Career and Technology Foundations Grades 5-9

For humans, addressing climate change may mean using technology to find solutions. But for some plants and animals, adapting to these changes involves the most ancient solution of all: evolution. Learn how animals are adapting to climate change.

Here is a TED video about phenology (the seasonal cycle of plants and animals) and how climate change is having ripple effects in nature.

Clearing forests for agriculture and development can have severe consequences for our environment. "Learn the value of large-scale forest landscapes and their role in the carbon cycle. Discover how reforestation can impact climate change by decreasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."

How can trees help in the fight against climate change? Dig into the efforts to rebuild damaged ecosystems and reduce carbon emissions.

This education poster kit focuses on forest ecosystems and how humans use and manage forests. This downloadable package comprises: two full-colour high-resolution poster images – a forest in its natural state and a managed forest, a guide to eight common trees in Alberta, the forest regions of Alberta and Canada, and a teacher’s guide of activities for Social Studies and Science.

This site is an interactive Story Map that details the importance of the boreal region for birds.

These booklets will lead your students through activities like tree measurement, plant identification, wildlife habitat/tracking, soil testing and decomposer digging!

Five short real-life case studies with questions about Alberta’s forests: climate change, forest changes, forest careers, forest management and forest economics. Designed for grades 6-12.

This video from Sustainable Forest Canada takes a look at Canada's forests and options available for forest managers to adapt to climate change.

Resources to use with students as they explore the science of forests and trees. You can bypass the sign-in by clicking the image.

Full-page descriptions and colour photos of a variety of common species are included in this field guide for Grades 6-12.

Explore this page about Canada's boreal forests. There are two short videos and teaching resources, as well as maps and descriptions of the many different life forms that inhabit those forests. What are the threats to this ecosystem and what kinds of actions are being taken?

This video series is designed to initiate discussion with your Grades 6 - 12 students on Alberta’s forest-related issues. This resource examines forest ecology, the human values of the forest, land-use planning and the people and products of the forestry industry.

Chris Martine hosts this channel focused on biodiversity, botany, and ecology. Videos are short (less than 20 minutes), informative (thanks to a knowledgeable host and great guests), and captivating (with lots of stunning nature imagery).

Plants have their own interconnected networks that allow them to communicate with each other, sometimes over considerable distances!

Learn the surprising way that trees communicate with each other.

The orange arrows will move the slide show or you can let the images change on their own. After the slide show, test your understanding of natural resources.

A great resource about the growth of trees, how trees adapt to their environment and the impact mankind has on trees.

This three-minute video explores why leaves change colors. Canopy Meg will explain the science of leaves and seasonal changes.

In this kit you will find everything that you need to bring your students outside for a study of a wetland or other aquatic ecosystem in your community!

The Canada's Forests Teaching Kit Series booklets were published to educate youth about the value of forests and the importance of protecting and conserving them. Scroll below to access all 9 volumes

This activity asks students to go outside and measure some trees in their community. Students use measurements to come up with a rough estimate of the carbon that is stored within these trees. They will also explore how the amount of carbon stored in trees relates to the amount of carbon emitted by day-to-day activities and the co-benefits of urban forests.

This resource connects teachers and students to engaging outdoor activities that explore themes described in each of the nature guides.

This activity asks students to take on the role of a land manager and consider the needs of multiple stakeholders of our forest landscapes. It is designed to be given to students to work on individually with minimal instructions.

PlantingScience is a free online resource to teachers and schools. The program provides volunteer scientists, resources, and activities to support innovation in teaching, learning, and mentoring.

The Tools of the Trade Forest Education Kit contains 20 forest tools and a 1-page quick reference sheet explaining what it is, who uses it, why the tool is important in the forest industry and an activity to put the tool to use. Suitable for any unit that explores forestry, careers and technology, this resource kit was developed to support teachers in bringing forest careers to life in the classroom.

Learning how to use a map and compass to travel in unknown terrain can be fun and rewarding. It could even save your life if you become lost while out hunting, fishing or just exploring.

Have you ever gotten lost? Don't panic, have some bannock! Wilfred Buck, a Knowledge Keeper and science facilitator, tells a story of how he got lost in the bush and shares how he used orienteering to get out safely using his knowledge of sky science

Watching this video will teach you to use a map and taking directional bearings with a compass.

This brochure has useful information about bears in the parks and how to be safe when encountering a bear.

This brochure provides lots of useful information about cougars and what to do if you encounter a cougar in the wild.

Information for staying safe while visiting the backcountry in Alberta

No activity requires a safe mind-set more than being in or on the water. This workbook looks at some of the equipment, the rules, and the regulations that keep us safe while on the water.

Fire safety practices to follow when you are camping or staying in Alberta parks.

Sound advice for preparing for any hike.

This book will go over some of the basic fundamentals of knot tying, common types of knots, how to tie them and when and where they may be useful.

Advice about being safe while hiking or camping during electrical storms from the government of Canada

Tips from Parks Canada about what to do when you encounter a bear

Check out this slide show with information about soil, the importance of healthy soil and what we can do. Then you can test yourself.

This classic yet simple science experiment demonstrates soil erosion in a way your students won't forget.

There is a lot more to the study of soil than just dirt. On this month’s Science Trek, host Joan Cartan-Hansen and her guests will answer students’ questions about soil and the environment.

This site for student includes scientific information about soil, experiments for the classroom, and online soil interactives.

The ten short films in the Beyond Bark Beetles series share the story of the bark beetle outbreak in our western forests and show how the U.S. Forest Service is responding. See how beetles choose trees and what they do once they burrow inside.

In this three minute video, you can learn how beetles destroy spruce trees, and how spruce trees fight back.

This activity asks students to follow the flow in an Alberta watershed and consider how water quality and quantity are affected by human activities on the landscape. It is designed to be given to students to work on individually with minimal instructions.

This video, created by Inside Education, is a review of "groundwater in Alberta. Topics include quality, distribution, uses in the province, and how it links to the hydrologic cycle." (site)

This education kit explores the science of water use in Alberta and now contains new information about climate change, energy development and stewardship. The resource includes a poster to project in your classroom, worksheets and a teacher’s guide full of activities.

Play this video to learn more about the water cycle, the constant movement of water around Earth and the atmosphere.

A list of lesson plans, articles, videos, and interactive activities for students from grades 9-12 to explore the science of rising sea levels.

The Story of Bottled Water describes the environmental and financial impact of using bottled water instead of tap water.

An online questionnaire that calculates your water usage and compares you to the average American consumer.

Find social studies and science lessons plans for Grade 6 that were developed by the Native Counselling Services of Alberta.