Vancouver

During the October visit of this year-long program, students will start building a relationship with the farm space. They will develop long-lasting connections with the land and its cycles and slow down and really observe and enjoy the world around them. Classes will practice a variety of naturalist and observation skills on their farm visit throughout the school year. 

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.

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.

In the Sea to Sky corridor, we are fortunate to be surrounded by mountains and a vast amount of backcountry to explore. Take advantage of the wilderness we're lucky enough to call our backyard and hike off-trail to experience our backcountry under the expertise of our education guides.

Students will cover a selection of the topics below. The Sea to Sky Gondola Education Guide leading your group will decide which of the topics will be taught depending on the weather, size and age of the group.

Hiking 101

Imagine you are heading out for a hike in the backcountry. How to prepare? Learn about planning and packing for a safe day hike in the backcountry.

Avalanche Awareness

Another essential part of planning a safe day out includes route planning and weather. We examine types of snow, types of hazards, and risk assessments in planning outdoor adventures.

Wilderness First Aid

Your day in the backcountry has been going great until one member of the group falls and is now injured! Learn to treat a medical emergency in the outdoors. Build and use an improvised stretcher to carry your friend to safety.

Shelter Building

Even with the best intentions things in the backcountry don’t always go to plan! Explore the skills and techniques needed to build a good shelter. Will your shelter keep you warm and dry, or will you be wet and cold as the rain comes in?

The VHEC's teaching exhibition In Focus: The Holocaust through the VHEC Collection introduces students to the history of the Holocaust with reference to primary source artefacts belonging to Holocaust survivors and victims. Led by a VHEC museum educator, the exhibition tour covers topics such as pre-war Jewish life, antisemitism, the rise of Nazism, Jewish refugees, rescue, resistance and post-war life. Over 90 artefacts donated by local Holocaust survivors are on view in this exhibition, each of which tells a poignant and unique story of Jewish life during the Holocaust. Students are given the opportunity for hands-on examination of select artefacts including personal letters, toys, photos, propaganda and other items. Tours include a workshop featuring survivor video testimonies and short films. On view until June 2024. Book now: https://www.vhec.org/school-programs/exhibition-tours/

Lost Lagoon hosts a wide variety of over-wintering bird species in the Park.

Flock to Stanley Park with your students to explore the Park’s birds! Use binoculars, learn how to identify winter bird species, and discover their many adaptations to survive the winters!

Book here!