Curriculum Based School Programs
Who is Full Circle Adventures?
Full Circle Adventures has been in business for over 10 years and
Julie Walker
is the primary educator for the company. Julie
brings over 20 years of real life experiences leading hikes and natural history programs in the Rocky Mountains and Foothills of Southern Alberta.
Our in depth knowledge of the local plant life and the eco-systems they live in adds a depth of understanding and experience to our program delivery. We love to share the knowledge of our local landscape with learners of all ages!
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Naturalized School Yard Programs
Native species have evolved in a specific climate zone, eco-region and and altitude within that eco-system. Our programs help students understand the historic relationship between climate, location and the plants and animals that live here. Relationships are the key component of Ecology and the study of our living world. Our role in these relationships is easily explored in the outdoor classroom a naturalized schoolyard provides.For the details, click on this link: Naturalized School Yard Programs
"School gardens are perfect fusions of horticulture, nature and learning. Besides mitigating the bunker-like atmosphere of many school buildings, vegetable gardens and areas of native plants are oases of life, offering instant field trips for connecting with nature, while meeting curriculum goals" - Jane Reksten, Calgary Herald, August 28, 2009
"...touching, feeling and seeing nature helps students develop a fondness and a good feeling for the outdoors, which cannot be taught in a classroom." -Nestor Kelba, Calgary Herald, August 13, 2009
Classroom Programs
When we bring nature into the classroom, students have a chance to gain a "hands on" understanding of plants as food and fibre and have a contained, focused, learning experience applying their own cultural knowledge of plants as food and fibre. Together we create a pool of knowledge about the uses of plants that expand across continents, cultures and time zones.For the details, click on this link: Classroom Programs
School Outings (Field Trips)
Bus to a City of Calgary Park, the Cross Conservation area or Cochrane Ranche Provincial historic Site to learn about plants as food and fibre and the uses of plants by early ranchers and first nations people (These are 1/2 day programs).Additional programs include Snowshoeing and animal tracking in Kananaskis country for your outdoor education component and to re-live how the trappers, ranchers and first nations people travelled in the winter, relying on the wildlife and forests for survival. (Full day program). For the details, click on this link: School Outings and Field Trips
Home Schooling
Gather a group in a local city park or natural area for a "hands on" adventure in ecology, animal adaptations, the life cycle of plants and animals and plants as food and fibre, with your home school community. We also offer an indoor program if you have a location.For the details, click on this link: Home Schooling
What can you expect?
Your class will become immersed in the landscape and the knowledge that our native eco-systems have shared with people for thousands of years. Our inter-disciplinary approach includes: 1. The human history of the land and people’s early uses of plants. 2. Sensory and written approaches to learning about plant identification. 3. Exploratory learning about the relationships between trees, plants and animals in our local eco-systems. We can design a program for your project needs or present one of our ready made programs. Many of our programs are low budget as you do not have to pay for transportation. If you have a naturalized schoolyard, or a city park close to your school that is safe to walk to, then we can use these sites for the outdoor component of your lesson. Classroom programs are also available that can be presented at your school or the community centre nearest your group (home-schooling).
When are they offered?
Outdoor class activities run from September to early November then again from April to June. Classroom programs run all year. If you would like an outdoor field trip over the winter months, go to our “field trip” page on our website.
What about the teachers?
Teachers are life long learners too and Full Circle Adventures offers outings and courses in the great outdoors to understand plants as food and fibre, as well as learning about the native habitat of Alberta’s foothills and Rocky Mountains.Go to our “Edible Plant” Workshop page and “Hiking Adventures” to see the programs we offered for 2009 and later to learn more about our 2010 spring/summer programs.
Resources for Educators
Read Full Circle Adventure's Nature Education Philosophy
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"Rediscover Your Sacred Nature!"
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