Grades 4-6

AdventureSmart is a great resource to help teach students about outdoor trip preparation. The website includes guides, checklists, and a fun online game! You can also request an outdoor educator to speak to your group virtually in either French or English!

Stories in the Schoolyard (K-4) invites students to step outside and find delight in the ordinary, wonderful ways nature's stories unfold right in their own schoolyard. This active place-responsive program will support students to foster a sense of belonging in nature at the same time as sparking their curiosity to learn more. In this program, we'll become better acquainted with that tree in the corner of the field that's almost been forgotten. We'll also follow along with the adventures of Gary the Goose as he finds courage in face of fear. Program includes: a puppet story, imaginative sensory play, Indigenous connections, group poetry writing, and lots of active movement.

We Can Too! (Gr. 2-4) invites students to notice how nature expresses itself in cycles. We will look for examples of natural cycles in the schoolyard and follow the adventures of Cate the Caterpillar as she transforms from caterpillar to butterfly. This program encourages students to develop a growth mindset and to discover their own unique gifts. Program includes: a puppet story, musical poetry, Indigenous connections, active movement, and a printable growth mindset resource. 

Visit the Thrive Outside resource portal and select whether you are a Recreation Worker, Caregiver, Parent, Educator, or Early Childhood Educator and instantly be connected to relevant resources! 

Also available in French! 

Download PictureThis, simply take or upload a photo of any plant and get instantaneous plant ID results! The website also has a massive plant encyclopedia and catalogue. 

Inside Education offers free environmental & natural resource education in the form of grants, lesson plans, activities, videos, teacher guides, toolkits, classroom and field programs, youth summits, and professional development for all grade levels in a huge variety of topics and subject areas!

Climate Change and Me is designed for elementary school and also available in French. This video series covers a variety of topics including: Greenhouse effect, biomes and ecosystems, the hydrological cycle, the role of plants in the fight against climate change, sources of energy, and the waste cycle.

Water Rangers provides testing kits that can be purchased online. Users can upload their data to the Water Rangers Data Platform, and view data collected by others all over Canada!

Students of all ages will become engaged in Eco-Games in their schoolyards. They involve scavenger hunts, secret codes, ecological literacy and sparks for further inquiry and action. There are 15 Eco-Games available for FREE download. Watch the youtube videos to learn how to set up the Eco-Games. 

Childhood By Nature's Mini Guide to Winter Nature provides images and information about the adaptations that animals have to survive in winter. The booklet also contains activities for students, such as identifying local birds. 

The Bateman Foundation provides lesson plans and videos about nature sketching. 

Lesson plans are also available in French.