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A Letter to Teachers
Dear Teachers,
The following is an educational resource package that complements and supports the Fort Selkirk Virtual Museum of Canada exhibit. It includes fourteen lesson plans designed for the classroom, forty activities designed for both the classroom and the outdoors, evaluation tools for teachers and students, a complete itinerary for an actual school visit to Fort Selkirk and additional resources that complement the lessons and activities.
The Lesson Plans are divided into eight different themes that include suggested follow-up learning activities for students that reinforce the concepts taught in the lesson. Teachers can access the suggested activities at the end of each lesson by clicking on the links at the bottom of the lesson, or can browse the complete list of activities by clicking on the link entitled Activity Bank. Each activity within the activity bank has suggested lesson plans that complement the concept being taught. The education resource package has been set up in this way because the entire unit has many areas of overlap, and teachers are encouraged to mix and match lessons and activities that better suit their particular classroom needs. Curriculum Links have been set up for each lesson plan, and a list of additional reading and Curriculum Resources have been provided to help use this educational supplement. Printer-friendly versions of all lessons, activities, evaluation tools and necessary information have been provided for ease of downloading.
Also included in this educational resource are a series of simple evaluation tools for students to complete in the classroom. There is a tool for each of the themes in the unit. Students will complete the evaluation activities more easily if they have access to the Fort Selkirk Virtual Museum of Canada exhibit. See the Evaluation Tools for more information.
Should teachers wish to travel with their classes to the actual site of Fort Selkirk, there is a three-day, two-night itinerary included. The activities suggested in the Field Trip Guide are comprised mostly of learning activities from the Activity Bank, and include a lot of time devoted to journal writing and personal reflection.
Another feature of this educational unit is an evaluation tool in the form of a passport. Teachers can download a template of a passport and students can earn stamps when they have completed lessons and learning activities in the different themes. Teachers can also use the passport as a record of achievement for students and parents alike. See the Passport link in evaluation tools link for more information.
This educational resource is an excellent source for science and social science content for both elementary and (junior) secondary classrooms, and many of the learning activities have mathematical, language art and visual art connections. The lessons are written for elementary teachers, but each lesson contains extensions of concepts that may be applicable to more senior students. Although the material in this package is referenced to Yukon curriculum and resources, it is the intent of the Yukon Government that this learning package be applicable to students throughout Canada and the world. The design of lessons and learning activities are compatible with different provincial curriculum documents. Please feel free to modify any of the lessons or activities that you see in this resource, but remember to credit the department of Business, Tourism and Culture, Cultural Services Branch, Fort Selkirk VMC. Thanks to Lee Kubica and the Department of Education, YTG, and the many other individuals, businesses and government organizations in the Yukon who provided information for this educational resource of the Fort Selkirk Virtual Museum of Canada exhibit.
Heather Birchard
