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Prior to European colonization, Indigenous peoples got what they needed from the land and water around them. Indigenous peoples have relied on salmon since the fish became abundant in the Fraser River about 5000-6000 years ago. They used native plants for food, medicine, building materials and more. This program explores the connection between Indigenous peoples, salmon, and the broader Fraser River Basin. Students experience the movement of salmon, storytelling and oral histories, and the many uses of native plants through an Indigenous perspective.

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

Program Components:

Introduction to the First Salmon Ceremony through a storybook and discussion.

Understand the stages of a salmon’s life cycle and migration by acting out the story of one salmon’s life.

Learn about some of the edible and medicinal native plants in our region, and then create your own plant, including its uses.

Hear the story of how sockeye came to the Fraser River from two First Nations elders. View map of the traditional lands of the First Nations people in the Fraser River Basin, and use a visual metaphor to understand how long the First Nations people have lived along the Fraser River.

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The imaginED website describes the theory and practice of IEE--an imagination-focused approach to teaching that engages the body, emotion and imagination with Place to cultivate a sense of belonging and long-lasting connections with the natural world.

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Students use an open inquiry model to investigate processes taking place in aquatic, forest or winter ecosystems. They will be given an opportunity to explore a novel environment and develop and test a scientific question. They will explore local and current research and utilize scientific equipment to conduct an investigation from start to finish. Students will construct a question, conduct background research, revise their question, collect data, synthesize data and ultimately finish with a poster and/or paper outlining their research and conclusions. Our programs take place at the Barrier Lake Field Station, in Kananaskis Country, 80km west of Calgary, AB.

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Goldstream Nature House on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from March 26 – May 16 for three unique, one-hour programs: Junior Explorers, Wildlife Detectives, and Eco-Stewards. Students will learn about the vital ecosystems of Goldstream Park. This spring, the Discover Parks Ambassadors will offer the following programs for school groups: 

JUNIOR EXPLORERS - GRADES: K-3

A sensory exploration of the natural environment in Goldstream. 

WILDLIFE DETECTIVES - GRADES 4-7

Investigating ecosystems and species relationships.

ECO-STEWARDS - GRADES 7-12

Learn vital environmental stewardship skills and become an advocate for nature.

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Browse through our downloadable guides and lesson plans for activities on rock and mineral identification. Take the pebble guide with you on a field trip to help you discover the names of pebbles you might collect. Have fun learning more about the rocks and minerals in your collection.

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The Re-Energy program engages learners in grades 3-12 on the importance of renewable energy and explores the co-benefits and trade-offs of comparable energy systems. In this STEAM program, learners become renewable energy engineers by taking their learnings to the next level. Learners will use detailed construction plans to build working models of energy storage systems, solar ovens, solar cars, wind turbines, hydroelectric generators, and biogas generators and submit their project for a chance to win the Re-Energy Challenge. Learners are provided with relevant backgrounders to do an in-depth exploration of renewable energy technology. Further explore how students at a Calgary high school converted a 1975 Volkswagen Beetle, and how your students can build electric vehicle prototypes through GreenLearning’s Electrifying the Future program.

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In this 75-minute session, students learn about bioaccumulation in aquatic ecosystems by analyzing real (sanitized) freshwater litter. Children then go on a walking field trip to see how much garbage they can divert from their local creek.  The school is gifted a class set of garbage pickers, reflective vests, buckets, and weigh scale to continue this activity.

“We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from teachers and students alike. Personally, I’ve never seen my students so enthusiastic about garbage and neighborhood clean-ups—they were so engaged!” - Nataliia Kudryk, Grade 4/5 teacher

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Did you know there’s a 6-meter-long, 100-year-old fish living in the Fraser River? Learn all about the endangered white sturgeon through interactive activities, with both Indigenous and Western science perspectives. Students will listen to a First Nation’s story about sturgeon, construct theories from available research, and communicate their learning through art.

Cost: $50           Grades: 4-8           Length: 1 hour           Maximum group size: 30 students

To participate in this program, you will need:

A stable internet connection.

The ability to join the video conference with the FRDC educator.

Curricular connections:

This program incorporates the First Peoples Principles of Learning, specifically that learning is relational; recognizes the role of indigenous knowledge; is embedded in story; and requires recognizing the consequences of one’s actions. This program supports science competencies through analyzing data and constructing theories, and applying First people’s perspectives. This program supports the ELA Big Idea that stories help us make connections with others and the world. And this program supports the Arts Education competency of expressing feelings, ideas, stories, observations, and experiences through the arts.

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Algonquin College's Play, Learn, and Teaching Outdoors in the Early Years certificate program immerses early learning professionals in outdoor pedagogical practice through the Outdoor ECE National Framework of the Canadian Centre for Outdoor Play. In this program, you explore concepts of active engagement, nurturing holistic development, and building meaningful connections in outdoor pedagogical practice.

Learners explore the benefits of risky outdoor play, strengthen a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion lens, and build cultural competency guided by evidence from the Canadian Pediatric Society. They gain advocacy, communication, and practical skills through place-based learning and a culminating action-research project applied to their own professional setting.

