June

Program Description & Details

Discover the differences between vertebrates and invertebrates. Take a close-up look at the interesting features of vertebrate skulls, bones, teeth, and claws. Learn about the amazing adaptations that help temperate rainforest animals thrive in this cool, wet environment. This program runs from 10am to 12pm. 

Duration: 
See notes.
For Grades: 
K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Months Available: 
Times Offered: 
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
No
Program Description & Details

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.

Duration: 
Half Day
For Grades: 
K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
Contact Us
Program Description & Details

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?

Duration: 
Half Day
For Grades: 
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
Contact Us
Program Description & Details

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.

Duration: 
Half Day
For Grades: 
K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
Contact Us
Program Description & Details

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/

City: 
Duration: 
90
For Grades: 
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
No
Program Description & Details

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.

Grades: 2-7              Length: 1.5 – 2 hours                Maximum group size: 30 students

Program Components:

  • Introduction to Kingdom Plantae
  • Explore and observe nature by going on a nature walk
  • Practice observation skills through different activities
  • Make connections between science and our communities
  • This program starts with a 20-minute presentation inside, then takes place mostly outside.

Click here to see how this program supports BC’s curriculum for Grades 2-7.

Click here for the pre-visit activity for River Champions Grades 2-7.

City: 
Duration: 
90
For Grades: 
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Days Offered: 
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
No
Program Description & Details

Brief description of program: 

This unique field trip offers students an on-site tour of the first and only facility in North America dedicated to recovery and recycling of ocean plastic with direct traceability to ocean recovery expeditions. It includes hands-on interactive sorting of ocean plastics.

Can’t get to our facility? Be sure to check out our FREE online program, EPIC Academy at: https://www.bcfieldtrips.ca/trip/explore-issues-about-ocean-plastics-and...

Full Trip Details: 

Ocean Legacy Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the ocean plastic pollution crisis, and strengthening the plastic circular economy through our recycling program. Our work is built on a four-pillar program called EPIC, which stands for Education, Policy, Infrastructure, and Cleanup.

Education and Policy are upstream efforts that prevent plastics and other waste from reaching our oceans and waterways. Infrastructure and Cleanup are downstream initiatives that seek to remove plastics from our oceans and shorelines, and process them for reintroduction into the plastic circular economy. 

The field trip will occur primarily outdoors at our Plastic Pollution Emergency Response recycling facility located at Steveston Harbour in Richmond. Ours is the first and only facility that collects marine plastics from a wide variety of sources to recover what was considered waste and turns it back into reusable plastic. Sources include: our own cleanup expeditions on coastal waters and shorelines, the Ocean Legacy network of Ocean Plastic Depots across BC and Atlantic Canada, used marine/fishing gear, ghost gear, materials collected by other non-profit cleanup organizations and marine industrial businesses. 

The tour offers an opportunity to see the process used to convert recovered marine plastic back into high-grade 100% post-consumer processed plastic pellets for use in the manufacturing of durable products as part of the circular economy. Ultimately, the goal of the field trip is to foster understanding of the plastic pollution crisis and circular economy principles: what is considered waste, how much of what consumers use daily is actually recyclable/recoverable, and to provide students with hands-on interaction with marine debris. Students develop awareness of their own plastic consumption habits, and ways they can take direct action to become part of the solution. Students will see the transformation of ocean plastic waste into new resources that have economic value.

Knowledge gained in this field trip can be enhanced when paired with EPIC Academy, Ocean Legacy's 10 lessons of no-cost/fully-funded online ocean plastics education. This LMS platform offers access to both individual online learners and also has downloadable materials for classroom educators. Includes classroom PowerPoint presentations, fully developed lesson plans, reflective activities and quizzes/answers sheets.

Fieldtrip structure:

  • Walk the facility perimeter to see the equipment and portions of the recovery process
  • Watch ocean plastics recycling in action
  • Identify resin codes
  • Sort items you see and use at home: a large bag of ocean-recovered plastic materials will be emptied to engage all students in an interactive sorting activity that demonstrates what types of commonly used plastics end up in the ocean. This prompts students consider their consumption habits and connects cause and effect of reduced consumption and proper disposal
  • See benches and lumber made from ocean-recovered plastic

What to bring:

  • Work gloves for sorting
  • Closed-toe shoes are required for safety
  • Snacks 
  • Water bottle (can be refilled with filtered water on-site if needed)

One single stall/private washroom is available on site.

FREE PARKING - is available on Chatham street; pay parking is also available in the lot directly in front of our facility.

 

City: 
Duration: 
60
For Grades: 
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Days Offered: 
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
No
Program Description & Details

Explore the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site through the lens of innovation, and how things have changed throughout the history of fishing and boatbuilding in Steveston. Students will engage in four different interactive stations with themes ranging from innovation in recycling, resources, and communications. These concepts will then be discussed and applied to a boatbuilding activity, with each student making their own wooden boat model to bring home.

