Park Changer Rangers
DRIVING QUESTION:
How does land change over time? How can we make a difference?
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
1) Intro: describing favourite parks, activities to do and changes we’ve seen at those parks. Students will be asked to find a favourite park and show it on Google maps.
2) Field Trip launch – visit Surrey Bend Regional Park
– Identify: favourite place/activities, possible changes that have occurred
– Listen to an expert share about flooding & erosion (at the park or as guest speaker in the classroom)
– Focus: 2018 Fraser River flooding
3) Investigate the effect of floods
– Create a model (simulation) of a flood – experiment
– Look at / create a timeline of flooding
– Discuss the effects of a flood and possibly invite a guest to share personal experience
– Re-enact a flood
4) Look at other ways that land changes over time because of wind, water or ice (first, extreme examples, then gradual change): wind storm, glaciers, stream bank, smooth rocks
– Watch videos / read articles / look at pictures
– Conduct other experiments: settling of soil and water, blowing air at sand castles
– Art: create before / after pictures
– Consider the seasonal effects
– Local examples
5) Mapping
– Compare maps of land that has changed over time: continents, river routes, etc
– Identify local landforms and predict how they have changed over time
– Be familiar with landform names
6) Create before/after models, posters or art to demonstrate how wind, water or ice has changed the land
7) Write paragraph explaining model, poster or art
8) Discuss – how can we make a difference in our parks to prevent erosion?
– Possible project with Metro Vancouver Regional Parks: Surrey Bend or Tynehead
– Reflection: Write about how we made a difference
CONNECTIONS AND PERSPECTIVES:
The secondary question (How can we make a difference?) very practically challenges students to use their new knowledge to consider how they can be good stewards of the earth. This also connects to Grade 3’s current outreach of picking up garbage in a local park every month.