Upon completion, graduates are prepared to champion inclusive, culturally responsive outdoor play in diverse contexts, including early learning programs, kindergartens, child and family centres, community health agencies, and governmental or non-governmental organizations serving children and families.

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The Climate Policy Quest program is designed to be flexible, with each activity taking approximately 1-2 hours to complete. The program begins with foundational activities and lessons on climate science, current impacts of climate change, and how these issues shape our world. Learners then progress to three key lessons introducing climate policy, exploring the need for policies, and Canada’s specific role in climate policy, before culminating in a hands-on activity where students design their own policies.

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Be a bug detective when insects examples are brought to your classroom. *Available April, May and June.

Available to schools in Langley.

Duration 60 minutes. Cost $95

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These online, self-paced resources will teach students all about killer whales, including the different ecotypes that reside in British Columbia, and the threats to these incredible species at risk. Students will develop group Action Projects, gaining skills in teamwork, organization, and leadership.

These resources are best suited to Grades K-12, and focus on Core Curriculum and Competencies connections in science, social studies, and physical and health education. Resources can be reviewed in a single session (est. 1.5 hours completion time), or used over multiple sessions. These resources can be used in schools, community/youth groups, or other educational settings.

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Dr. Megan Zeni offers online workshops, in person teacher professional development, keynote addresses, research collaboration, and specialized consultation services. Schools, school districts, non-profit organizations, university faculty, teacher education programs, funding agencies, and education specific think tanks interested in building capacity for effective and sustainable environmental learning in rural or urban elementary school gardens and outdoor classrooms are invited to submit a request for services. Specific areas of expertise include: Curriculum & pedagogy l Outdoor play and learning across the curriculum l Risky play in schools l School garden planning, start up, and long-term maintenance.

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In this experiential course, Grade 10-12 students will learn through site visits, hiking tours and guest speakers about everything that connects them to the environment. The 3-credit course is part of the Career and Technology Studies area of the Alberta curriculum. Students will learn about topics from human-wildlife coexistence, vegetation identification and waste water treatment to energy production, Îyethka traditional knowledge, Indigenous practices to care for the land and the Nakoda language. We also welcome you to explore the Activity Guide.

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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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Students follow each step of the scientific method to conduct a water quality investigation. During this 1.5 hour workshop students observe and become curious about the Fraser River, do background research, construct hypotheses, test their hypotheses by doing experiments, analyze their data, draw a conclusion, and report their results.

Grades: 6-9                          Length: 1.5 hours                   Maximum group size: 30 students

Program Components:

Take a sample of the Fraser River and make observations.

Conduct background research, using the exhibits as sources, and share with the other groups.

Construct a hypothesis about salmon survivability in the Fraser based on turbidity and pH levels.

Follow scientific protocol and test the turbidity and the pH level of the Fraser River sample.

Compare results to the hypothesis.

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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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Did you know over 60% of Canada’s sub-watersheds lack enough data to know their health? Water Rangers’ fun and easy tools help students (ages 12+) explore water quality using their senses and scientific tools. Our free online lessons and teacher guides show how to plan outings, connect activities to different subjects, and adapt materials for all ages. Kits are available for purchase, and we may be able to help with funding! Community-based water monitoring is a great way to spark curiosity, connect with nature, and collect important data to help protect our water. Let’s make science hands-on and meaningful for students!

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Sea Smart's shoreline clean-up will inspire students to learn about plastic pollution, marine animals, and ocean stewardship. These sessions are facilitated by Sea Smart’s highly experienced team of marine biologists and environmental educators, to deliver informative, hands-on learning. Sea Smart will provide sustainable equipment and protocols needed to ensure a safe cleanup.

We measure metrics such as the area of habitat cleaned, the weight of garbage removed, and the number of cigarette butts removed. These data allow you to share your student's efforts in a measurable and meaningful way. Participants will also join hands-on, educational activities to learn about plastic pollution, marine animals, and how we can help our ocean.

Available for Pre-K - Grade 12 Students, our Shoreline Cleanup Workshops connect with Core and Curricular Competencies. Shoreline Cleanups can be delivered throughout Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, with schools, community/ youth groups, and other educational settings.

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CBEEN is a Non-Profit Society and Registered Charity. Our mission is to encourage environmental stewardship and sustainability in the Canadian Columbia Basin by supporting environmental educators. The Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN) was born out of a shared sense of identity and from the common desire to support and promote EE on a regional scale. Over the past 10 years CBEEN has grown from a small group of passionate educators to a large and vibrant network of educators from across the Columbia Basin and beyond.

Our goals:

Maintain a vibrant and engaged network of educators in the Canadian Columbia Basin, and provide this network with excellent environmental education professional development resources and opportunities.

Facilitate collaboration amongst members, partner organizations, and Basin communities to effectively achieve our shared mandates and vision.

Undertake a process to better role model and support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of Environmental Education.

Expand network to increase engagement with and support for early years educators.

Maintain a sustainable organization which has effective and ethical governance in accordance with its non-profit and charitable status.