Lesson: Careers on Land and Sea
Topic: Careers of the Welland Canal on Land and Sea
Grade: 1-2

Activity: Welland Canal Career Cards

Materials Required:

• Pencil
• Eraser
• Lined paper
• A SMILE

Materials Provided:

• Career Info Cards (5)
• Welland Canals Career graphic organizer

Pre-Lesson: Discussion of Jobs
Individually, or with a partner or family member, discussed the roles and responsibilities you have in the classroom (i.e. clean work space, organize bookshelf) and at home (i.e. make bed, clean the dishes, etc.). These are referred to as “jobs.”

Jobs are extremely important for a number of reasons including providing self-worth and satisfaction to workers. Think of how happy you feel when you have finished your classroom or household jobs knowing you are someone your class peers and family members can rely on. Jobs also help produce revenue, this means to help make a company money, which in turn can help create more money for the community and even Canada. Jobs help provide both personal and economic benefits. We can define economic as a process that describes and analyzes choices about the way goods (i.e. food) and services are produced, distributed and consumed.

Discuss the types of jobs we have in our community. What do people do in those jobs? Why are those jobs needed? How do they help them as you, an individual, and the community? Consider the many jobs, roles, and responsibilities within a school. Who works there? Why? What is the purpose of the school? Does the school interact with other businesses, schools or organizations? Conclude that many different jobs are needed to achieve one goal.

Lesson
As the Welland Canals had changed over time, so has the nature of jobs. Today, people who work on the Welland Canal work for the St. Lawrence Seaway or one of the major shipping companies that use the canal for transporting goods. Depending on their job, they make work on either land or sea. 

For this activity, print out the Career Info Cards and set up mini-stations on an open space like a table or floor. You will also need to print off 5 copies of the Welland Canals Career Graphic Organizer, one for each Career Info Card station. If you are working with a partner, take turns at each station.

At each station, imagine that this is your current job and think about what it might be like to work in this position. Using the Welland Canal Career cards, you will read about your different jobs and using the Welland Canal Career Graphic Organizer answer all of the questions on the worksheet.

Note: if you do not have a printer, STCM recommend the following steps to complete this activity:
1. Download both the Career Info Cards and Welland Canal Career graphic organizer.
2. If you have the option to edit the graphic organizer on Adobe, you may do so. If not, STCM has provided a Word document version you may also download. Be sure to remove the black lines and type in your own answers.

3. You may also copy the graphic organizer manually if you would like to practice your writing skills.
4. Review the Career Info Cards on preferred electronic device (i.e. computer, lap top, iPad, tablet, etc.). If you have more than one device and can create virtual stations, you may do so.
5. Follow along with the rest of the lesson with the cards and graphic organizer.

Wrap-up Discussion
Once you have completed all of your Welland Canal Career Graphic Organizers, share the information you have learned about each job with your partner or family member. What surprised you? How did each station’s job help the Welland Canal work? Why are these jobs important? If you could pick one of the jobs to have as an adult, what Welland Canal career would you select and why? Draw a picture of yourself working this job.

Extension Activity
To test your knowledge about the Welland Canal Careers on land and sea, complete the Canal Job Matching worksheet.