Children are naturally curious about the world around them.  When they ask questions and investigate what they are wondering about, they are engaged in meaningful learning. 

The children were given trays of different sea shells as a provocation.  They began to ask questions about the sea shells; “What creatures live inside a shell?  Do sea shells grow?  Can you really hear the ocean in a sea shell?”  We talked about where we could find the answers to their questions and we did some research.

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Ask me what I learned.

Who am I?  The children had a lot to say about this topic.  We recorded our statements and embedded them with QR codes.  We had a lot of fun trying to guess who was who by listening to the voices.  Parents were invited to locate their children by scanning the codes.

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This week the primary students visited the Vancouver Aquarium.  The purpose of the trip was to build a better understanding of the natural world, including its oceans.  After all, ninety-six percent of all of Earth’s water is ocean.  It was hoped that the Vancouver Aquarium would  inspire the children to build emotional connections to the marine animals and their habitats, and as a result, these connections would encourage respect and care for the environment.  

At the Aquarium, we saw sharks, moray eels, jellyfish and colorful fish; sleeping sloths, snakes, parrots and lizards.  We watched a 4-D movie about ocean predators and a dolphin training session.  We laughed at the frolicking African penguins, playful Stellar sea lions, and hungry feeding otters.  Finally, we gently patted the rays swimming in the touch pool.  The children left the Aquarium with lots of questions which we will try to answer in the weeks to come.[metaslider id=3360]

Thank you to all the parent volunteers who enabled this wonderful trip to take place!