Social Studies, Language Arts
Go through the recruitment process of becoming a NWMP officer with the help of a facilitator. Role-play a real-life Calgary character in a train drama based on a true story. Teachers and adult leaders take over as students uncover clues in a scripted scavenger hunt. Combine a museum tour with a school program for a full day of adventure!
Length: 1 hr, 30 min
Coming soon: Scavenger hunt for French Immersion students.
“Great presentation in museum! The hats and
artifacts were a great addition. The interactive story really captured
their attention.” - Grade 2 teacher
Belvedere-Parkway School
Social Studies (ECS): K.1.2, K.1.4, K.2.4, K.2.5, K.S.2, K.S.5, K.S.8 (grade one) : 1.2.2, 1.S.2, 1.S.5
Shake hands with an artifact and make friends with a museum. This program introduces young students to the world of museums in a fun way. There will be artifact handling, costumes and much more!
Length: 1 hr for Kindergarten / 1hr, 30 min for Grade 1
Maximum 20 students
Science: Topic C: Building Things (particularly1-7 and 1-8)
Social Studies: 1.2.2 ,1.S.2 ,1.S.5
The people of early Calgary didn’t sit still as they worked to build our city, and neither will your students! Using their bodies to kinetically re-create the construction process, students will travel through time from the log walls of Fort Calgary to the sandstone and brick façade of the Calgary Herald building. The group works together to build a child-sized log cabin right in the Learning Centre.
Length: 1 hr, 30 min
“The building of the log cabin was the
highlight of our trip!” - Grade 1 teacher,
Colonel JF Scott School
Social Studies: 2.1.1, 2.1.3, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.2.6, 2.2.7
Help your facilitator build a giant 3-D map telling the story of Calgary’s development. Hear the stories of the four main founding groups and learn how their cultural traditions and languages continue to influence our city today. Your students will dress-up in period costume and handle artifacts that encourage inquiry and critical thinking.
Length: 1 hr, 30 min
Add a 15 min sneak-a-peek tour of the museum at no charge.
“I thought the program was excellent in
showing the way our area was settled (eg: placing of bison, tipi, Fort
etc… on the plains, mountain background.)” - Grade
1-2 teacher Sundance Elementary
“The visual representation of Calgary was excellent and how past-present
was taught was outstanding. Kids really enjoyed dressing up and figuring
out the artifacts. Students were really engaged!” -
Grade 1-2 teacher, Riverbend school
Social Studies: 3.1.2, 3.2.2, 3.S.1, 3.S.2, 3.S.5, 3.S.7, 3.S.8
Language Arts: 3.2: Select and Process, 3.3; Organize, Record and Evaluate, 3.4 Share and Review
The early citizens of Calgary were responsible for creating a new city from scratch. Participate in an artifact handling exercise, developing critical thinking skills as we learn about quality of life in early Calgary. (Under development)
Length: 1 hr, 30 min
Add a 15 min sneak-a-peek tour of the museum at no charge.
Social Studies: 4.2.1, 4.3.1 and 4.S.2
Join the NWMP and get your first assignment: a patrol of the museum seeking evidence leading to the capture of the elusive John Smith! Dress up in period costume and use artifacts to immerse yourself in the life of Captain Richard Burton Deane. Students will learn the stories and legends surrounding the Deane House as they make connections to present-day Calgary.
Length: 1 hr, 30 min
‘A very informative
and truly “hands-on” program. The facilitators were so enthusiastic and
engaging—very good questioning techniques. My parent volunteers remarked
on how well the program was delivered and its wealth of knowledge.”
- Grade 4 teacher, GW Skene School
Social Studies (grade four): 4.1.1, 4.1.4, 4.2.1 (grade five): 5.1.1, 5.1.3, 5.2.2, 5.S.3, 5.S.4
Science (grade six): Topic D: Evidence and Investigation
Uncover the story of Calgary’s only National Historic Site from 1875 to the present with a hands-on dig. Students will sharpen their observation and analytical skills as they interpret the objects they find. Students will also practice recording their evidence: measuring, describing and drawing their discoveries
Length: 1 hr, 30 min
Add a 15 min sneak-a-peek tour of the museum at no charge.
“The program fit in well with what the
students had already learned and with the terminology list you sent for
us to review. I’d recommend the program to other grade four classes as a
means to a better understanding of artifacts, archaeology and how it
fits into the curriculum.”- Grade 4 teacher,
Deer Run Elementary
Social Studies: 5.2 Histories and Stories of Ways of Life in Canada (all),
5.3.1, 5.3.2, 5.S.1, 5.S.2, 5.S.7 and 5.S.8
Language Arts (Grade 6): 2.1 use strategies and clues, 2.2 respond to texts, 3.1 plan and focus, 3.2 select and process, 3.3 organize, record and evaluate, 4.3 present ands hare, 5.2 work within a group
Students work with a facilitator to complete a huge timeline map of the exploration and settlement of Canada. In pairs, they research and re-create the lives of real people who helped settle Calgary and the West. Then, students don period costumes to bring their character to life in a facilitator-led talk show.
Length: 2 hrs
“Excellent program! I really
enjoyed the research and talk show component; very interactive
(especially at this age). The map was very good, an excellent teaching
tool!”- Grade 5 teacher, Ecole Airdrie School
Social Studies
With another busy school season upon us we want to remind teachers that we currently offer a hands-on Museum Tour that effectively ties in with the Grade 8 Social Studies curriculum unit. Through guided and unguided activities, our tour reinforces the knowledge and skills students learn in the classroom - what factors contributed to Canada's expansion, how the West was settled, and which individuals contributed to the development of Calgary. During their exploration of our Interpretive Centre and replica of the 1888 N.W.M.P Men's Barracks building, students may try on Mounted Police uniforms, dress up in settler costumes, go for a drive in a 1928 Model-A Ford, and ride in an early Calgary streetcar.
