Scholarly Inquiry: The Canadian Amazing Race
Purpose: This activity will provide students an opportunity to explore and engage in self directed learning using the internet. The activity can take in the form of the popular reality show Amazing Race, where teams compete to complete quests. The activity will allow students to research different Canadian National Parks (as part of the Grade 5 social studies learning outcome).
Grade level: Grade 5
Subject Area: Social Studies/ Science
List of the most relevant ICT outcomes:
Purpose: This activity will provide students an opportunity to explore and engage in self directed learning using the internet. The activity can take in the form of the popular reality show Amazing Race, where teams compete to complete quests. The activity will allow students to research different Canadian National Parks (as part of the Grade 5 social studies learning outcome).
Grade level: Grade 5
Subject Area: Social Studies/ Science
List of the most relevant ICT outcomes:
- C6 Students will use technology to investigate and/ or solve problems
- F6 Students will demonstrate a basic understanding of the operating skills required in a variety of technologies
- P1 Students will compose, revise and edit text
- P3 Students will communicate through multimedia
- P4 Students will integrate various applications
- P5 Students will navigate and create hyperlinked resources
- P6 Students will use communication technology to interact with others
Instructions:
1. Send each team the first Search Task via email.
2. When a team respond to your email with the correct answer, provide them with the associated activity.
3. Repeat each search-activity sets until a team completes the challenge.
The primary focus outcome of this activity is in the social studies subject area, however activities will integrate learning outcomes from the science subject area (The GLO/ SLO will be indicated in the activity).
1. Send each team the first Search Task via email.
2. When a team respond to your email with the correct answer, provide them with the associated activity.
3. Repeat each search-activity sets until a team completes the challenge.
The primary focus outcome of this activity is in the social studies subject area, however activities will integrate learning outcomes from the science subject area (The GLO/ SLO will be indicated in the activity).
_QUEST 1
Search 1: Your team will start the race at this Canadian National Park Reserve. Please identify the name of this national park and province where this picture is taken.
Answer Key:
National Park Reserve Name: Pacific Rim National Park Reserve Province: British Columbia |
Activity 1: Welcome to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve in beautiful British Columbia. British Columbia is not only known for its beautiful landscape, it is also one of the most culturally diverse province in Canada. Of all provinces, British Columbia also have the most people from different ethnic origin. Please learn to speak a greeting in two different languages other than English and French that can be heard in Canada.
To move onto the next challenge, record and send the instructor via email the link/ file of the two greetings using http://vocaroo.com/ Subject Area: Social Studies GLO: Histories & Stories of Ways of Life in Canada SLO: 5.2.1 - appreciate the complexity of identity in the Canadian context: acknowledge the contributions made by diverse cultural groups to the evolution of Canada |
QUEST 2
Search 2: What is Canada's first National Park?
To move on to the next Activity, screenshot two images.
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Activity 2: Calgary is a major metropolitan city located about 45 minutes east of Banff National Park. Because of its location relative to the rocky mountains, Calgary is known to be affected by a weather phenomenon known as Chinook.
Chinook can cause temperature in Calgary to raise by 20°C from -10°C to +10°C in a few hours. Draw on a poster paper how air travel from the mountain to Calgary to cause this weather phenomenon. Subject Area: Science GLO: 5-9 Investigate relationships between weather phenomena and human activity. SLO: Describe patterns of air movement, in indoor and outdoor environments, that result when one area is warm and another area is cool |
QUEST 3
Search 3: This national park is established in 1922 to protect the last remaining herds of bison. What national park is this?
To move onto the next round:
Location: NWT, Alberta |
Activity 3: The Wood Buffalo National Park is also home to different wetland animals such as Muskrat, beaver and minks. Beaver is also one of the national animal symbol in Canada, provide one trait that allows the beaver to adapt to life in the wetlands in Wood Buffalo National Park.
Subject Area: Science GLO: 5-10 Describe the living and nonliving components of a wetland ecosystem and the interactions within and among them. SLO: Identify and describe adaptations that make certain plants and animals suited for life in a wetland. |
QUEST 4
Search 4: Identify a national park in the Canadian Shield.
To proceed to the next round, screen shot an image of the national park and list 3 activities you can do there. Answer: National Park Name: Georgian Bay Island National Park of Canada Activities: camping, docking, geocaching, hiking, biking, interpretive activities etc. |
Activity 4: Canada is a cultural mosaic, find two other classmates who's family history originate from at least two different countries.
To proceed to the next round, your team must take a picture with these two classmates and indicate in the email where their family history originate from. Subject Area: Social Studies GLO: Histories & Stories of Ways of Life in Canada SLO: 5.2.1 - appreciate the complexity of identity in the Canadian context: acknowledge the contributions made by diverse cultural groups to the evolution of Canada |
QUEST 5
Search 5: You have traveled long and far across Canada, seen multiple national parks. Research another Canadian national park that had not been mentioned so far.
To complete this task, send your instructor the following two images:
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Activity 5: Time to return home to share with your family and friends this wonderful adventure.
To complete this task, use one of the images you captured from one of the activities above to create an E-Card. Send a family member or friend and cc your instructor a brief message (provide 1 reason) why this park is worth visiting. Subject Area: Social Studies GLO: Physical Geography of Canada SLO: 5.1.1 - value Canada's physical geography and natural environment:
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Brief rationale for computer integration (why use technology?)
Internet, World Wide Web have shifted learning and education in many ways. Internet is filled with information and knowledge that students can learn from. Internet possess far more information than any one given teacher can deliver. By integrating technology into the classroom, teachers provides student the opportunity to lead their own learning to learn information that they are interested in. This will increase engagement in student learning and promote lifelong learners.
Reference to URL of online resources:
Internet, World Wide Web have shifted learning and education in many ways. Internet is filled with information and knowledge that students can learn from. Internet possess far more information than any one given teacher can deliver. By integrating technology into the classroom, teachers provides student the opportunity to lead their own learning to learn information that they are interested in. This will increase engagement in student learning and promote lifelong learners.
Reference to URL of online resources: