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PLT Canada's Trees and Me guide introduces young learners to the critical importance of the environment and forests through a variety of engaging, hands-on activities. Designed to connect children with nature, the guide fosters an understanding of the many benefits that trees and forests provide, such as clean air, wildlife habitats, and climate regulation. It encourages environmental stewardship by promoting actions that nurture and protect our natural world. By exploring forests' vital role in sustaining life, children develop a lifelong appreciation for nature and the responsibility to care for it.

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This program will show students how to predict and prepare for extreme events using a stream table, a tool that can simulate river processes. Students will also have a chance to conduct their own research about how their communities may be at potential risk and to propose solutions. Students will be able to share those ideas with guest scientists through a follow-up online workshop.  

*NOTE: This program is currently only being held as an in-person field-trip.

Grades 3-5  

Students explore the basics of climate science and river processes. Using a stream table model, students model different climate change scenarios and design infrastructure that could mitigate the damage caused by climate change. 

Grades 6-12  

Students discuss connections between climate change and land management practices, both traditional Indigenous and current industrial. Using a stream table model, students model different climate change scenarios and design infrastructure that could mitigate the damage caused by climate change. For the optional action project, students research how their communities may be susceptible to extreme weather events and climate change and present their findings using ArcGIS Story Maps. A follow-up online workshop connects students to knowledge holders. 

Grades: 3-12                Length: 1.5 hours                      Maximum group size: 30 students 

Program Components: 

Basic river landscape geomorphology as well as traditional and industrial methods of flood risk management 

How climate change will impact infrastructure planning across the Fraser River Basin 

Analytical and design thinking to create action plans towards mitigating future natural disaster incidents that will be available to local community leadership 

Students will receive 3D printed models and Climate Action Science Spotlight briefs relevant to their research 

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A three-lesson unit designed for Grades 9-12 (Ages 14-18), complete with a culminating 7Rs Action Project Guide featuring 20 project options.

Rethinking The Fashion System invites students to deepen their understanding of the fashion industry and its broader impacts on the environment and society. Learners will explore ideas of global citizenship, personal responsibility, leadership, collective action, and futures-thinking, consider the difference between the linear and circular economies, and become familiar with real-world examples of sustainability in action. Through the lens of The 7Rs – strategies to reduce waste and rethink fashion consumption – a wide range of culminating Action Projects support students to envision and create their own hope inspiring actions that promote responsible citizenship and a more sustainable future.

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Are you looking for creative educational resources to engage learners of all ages about the wonders of nature? Well then, we've got you covered.

Bring Nature Home is an educational toolkit that will help youth and adults of all ages engage in environmental education in the comfort of their own home.

This toolkit includes some of CPAWS Southern Alberta’s very own tried and tested games and activities for youth and adults, as well as other online resources to support learning.

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THE RIVERWATCH MISSION: The RiverWatch Institute of Alberta delivers science education and environmental awareness experiences along Alberta’s rivers and watershed systems. Through our professional river guides, school science float trips, stewardship activities, and water monitoring equipment, participants learn about the science and health of our waterways. By becoming watershed knowledgeable, Albertans of all walks of life will better understand, enjoy and care for our environment.

YOUR RIVERWATCH SCHOOL SCIENCE FLOAT EXPERIENCE

We believe the best way to study a river is by taking your science classes on a float trip aboard our professionally guided large rafts, fully equipped as floating laboratories! Our science education programs align DIRECTLY with the Alberta provincial curriculum and have been a go-to resource for Alberta secondary science classes since 1995. Our hands-on and experiential science float programming is offered in the fall from early September to the end of October and again in the spring (late April to mid-June) once the ice is off the river.

With a laser focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), students explore their local river ecosystem aboard rafts equipped as mobile water quality laboratories. A day of guided rafting takes the student classroom into the real natural world to experience an interesting mix of ecology, wildlife, history, geology, engineering, technology, industry, water quality monitoring and data collection. Our programs showcase science in ways students have never seen before, creating an experience they’ll never forget, INCLUDING A TOUR OF LOCAL WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANTS! Over the years, close to 200,000 students have adventured out with us to become young scientists for the day.

YOUR RIVERWATCH GUIDES

All RiverWatch guides are highly trained and possess a minimum Class 1 PROAOA certification to meet Transport Canada Commercial Rafting Standards. All our river guides complete an intense week of training involving rafting, emergency response, health and safety, bus driving, equipment maintenance, water quality monitoring, and local/natural history interpretation. To work for RiverWatch Guides must possess Standard First Aid certification and/or may also have Wilderness First Aid, National Lifeguard Society, Swift Water Rescue or Emergency Medical Responder training. The result is an experienced group of certified and professional river guides ready to provide a safe, engaging and fully immersive rafting experience. Your RiverWatch raft guide will help students gain new insights and appreciation for our rivers’ history, culture, bio-diversity and stewardship. Everyone will finish the day more connected to nature and the river!

