Grade 4

As our last field study of the year, the fours got a chance to visit a landfill and recycling/composting centre.  We reminded ourselves of the main idea - - REDUCE waste first, and then Recycle and Compost next.  In spite of knowing so much already, there was a lot of new learning!  One of the most interesting things is the way the City of Calgary deals with its "biowaste".  We saw a truck dumping it, already dried, it into an open-air area.  Eventually it gets composted, though of course it doesn't make the top grade compost.  In the photos you see, the students learned about all the layers in the landfill. 

Students learned a lot about Alberta history on an amazing day out in the Drumheller area.  First it was Atlas Coal Mines, where students had a train ride and tunnel tour, going right into the side of the hill.  One of the things we learned is that the conditions were not particularly safe for miners!   This was the most educational part of the trip, and for many, a favourite.  Another favourite was the next site, the Hoodoo Trail.  We had beautiful weather and a good time scrambling around the rocks and posing for photos.  Star Mine Suspension Bridge (stock photo) was a cool, wobbly bridge used by miners from the Rosedale Mine until it closed.  A year later, a big landslide wrecked the mine and the bridge, so the one we crossed is a re-build.  Horseshoe Canyon was our last stop, allowing us a great view of an amazing part of Alberta's geology.