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Canada at a Glance

Overview

Students examine the Statistics Canada publication Canada at a Glance. They select data for subjects of their choice to prepare graphs, formulate textual descriptions of data trends and make predictions.

Contributor: Ann Hamilton, Teacher-librarian, Merivale High School, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board

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Objectives

To promote development of data interpretation, chart reading, graphing and data analysis skills

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Suggested Grade Levels and Subject Areas

Intermediate
Social science, Mathematics

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Materials

Canada at a Glance, a free booklet containing over 50 tables from Statistics Canada. Separate paper editions are available while supplies last, in English and French, from Statistics Canada's online catalogue. You can also download the booklet in .pdf format.

Copies of the student worksheet for your students.

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Classroom instruction

1. Distribute copies of Canada at a Glance (or appropriate pages) and the student worksheet to your students.
2. Review Canada at a Glance with your students, highlighting some of the categories in the table of contents.
3. Have your students complete the student worksheet using data from the booklet. Encourage them to use Statistics: Power from Data! to choose the best type of graph to present their data.
4. If time permits, have them complete the bonus activity.
   • Ask students to develop their own question(s) based on any tables and graphs in Canada at a Glance.
   • Let this stimulate a classroom discussion.

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Enrichment

Using their graphs and textual information, elementary students can prepare a Web page and enter it into Statistics Canada's Web page contest. The deadline for entries is March 31. (Secondary students must use E−STAT.)

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Please e-mail comments or examples of how you used this exercise in your class.