Grade 1

For Kindergarten and Grade 1

The Nature Immersion program provides children and participants time to explore and develop a relationship with nature. The activities that take place at a Nature Immersion program are unique to each location and the participants’ interests. Our Nature based program is designed to inspire a love for nature and help connect children with their natural surroundings. The program takes place primarily outside in a natural space close to the childcare centre or school (weather permitting).

The Nature Immersion program consists of:

• An educator will visit the classroom on a bi-weekly basis (approximately 3 visits per centre/school)
• Each session lasts anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours 

For Grades 4, 5, 6

Using the basics of play and discovery, Eco-Buddies is an innovative, holistic approach to environmental education and eco-literacy. Through outdoor activities, games, exploration, experiments, crafts, and conversation, children and teachers will apply concepts from the Alberta science curriculum to the ecosystem around them and learn how organisms in nature work together to build healthy ecosystems. During each visit the classroom will go outside to their neighbouring natural area and learn about the challenges that trees, plants, wildlife, and people will face with a changing climate and how these organisms can come together to form healthy and resilient ecosystems

The ECO-Buddies program consists of:

• 1-hour teacher workshop where the ECO-buddies specialist will introduce the program and will present key concepts that will be elaborated on during the program. *workshop for school programs only
• Three, 2-hour visits by the ECO-Buddies educator at a walking distance from the School

Toronto Outdoor Education Schools has put together a searchable database of outdoor education activities for all grades and subject areas. 

Nature Companion is a free app/website introducing many of the plants and animals found in Canada’s four western provinces. In just one app, you’ll find basic information about over 300 common plants, trees, birds, animals, insects, reptiles, and amphibians. It's available on or off line. Nature Companion provides short, easy-to-understand descriptions and colourful photographs along with a Did you know? section with interesting, unexpected details about each species. It’s free with no ads or sign up and can be installed on your phone or tablet directly from the Nature Companion website.

Little Green Thumbs is a classroom gardening program, and Caring for Our Watersheds partners with communities and mentors to create focused solutions to local watershed issues. This program is for students in High Prairie and Slave Lake.

The Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society can come to your school or community group to teach about native wildlife, conservation, and create conversation around the implications of human activities on the health and safety of wild animals. A volunteer, partnered with one of their permanent resident owls or hawks (when available), will be delighted to help your group learn more about wildlife. Book a presentation today!

Ocean Networks Canada provides a rich bank of resources for teachers and students to introduce and explore different themes and concepts of ocean science.

The Indigenous Games for Children Resource is a collection of traditional Indigenous games and activities to help introduce or reconnect children to recreational and sport activities that reflect the rich cultural heritage of our Indigenous peoples across Canada. 

Energy. A topic that can divide, puzzle, inspire. Future Energy Systems is a research program out of the University of Alberta studying all aspects of the energy transition. Future Energy Systems researchers, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows are making home-learning resources available for students of all grade levels, as well as for members of the public. Content includes lab tours, at home experiments and crafts, mini talks, full lectures, storytimes with associated worksheets, and The Energy Adventures of Tommy and Remi, an educational children's book series! Register for weekly notifications of new videos and access to all content. 

The Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley has downloadable lesson plans about wildlife, conservation, and climate change for Kindergarten to Grade 9 science and social studies curriculum. They continue to improve these plans, including an ongoing collaboration with the Nakoda Youth Council to weave together Indigenous and Western perspectives and will continue adding lessons to the page. The Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley truly welcomes teacher input and feedback for improving these resources. 

Furthermore, the Biosphere Institute is excited to visit teachers' digital classroom through your preferred online platform. They are happy to deliver short presentations in topic areas related to climate change, sustainability, and human-wildlife coexistence and are happy to work with teachers on a one-on-one basis to meet their classroom needs. Explore the programs here. Teachers can email education@biosphereinstitute.org to book a program or to reach out with any questions.

Another program is WildSmart, which teaches residents and visitors to live smart with wildlife. Programs include bear spray training sessions, wildlife awareness talks, classroom programs and interactive booths for youth, families, outdoor educators, people employed in the recreation and tourism industry, and outdoor recreationalists.

Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society has a program called TD Learning Naturally in which students from K-6 have the opportunity to go on a curriculum-linked field trip to Fish Creek park who otherwise would not be able to afford it.