This Giant Floor Map highlights the foundational connections between us and the ocean and fresh water that surround and sustain us.
This resource has been co-designed by a national team of partners to educate students, teachers, and the broader public on the connection we all have with water, regardless of where in Canada we call home. Canada has the longest coastline of any country in the world and approximately 20 per cent of the planet’s freshwater resources. This resource inspires us to better understand and take action to protect local waterways and the global ocean. Highlighted on this map are Canada’s watersheds, which include flow arrows to show the direction water travels to the ocean, as well as Arctic sea ice extent. In addition to the water layers on the map, the human element (the “us”) is also prominently featured through conservation layers and the different types of marine and freshwater protected areas. Villages, towns, and cities (heavily weighted towards the southern parts of the country) are also included, as well as particular illumination of Indigenous communities, treaties, and Indigenous languages spoken across the entirety of what we now call Canada.
Accompanying this resource is a teacher’s guide that includes five engaging learning activities covering an array of topics such as biodiversity, climate change, the global ocean, marine conservation, and taking action. In addition to these learning activities, there is a unique and exciting opportunity to engage with the map using augmented reality. This type of technology will transform students’ learning and virtually transport them to specific Marine Protected Areas in Canada for deep underwater exploration.
Augmented Reality
The Ocean Week Canada augmented reality app lets you discover Canada’s ocean waters and watersheds in a brand new way. Through augmented reality, discover the various ways Canada is working to protect the ocean and freshwater areas. Explore your personal connection to the ocean. Take an immersive trip to the bottom of Atlantic Canada’s first marine protected area, “the Gully” as you travel to the surface discovering the unique species that call the Gully home.
Also integrated into the augmented reality experience, you can enjoy two Ocean Week Canada video collections, including ‘Coastal Stories’ curated by the SOI Foundation, and ‘Indigenous Water Guardians’, curated by the Indigenous Leadership Initiative and partnering communities. You can also enjoy immersive 360˚ videos produced by Ocean School. Additional map activation activities can also be found in the Resources section below.
