Both Pre-Visit and Post-Visit Packages

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. 

(K-3) Prior to European colonization, Indigenous peoples got what they needed from the land and water around them. Indigenous people 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 people, 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.

This program is divided into:

• Introduction to program, centre and rules Outside (5 minutes)
• Read aloud P'ésk'a and the First Salmon Ceremony (20 minutes)
• Stations (20 minutes each)
  • Salmon Life Cycle and Migration (An acting game where students envision themselves as migrating salmon)
  • Build a Plant (Understand traditional Indigenous uses for local plants, and invent a possible new plant)
• Film (Salmon origin traditional Indigenous oral stories) (20 minutes)
• Conclusion (5 minutes)

For more information, visit our website or email us. 

Online booking form here. 

Want to enjoy the bounty of a productive urban farm day without worrying about planning and planting months in advance? Come join us for the best part of the season... eating delicious, fresh, local produce! Tour the farm and explore what’s currently growing while learning about our organic, low-till practices. Students will find themselves helping out with each step of the process: harvesting, washing, and preparing a salad for everyone to enjoy. We’ll also make a delicious dressing by hand (with honey from our bees!) to complement the meal we share together at the tour’s conclusion.

This large-format, illustrated book and Teacher's Package look at the history, traditions and culture of the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. Written by Squamish language teacher Khelsilem, the book highlights significant aspects of traditional and contemporary cultures.

The Kit includes lesson plans for intermediate or secondary levels that encourage discussion and critical thinking at all grade levels. Also available in French: Le livre des peuples autochtones a Vancouver Nord.

Format: The Kit comes with one hardcover copy of the book as well as an electrionic copy of it, 22 laminate pages from the book, and lesson plans for intermediate or secondary grades.

Visit https://monova.ca/indigenous-peoples-in-north-vancouver/ to view the intermediate and secondary teacher's guides.

As classes plant and tend vegetables at local community gardens, students learn about soil and composting, discover the needs of plants, and become environmental stewards.  Throughout the series, they will develop an awareness of environmental issues and social responsibiility as they learn about local food security.  Food grown and harvested is donated to local food banks.

This workshop series will be 4 sessions, administered outside, and masks are required for all students.  All workshop supplies will be sanitized after every single presentation.

September 16, 2024-June 27, 2025

Referencing works from the City's Permanent Art Collection, participants explore the progression of themes and techniques in contemporary Coast Salish art. Discussions on appropriation and use of copyrighted work will be discussed within this program. Students will finish the workshop by creating their own collagraph print.

Curriculum Tie-ins: Indigenous Art, Community, Art Education

Explore the life of early Surrey residents and compare it to our lives today. Students move through a virtual museum as they learn about pioneer homes like the Anderson Cabin, natural resources in the Surrey Stories gallery, and how raw wool becomes clothing in the Textile Studio. Students will discover how diverse the community of Surrey is.