NOTE: The Fur Trade Challenge project dates have been moved up one week from previously posted – PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGES: The Fort Langley tour – Friday, Oct, 11, 10:00 – 12:00 noon (bring a bag lunch to share after the tour)
Classes will be held Tuesdays starting October 15 – Tuesday December 3, 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Attention: Home school families in the Abbotsford area…
I am very excited about offering this new course to home school families.
Fur Trade Challenge – for Grade 5 Home School Students
(NOTE: this project meets many of the HCOS (Heritage Christian Online School) requirements for Grade 5 Social Studies – see list below under “Requirements”)
Here is what you can expect from this course:
Project includes the following:
- A visit to Fort Langley – “ Fur Trade Challenge” interactive tour. NEW this year
- Research
- Descriptive writing/outline & report
- Art & crafts/visuals/display
- Building a Fort Langley model
- Costume creation/character identification
- Presentation
Date & Time: The Fort Langley tour – Friday, Oct, 11, 10:00 – 12:00 noon (bring a bag lunch to share after the tour)
Classes will be held Tuesdays starting October 15 – Tuesday December 3, 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
Duration: 8 weeks starting after the field trip to Fort Langley.
Cost per student: based on requirement of 10-12 students (supplies and facility included)
Cost per HCOS student is $100
Cost per student from other schools is $135
Extra cost: Families are responsible for admission to the Fort Langley tour on Friday, Oct. 4
Cost of admission per student $3.90 & $6.55 per parent (taxes included – children under 6 – free)
Location: Solid Rock Church 34371 4th Ave. Abbotsford. 604.850.1350
Popsicle stick version of Fort Langley’s Big House and outdoor oven, along with dough characters – done several years ago.
Project DETAILS:
- The Fort Langley project takes the students on an exciting adventure into the lives of our pioneering
ancestors. - This project will begin with the students enjoying a day at Fort Langley.
- Students will choose a character or personality that they would like to represent .
- Students will have opportunity to create a costume (thrift store shopping) that fits their character.
- Students will write a descriptive letter to family back home, about their experiences at the fort. (research and outline included)
- As a group, students will recreate the fort using popsicle sticks, and branches. Each character will build their own building, and in some cases 2 or more students may work on one building.
- The fort will come alive when the students fill their fort with dough characters they have made.
- Students use their resourcefulness to outfit their buildings and finish off the fort.
- The project ends with a family presentation day where students get to share their story with parents and guests. Parents may want to provide snacks (perhaps something representative of the early Fort Langley days) to celebrate the students’ accomplishments.
Requirements:
The following requirements taken from HCOS Social Studies learning plan are covered in this project.
http://www.onlineschool.ca/outcomes/Socials.php
(italizied areas indicate where this course meets the requirements of the learning plan)
3. What were problems faced by people involved in the Fraser fur trade? Choose one and identify why it was a problem and how it was solved. If it wasn’t solved, suggest a solution (Students will choose a character that would have settled at Fort Langley)
8. Interview someone about their life. (Students will be interviewing tour guides at Fort Langley on the field trip as well as doing other research) Are their answers the same or different? Explain why. Present your questions and answers in one of the following formats: written report. (Written in the form of a letter to family back home across the ocean – about their experiences as a settler to Fort Langley) (hand written rough work, then typed) electronic presentation, illustrations with captions, dramatic, roll play, song, time line, journal, diorama).
9. Find some primary sources (defined as: original document relating to a particular subject, experiment, time period, or event) (research their topic and character) for your own life or someone else’s life (birth certificate, pictures, journals, diaries, school work, art work, stories from parents, etc). Use them to make a secondary source (defined as: a document that interprets or analyzes primary sources and is usually written or produced some time after the initial event took place or work was produced). You could also put the primary sources together into a variety of other presentation forms listed in question number eight.
14. Who were the first settlers in B.C.? Choose a person or group and tell more about them. Clarify things like: when they came to B.C., difficulties they faced, things they enjoyed, daily life, etc.)
15. When creating any of the reports above or for another Social Studies assignment for project, create an outline before you begin. In the outline identify the following, topic/assignment/title, how you will introduce your topic, key points (with details for each point), how you will conclude your topic. Your outlines can be graphic, written, or done electronically.
16. Create an annotated timeline, map, scrapbook, story board, or other graphic to illustrate selected events
18. How did the Canadian environment affect early forms of transportation and communication in Canada? (Rivers)
19. Pretend you are an early settler coming to Canada from another country. Outline the trip and all the different types of transportation you use and why you needed that type of transportation.
26. How are waterways used in different parts of Canada for transportation? How has this changed over time?
46. Pick a job (character) that was around in 1827, and currently (e.g., teacher, grocery store owner, carpenter, farmer). How has technology changed how this job is done?
47. Choose a city that has a natural resource industry (saw mill, mine, fish and marine, energy). When did the town start? Did it start because of the natural resource? (Fort Langley)
82. What did the Canadian constitution give Canadians in 1867 and 1982? Describe the significant events and people contributing to Confederation (e.g., fur trade, gold rush, railway, John A. Macdonald, Pierre Trudeau).
Instructor: Carrie Wachsmann
Here’s what some parents and students have to say about Carrie’s instruction: (feedback from Carrie’s home school course “Writing, Art & Bookmaking”)
(Note: Watch – details on this course to come shortly)
“Well organized. Carrie had 12 kids happily engaged for three hours at a time, asking for more work, and at times forgetting their lunch time. She gave them tools to edit and do their work on their own. This has helped the students to expound their creativity and still keep their original ideas. They shared their very own story/book with everyone at the end. They have learned tons of skills beyond book publishing.”
S.K.
“I love the concept of this course, and my daughter and I are both very pleased with the book she was able to make. We also really enjoyed Mrs. Wachsmann’s teaching style and inspiring creative talent…” R.F.
“The course was excellent. Very well prepared… The cover idea was brilliant.” G.B.
“I think it was the best class I have ever been to.” E.E.
“It was excellent fun.” D.K.
“It was a wonderful course! I’ve learned a lot in the past few weeks. Mrs. Wachsmann is an excellent teacher.” J.K.
“… Making a book with you was like opening a door into another world.” A.F
BIO: A little about myself
Carrie (Heide) Wachsmann has been writing stories since she was first able to hold a pencil. Her short, personal stories have since expanded and she is now a published author. Her first fiction book called “The Ryder” was published in 1991. Since then she has also written for a number of national and international magazines. Her on-line articles can be found at examiner.com and abbotsfordtoday.ca. Her personal blog nuggetsofgold.wordpress.com chronicles some of her current and past writing accomplishments.
Carrie also paints, sketches and illustrates books. Some of her paintings can be found at carriewachsmann.myartchannel.com.
In 2008 she was awarded the “Outstanding Emerging Artist” Arty Award, by the Abbotsford Arts Council. This was in recognition for her contributions to art in Abbotsford in writing, painting and videography.
Carrie is currently completing her second and third novels of the trilogy that began with The Ryder.
The Ryder 1991 cover – Carrie ©
Her first fictional dramatization of a real life story is being edited by the publisher, and is expected to be released in early 2014.
Not only is Carrie a skilled artist and writer, but she has also developed a series of instructional courses on writing, art, bookmaking and creative, multimedia story telling.
CONTACT: carrie@wachsmannstudios.com
Check out the FACEBOOK Event page – Fur Trade Challenge – Home School opportunity
Nuggets of Gold 