Curriculum
SCIENCE
Compiled by Gabe Webb
Explore the Arctic in Ottawa
Ottawa’s Canadian Museum of Nature
The Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, Ontario, brings
tried-and-true approaches and high-tech touches to the
museum experience.
Some galleries maintain original, massive dioramas of creatures
posed in highly detailed environments against gorgeous hand-
painted backdrops. Its newest addition, the Canada Goose Arctic
Gallery, uses wall-spanning timelines, video screens, and projections
onto large, touchable sheets of ice to show visitors the ecosystem
of the frozen north and to educate them about forces threatening it.
Groups can participate in a number of workshops, tailored to
primary and middle school curriculum. Topics include uncovering
fossils and learning about native wildlife, human anatomy and local
biodiversity. Groups of 50 or more can participate in the Night at
the Museum program, which includes a taco dinner and the chance
to explore the museum’s galleries from 6 to 9 p.m., after the facility
has closed to the public.
To learn more, contact Lorna Sierolawski at lsierolawski@
mus-nature.ca or visit nature.ca.
A parks trifecta: ecology, geology and astronomy
Students of the natural sciences will find plenty of programs to enjoy at national park sites across the U.S. and Canada, including
the following three:
Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center
Set among oversized sandstone rock formations and the snow-capped peaks of
the mountains around Colorado Springs, this award-winning center features a
20-minute film in the new Geo-Trekker theater and a number of interactive exhibits
in its museum.
Groups can book hikes, biking excursions and guided nature walks, as well as jeep,
Segway and open-air bus tours. These options allow students to see Cathedral Valley,
Balanced Rock, the Kissing Camels and the other famous formations in the park. New
for 2018 is the Garden of the Gods Gateway Adventure Series. Led by top naturalists,
interpreters and historians, this set of monthly presentations includes classes, lectures,
guided hikes and interactive demonstrations.
Contact Penny Whalen at [email protected] or go to gardenofgods.com.
Garden of the Gods
Prince Albert National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Well-known for its brightly colored hoodoos, Bryce Canyon National Park also boasts some of the darkest skies in North America.
And once the sun sets, an endless sea of stars comes into view.
“Visitors are completely amazed when they look up at the night sky in Bryce Canyon,” said Falyn Owens, executive director of
Bryce Canyon Country’s tourism office. “On a moonless night, the entire sky is covered in a web of bright silver; it’s a spectacular
sight that few people in cities have ever experienced.”
The park’s Dark Rangers lead night sky astronomy programs each week, and the 2018 installment of Bryce’s popular
Astronomy Festival will take place June 13–16.
For more information, contact Owens at [email protected] or visit brycecanyoncountry.com.
42 NTA Trip Planner for Student Travel
Prince Albert National Park
National Geographic Traveler named this regional gem one of Canada’s 50 Places of
a Lifetime. The central Saskatchewan park’s boreal woodlands area is home to 195
species of birds along with elk, bear and the occasional wolf.
“Saskatchewan is a phenomenal destination for watching wildlife,” says Tourism
Saskatchewan’s Amy McInnis. “With a rich diversity of landscapes—from the prairie
vistas and rugged badlands of the south, to the immense northern boreal forest that
blankets the province’s north, dotted with 100,000 lakes and rivers—there is no end
to the pristine environments that wildlife thrive in here.”
Reach out to McInnis at [email protected] or visit trade.tourism
saskatchewan.com to learn more.