With these activities the students discover their own special wild spaces, where they can explore their relationship with the outdoors and develop an appreciation for the natural world.
In Activity #1, the students take a field trip to find their own special place. Once there they observe their surroundings and record their observations, thoughts and feelings on a chart.
In Activity #2, the students read and discuss a story with two conflicting perspectives on how to treat a special wild place. They will discuss the dilemma, brainstorm resolutions and create their own ending to the story.
In Activity #3, the students participate in a role-playing game in which they work as an animal to find the four necessities that are key to their habitat needs.
In Activity #4, the students complete web-based research and then a quiz that involves matching the descriptions of protected areas in Canada with the province/territory in which they are found.
In Activity #5, the students research an adventure trip to one of Canada's protected areas.
This resource teaches the following skills:
The strengths of the resource are:
The weaknesses of the resource are:
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Very Good | The activities help the students to see the issues from a variety of perspectives. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
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Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Very Good | |
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
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Respects Complexity | Good | The interactions between the social, environmental and economic aspects are presented. The resource only briefly touches on the need for development as our population grows and the consequences. |
Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
Acting on Learning | Satisfactory | The extension activity provides a valuable opportunity for the students to work towards bettering their community. |
Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
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Values Education | Very Good | In Activities #2 and #3 the students are given the opportunity to develop their own ideas with the questions given. |
Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
Empathy & Respect for Humans | Good | The students in Activity #2 are shown two different perspectives on what a person may find beautiful in nature. |
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
Personal Affinity with Earth | Very Good | This is definitely a strength of this resource. |
Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
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Locally-Focused Learning | Very Good | Activity #1, the extension for Activity #4 and the culminating event provide students with an opportunity to work in their local community. |
Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
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Past, Present & Future | Good | A strong sense of the present along with a positive view of the future is inherent in the resource. |
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. |
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Open-Ended Instruction | Very Good | The discussion questions and activities allow the students to come to their own conclusions. |
Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
Integrated Learning | Good | |
Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
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Inquiry Learning | Good | |
Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
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Differentiated Instruction | Very Good | |
Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
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Experiential Learning | Very Good | |
Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
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Cooperative Learning | Satisfactory | |
Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
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Assessment & Evaluation | Good | Although there are no "tools" given within the document, the resource does include a section on evaluation with each activity that indicates what the skills the students should be able to demonstrate. |
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
Peer Teaching | Good | |
Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
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Case Studies | Very Good | In Activities #4 and #5 the students examines protected spaces from around Canada. |
Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
Locus of Control | Satisfactory | Activity #5 is the only activity that offers choice to the students. They can create an adventure to one of Canada's protected places based on their interests. |
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. |