The Maritime Town Tourism Game is an opportunity to learn about a special part of Canada, called the Maritimes, or the Maritime Provinces.
Students often ask me to tell them about some traditional Canadian dishes and customs, and I never know what to say. Canada is very multicultural, and there is no single people, tradition, or dish that is representative of all Canadians. We are a people who embrace different languages, foods, traditions and ideas.
However, I can tell you about where I’m from, and share some of our traditions with you!
Many aboriginal people live in Canada, and they are known as ‘First Nations’. One of the communities that is indigenous to the East Coast is the Mi’kmaq Nation. Waves of Acadians and Anglo-Saxons from Europe settled in the Atlantic Provinces, including a large number of Irish and Scottish people. While there is some diversity in the Maritimes, we share many traditional customs and local dishes.
In this game, you are going to visit the Maritimes, and learn a little about us. Welcome! I hope that you enjoy your stay!
HOW TO PLAY
There are three levels to choose from. Select your level before you begin.
Level 1 is suitable for beginner students. (A1-A2)
Level 2 requires knowledge of the Past Simple. (A2-B1)
Level 3 is for High Intermediate and advanced students. (B2-C2)
1.) Select a tourist and move to the starting position. Players start at the hotel.
2.) Flip a challenge card, and complete the challenge in order to be able to roll the die.
3.) If you complete the challenge on your card, roll a die to determine the number of squares that you can move. Players can go in any direction around the town.
4.) Try to get to the tourist destinations before other players. Only one person can claim each destination. When you arrive at a tourist attraction, click on the link to the destination to get your challenge. If you complete the challenge, claim that destination by checking it off the list. If you do not pass the challenge, you must leave the destination, and allow other players to try to claim it.
5.) The player that visits the most tourist destinations first wins!
Let’s Begin the Tour!
Checkout the Maritimes for an interactive map.
Flip a challenge card!
Destination Challenges
Seafood shack
Welcome to Erin’s Seafood Shack! It’s simple and rustic, but clean and inviting, and the food smells delicious. You are greeted cheerfully by Erin, the owner.
Erin is a skinny, muscular woman. Around 60. She has her hair up, under a kerchief. She’s wearing an apron, and holding a spoon in her hand. She doesn’t just smile at you. She beams happiness and contentment. 
“Welcome! Sit where ever you like. I’ll be with you in a moment.”
You select a table. Describe what you see and what happens next.
Level 1: Chat with Erin about seafood.
Ask 4 questions, with at least 6 words each, about lobsters, clams, and shrimp.
The questions must begin with:
A. Are the clams…
B. Do you usually…
C. Does…
D. Is…
Level 2: Read the paragraph and pronounce the underlined words correctly.
You had East Coast lobster rolls for lunch, and asked Erin how she prepared them. What did she teach you? 
She toasted and buttered some hotdog buns, and cooked some fresh lobster. She mixed the lobster with mayonnaise, pepper, lime juice, and celery. She filled the hotdog buns with the lobster mix, and she served them. It’s that easy!
Level 3: Make Erin feel at ease by speaking with her in an informal way. Find your challenge here: Either or Neither?
Traditional Irish Pub
Welcome to the Lucky Pickle Pub! You are greeted warmly by the bartender, Joseph.
You overhear a couple of guys from ‘the Rock’ (what we call Newfoundland) talking near the bar. Do you understand what they are saying?
Level 1: Most, ,much, or many? Select the correct words to complete the questions, and then answer the questions in your own words.
Joseph: What kind of beer would you like to try? The house IPA is our ___ popular.
You: ___ (Respond to the question in your own words.)
Joseph: Coming right up! How ___ beer would you like? We also have half-pints now. What would you like for lunch? The stew is especially good today.
You: ___ (Respond to the question in your own words.)
Joseph: You got it! How ____ would you like? We offer medium or full size meals?
You: ___ (Respond to the question in your own words.)
Level 2: Add the verbs to complete the recipe. heat/put/fry/pour/grate
Poutine Recipe
1.) ___ cut up potatoes.
2.) ___ some gravy.
3.) ___ some cheese.
4.) ___ the cheese on top of the fried potatoes.
5.) ___ the gravy over the potatoes and cheese.
Level 3: Learn about the history of beer. Find your challenge here.
Maritime Town Lighthouse
You are off to visit a lighthouse. Which one will you see today?
Level 1: Describe what you see. Pick a number between 1 and 40, then click here. Scroll to the number you selected to discover which lighthouse you will see. Use ‘in’, ‘at’, and ‘on’ in your description.
Level 2: Compare two lighthouses that you visited. Pick 2 numbers between 1 and 40, then click here. Scroll to the numbers that you selected and compare the lighthouses. Use at least 3 comparatives and 2 superlatives.
