Ireland: Principal Statistics, Agriculture, Selected Livestock Numbers in June (1847, 1897, 1947, 1999)
For the teacher: This page counts cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry in Ireland over selected years.

CSO Ireland: Principal Statistics, Demographics
For the teacher: The student can look at Irish statistics on population, population by age, population of each province, county and county borough, and statistics on Ireland's largest cities and towns, etc.

Department of Fisheries and Oceans: Conservation Issues: Groundfish
[Acrobat Reader necessary]
For the teacher: This site gives stock status reports for a variety of fish; for example cod. Students will need to wade through text to find population graphs.

ECN Summary Database, Environmental Change Network (butterflies and moths)
For the teacher: Students can use this page to access tables of data from various sites in Great Britain for a number of butterflies and moth species. Choose either category on the search page and tables will be created.

Data Analysis Methodology: How population trends are estimated, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Wisconsin Frog and Toad Survey, USA
For the teacher: This page explains four methods of population trends analysis.

Wildlife Harvest and Population Status Report: Northern Bobwhite Quail, 1999, Conservation Commission of Missouri, USA
For the teacher: This excellent page includes some raw data on broods of quail found in this state from 1983 to 1999.

Research tent caterpillars and use of pesticides.

Background Information
Environment Canada factsheet on eastern tent caterpillars
For the teacher: This factsheet will give the student a good, rounded view of the life cycle and habits of this insect.

Forest tent caterpillar factsheet written by Forestry Canada explains the economic impact on our forests
For the teacher: The factsheet focuses on the forest tent caterpillar and its economic impact.

This interactive map posted by Natural Resources Canada shows the changing population of forest tent caterpillars across Canada from 1980 to 1995.
For the teacher: This "animated" map will help students visualize the ebb and flow of caterpillar populations over time.

Anti-pesticide point of view
The Wonderful World of Insects — transcript of a U.S. television special in which an alternative view of insects is given.
For the teacher: Reading this transcript will give students a less human-centric view of insects. For example, the American entomologist interviewed noted that we should not to do anything about tent caterpillars, they aren't serious and provide food for birds.

Sierra Club of Canada — Pesticide Facts
For the teacher: This factsheet surveys concerns over pesticides from human health to the state of the environment, the major pesticides, suggestions for alternatives, who regulates their use, etc.

Environment Canada — Canadian Wildlife Service page on Pesticides and Wild Birds describes the effects of pesticides on birds.
For the teacher: This site gives students a good overview of the effect of pesticides on birds, which birds are most susceptible, how birds pick up pesticides, how to protect birds from pesticides, etc.

Pro-control point of view
The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Marketing site provides a page on managing caterpillars.
For the teacher: This agriculture-based page describes the full range of controls from hand-picking the insects off trees to spraying them with chemicals.

Frequently Asked Questions About Insect Control posted by Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada
For the teacher: This site surveys the most common insect pests, how to control them, how insecticides work, etc.

Insect Control Tomorrow, National Research Council, looks at the future of insect control.
For the teacher: This technical paper gives students an idea of future methods of insect control that is more biological than chemical.

Environmentally Safe Methods of Pest Control posted by the University of Saskatchewan
For the teacher: Although this is a technical paper, the language is accessible. The site surveys problems associated with insecticides, alternatives to pesticides, botanical insecticides, insect diseases, viruses, and benefits of alternative pesticides.