CBC Archives

Make sure students have access to detailed print or online maps of river systems in Canada. Direct students to the topic Hydroelectricity: The Power of Water on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site and have them view Clip #1, including the Did You Know section, to learn how hydroelectricity is generated. Summarize the process, emphasizing the need for a high rate of water flow to produce an adequate power supply.

Divide the class into groups of four. Assign each group to one of the following hydroelectric power plant sites: Kitimat, B.C. (Clip #2), Manicouagan River, Que., (Clip #4), Churchill Falls, Nfld., (Clip #5); James Bay, Que. (Clip #6), Nelson River, Man. (Clip #7), Ottawa River, Ont. (Clip #10), Potential Sites ( Additional clip “Power in the north?”). Using additional resources such as atlases, the Internet, and newspaper articles, each group will create two maps. One map will show the river and the surrounding area before the hydroelectric power plant was constructed, and one will show the same area afterwards. They should label land elevations, the direction of water flow, the names of regional lakes and rivers, and existing or flooded towns. Students will also create a fact sheet about the plant, noting the size of the dam, the water flow rates, and the amount of power the plant produces.

Have each group create a visual presentation about the hydroelectric plant it studied and present it to the class.

As a class, discuss the consequences of environmental damage. Students can write a personal reflection on the effect of hydroelectric plants on the environment.