Guides

Explore the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site to learn about history of boatbuilding and its importance in Steveston. Students will explore different kinds of boat by participating in a boat scavenger hunt, a caulking demonstration, and more maritime-themed activities. These steps will then be applied to a boatbuilding activity, with each student making their own small wooden boat to bring home.

Looking for a new and exciting way to connect kids with Parliament? Sign your class up for The Parliamentary Play and Tour for Schools, an interactive new program that includes a guided tour of the parliament buildings and a travelling historical play on the grounds. 

The program runs from May 22 to the end of June, 2023.

Program Information:

The Parliamentary Play and Tour for Schools begins at the rear library steps. From there, the group will join a performance of My Place in Politics. This interactive, child-friendly travelling play that whisks audiences back in time, to 1947. They will meet suffragists, students, and the participants of the Chocolate Bar strike, who will teach them about different ways that Canadians have advocated for change in the past. Then, the group will enter the buildings for a guided tour that focuses on how change is made at the Parliament Buildings today. 

While The Parliamentary Play and Tour for Schools is fun for all grades, it has been designed with the Grade 5 and 6 social studies curricula in mind. The play focuses on participation and representation in Canada's systems of government and how groups developed a plan of action to address issues like discrimination, inequality, and the fight for human rights. It can also be modified to fit the Grade 10 Social Studies Curriculum.

Drawn to History is where art and history meet. With historical photos and artifacts as inspiration, the activities in this kit take students through perspective drawing, contour shading, drawing faces, and contemporary issues with indigenous rock art. This kit is suitable for grades 5 to 12 (may be altered for lower grades), with strong curriculum connections in art and social studies.

Our Regional Indigenous Basketry explores the different weaving and dyeing techniques used by this region’s Indigenous Peoples. With a focus on the Sinixt Peoples, students will explore weaving, dying, food collection, and Indigenous language through a series of activities. From designing a basket to making a traditional Sinixt recipe, this kit provides a glimpse into the traditions of this area’s first peoples. This kit is suitable for grades kindergarten to grade 7, with curriculum links to Social Studies, Arts, Science, and Language Arts.

Explore the historic houses and engage in story time and eye-spy activities to learn about Steveston's unique cultural community. Students will participate in a shopping relay game while representing a family that may have lived in this community. Experience what life may have been like for the workers, families and children from diverse cultures who lived and worked here together. 

Since early migration until now, Chinese Canadians have had and continue to have diverse and complex relationships with Canada. Racial discrimination against Chinese Canadians was prevalent during the creation of the nation, yet their individual voices and experiences are often left out of the historical narrative. In this three-part field trip consisting of a visit to the Chinese Canadian Museum, the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden, as well as a mini Chinatown walking tour, students will explore the endurance of Vancouver Chinatown and the resilience of the Chinese Canadian community through stories of food, community, and activism.

This field trip for Gr 9 and 10 is hosted collaboratively in partnership by the Chinese Canadian Museum and Dr Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden, and features research and content development by the UBC Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies (UBC INSTRCC)

Please see chinatownexisting.wordpress.com for more details.

Take your students on an educational adventure that combines a treasure hunt and ecology knowledge! Led by clues and a forest map, your students will decode the mysteries of temperate rainforest plants and animals, searching for the secret of life in the rainforest. You’ll also have a chance to view forest life up close with our amazing projector!

*For classes coming on a guided program, you can add on an Eye Spy or Eco Quest at a discounted rate. Fees are $50 for larger classes (13-30 students) and $25 for smaller classes (up to 12 students).