Level 3: Wax poetic. Pick a number between 1 and 40, then click here. Scroll to the number you selected to discover which lighthouse you will see. Use ‘like’ and ‘as’ to speak metaphorically about the lighthouse. Example: The lighthouse stood unblinking, like a guide that never sleeps, as watchful as a sailor’s wife waiting forever at the side of the sea.
Chilly Beach
Welcome to the Bay of Fundy, the place with the highest tides in the world!
Image by Atlantic Tours and Travel
Level 1: Watch the video. Imagine that you are a fisherman in the Bay of Fundy. Describe a typical day, using at least 5 sentences.
Level 2: Watch the video. The woman says that the tides in the Bay of Fundy are like “an unstoppable, natural machine”. What does she mean?
Level 3: Watch the video. Summarize what the woman said about the Bay of Fundy, using reported speech.
Sailboat tours
Welcome to Maritime Adventure Sailing Company! Are you ready to go sailing?
Level 1: Learn about the parts of a sailboat. Use the prepositions of place and the vocabulary to identify these parts of sail boat.
a.) What part is directly under the mainsail?
b.) What part is on the deck, below the sails?
c.) What part is between the deck and the keel?
Level 2: Edit your text. You wrote a quick text to a friend about your sailing trip. Which words did you select?
We had fun/funny afternoon today. We went out to see/sea on a sailboat, and saw a lot of/much whales. I wish you could be here to/too. The Sun/son was shining, and there/their wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I’m so/too happy that we get to stay here for another, whole week/weak!
Level 3: Speak like a local with these Maritimer sailing idioms. Describe a day you have had while on vacation in Maritime Town, using any 3 of the sailing idioms.
To not like the cut of someone’s jib = to not get along with someone
To sail against the wind = to face difficult circumstances
To be all hands on deck = to need everyone’s help to achieve something
To have an even keel = to be calm and stable
To have smooth sailing = to have an easy time without obstacles
Fish and Chip Shop
Welcome to Liam’s Fish and Chips. I’m Liam, and this is my little place. What will you be having today? How are you liking our little Maritime town so far?
Level 1: What did he ask you?
Notice that in Liam’s questions, he uses “be having”, and “be liking”. This is a local way of speaking for us Maritimers. Can you change the question into standard English?
Level 2: Add the words to the correct questions. (to go/pop/cod/tartar sauce)
Would you like haddock or ____?
Do you want it for here or ____?
Would you like lemon, vinegar, or ____?
Do you want water, beer, or ____?
Level 3: Learn about Use reported speech to tell us what you learned about the owner’s heritage.
“My family came to Canada from Ireland in 1848, during the Great Famine. Some of us died on the three month journey across the ocean, but a few survived. So, when we got here, we had nothing. The Mi’kmaq, an Aboriginal group of folks in these parts, were very kind to us. We would never have made it through the first winter without their help.”
The fish and chip shop owner told me that…
Quaint fishing village
Checkout some of the quaint fishing villages of Nova Scotia. Select one to talk about. 
Level 1: Describe the landscape around the village.
1.) Connect the opposites with the following words. empty/interesting/well/wet
not dry = / not full= / not sick = / not boring
2.) Use any 2 of the adjectives to describe the scene.
Level 2: Describe the landscape around the village. Connect the opposites with the following words. tiny / smooth / congested /narrow
not rough = / not huge =/ not wide = / not crowded =
2.) Use any 3 of the adjectives to describe the scene.
Level 3: Describe the landscape around the village. Connect the opposites with the following words. discordant/ barren/ sparse / drab
not fertile = / not harmonious = / not picturesque = / not lush =
2.) Use any 4 of the adjectives to describe the scene.
Mi’kmaq Nation Art Gallery
Welcome to the Mi’kmaq Art Gallery! Feel free to look around.
Art Collection: Some useful, daily objects that have been lovingly crafted into beautiful works of art.
Birchbark box/Birchbark tray/Porcupine quill mat/Moccasins/Into the Night/Love our Medicine/Humpback Swimming Under the Milky Way
Visual Arts: A short film by celebrated Mi’kmaq artist Alan Syliboy. It tells the story of Thunder teaching his son, Little Thunder, how to grow up to become a responsible man. Little Thunder sets off on a canoe trip across the country in this traditional coming of age story.
Traditional Mi’kmaq Dancing:
Level 1: Select a piece from the art collection, and make 4 full sentences about it.
Level 2: Watch the dancing video. Make 4 sentences about what you saw, and what your thoughts were.
Level 3: Watch the Little Thunder Video. Can you retell the story?
Whale and Iceberg watching
Welcome to Pier 2, a great place in our Maritime Town to spot whales and icebergs!
There are so many types of whales that you might see off the Atlantic Coast. Some of them are humpback, blue, fin, pilot, sei, minke, orca, sperm, and beluga whales.
