A new online teaching tool to help the social studies curriculum is being introduced to students across the Northwest Territories, the GNWT announced on Thursday.
The new resource is an interactive paddling journey that allows young people to travel from Fort Smith to Tuktoyaktuk while learning traditional knowledge.
NWT Exhibits image
The resource can be found on the NWT Exhibits website.
Participants are given the opportunity to experience an interactive paddle over the landscapes of the NWT –online and in a distance learning context, states a news release from the of Department of Education, Culture and Employment.
“We are proud to release a new teaching resource that is culturally relevant to the North," Education Minister R.J. Simpson stated in the news release. "Through this virtual journey, students will learn about the land, customs, languages and traditions that carry the identity of our Northern cultures and ways of life. It is important that we continue to include NWT narratives in the delivery of education in the territory.”
The paddling journey has 32 stops along traditional transportation routes with riverside communities and landmarks identified.
Grade 4 Social Studies
The release adds that the resource will match the current Grade 4 social studies curriculum and will be complemented by curated readings, songs, stories and videos.
"It can be used in its entirety or by incorporating select stops along the journey," states the release. "Although the resource is offered at a Grade 4 learning level, it can be a useful and educational resource for a variety of ages, including adults."
The release adds that the program will provide teachers many other project options as students learn from home.
The content in the program is courtesy of Michelle Swallow, who wrote The Mackenzie River Guide - A Paddler's Guide to Canada's Longest River.
Several Indigenous employees from the territorial government assisted with visual art, text and other input, the release states.