Balancing the Boreal is a free school activity to help develop an understanding of Indigenous peoples’ traditional uses in the Canadian boreal forest, and the challenges and opportunities that exist in balancing cultural, spiritual, environmental and economic values when undertaking sustainable forest stewardship in Alberta.
It is a simplified forest management planning activity that should be used in conjunction with the Indigenous Traditional Use and Boreal Forest Management Science Kit. The lesson developed for Senior High School students, fits well in the Alberta curriculum Social Studies 10-1 and Social Studies 30 programs. The full lesson including video, worksheets and the Balancing the Boreal activity will take 80-120 minutes to complete (activity alone is 15-30 min.). It was created for use on ipads, tablets, computers and Smart boards. The accompanying teacher lesson plan is available at www.LSFES.org