%20(3).png)
School Programs
The last few years have been a time of change and redevelopment in the Education Department at the Whyte Museum as we are creating new in-person school programs on site that will focus more clearly on the Whyte Museum’s mission – that is, engaging students with the evolving history, peoples, cultures, environment, and ideas of mountain cultures. We want to thank everyone for their patience.
In the meantime, the Education Department is excited to announce the development of rentable “Education Kits,” (or Edu-Kits) for the classroom! Our three Edu-Kits are adapted versions of our former curriculum-based school programs, one for Kindergarten and Grade 1 students called Arty’s Adventures, one for Grade 3 students called World Travels, and one for Grade 4 students called Drawing with Light.
These Education kits are available from November to March.
Education Kit Programs
Arty’s Adventures!
Edu-Kit and In-Person Available
K-Grade 1
Social Studies
Join a young mouse on his adventures in the Canadian Rockies! Learn about Arty and his experience of moving to a new town and going on a backcountry adventure. After we read Arty’s story, we will also get to see and touch objects that he finds along his travels.
What is Arty’s Adventures? This program involves telling a story about Arty the mouse and his experience of moving to a new town (Banff) and going on a backcountry adventure. After reading Arty’s story, students get to see and touch objects that he found along his travels. Students will experience the fun of storytelling and learn by expressing themselves. The story also includes Whyte Museum founders Peter and Catharine Whyte. By introducing students to Peter and Catharine, students will learn more about our founders’ lives and their impact and legacy on the community of Banff.
The kit includes story pages, artifacts, and touch objects, colouring pages with crayons, a Teacher’s Guide with resources, pre- and post-program recommendations, and a program outline for you to successfully complete and deliver the program. After delivering this in your classroom, your class is invited to book a free visit to the museum and get a tour of Peter & Catharine Whyte’s home. This visit will help students make a connection with what they heard and saw in the story, to the actual home of Peter & Catharine.
World Travels
Grade 3
Social Studies
Edu-Kit Only
Travel around the globe with friends! Use clues to discover which country you are in – Peru, Tunisia, Ukraine, India, or Japan. Compare and contrast communities from around the world to your own Canadian community.
What is World Travels? This program involves five mystery country boxes and students must use the clues within to determine which country they have – India, Tunisia, Peru, Japan, or Ukraine. Clues include objects, photos, and even grains and spices. Through this analysis, students gain an understanding of how people live in these communities and the components of each country’s culture. After deducing which country their box represents, each group of students creates a poster to display the aspects of their country’s culture, and then presents their country to the rest of the class. At the end, students will reflect on Canada’s culture and how it differs and how it is similar from the examined countries.
The kit includes 5 country boxes and respective contents, poster paper, a Teacher’s Guide with resources, pre- and post-program recommendations, and a program outline for you to successfully complete and deliver the program in your classroom. Afterwards, your class is invited to book a free self-guided visit to the museum to explore our galleries.
Drawing with Light!
Grade 4
Science
Edu-Kit Only
Think fast! How many different types of light sources can you name? Learn how light travels and see how it can be captured to create an image. Create your own sun print image!
What is Drawing with Light? This program involves exploring photography and how light is captured to create an image. Examples of archival photographs, film and negatives are provided to illustrate the difference between positive and negative images. Students work in pairs to do light experiments with a flashlight testing different materials to see how light travels through different objects and whether the material is transparent, translucent, or opaque. Students discuss how light allows us to see and how our eyes are like a camera. Sun prints are made using light sensitive paper and a variety of objects further illustrates the difference between a positive and negative image.
The kit includes photographic touch objects, supplies for experiments with light, sunprint paper and required materials, a Teacher’s Guide with resources, pre- and post-program recommendations, and a program outline for you to successfully complete and deliver the program in your classroom. Afterwards, your class is invited to book a free self-guided visit to the museum to explore our galleries.