The Canadian Shield

The Canadian Shield
(Adapted from Page 172)

The next geographical region you will learn about is the Canadian Shield. This lesson should be finished in two computer classes.



The Canadian Shield is more than 2 billion years old. It consists of great volcanic mountains that were leveled by millions of years of erosion. It is the geographic foundation of Canada covering more than half of its surface area.

1. Find a map of this region. Which provinces are in this region? (IF you don't know what your map is telling you, DO NOT WRITE I DONT KNOW! ASK me or a friend!)

2. Translate erosion. What is erosion? Explain in your own words.

The climate of this region varies greatly. There are colder winters in the north.

3. Why do you think the climate of this region will vary? Explain in 3-5 sentences. Look at the map of this region and think about it.

4. The vegetation of this region is mostly boreal forest. What is special about a boreal forest? Explainin 3-5 sentences.

5. Find a picture of the Canadian Shield. Explain why you like this picture in 3-5 sentences.

6.There is a lot of mining in this area. The Canadian shield is sometimes called a "mineral storehouse" because it has a lot of valuable minerals like lead, copper, gold, zinc and nickel.

a. Find a picture of lead. Post it.
b. Find a picture of copper. Post it.
c. Find a picture of gold. Post it.
d. Find a picture of zinc. Post it.
e. Find a pciture of nickel. Post it

7. If you were the owner of a mining company, why would you want to come to this area? Tell me at least 2 reasons.

When you are finished, you can have free time.