Grade 9 · Social Studies · Unit 11 of 11
Liveable Communities
Food, transport and energy
What your child practises
Food miles, food waste and food costs in remote communities, sustainable transportation such as transit, rail and cycling, how government policies and personal choices affect energy use, and community programs that support sustainability.
Ontario Curriculum expectation: E2.1, E2.2, E2.3, E2.4 · sustainability of the food system, transportation and energy, and the social, environmental and economic sustainability of communities
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Climate change may affect Canada's food system by…
- ending all farming forever
- changing growing seasons and increasing droughts, floods and pests
- having no effect on crops
- making every region wetter
Show answer
changing growing seasons and increasing droughts, floods and pests
Hint: Farmers are adapting by changing crops and water use.
Question 2
Which is an example of social sustainability in a community?
- a single large factory
- affordable housing and access to health care
- closing all libraries
- removing public parks
Show answer
affordable housing and access to health care
Hint: Social sustainability is about well-being, fairness and access.
Question 3
A community wants to cut energy use by moving to renewable power. Which consideration matters most when evaluating a plan?
- only the name of the project
- its effects on cost, reliability, jobs and emissions
- only what neighbouring towns decided
- only its colour
Show answer
its effects on cost, reliability, jobs and emissions
Hint: Sustainability means weighing many effects at once.
Question 4
A car emits 200 g of CO₂ per km. Someone drives 20 km to work and 20 km home, 5 days a week. How many kg of CO₂ is that each week?
answer boxkg
Show answer
40 kg
Hint: 200 g × 40 km × 5 days = 40 000 g, which is 40 kg.
Question 5
Why can high-speed rail between big cities be both a benefit and a challenge?
- It is free to build
- It makes travel slower
- It has no environmental effect
- It can cut car and air travel, but it costs a lot and uses land and money
Show answer
It can cut car and air travel, but it costs a lot and uses land and money
Hint: Large projects need to be evaluated from environmental, economic and social views.
Question 6
A program helps 800 homes each save 1000 kWh a year. How many megawatt-hours (MWh) is that in total? (1 MWh = 1 000 kWh)
answer boxMWh
Show answer
800 MWh
Hint: 800 × 1000 = 800 000 kWh, and 800 000 ÷ 1 000 = 800 MWh.