To learn about icebergs:  Check out the Iceberg Tracker!
Level 1: Compare the whales. Select the correct words.
The humpback whale is the common/more common/most common whale you’ll see in the area.
Dolphins are small/smaller/more small than whales.
The blue whale is the big/bigger/biggest animal on Planet Earth.
There are few/fewer/fewest orca whales than pilot whales around here.
Level 2: You see an iceberg! Describe it!
Go to the iceberg tracker, and select one of the first three images that you see. Describe the iceberg, in 3 sentences, each with at least 8 words.
Level 3: Learn a little about the history of icebergs in the Maritimes. Read the following from the U.S. Coast Guard. Say a synonym for any three of the underlined words. If you don’t know them, try using the context to offer your best guess.
“On her maiden voyage from Southampton, England bound for New York, the TITANIC collided with an iceberg just south of the tail of the Grand Banks and sank within two and a half hours. Although the night was clear and seas were calm, the loss of life was enormous with more than 1,500 of the 2,224 passengers and crew perishing. The vessel had been built with the latest safety design, featuring compartmentation and such innovations as automatically closing water-tight doors. It is ironic that publicity regarding these features had given it the reputation of being unsinkable.
Loss of the TITANIC gripped the world with a chilling awareness of an iceberg’s potential for tragedy. The sheer dimensions of the TITANIC disaster created sufficient public reaction on both sides of the Atlantic to prod reluctant governments into action, producing the first Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention in 1914. The degree of international cooperation required to produce such an unprecedented document was truly remarkable and probably could not have been achieved during this period without the catalyst provided by this incident.
Hot air balloon ride
Take a hot air balloon ride! (NOTE: Start the video at 48 seconds.)
Level 1: Make 5 full sentences about what you see from the air.
Level 2: Tell us what you saw, using the Past Simple, in a minimum of 8 sentences.
Level 3: If you had been born as a bird in the Maritimes, you would have been able to fly. Talk about this, using the 3rd Conditional.
Hiking trail
Encounters with wildlife!
Level 1: You see three animals on your hike! Name any three animals from the image above.
Level 2: While you were on the hike, you saw three animals! Name any three animals from the image above, and talk about where you saw them.
Level 3: While you were on the hike, you saw all of the animals!
Name the animals from the images above, and talk about what you were doing when you saw them. (Use Past Simple and Past Continuous.)
Beautiful landscape!
Do you have the English vocabulary to talk about it?
Geography Game – Can your partner determine the word from your definition?
Level 1: Define two of the geography words.
Level 2: Define five of the geography words.
Level 3: Define eight of the geography words.
Camping site
You are welcome to camp here, but you must follow the rules.
Do you understand and agree with the rules?
You succeed in getting the camp site! Try your challenge.
Level 1: Talk about your camping trip. Use the first 5 random words that you find in the cards above to make 5 sentences. (Each sentence must have at least 5 words, and use a different verb.)
Level 2: Talk about your camping trip. Tell us a story! Use the first 10 random words that you find in the cards above. (Each sentence must have at least 8 words, and use a different verb. Use the Past Simple Tense.)
Level 3: Talk about your camping trip. Use the first 10 random words while you talk about camping. Start with this:
Had I known that needed a…
Can you talk about your camp site?
Nature Vocabulary Game
The Sugar Shack – Maple syrup shack
Welcome to the maple syrup shack, or what folks around here call a sugar shack!
Visit the sugar shack.
Level 1: Find the hidden objects and use prepositions of place to describe their location.
Level 2: Did you find all of the objects? Where were they in the drawing? Find the hidden objects, and use the verb to be in the Past Simple to describe their location.
Level 3: Find the hidden objects in the drawing and describe their location in passive voice, using at least two descriptive adjectives for each one.
An example of Passive Voice:
Active: People make syrup from tree sap. 
Passive: Syrup is made of tree sap by people.
The Old fort of Maritime Town
Welcome to our old fort. Come on in! 
Self-guided tour tips:
1.) Start on the X in red on the map.
2.) Select the room card below for a description of the room. 
Level 1: Describe the room, based on the map and room description.
Select any room number from 1 to 12. Read the card description aloud.
Level 2: Describe the rooms, based on the map and room descriptions.
Select any room number from 1 to 12. Read the card description aloud. Walk into an adjacent room. Tell us what you saw, in 3 Past Simple sentences. Use your imagination!
Level 3: Describe the rooms, based on the map and room description.
Select any room number from 1 to 12. Read the card description aloud. Walk into an adjacent room. Tell us what you have seen, in 5 sentences. Use Past Simple, Past Perfect, and Past Continuous.
We hope that you have enjoyed your visit to our Maritime Town. There are so many things to see and do here, that we hope you are tempted to come see us again. You are welcome back anytime!
