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Browse Education Programs

Indi-Genius

The Anishinaabe used many elements from the land to create tools for their survival and culture. In this virtual program, participants will discover some of the tools and technologies developed and used by Indigenous Peoples before European contact and learn the science behind creating these items. Participants will discover the many regionally available resources, engage in experiments including testing the tensile strength of natural cordage and manipulation of wood using heat and moisture, and learn about the uses of local sediments and minerals to create tools.

Curriculum Links:

  • Science & Technology
  • Social Studies, History & Geography

 

Grade Suitability: 4–6

Availability: Virtual: September to June

Length: 1 hour

Cost (+HST): $135 per class

Inaadiziwin (A Way of Life)

Learn about Anishinaabe life, including daily and seasonal routines and the contributions of Indigenous Peoples to the fur trade in this virtual experience! Participants will discover items including building materials such as spruce root and birch bark, technologies such as the birch bark canoe and snowshoe, and foods such as berries, wild rice and maple sugar. Participants will learn about trading practices and how the knowledge and technologies shared by Indigenous Peoples with Europeans helped expand the fur trade across the North American Interior.

Curriculum Links:

  • Science and Technology
  • Social Studies, History & Geography

Grade Suitability: 3–7

Availability: Virtual: September to June

Length: 45 minutes

Cost (+HST): $135 per class

Fur Trade Survival in the Boreal Forest

Learn survival skills inspired by Indigenous Peoples and the Europeans who worked and lived in the boreal forest during the fur trade era. Discover how they used their natural surroundings to build shelter, harvest food, keep warm, and navigate the vast wilderness.

Curriculum Links:

  • Indigenous Studies
  • Science & Technology
  • Social Studies, History & Geography
 

Grade Suitability: 4+

Availability: September to June

Length: 

Virtual: 45 minutes

In person: 1.5 hours

Cost (+HST): 

Virtual: $135 per class

In person: $6 per student

Cosmic Journeys

Our vast universe has been a guiding force for cultures and explorers for centuries. Anishinaabe culture and storytelling is greatly influenced by the natural cycles of our solar system, and fur trade navigators, such as David Thompson, used the sun, stars and celestial bodies to create maps that would shape the borders of North America. Participants will join the David Thompson Astronomical Observatory astronomers as they demonstrate how the marvels of the Earth, solar system and the unknown influence our lives. 

Curriculum Links:

  • Science & Technology
  • Social Studies, History & Geography

 

Grade Suitability: 1–6

Availability: Virtual: September to June (day or night)

Length: 1 hour

Cost (+HST): $135 per class

Tracks, Skulls & Furs

Discover the animals that were important to the fur trade from the perspectives of the North West Company’s fur traders and the Anishinaabe hunters and trappers. Learn which furs were valued for fashion or winter survival, and why. Examine the skulls of these animals to learn about their anatomy, behaviours, diets, and habitats!

Curriculum Links:

  • Science & Technology
  • Social Studies, History & Geography

Grade Suitability:

Virtual: JK–3

In-person: 2+

Availability: September to June

Length: 1 hour

Cost (+HST): 

Virtual: $135 per class

In-person: $6 per student