Grade 5 students visit Elk Island National Park

On Tuesday, June 4, Diana Woode and Heather Harkness’s Grade 5 classes visited Elk Island National Park. The trip was science related with a large focus on wetland habitats.

“All three Grade 5 teachers organized this event,” said Harkness. “We have been taking the students on this trip for about five or six years.”

Harkness added that the third Grade 5 class went to Elk Island National Park on Wednesday, June 5.

She explained that Grade 5 Teacher Brenda Johnson and herself had been looking for an ideal field trip that would fit the wetlands unit in Grade 5 Science and offer a reprieve from the typical classroom environment.

“It is one thing for students to listen to a teacher talking about an animal compared to actually seeing it for themselves,” said Woode.

Woode recalled the highlight from the trip for her was seeing her students’ excitement when they discovered a Tiger Beetle. She explained that a Tiger Beetle sucks the insides out of its prey.

“My group was able to see the Tiger Beetle in action and they were so fascinated,” commented Woode. “It was a great learning experience for the students.”

She also mentioned that this was a hands-on experience that helped a lot more students retain specific information better, and that by giving students the opportunity to actually see the animals they are learning about they will be able to connect better to that outcome later in class. . . . contd.