What in the World? Level 2 Issue 5

Battered By The Sea

Before Reading (p. 4)

Once students have recorded their questions, have them view this short video of the incident:

Questions for online exploration (p. 9)

1. Watch this summary of the efforts to stabilize and clean up the MSC Baltic III:

2. Watch this update from November 2025 that talks about how the extreme Atlantic weather is impacting recovery efforts:

3. Check out the full timeline of rescue operations by the Government of Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard:

4. Visit the official site of the Canadian Coast Guard:

5. Watch the dramatic rescue of the crew of the MSC Baltic III:

6. Learn how container ships are loaded:

7. Check out this infographic showing how the federal government protects Canadian waters from oil spills:

8. Learn more about Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan:

Infographic (p. 12)

A Surprise Raid Ousts Venezuela's Leader

Before Reading (p. 15)

Questions for online exploration (p. 20) 

1. Watch this summary entitled “Did the U.S. really just kidnap Venezuela’s president?”

2. Learn more about the reaction of Canada and the international community to the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the United States: 

3. Check out these infographics related to Mr. Maduro’s leadership and Venezuela’s oil industry:

Maduro’s Venezuela (2020)

Understanding the U.S. Intervention in Venezuela: The 3 Core Drivers

Venezuela Sits on a Fifth of the World's Oil

4. Listen to Prime Minister Carney’s reaction to the removal of Mr. Maduro:

5. Review the details of Operation Absolute Resolve and the recent history of Venezuela leading to Mr. Maduro’s capture:

6. Learn more about the country of Venezuela:

Infographic (p. 23)

Global proven crude oil reserves total

Let The Winter Games Begin!

Before Reading (p. 27)

1. You may wish to do a mini-lesson on roman numerals to help students decode which Winter Olympics these are. This link may be helpful: 

2. Have students watch the following video to verify their lists:

Questions for online exploration (p. 32)

1. Learn about the Canadian athletes competing at the Milano-Cortina Winter Games:

2. Visit the official site of the Milano-Cortina Olympic Games:

3. Explore the Olympic schedule at this link:

4. Given the scope of some of the Winter Olympic sports, various sites are needed to accommodate them all. Find details of the different venues for the XXV Olympic Winter Games at this link:

5. Learn more about Tina and Milo, the official mascots of the Milano-Cortina Games:

6. Explore the newest Winter Olympic discipline of ski-mountaineering:

7. Check out this summary of 26 iconic moments in Olympic Winter Games history:

8. Visit the site of Own the Podium to learn how this organization supports Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes:

Graphic (p. 37)

Complete the table below to show the number of medals Canadian athletes won at the last 12 Winter Olympics. Use the following link to help you:

The Winter Of ‘25-’26 Is Packing A Wallop!

Questions for online exploration (p. 44)

1. Learn how winter weather has impacted the Pimicikamak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba:

2. Meet some of the evacuees and hear how they are coping with the situation. 

3. Learn who has been sent in to repair damage and support the local community:

4. Find out more about how Pimicikamak residents also dealt with wildfires in 2025:

5. Learn how the polar vortex was disrupted:

6. Explore how El Niña has contributed to this disruption:

7. Learn about the effects that Arctic amplification has had on the Arctic:

8. Check out Environment and Climate Change Canada’s new weather warning system:

Infographic (p. 45)

The Steps of an Inquiry Project (p. 49)

Check out these short videos to learn how to check the credibility and reliability of websites:

How to evaluate sources for reliability: 

How to check if a website is credible:

Helpful Teacher Resources on Inquiry-based Learning (p. 52)

1. Check out Trevor MacKenzie’s website with links to podcasts, blogs, social media links, and other resources on Inquiry‑based learning: 

2. John Spenser is another educator whose videos, blogs, and resources offer practical strategies and structures for engaging students in inquiry. Here are two to get you started:

“Helping Students Ask Better Questions by Creating a Culture of Inquiry” 

“Using a Wonder Week to Spark Inquiry-based Learning”

3. Edutopia has a number of articles on student inquiry, including:

“What the heck is Inquiry-based Learning?”

“Resources and Downloads to Facilitate Inquiry-based Learning”