Winter Wonder programs are winter ecology field studies that take primary classes outside to learn something new. Students discover the awe of winter, how plants and animals adapt to it, and why it is so important for our local ecosystems in the Columbia Basin. The program is tailored for students in Kindergarten to Grade 3, and meets B.C. Ministry of Education Science ‘Big Ideas’ and curricular learning competencies for each grade level.
Kindergarten: A sense of winter
Students use five senses to observe nature in winter. They learn to describe features of two different plants or animals — noting similarities and differences, and how they are affected by seasonal changes, and share their findings with others.
Grade 1: Winter survival strategies
Students classify living organisms according to features and behaviours that help them surive winter. They also observe patterns in ice crystals, snow and in their local landscape.
Grade 2: Winter and nature’s cycles
Students learn about the life cycles of living things and impacts of the seasons on those cycles. They explore water and its properties, with a focus on ice and snow.
Grade 3: Staying warm in winter
Students investigate the diversity of local species and the variety of winter survival strategies. They perform an experiment to learn about how thermal energy is produced and transferred, and how animals stay warm in winter.
Wildsight thanks Consecon Foundation, Copernicus Education Products, the Province of British Columbia, Teck Trail, and all of our individual donors for making this program possible.
