Over the past four years, the Conservation Learning Centre's school program has become a major activity and a high profile event. The number of students visiting the CLC has steadily increased: 1995 - 461; 1996 - 732; 1997 - 926; 1998 - 1005. Each year demand outweighs available tour and coordinator time. Because of the increasing interest in the Conservation Learning Centre's school program, we submit a more in-depth overview of the school program to better inform our sponsors, members, educators and readers.
The Conservation Learning Centre's Education Program offers students from grades 3 to 9 and 11 practical hands-on activities which supplement and enrich each grade's science curriculum with special emphasis on conservation.
Each April and August, letters of invitation are sent to surrounding schools inviting students and teachers to take advantage of our in-school presentations (currently grades 5 and 6 with plans to expand to grades 7 through 11) and our activity-related tours at the CLC. Classes are booked on a first-to-phone basis.
Objectives of the tours vary with curriculum requirements, age of student as well as season. A variety of methods are used to introduce and develop the concepts of conservation with relation to agriculture. In-school presentations begin with a general introduction of the topic, including terminology and skills. This is developed through games, quizzes, demonstrations, experiments, charts and slide presentations. Students are given worksheets specific to the upcoming field trip to the CLC. Worksheet answers are provided to teachers upon request.
Areas of study enhanced or supplemented by activities provided by the CLC include:
Grade 3 Food chains: Food chains and nature's ecosystem. Food chains and the relationship between animals and their environment. The importance of conserving wetland habitat.
Grade 4 Weather: Predicting weather: air quality, plant diversity. The importance of water conservation. The effects of changing weather on habitat.
Grade 5 Plant growth: Structure and functions. Saskatchewan soils - causes of erosion and degradation. The importance of soil in food production. The importance of soil conservation.
Grade 6 Ecosystems: The interrelationships of plants, animals and soils. Soil textures. The importance of conserving soils, water and wildlife habitat.
Grade 7 Plant reproduction / Microorganisms: A close look at life, reproduction, and survival environment of plants and animals. The relationship between microorganisms and soils. The relationship between weathering, soil erosion and plant sustainability. Conservation issues.
Grade 8 Managing plant growth: Nutrients, soils, hardiness, plant reproduction. Soil, water, and technology. Environmental interactions. Changes in agriculture in the 90's.
Grade 9 Diversity of living things: Classifying, adaptation, reproduction and survival. Environmental quality: Sustainability of plant and animal life. Air quality, water quality. People and the environment.
Grade 11 The evolution of land use choices: Soil management.
Technology and farming: Application to today's agricultural challenges.
The field presentations and activities begin with a background of the CLC, its partners (SSCA, Ducks Unlimited, Royal Bank of Canada, PFRA, etc.) and their role in the programs at the CLC. Concepts are introduced or reviewed. Students participate in relevant games developed for the program. The groups tour the facility, worksheet in hand, and participate in field activities that vary from a scavenger hunt to a walk along the Wetland Wonder Trail. Findings are discussed upon return to the field classroom and summaries are completed at the CLC or later in the school.
Evaluation
All visiting educators are asked to evaluate their students' reactions, identify benefits and comment on the general usefulness of the in-school and/or field. Responses to the evaluation have been very positive and useful as they are instrumental to the planning process for an expanded school program.
In assessing the Autumn 1998 evaluations, all respondents indicated that they would visit the Conservation Learning Centre again in the near future. Most felt the time spent at the CLC was adequate for their class while a few thought that 2.5 hours was too short for the activities covered. Respondents indicated that the activities were "age and grade appropriate" and that "the students could now see relationships, understand plant succession and the importance of habitat." Others commented on the "scavenger hunt" and how it kept the students focused. Most agreed that "games were an excellent way of teaching about conserving our wetlands".
When students and teachers were asked what they found the most interesting, participants replied: "everything, especially finding the different scavenger hunt articles, the bones"; "the animal remains"; "the Wetland Wonder Walk"; "looking for insects and wildlife"; "they loved the games and nature hunt check sheets"; "the hands-on approach, being actively involved".
When respondents were asked to suggest changes to activities, most indicated they were very satisfied with the current format. One comment summed up the general feeling of the respondents: "Why change a good thing!?!"
The Future
Providing children with in-school presentations and hands-on curriculum-related activities are excellent methods of educating children to the importance of the conservation of soil, water and wildlife habitat. These methods are extremely popular at the present. As word spreads about the effectiveness of our program, demand is increasing rapidly. There is room for growth in both numbers and scope, given increased input of information, delivery of hands-on curriculum-related activities and access to necessary materials and services.
If you have any questions about our school program or are interested in booking a tour, please contact us at 306-764-3345 (Garry) or 306-953-2796 (Laurie).