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Write the following statement on the board: Some people think that backcountry skiing should be limited.

Ask: What do you think? What are your rights? What are your responsibilities? What’s in the best public interest? What is a calculated risk? Can you manage your own risk?

Direct students to the topic Avalanche! on the CBC Digital Archives website. With a partner, have students browse the clips Don't cross 'the stupid line' and The debate over backcountry skiing , as well as the additional clips The risks of heli-skiing, The Kokanee Glacier cabin and Funding threatened. As they work, students should take notes about their opinion on back-country skiing in avalanche-prone areas.

Using the information they have gathered, students write a persuasive letter to the editor of a newspaper to express their opinion. They should state their position using the following questions as a guide.

What is the role of government in avalanche safety?

What is the role of the individual?

Who should pay the costs of an avalanche rescue?

Remind students to give reasons for all of their opinions.

Assessment Tip
Have students trade their editorial with a partner and take turns giving constructive feedback about the letter.

Post the letters or have students exchange letters and read them. Gather as a class and invite students to ask probing questions to the letter-writers.

Assessment Tip
Consider whether students wrote clearly, used a style suiting the purpose and audience, and presented a convincing argument.

Students can use maps to locate and record the most avalanche-prone areas in the world.