EXPLORING THE LIGHTHOUSE
A School Program for Grades 4-5
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
~ Albert Einstein
We have always believed that engaging people – “hands on” – is the best way for them to learn about their community, its history and its heritage, and to better understand the world around them. This is even more so for children. And that is why we offer “Exploring the Lighthouse”, a school-based program that provides children with the opportunity to visit the Lighthouse, learn what they can, and then creatively reflect what they have seen and learned through photography and story-telling.
Program Details
IN-CLASSROOM PRESENTATION — we start the program with a presentation in the classroom that outlines the history of the lighthouse, and also talks about how lighthouses work and their role in maritime safety and community development.
VISIT TO THE LIGHTHOUSE — we then head out to the site, where the children can experience first hand what the Lighthouse is all about, to better understand why we are taking steps to protect it, and what it takes to make it available and accessible to everyone.
REFLECTING WHAT YOU SEE — Photography is a powerful tool for exploring the world around us. It causes us to focus more intently on what we are looking at, to pay attention to the details, and take nothing for granted. It creates an intimate connection with the subject and with the environment that surrounds it.
While at the site, each of the children is provided with a cell-phone camera (kindly donated to us by Tom Harris Telus) and – with a few quick hints about the art of photography – asked to record what captures their attention and imagination. Once back in the classroom, the children reviewed their photos and chose their favourites, writing a caption explaining why they chose that particular photo.
TELLING YOUR STORIES — Children naturally understand the power of story-telling, and we wanted to provide them with the tools and strategies to explore and expand their own story-telling abilities.
Children’s Author Kathleen Arnason spoke to the class about the basic elements of creative writing, focusing on capturing their own feelings and values, and to think about what has meaning for them. And then, over the next few weeks, the children were asked to write and illustrate a story about a lighthouse (factual or fictional), incorporating what they had seen and learned during their visit.
AND SHOWING THE WORLD — once completed, the children’s stories and illustrations, along with their selected photographs, were compiled into an on-line book that was published through our website and made available to their families, friends and anyone who wanted to take a look…
