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Featured GraphicMystery Province/Territory Game Tests Students' Knowledge of Canada

What province is the "Cradle of Canada"? Which province has the largest Chinese-speaking population in North America? Where is the world's only potato museum? Those are just some of the things your students will learn from Education World's Mystery Province/Territory game -- a partner to our Mystery States game. Each clue brings students closer to solving the mystery. Included: This complete teaching resource includes clues for all ten provinces and three territories.

And the Mystery Province/Territory is...

The Mystery Province/Territory game makes a perfect daily classroom activity! Offer a clue a day. The first clue is the most difficult, but they get easier. Friday's clue is a giveaway! When students think they can correctly identify the Mystery Province or Territory, they submit their guesses on a special answer coupon. (Just print out our answer sheet and cut it up.) Collect students' responses in a hat or special Mystery Province/Territory box. Review students' submissions each day during morning-meeting time to see if anyone figured out the correct answer!

Don't miss the Mystery States Game -- clues for all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

The Mystery Province/Territory game is designed to keep students guessing! While they are guessing, students are learning about history, exercising their geography skills, and developing their researching abilities. The game can be used in many ways. You might give students all five clues on Monday. Or extend the fun by revealing a new clue each day.

 

Each set of province/territory clues is arranged in order of difficulty. The first clue tells something pretty obscure about the Mystery Province or Territory; only your best researchers will be able to figure out the location's identity from that clue. Subsequent clues offer additional facts that are easier to track down through a variety of library or online sources.

The Mystery Province/Territory clues are all here -- just choose a province or territory and start the fun!

Here are some resources your students might use to hunt down the answers to the clues:

MYSTERY PROVINCE/TERRITORY CLUES

Which province/territory is it?

  • This province lies between the 49th and 60th parallels.
  • More than 40 percent of this province's workforce hold post-secondary degrees or certificates.
  • This province is the second largest exporter of natural gas in the world.
  • This province was named after the fourth daughter of British Queen Victoria.
  • This province hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics.

(Alberta)

Which province/territory is it?

  • The First Nations' people in this province carved huge wooden totem poles.
  • This province has more than 675 parks and protected areas.
  • Only 30 countries are larger in size than this province.
  • This province is the third most popular location in the world for filming television shows and movies.
  • This province has the second largest Chinese community in North America.

(British Columbia)

Which province/territory is it?

  • The Golden Boy statue is an important symbol for this province.
  • The first Europeans came to this province in 1612.
  • A summit hike along the Turtle's Back Trail in this province gives a visitor the equivalent of an 80-story high view of the land.
  • The Great Gray Owl is this province's official bird.
  • Wheat is this province's most important crop.

(Manitoba)

Which province/territory is it?

  • Thousands of French settlers were expelled by the British in 1755 from land that included this province.
  • This province is Canada's only official bilingual province.
  • This province boasts some of the warmest salt water north of the U.S. state of Virginia.
  • Forests cover 85 percent of the land in this province.
  • This province is home to the longest covered bridge in the world.

(New Brunswick)

Which province/territory is it?

  • This province/territory lies between the 46th and 61st parallels.
  • This province is almost one and three-quarters the size of Great Britain.
  • The first Europeans to visit this place were Norsemen, who came in the late 10th century.
  • This is Canada's newest province.
  • The capital was named after St. John the Baptist.

( Newfoundland/Labrador)

Which province/territory is it?

  • The largest man-made explosion before the atomic bomb occurred in this province.
  • Almost one-fourth of this province's population traces its roots to the British Isles.
  • This province is a little smaller than Scotland.
  • The duck-tolling retriever is this province's provincial dog.
  • This province has 12 universities and 13 community colleges.

(Nova Scotia)

Which province/territory is it?

  • The head of government in this territory used to be called the Government Leader.
  • This territory was reduced in size by two-thirds three years ago.
  • This territory's legislative assembly has no political parties.
  • Aboriginal people comprise about half of this territory's population.
  • Mining is critical to this territory's economy.

(Northwest Territories)

Which province/territory is it?

  • This territory's license plate is one of only two non-rectangular plates in North America.
  • This territory straddles four time zones.
  • This territory's name means "our land" in the Inuit language.
  • This territory is larger than Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Quebec combined.
  • This became Canada's newest territory in April 1999.

(Nunavut)

Which province/territory is it?

  • A city in this province has the second largest variety of theaters and performing arts centers in North America, after New York City.
  • One in three Canadians lives in this province.
  • There are more than 250,000 lakes in this province.
  • Half of all immigrants to Canada live in this province.
  • The motto of this province is "Loyal she began, loyal she remains."

(Ontario)

Which province/territory is it?

  • Roadways on this province were not open to cars until 1919.
  • The First Nations' name for this province means "resting on the waves."
  • This is the smallest province in size and population.
  • This province has the only potato museum in the world.
  • This province is the setting for the novel Anne of Green Gables.

(Prince Edward Island)

Which province/territory is it?

  • This province is three times the size of France.
  • This province houses the largest producer of electricity in Canada.
  • This province has been called "the cradle of Canada."
  • Explorer Jacques Cartier landed in this province in 1534.
  • Singer Celine Dion is a native of this province.

(Quebec)

Which province/territory is it?

  • Henry Kelsey probably was the first European to see this province.
  • The northern third of this province is part of the Canadian shield.
  • First Nations' people in this province made pottery 2,000 years before the arrival of Europeans.
  • The world's second-largest Tyrannosaurus rex is located in this province.
  • It became a province in 1905.

(Saskatchewan)

Which province/territory is it?

  • Kluane National Park in this territory has Canada's highest mountains and the largest non-polar icefield in the world.
  • Robert Service and Jack London wrote about the gold rush era in this territory.
  • This territory hosts a Frostbite Music Festival in February.
  • The aurora borealis is a popular winter attraction in this territory.
  • This territory is named after one of the longest rivers in North America.

(Yukon)

Article by Ellen R. Delisio
Education World®
Copyright © 2003 Education World

04/15/2003