December

How do Indigenous peoples enact their rights to their cultural belongings held in museums? How are they changing museums through activism, public discourse and evolving relationships?

In this program, students will tour selected cultural belongings and artworks by Indigenous artists, exploring themes of Indigenous self-determination and ethical dimensions of museum practice. Following the tour, students will visit the MOA Learning Lab and engage in a hands-on activity of the teacher’s choosing.

Teachers can choose either:

• An art making activity where students creatively imagine the future of museums, informed by the artist and knowledge keeper perspectives shared during the tour.
• An inquiry-based activity where students investigate and think critically about works from the touchable teaching collection.

Please note a required in-class activity must be completed prior to this program. See Teachers’ Notes for activity details. 

To book this program, please submit a booking request.

How can we learn from cultural belongings and artworks? What can these works reveal about the people connected to them?

In this program, students will enjoy a guided gallery tour spotlighting belongings and artworks that embody rich, diverse stories and histories. Students will be invited to make observations, inferences, and reflections about how these works inspire learning and inquiry. Following the tour, students will visit the MOA Learning Lab and engage in a hands-on activity of the teacher’s choosing.

Teachers can choose either:

• An artmaking activity where students reflect on how their personal belongings represent their own stories, histories and experiences.
• An object-based learning activity where students investigate belongings from the touchable teaching collection.

To book this program, please submit a booking request.

Join us for a tour and a workshop!

New Media Gallery Exhibition Tours are developed for a range of ages and interested; schools, universities, and special interest groups and special events as well as general public tours. Tours are led by a Curator or Curatorial Programmer and may be booked in advance.

Exhibition Tour | 30 - 60 min | Free
Pre-Activity | PDF Handout | Free

Creative Tech Workshops, hosted in the Art + Technology LAB, integrate ideas from the exhibition together with BC’s new Core Curriculum. Big Ideas inform each exciting 1.5 – 3 hour Workshop where a focus on process and inquiry-based learning are key. Encouraging and building on a vibrant & dynamic process of creativity and imagination in workshop situations is our thing; we champion individual and collective brainstorming and focused play!

Creative Tech Workshop | 60 - 120 min | Cost: $150 + GST (includes tour + pre-activity)
(For young children, we may be able to offer a separate space for break time)

SCIENCE IN THE SUBALPINE

Our Junior Rangers program takes students on a thrilling ride up to our unique subalpine environment, 885 meters above sea level! We help teachers meet curriculum requirements with a dynamic and hands-on approach to learning. These courses are designed to engage students and connect them with nature and wildlife in an interactive way that encourages an inquiry-based method of learning.

GRADE K - 1: SEASONAL CHANGES AND THE NEEDS OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS

In this course, students learn about the unique ecosystem of the subalpine environment, how that environment changes throughout the year, and how our native plants and animals adjust to the seasons. We explore this vibrant mountain-top setting through hiking and group activities.

GRADE 2-3: THE FOOD WEB OF A SUBALPINE ECOSYSTEM

There is so much biodiversity and interconnected life in the subalpine! Grade 2 and 3 students will investigate the lifecycles, food webs and food chains found in this unique habitat. They will explore the Summit and take part in a team activity which demonstrates the sensitive relationships within a food web at this altitude.

GRADE 4: THE SUBALPINE BIOME AND ANIMALS WITH SUPER SENSES

In this course, we look into local wildlife biodiversity and discuss the topic of biomes. Together we learn about the delicate balance in the subalpine environment and what sustains a healthy ecosystem. We examine how animals, birds and reptiles use their senses to respond to other creatures and their environment. Students will discover just how vital these super senses are to some of our most familiar mountain residents.

GRADE 5-6: THE ROCK CYCLE

It is easy to see how amazing the local landscape is! From our Summit, each direction you look there is a rock feature of some kind. How did they get there and how did they form? Hiking our trails, students will discover how rocks transform from one type to another, and what forces build up the landscape and wear it down.

GRADE 7-8: ADAPTABILITY OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS IN THE SUBALPINE

The subalpine is home to some of British Columbia’s most fascinating wildlife and interesting plants. With specific reference to natural selection and the characteristics of life, students will discover the ways in which these plants and animals adapt to meet the challenges of finding food, avoiding predators, and surviving the changes of the seasons.

A collaboration between Sea to Sky Gondola, Mountain Research Initiative, Geo Mountains, the University of Calgary, and the Arctic Institute, our Mountain Sustainability Program is designed for learners of all ages. Students take a global view of mountains around the world and initiatives in mountain resilience, examining how mountains are created, what changes them, and the shared responsibilities of mountain stewardship. We make the most of our unique subalpine environment with hands-on activities on weather, glaciers, and biodiversity. In support of the United Nations declaration that 2022 is the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development, the program is built around the question "What do mountains mean to you?" #mountainsmatter 

Students who have already done our course, can try our new mountain sustainability case studies on wildlife counts and nature-based solutions like ecological restoration.

Drawing upon diverse primary sources, the VHEC's acclaimed teaching exhibition, Age of Influence: Youth & Nazi Propaganda, examines the Nazis’ efforts to manipulate the attitudes, experiences and aspirations of German children and teens. Youth magazines, photos, testimonies, video clips, books and posters are just some of the primary sources that students analyze to discover how the Nazi regime targeted young Germans for indoctrination in Nazi ideology. The VHEC's museum educators introduce students to core concepts of propaganda and guide them to critically evaluate messages and images. The tour includes a workshop and a small group activity which allows students to practise communication and collaboration skills while sharing their knowledge with others. The exhibition challenges viewers to look critically at both the messages and the techniques used by Nazi propagandists to influence youth. On view at the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre until June 2024. Book now: https://www.vhec.org/school-programs/exhibition-tours/