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Engage students in an interactive online course, where students will be exposed to Coast Salish environmental knowledge, the Southern Resident Killer Whales, and the threats facing these species at risk. Students will learn to become effective environmental stewards, making a real difference in protecting the ocean.

This five-hour, virtual course offers a self-paced online experience, ideal for students who can engage independently with minimal guidance. The course can also function as guided lessons or activities between students and teachers. Through interactive learning modules and hands-on projects, students will gain insight into the Salish Sea, orca behavior, and the broader impacts of human activities on marine ecosystems. The course incorporates the rich knowledge and history of the Coast Salish peoples, highlighting their connection and stewardship of the Salish Sea. Students will be inspired through this course to take sustainable action to protect orcas, and become environmental stewards.

Orcas in the Salish Sea meets B.C. Curriculum Connections and Learning Outcomes for Grades 3-8, and the First Peoples Principles of Learning. This online, self-paced course is available nationwide for students and educators. Thank you to Prince of Whales for sponsoring this course.

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The Alberta Tomorrow Foundation has a mission to deliver a platform that empowers youth to design and sustain a future for our shared ecosystem, with a vision of an informed society actively fostering sustainable futures. Use the simulation tool to:

Time travel into the PAST and FUTURE to see the impact of our actions on the ENVIRONMENT and ECONOMY,

Study Alberta's WATERSHEDS, including a virtual video tour of the Bow River,

Show possible ECOREGION SHIFTS as a result of CLIMATE CHANGE,

See the impact of Beneficial MANAGEMENT Practices,

Explore Alberta's Natural Regions with our 360 VIRTUAL TOURS,

Use the CITIZEN SCIENCE TOOL to store and share water quality data,

Explore MAP OVERLAYS of Treaty Areas and Traditional Territories, Traditional Languages, Metis Regions and Residential School locations,

Land Use Plan using INDIGENOUS INDICATORS vs Western Science Indicators

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We also offer the opportunity to book a lesson with our educator to accompany the EduKit. Please note the teacher or a representative for your educational institution is responsible for picking up and dropping off the EduKit from our office.

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Our Resources for Rethinking (R4R) search engine makes it easy to find great sustainability resources for every grade and subject!

Search by:

Language (English/French)

Jurisdiction (Province/Territory)

Grade, subject and curriculum unit

Sustainability theme (14 themes and 96 issues)

Resource type (lesson plan, children’s literature, video, outdoor activity, games/apps)

The UN Sustainable Development Goals

Indigenous Knowledge Theme

Easy access to the resources you're looking for

Over 2,000 of the best resources available from hundreds of publishers including commercial publishers, non-profit organizations, government, school boards, teachers’ federations. Most resources are available free for download from the publisher’s website.

Quality Professional reviews

Resources are reviewed by the people best equipped to judge the value of an educational resource: teachers! The rigorous review process was developed in collaboration with teachers from across Canada. To be included in the database resources must meet stringent sustainability and pedagogical criteria recommended in the research on teaching and learning.

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Host a case study competition with your class and learn more about Canada's grassland ecosystems!

The Grasslands Case Study will guide students through developing a conservation plan that will maximize biodiversity in the Canadian grasslands.

This resource includes a student workbook and teaching guide. The case study is designed by scientists and education staff from Ducks Unlimited Canada and includes questions to assist students in their research as well as resources to support their learning.

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Discover the many wonders of the only mammal that can fly. Find out how bats live, hunt, echolocate, and adapt to their habitat using their unique bodies. Because bats are nocturnal, we will not see any live bats during the program. Instead, we will explore their habitat with unique props and activities. Bats really are beautiful; learn why in this interactive forest adventure. One-and-a-half-hour program for Pre-K – Grade 3.

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The invasive plant program takes place at the Weaselhead in SW Calgary and is a fully outdoor program that requires students to manually remove plants. The day will include several activities including:

● Introduction, Land Acknowledgement, park rules, and expectations

● Learning about invasive plants (their characteristics and adaptations, impacts and how to control)

● Invasive Plant matching game.

● Field Guide practice game.

● Botany walk to learn about native plants in the park

● Plant Scavenger Hunt

● Plant mapping

● Density Game

● Transects and Quadrats

● Invasive Plant removal in the Aspen Forest

● Invasive Plant Manager Game

This field trip is designed as a full day trip but can be shortened to half a day.

