Special Learning Projects

Heritage Fairs 2008

Designed for students in grades 5-9, Historica's Heritage Fairs Programme offers students the opportunity to explore the many aspects of their Canadian heritage in a dynamic learning environment and to present the results of their efforts in a public exhibition. Students can use the medium of their choice to tell stories and share information about Canadian personalities and legends, milestones and achievements.

School-based fairs can take on a variety of formats, but must happen before May in order to feed into Regional Heritage Fairs. Schools are encouraged to organize school-based fairs around Heritage Week and then send a selection of projects to the May regional fair. At each Regional Heritage Fair, one student will be selected to attend the National Historica Fair, which in 2008, will take place in Victoria, British Columbia.

Funding and educational resource materials are provided, and representatives from Heritage Branch will work with local committees to supply administrative support and facilitate information sessions.

Heritage Week 2008
The theme for New Brunswick's Heritage Week 2008 will be Music of the People - Musique du peuple.

Each February heritage groups, communities, schools, access centres and libraries host special activities throughout New Brunswick to recognize the province's diverse heritage. The theme for 2008 will provide an opportunity to reflect upon various aspects of cultural continuity and change as expressed through the musical traditions of the province.

Heritage Week 2008 planning kits will be available in December. To order yours, contact the Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport, Heritage Branch by telephone at 506-453-2324, or by e-mail at heritage.week@gnb.ca.

Heritage Week 2008 will take place from Feb. 11-18, 2008. For more information, visit the Heritage Week 2008 website.

Let's Talk Science strives to improve science literacy through leadership, innovative educational programs, research and advocacy. It motivates and empowers youth to use science, technology and engineering to develop critical skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to thrive in our world.

Graduate students and researchers are available to go to schools for day-long, hands-on science based activities.

Below is a list of University of New Brunswick volunteers available by expertise:

Biology: 18
(1 bird specialist, a handful of ecologists, one geneticist, a few molecular biologists, a few evolutionary biologists/systematists, a few seaweed specialists, one virus expert, one bacterial expert)
Forestry: 2
Geology: 2
Engineering: 6 (five chemical engineering)
Computer Science: 1
Information Technology: 2

Each middle school and senior high school has the opportunity to participate in oratory at the provincial level. The Provincial Oratory Competition will be held Friday May 9th, 2008 at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The high school competition will take place in the morning. The middle school competition will take place in the afternoon following the high school competition.

At the provincial level, each district will be represented as follows:
Note: These figures are based on a pro rated basis using the total student population from the latest available statistics at the Department of Education.

The Tantramar Wetlands Centre, developed by the NB Department of Education in partnership with District 2 and Tantramar Regional High School, is a community-based centre of wetlands education specializing in experiential programming aimed at public school students and teachers. Recognized nationally as a centre of excellence, this award-winning project provides exciting wetlands education experiences throughout the school year to over 4,000 visitors annually.

For more information on the programs, visit the centre's website at www.weted.com.

Australia's Charles Sturt University Remote Telescope is the first remotely controlled telescope connected to the Internet that functions entirely/mainly for the purpose of education. It is through the efforts of the originator of the project, Associate Professor David McKinnon, that the telescope's electronic camera offers both primary and middle school students and their teachers a unique opportunity to navigate the skies, study the stars and explore the galaxy beyond. The New Brunswick Department of Education, in partnership with Dr. McKinnon and Charles Sturt University, offers interested schools in the province the opportunity to participate in this exciting project.

Through two separate instructional support systems, both primary and middle school students can learn to access the telescope, view the galaxy, and have opened for them the marvels of space. These support systems are in the form of study units created by Dr. McKinnon. A 10-week curriculum unit of cross-curricular, integrated activities called "A Journey through Space and Time" supports access to the telescope for elementary students in grades 4 to 6. The unit provides participating classrooms with a teacher's guide, individual student workbooks and a CD-ROM of support information and instructional materials. The unit also provides valuable and simultaneous on-line support before, during and after the actual on-line telescope session. The 6-8 week unit of activities for middle school, called "Practical Astronomy," has a more scientific base. In addition to all of the teaching materials listed above, middle school students are given a training section on how to process and enhance the images they have captured with the electronic cameras. They will then use their photographs, and their newly acquired knowledge, to engage in group work and scientific debates to help determine the identity of the stars and systems they view through the remote controlled telescope.

The Charles Sturt telescope will guide teachers and students into a lively and wondrous exploration of space. The journey will begin with a study of the moon, proceed to a visual trek through the solar system to the stars, from the stars to the star clusters, to nebulae and finally teachers and students will actually see the galaxies beyond the Milky Way.

Teachers interested in learning more about the Charles Sturt University Remote Telescope for Educational Study should login to http://www.csu.edu.au/telescope/.

New Brunswick teachers interested in creating a partnership with the Charles Sturt University Remote Telescope Project can contact Kevin McCluskey.