Third Grade science unit about inherited traits with a focus on birds.
In this activity, students learn about their heart rate and different ways it can be measured. Students construct a simple measurement device using clay and a toothpick, and then use this device to measure their heart rate under different circumstances (i.e., sitting, standing and jumping). Students make predictions and record data on a worksheet.
This article describes the urban heat island phenomenon and provides an overview of a research project investigating the effect as seen in New York City. Topics include the large proportion of earth's population now living in cities and the exacerbating effect of climate change on heat islands. A discussion of the study in New York describes how researchers used LandSat imagery to correlate the hottest areas of the city with a lack of vegetation (especially trees) in those areas. Suggested mitigation solutions included planting more trees, converting roof surfaces to reflect light, and the use of 'green roofs', specially constructed systems that use living plants as the outermost layer.
In this 1-2 week engineering design lesson, students will design and build water filters out of natural materials to simulate a filter system (bioswales) that cleans storm-water runoff before it soaks into the ground or enters a city’s storm-drain system. Their ultimate goal is to determine the combination and sequence of materials that best clean polluted water. Using materials easily found in pet stores and garden centers, students use the scientific method, students design to test and retest their designs and record, display and analyze their results.
In this visually dazzling talk, Jonathan Drori shows the extraordinary ways flowering plants -- over a quarter million species -- have evolved to attract insects to spread their pollen: growing 'landing-strips' to guide the insects in, shining in ultraviolet, building elaborate traps, and even mimicking other insects in heat. Jonathan Drori commissioned the BBC's very first websites, one highlight in a long career devoted to online culture and educational media -- and understanding how we learn. A quiz, thought provoking question, and links for further study are provided to create a lesson around the 14-minute video. Educators may use the platform to easily "Flip" or create their own lesson for use with their students of any age or level.
Discover all that the Meewasin Valley Authority with a variety of different options in programming from grades 3-6.
Grade 3 Ecology Programs – Northeast Swale
Explore Nature in the City! The Grade 3 Program at the Northeast Swale is a half-day of learning in a unique prairie wetland habitat. This program includes a nature hike in the ecological core of the Northeast Swale and features the exploration of ecosystem connections, identification of grassland plants and wildlife, nature mindfulness, and discussions of Indigenous Worldviews and treaty relationships as well as other place-based learnings.
These half-day programs (9:30 am – 11:30 am OR 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm) are offered in spring (May & June) and fall (September & October).
Grade 4/5/6 Ecology Programs – Beaver Creek Conservation Area
Beaver Creek Ecology programs include a full day of learning out in nature! You and your students will learn about and observe spring/fall migration, and mating and nesting behaviors of common birds at Beaver Creek with a special focus on the resident Black-capped Chickadee. This program also explores the impacts of weather systems on plants and animals, sustainable grassland management, medicinal plant uses, keystone species, predator-prey relationships, and the importance of citizen science.
These full-day programs (10:00 am – 2:30 pm) are offered each spring (April – June) and fall (September – November). We are grateful to SaskPower for their support of Meewasin’s educational programming.
Grade 4/5/6 Cross-Country Ski Program – Beaver Creek Conservation Area
In this full day program, students have an opportunity to feed the resident Black-capped Chickadees at Beaver Creek and to learn about winter adaptations, the importance of snow as habitat, and animal tracks on the open prairie. Students are introduced to cross-country skiing through a short lesson, followed by a 60 – 90 minute ski on the upland prairie with stunning views of the South Saskatchewan River Valley.
This ski trail is both fun and accessible for all skill levels! This full-day program (10:00 am – 2:30 pm) is offered in winter (January – March).
The PhET project at the University of Colorado creates "fun, interactive, research-based simulations of physical phenomena." This particular one deals with Beer's Law. "The thicker the glass, the darker the brew, the less the light that passes through." Make colorful concentrated and dilute solutions and explore how much light they absorb and transmit using a virtual spectrophotometer! The simulation is also paired with a teachers' guide and related resources from PhET. The simulation is also available in multiple languages.
The PhET project at the University of Colorado creates "fun, interactive, research-based simulations of physical phenomena." This particular one deals with Beer's Law. "The thicker the glass, the darker the brew, the less the light that passes through." Make colorful concentrated and dilute solutions and explore how much light they absorb and transmit using a virtual spectrophotometer! The simulation is also paired with a teachers' guide and related resources from PhET. The simulation is also available in multiple languages.