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The Bodo Archaeological Site & Centre offers experiential educational programs for students of all ages, both at our centre and site, and in the classroom. We have had thousands of students visit Bodo to take part in our interactive, hands-on activities and learning experience. Students learn about archaeology and the history of the Bodo Archaeological Sites and the Great Plains in a meaningful and memorable way. We offer in-person visits (1/2 day and overnight field trips) and in-classroom visits.

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A three-lesson unit designed for Grades 4-6 (Ages 9-12) and Grades 7-8 (Ages 12-14), complete with a culminating 7Rs Action Project Guide featuring 20 project options. 

Solving Fashion’s Waste Problem invites students to examine the social and environmental effects of clothing waste, from the hidden consequences of clothing donations to the fashion industry's relationship to climate change. Learners will explore different perspectives on sustainability, reflect on environmental stewardship, and become familiar with positive climate action happening today. Through the lens of The 7Rs—strategies to reduce waste and rethink fashion consumption—a wide range of culminating Action Projects support students to envision and create their own hope inspiring actions that promote responsible citizenship and a more sustainable future.

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These no-cost classroom resources are aligned with the Alberta program of studies, but could be used to support natural resource and climate change lessons nationwide.

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Grade 2 - Exploring Liquids

Grade 4 - Waste and Our World

Grade 5 - Wetland Ecosystems

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Please allow a minimum of 2 weeks notice if you are seeking a new lesson not listed in our lesson plans.

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A four-lesson unit designed for Grades 4-6 (Ages 9-12), Grades 7-8 (Ages 12-14), and Grades 9-12 (Ages 14-18), complete with a culminating Action Projects Guide featuring 3 project options; also available as three stand alone lessons.

The Life Cycle Of A T-Shirt invites students to delve into the life cycle of a t-shirt, from raw materials and manufacturing to end of life and beyond. Learners will explore the implications of the global clothing supply chain, the environmental and societal impacts of clothing consumption, and examine sustainable ways to manage unwanted clothing. Students will identify and research the unique characteristics and impacts of specific textiles used in clothing production, and examine an invisible aspect of the global plastic pollution crisis that stems from clothing; microfibres. Guided by the inquiry question—What is a supply chain, and how does the journey of a t-shirt through the global clothing supply chain affect people and the environment?—learners will use their understanding to positively reframe the challenges posed, and use their insights and creativity to brainstorm, design, and create innovative, impactful, and hopeful solutions through the 3 culminating project options. As an alternative, the unit has been modified and is offered as three stand alone lessons that each focus on a particular area of content—the supply chain, the environmental impact of textiles, and understanding microfibres. 

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WILDNorth offers free, curriculum-specific presentations for Grades 3, 4, 5, and 6 in Edmonton thanks to Capital City Cleanup. There is a cost of $80 to book this presentation for schools outside of Edmonton.

Grade 3 – “Food Chains, Wildlife, & My Community”

This 45-minute presentation is designed to introduce Grade 3 students to the intricate relationships between animals, plants, and their environment. Students will learn about food chains, how energy moves through the environment, and explore a food web using examples of local wildlife and vegetation. Linked directly to the Living Systems unit, this program offers a fun and tangible way for students to learn how plants and animals interact with one another while developing an awareness and appreciation for backyard nature.

Grade 4 – “Litter, Wildlife, & My Community”

Since a clean community is a shared responsibility, WILDNorth and Capital City Clean Up have joined forces to deliver the “Litter, Wildlife & My Community” classroom program. Educational and entertaining, this 60-minute presentation directly links to the Waste and Our World unit. It illustrates how litter harms wildlife and helps students identify actions they can take to minimize litter’s impact on wildlife.

Grade 5 – “Body Systems, Wildlife, & My Community”

This 60-minute presentation is designed to introduce Grade 5 students to the fascinating world of animal anatomy, diving into the body systems that support survival in the wild. Students will explore how the digestive, respiratory, circulatory, and musculoskeletal systems function in different animals, including birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. This program offers an engaging way for students to understand the vital processes that allow animals to thrive in their environments while fostering a sense of responsibility for protecting local wildlife.

Grade 6 – “Ecosystems, Wildlife, & My Community”

This 60-minute presentation is designed to deepen Grade 6 students’ understanding of ecosystems, the complex interactions that sustain them, and the vital role wildlife plays within them. Students will investigate the characteristics and components of ecosystems, focusing on the intricate relationships between animals, plants, and their environment. This program offers an engaging exploration of local ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, and grasslands, while highlighting how Alberta’s wildlife are specially adapted to their habitats. The presentation also emphasizes the importance of protecting these ecosystems from threats like litter and pollution to ensure the survival and wellbeing of local wildlife.