City: 
Duration: 
90
For Grades: 
4, 5, 6
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
Contact Us
Program Description & Details

Explore the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site to learn about history of boatbuilding and its importance in Steveston. Students will explore the different steps to build a boat by participating in a tool 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.

City: 
Duration: 
90
For Grades: 
K, 1, 2, 3
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
Contact Us
Program Description & Details

About This Online Resource:  EPIC Academy Ocean Plastics Curriculum

A fully funded, fully developed curriculum targeted at secondary students ages 14+ (with materials accessible for lower grades as well) that is a comprehensive and thorough examination of ocean plastic pollution, microplastics and ways to help mitigate these serious issues. Content is available either as an online offering that students can navigate on their own, or can be accessed through downloadable offerings and presented offline in class. We highly recommend use of downloadable supports for classroom use.

10 lessons (15 hours of study in total) available in English, French and Spanish, aligned with BC Curriculum. Content can be paused at any point and returned to at the instructor's convenience (auto-saves).

Educator Materials include: detailed lesson plans and classroom presentations, reflective and group activities, quizzes and answer sheets.

Digital badges are available for every lesson and printable certificates are provided on completion.

Lessons 1 to 5 are foundational knowledge specifically directed toward classroom educators. Lessons 6 to 10 are advanced, directed toward creating meaningful change by advocacy, enacting policy, building a recycling system or upgrading infrastructure and managing media.  

Access requires the creation of a login that allows teachers (or individual users) to track progress through the lessons. This links to completed content for printable certificates.

There are 5 questions asked during the registration process: Are you a teacher or a student? What is your school/location if applicable? What country are you learning from? What language are you learning in? How did you hear about this resource?

STAY TUNED for upcoming listings of in-person tours at our Ocean Plastics Recycling Facility located in Steveston Harbour, Richmond.

City: 
Duration: 
Outreach Kit/Online Resource
For Grades: 
9, 10, 11, 12
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
Yes
Program Description & Details

As a distinctive neighbourhood filled with cultural monuments and historic sites, Chinatown’s public places are a precious and integral part of the city. Yet the neighbourhood is evolving quickly and many heritage sites are starting to disappear. How might we imagine a future Chinatown that honours and protects its heritage while welcoming new ideas and communities? We’ll survey Chinatown’s past and present sites of cultural significance and invite students to imagine the neighbourhood’s next phase of growth and revitalization with a creative “vision board” activity.

Total length: 1 - 2 hours
Grade levels: 9 - 12
Cost per student: $8 (1 adult chaperone per 10 students may visit for free)

Connections to the BC Social Studies Big Ideas

Grade 9

  • Collective identity is constructed and can change over time.
  • Emerging ideas and ideologies profoundly influence societies and events.
  • The physical environment influences the nature of political, social, and economic change.

Grade 10 

  • Historical and contemporary injustices challenge the narrative and identity of Canada as an inclusive, multicultural society. 

Grade 11

  • Decision making in urban and regional planning requires balancing political, economic, social, and environmental factors.

Grade 12

  • Social justice initiatives can transform individuals and systems.
City: 
Duration: 
90
For Grades: 
9, 10, 11, 12
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
No
Program Description & Details

How did Chinese immigrant communities maintain a sense of identity and overcome the challenges of discrimination to settle in Vancouver’s Chinatown? How did they strive to create a sense of home and belonging? 

Students will explore these questions by engaging with our interactive exhibits and touchable teaching collection. By investigating historic photos, head tax certificates, cultural artefacts, and personal belongings, students will be introduced to discriminatory policies that define the Chinese Canadian experience as well as the community’s diligent efforts to overcome them.

Total length: 1 - 2 hours 

Grade levels: 4-6

Cost per student: $8 (1 adult chaperone per 5 students may visit for free)

City: 
Duration: 
90
For Grades: 
4, 5, 6
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
No
Program Description & Details

In this guided school program, students will learn about the history and cultural life of Vancouver’s Chinatown through our interactive exhibits and touchable teaching collection. Delving into the lived experiences and mementos of Chinatown’s diverse residents, students will gain an appreciation for the community’s resilient spirit and rich cultural heritage.

Total length: 1 hour

Grade levels: adaptable to all grade levels

Cost per student: $8 (1 adult chaperone per 5 students may visit for free)

City: 
Duration: 
60
For Grades: 
K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
No
Program Description & Details

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.

Duration: 
80
For Grades: 
K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Months Available: 
Times Offered: 
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
No
Program Description & Details

Bring your class for a free guided tour of the B.C. Parliament Buildings. Guided tours provide an overview of the history of the Parliament Buildings and the role of the Legislative Assembly. 

City: 
Duration: 
60
For Grades: 
K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Maximum Students: 
Offered In French: 
Yes

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