The study of biomimicry and sustainable design promises great benefits in design applications, offering cost-effective, resourceful, non-polluting avenues for new enterprise. An important final caveat for students to understand is that once copied, species are not expendable. Biomimicry is intended to help people by identifying natural functions from which to pattern human-driven services. Biomimicry was never intended to replace species. Ecosystems remain in critical need of ongoing protection and biodiversity must be preserved for the overall health of the planet. This activity addresses the negative ramifications of species decline. For example, pollinators such as bees are a vital work force in agriculture. They perform an irreplaceable task in ensuring the harvest of most fruit and vegetable crops. In the face of the unexplained colony collapse disorder, we are only now beginning to understand how invaluable these insects are in keeping food costs down and even making the existence of these foods possible for humans.
Before the Plate documentary is about the questions, the stories and the people behind where our food comes from and how it gets to our plate. We have developed a comprehensive, curriculum-linked Documentary Viewing Guide for Grades 9-12 students that meets learning outcomes in Science, Social Studies, Health, Careers, PAA and more! The teacher resource includes information about how to gain full viewing access to the Before the Plate documentary (pg. 3).
Before the Plate (1 hr 30 min) attempts to close the gap in perception between the urban consumer and farming in Canada. Modern consumers are increasingly interested in where and how their food gets to them, but accurate information isn’t always easy to come by and often feels out of reach. Before the Plate follows young farmers and industry experts in order to show the general population what a modern Canadian farm operation looks like, and answer the most pressing questions consumers have about their food.
Have you seen the Before the Plate documentary? Are you wanting to use it as a resource in your classroom? We have developed a comprehensive, curriculum-linked Documentary Viewing Guide for Grades 9-12 students that meets learning outcomes in Science, Social Studies, Health, Careers, PAA and more! Make sure you download the Before the Plate - Teacher Guide first to access the documentary, answer key, and for more information on the resource!
Have you seen the Before the Plate documentary? Are you wanting to use it as a resource in your classroom? We have developed a comprehensive, curriculum-linked Documentary Viewing Guide for Grades 9-12 students that meets learning outcomes in Science, Social Studies, Health, Careers, PAA and more! This resource includes full viewing access to the Before the Plate documentary.
What does it take to walk the talk? Learn about how Vancouver Aquarium, an Ocean Wise Initiative, leads by example by using sustainable, environmentally safe practices in its operations. Be surprised in what small changes you can make in your own life to be green.
Students learn about material properties, and that engineers must consider many different materials properties when designing. This activity focuses on strength-to-weight ratios and how sometimes the strongest material is not always the best material.
Explore bending of light between two media with different indices of refraction. See how changing from air to water to glass changes the bending angle. Play with prisms of different shapes and make rainbows.
Students toss coins to determine what traits a set of mouse parents possess, such as fur color, body size, heat tolerance, and running speed. Then they use coin tossing to determine the traits a mouse pup born to these parents possesses. Then they compare these physical features to features that would be most adaptive in several different environmental conditions. Finally, students consider what would happen to the mouse offspring if those environmental conditions were to change: which mice would be most likely to survive and produce the next generation?
Learn about the Cree Calendar and what the different months of the year mean.
Bernoulli's principle relates the pressure of a fluid to its elevation and its speed. Bernoulli's equation can be used to approximate these parameters in water, air or any fluid that has very low viscosity. Students learn about the relationships between the components of the Bernoulli equation through real-life engineering examples and practice problems.
This is an important principle involving the movement of a fluid through a pressure difference. Suppose a fluid is moving in a horizontal direction and encounters a pressure difference. This pressure difference will result in a net force, which by Newton's 2nd law will cause an acceleration of the fluid. The fundamental relation,which is known as Bernoulli's principle. This is very similar to the statement we encountered before for a freely falling object, where the gravitational potential energy plus the kinetic energy was constant (i. e., was conserved).
Bernoulli's principle thus says that a rise (fall) in pressure in a flowing fluid must always be accompanied by a decrease (increase) in the speed, and conversely, if an increase (decrease) in , the speed of the fluid results in a decrease (increase) in the pressure. This is at the heart of a number of everyday phenomena. As a very trivial example, Bernouilli's principle is responsible for the fact that a shower curtain gets ``sucked inwards'' when the water is first turned on. What happens is that the increased water/air velocity inside the curtain (relative to the still air on the other side) causes a pressure drop. The pressure difference between the outside and inside causes a net force on the shower curtain which sucks it inward. A more useful example is provided by the functioning of a perfume bottle: squeezing the bulb over the fluid creates a low pressure area due to the higher speed of the air, which subsequently draws the fluid up. This is illustrated in the following figure.