Focus testing the field trip developed with Roseau River First Nation. A component of the field trip may include a water ceremony.
Rivers West is an innovative non-profit organization that wanted students to learn more about the Red River. They contracted S. Dangerfield Interpretive Planning to develop a package for middle years teachers. The best fit was the Grade 8 Water Systems Unit. The guide can be downloaded from the Rivers West website www.riverswest.ca
The guide was designed to encourage site-based learning, to get the students out in the field to experience the Red River first-hand. To develop the guide we worked with a number of groups, e.g. Roseau River First Nations and Grand Beach Park Interpreters, to develop curriculum-focused field trips, in addition to the activities provided in the guide. The curriculum package was focus tested with Grade 8 students and teachers on five different field trips.
The 150-page guide has chapters that cover the topic areas from the curriculum:
- Water Cycle
- Watersheds
- Erosion
- Flooding
- Flood Mitigation
- Drinking Water
- Waste Water and Water Pollution
- Water Management and Problem Solving
Each topic chapter includes:
- Curriculum Outcome
- Definitions
- Background Information
- Websites and Other Resources
- Hands-on Activities - for classroom and field trips
- Field Trip – locations that will help demonstrate that curriculum unit
Other chapters:
- More than 50 pages of activities
- Field trip locations with contact information, costs and facilities
- Teacher resources – books, CDs, websites for research and activities, professional development courses for teachers, videos/DVDs, and kits
