Bees That Dance with Sarina Condello and Bailey Davis
Grades JK to 8 | 3 to 4 visits/class, 1 class/session
Life Cycles, Structures & Mechanisms Movement, Earth & Space / Health & Physical Education: Active Living, Movement Competence, Healthy Living
Through creative movement students explore the collaborative nature of honey bees, how they communicate, travel and interact. Students learn basic elements of choreography and improvisation to express their learning as well as their thoughts and feelings about bees demonstrating an increased kinesthetic, spatial, and rhythmic skills and effort awareness.
Bees That Sing & Tell with Kathy Reid Naiman
Grades JK to 3 | 2 to 3 visits/class, 1 class/session or performance with 100 audience maximum
Life Cycles, Structures & Mechanisms Movement, Earth & Space
Songs, stories, finger-plays, silly rhymes, tongue twisters and chants introducing young children to the importance of bees in a world that is becoming harder for the bees to thrive. Learn about bee anatomy, beekeepers, the different kinds and colours of honey, the amount of honey a bee produces, the different types of bees, and their social aspect.
See IDEAS YouTube: Beautiful Sculpted Bees
Chaos Theory – The Butterfly Effect
An Interdisciplinary program with Inner City Angels visual artists Pria Muzumdar, Moojan Nazmi and Paul Walty (in French) and dance with Sarina Condello and Bailey Davis from Mariposa In The Schools.
Grades JK to 8 | dance: 2 to 3 visits/class & visual art: 2, half-day visits/class
Science: Energy & Matter, Earth & Space / Healthy Living / Citizenship Education
What difference do we make in the world? What difference does it make if we don’t get involved or step up to an injustice. How much difference can one individual make in the wellbeing of a greater community, or in society in general? Heard of the Butterfly Effect? The scientific theory that the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil could set off a tornado in Texas by creating tiny changes in the atmosphere that could accelerate or even prevent the tornado. Understanding the Butterfly Effect in nature and in social encounters and using it in our daily lives gives us a rare empowerment. With storytelling, spoken word, dance and mixed media we can examine one single choice and action that can impact our wellbeing and the world. And…we can learn a little about this well-known scientific theory.
See IDEAS YouTube: Butterfly Effect
The Circle of Life: Traditional Ojibwa Teachings and Stories with Esther Osche
Grades 3 to 8, 9 to 12, | 2 classes/session | maximum 3 sessions/day | limited availability
Social Studies: Heritage & Identity, People & Environments / History & Geography
Ojibwa storyteller and Manitoulin Island resident, Esther Osche, tells stories about the connections between humans, animals, thunder beings, water and wind spirits in an authentic experience that incorporates drum and song.
Esther is also available for presentation regarding the history of Aboriginal Treaties and the military alliances between the Ojibwa, French and English, including contemporary Aboriginal issues.
Nature of Poetry with Sheniz Janmohamed
Grades 6 to 8 | from 2-4, half-days per class culminating in student performance |one class per session
Science: Life Cycles & Systems, Earth & Space / Geography / Citizenship Education
In this collective poetry writing exercise, students step into the natural world to discover and be inspired by local ecosystems and then work together to weave poetic phrases into a cohesive performance piece. Access to a natural setting such as a meadow, garden, pond, park or forested area is required.
Seven Sacred Grandfather Teachings with Esther Osche
Grades 3 to 8 | 2 storytelling visits/class | minimum 4 classes | limited availability
Social Studies: Heritage & Identity, People & Environments / History & Geography / Science: Life Systems / Health & Physical Education: Healthy Living
The First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples of North America were given Seven Sacred Teachings that form the foundation of their spirituality. The traditional concepts of respect and sharing that form the foundation of the Aboriginal way of life are built around these teachings where each teaching honours one of the basic virtues to achieve a full and healthy life and is represented by an animal whose characteristic serves to remind us of our connection to nature and to respect all living things.
This program brings Esther Osche into the classroom in partnership with Inner City Angels visual artist and sculptor Charmaine Lurch. Esther shares the Sacred Teachings to further students’ understanding of the interconnectedness of all things and the importance of balance and harmony in achieving a full and healthy life. Students listen to, discuss and reflect on the stories and then create a visual understanding of each.
See IDEAS YouTube: Seven Sacred Grandfather Teachings
Water and the Earth with Chris Rawlings
Grades K to 8 | performance with up to 350 as duo
Science: Life Cycles & Systems, Earth & Space, Energy & Matter / Geography / Citizenship Education
From puddles to pebbles, oceans to mountains, children are surrounded by rocks and water no matter where on the earth they live. Drawing on both original and traditional songs, students sing along with Chris as they learn about the changes that occur when the forces of nature are applied to rocks and water, the significance of water on our ecosystems and ultimately our wellbeing.