This morning, I’m so proud to feature a guest blog post from Cathy Beach. (@beachcat11)
You’ll find details here about “A Kid’s Guide to Canada“, a project to help students and schools connect for Canada’s 150th birthday.
Check it out; you don’t start today – the kickoff is January 1, 2017. It’s something that Canadian classrooms and Canadian students worldwide can become partners with.
Canadian elementary school teachers: Have you been wondering how your students could celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday in both an educational and meaningful way?
How about challenging your students to use their personal genius and create some real Canadian history in the process?
The project is
- no-cost
- entirely voluntary
- cross-curricular
- open-ended
- multi-lingual (French, English, and Indigenous languages)
- inclusive of all cultures, languages, special needs, and school systems
It capitalizes on
- Student interests and talents
- Critical Thinking about Canada at 150
- Rich tasks for an authentic audience
- Inquiry-based learning
- Curriculum connections
- Creativity and Innovation
- Connected learning and digital citizenship
- Innovative collaborations
- Outdoor & experiential learning
- Character Education, Learning Skills, and 21st Century Skills
The project begins by challenging students to investigate their own identity, to wonder what they would like the children of Canada to know about growing up in their community, and to realize what talents they have to introduce them. Canadian classroom teachers will have the ability to post their students’ community introductions to an interactive map of Canada donated to the project by ESRI Canada. Both students and the public will then be able to click on any location and discover the information about that community created by the local school children.
The last part of the project involves teachers using a new registry created on the Digital Human Library to find and connect with other classes across the vast physical and mutlicultural landscape we call Canada. Through this new registry, our children have an unprecedented opportunity to meet and get to know their peers, to learn to work and play together, and to truly help to create a new culture of mutual understanding, empathy and respect.
Inquiry and authentic audience, collaborating to create a Canadian first, building new values and relationships for the next 150 years, discovering children truly matter – if you are a Canadian elementary school teacher, please have your students join in!
10 Different ways Canadian JK-8 teachers can get involved right now:
1. READ the A Kids’ Guide WEBSITE for full information
2. SIGN UP on the MAILING LIST to get regular updates and early notification of
official registration opening
3. Have your students CONTRIBUTE to the PROMOTIONAL VIDEO
4. START NOW with your students to LEARN ABOUT and RECORD EVENTS
in your home community (generally, the area within your school catchment area)
5. LEARN about the cultures of people who live in your own area with your students.
6. FOLLOW the PROJECT on TWITTER or FACEBOOK, and share the project
with your colleagues, family, and friends.
7. PROMOTE the PROJECT within your school, family of schools, school district,
Trustees, your Teachers’ Union/Federation, friends, family, etc.
8. OFFER TO HELP your provincial committee or the national organizing team by
contacting akgtcanada@gmail.com
9. SIGN UP on the Digital Human Library to begin connecting your class with other
classes and experts on different topics.
10. READ the TRUTH & RECONCILIATION Summary Report and its Calls to Action
And this is how change happens:
one person, one gesture, one moment in time.
~ Libba Bray
doug -- off the record 
Please share your thoughts here. I’d enjoy reading them.