Guides

Soil is much more than rocks and old leaves - it's a vibrant ecosystem. Since people walk on top of the soil, we often don't consider what's underneath. Your students will explore how soil is made, the layers of the soil, and the animals, plants, and fungi that both rely on and help create a healthy ecosystem.

Discover the differences between vertebrates and invertebrates. In this workshop, you’ll take a close-up look at invertebrates and then look at the interesting features of vertebrate skulls, bones, teeth, and claws. You’ll also learn about the adaptations that help temperate rainforest animals thrive in this cool, wet environment.

BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation (BCAITC) offers 500+ free downloadable agriculture and food resources for K-12 students. The lesson plans, unit plans, activities, recipes, storybooks, videos, and educational resources feature curriculum-connections to Science, Social Studies, Math, English Language Arts, Arts, Food Studies and more subjects.

Teachers, home educators, and students can download the resources here 24/7. These resources introduce food and agriculture education into students' lives to encourage appreciation of agriculture, food, and healthy eating for years to come!

With onsite school programs on hold, we are offering teachers and homeschoolers alternate ways to bring the farm to the classroom. Inspire your students with an experience of farm life from home. We are taking some of the best activities from our onsite school programs and making them available to become part of your remote learning workplans.

Something isn’t quite right on the reef. Can your class earn clues through a choose your own adventure on the reef? Talk to local animals, complete mini activities, and use body movements to get closer to solving the mystery, while learning how reducing plastic pollution and eating sustainable seafood can turn you into a superhero too! 

Learn why they are important for the ocean, and how our choices affect the survival of sharks all around the world.

The Virtual Aquaclass is an opportunity for students to connect live with an Ocean Wise educator without having to leave the classroom.

Standard programs are $100 per 45-minute sessions and include a Q&A time between students and our expert staff. Choose from our wide variety of programs.

Choose from our wide variety of programs. This program is customizable upon request* to address specific interest and needs of each group. All programs are available in English or French.

*additional costs may be required for customizations.

Explore additional topics on our webpage.

The Virtual Aquaclass is an opportunity for students to connect live with a Vancouver Aquarium educator without having to leave the classroom.

Primary, Intermediate, Secondary

Students will be introduced to the phyla Cephalopoda and the key characteristics that make this group of squids, octopuses, and cuttlefish so spectacular by joining our expert educator for a live squid dissection. Through an examination of the squid’s anatomy students will discuss how an animal’s adaptation helps them to survive in their environment.

*Dissection specimen may differ based on availablility.

Standard programs are $100 per 45-minute sessions and include a Q&A time between students and our expert staff. Choose from our wide variety of programs. This program is customizable upon request* to address specific interest and needs of each group. All programs are available in English or French.

Choose from our wide variety of programs. This program is customizable upon request* to address specific interest and needs of each group. All programs are available in English or French.

*additional costs may be required for customizations.

Explore additional topics on our Virtual Aquaclass webpage.

Can’t come to the Fraser River Discovery Centre? No problem! We can come to you! Two FRDC staff will bring all the materials necessary to run some of our most popular River School Programs right in your own classroom!

All materials will be fully sanitized between use, and the staff will wear masks. If there are additional safety protocols we need to follow, please contact us. Please note, small group work is part of each program, with frequent sanitation of touched objects.

Cost: $9 per student, plus $0.90 per kilometer between FRDC and your school.

Programs:

• Nature Walk (Grades 2-7)
  • On your last walk through nature, what did you notice? What did you wonder? In this program students will explore the connections between living things within their local environment (Kingdom Plantae). They will learn the connection between science and our communities and how they can begin to identify plants in their everyday lives. Students will learn some of the key identifiers of each sub-category in the Kingdom Plantae and use these skills on a nature walk. This information can then be used in the classroom to further investigate plants and find connections between plants, and between people and nature.
• Our Bones are Made of Salmon (Grades 4-7)
  • Indigenous people have relied on salmon since the fish became abundant in the Fraser River about 5000-6000 years ago. This program explores the connection between Indigenous people and salmon on the Fraser River. Students get hands-on experience with fishing technology, learn about wind-drying salmon, and discover that salmon is in the hearts of Indigenous people living along the Fraser River today.
• Living Dinosaurs (Grades K-7)
  • Sturgeon are amazing fish that have been around since the time of the dinosaurs. Human influences over the past 150 years have threatened their existence. In this program, students will learn about the sturgeon lifecycle, survival needs, and what we can do to protect this remarkable species.
• Trading Trail (Grades 2-5)
  • The Fraser River is one of the world’s great rivers not only in its contribution to the environmental, cultural, and historical wealth of British Columbia, but because of its current pivotal role in the economy of BC. We are going to explore how people have used and shared the resources of the Fraser River, focusing on the tumultuous time when First Nations and Fur traders shared the river.
• Welcomed by the Water (K-3)
  • Prior to European colonization, Indigenous peoples got what they needed from the land and water around them. Indigenous peoples have relied on salmon since the fish became abundant in the Fraser River about 5000-6000 years ago. They used native plants for food, medicine, building materials and more. This program explores the connection between Indigenous peoples, salmon, and the broader Fraser River Basin. Students experience the movement of salmon, storytelling and oral histories, and the many uses of native plants through an Indigenous perspective.
  • PLEASE NOTE: This program requires a large open space, like a covered play area or gymnasium.
• River of Stories (Grades K-2)
  • Join us as we journey down the river of stories from the headwaters to the mouth of the Fraser. Travelling along an interactive map, students will learn all about the Fraser River Basin through stories from the near and distant past. The program ends with a reflection on our place in this landscape, as students add their own story to the map. 
• Complexities and Compromises (Grades 8-12)
  • Many of the big decisions we face as individuals, communities, or nations don't have a correct answer. Making these decisions can be extremely challenging, as we grapple with information and misinformation, our own conscience, and strong opposing opinions. In the face of climate change, many of these decisions become even more challenging. In this program, students are sasked with deciding whether or not to approve a project that would have impacts on a global scale. We go step by step through the process, conducting research, mapping out consequences, and ultimately: deciding. 

For more information, visit our website or email us. 

Online booking form here.