Talking about watersheds and wetlands is an excellent part of the curriculum in Grade 5.  Talking about basic chemistry and chemicals is too!  But talking doesn’t always equal learning. Facts and data apart from the story we are in have limited use.

A big part of our story as God’s people was given in the first days after Creation when God made humans the stewards (caretakers) of the Garden (Creation itself)
This past week, ECWS Gr. 5 classes culminated their learning about water, wetlands and chemistry by doing a small act of stewardship.  Partnering with Trout Unlimited’s Yellow Fish Road Program and the City of Edmonton, they reminded the neighbourhoods surrounding the school that we all have a role to play in the story of stewarding God’s good creation.  IMG_9754They did this by using non-toxic paint by each of the storm sewers in the neighbourhood to remind everyone that dumping any chemical into a storm sewer has a negative effect on watersheds and wetlands.  After painting the “yellow fish” reminders by the storm sewer grates, information explaining the initiative was hung on each front door in the neighbouhood.  Attached to these door hangers was a student-written statement expressing the student’s desire to be stewards and earth-keepers in God’s world.  Here are a few pictures of one of the groups in the McQueen neighbourhood.

 

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Talking. Learning. Doing.  Finding our role in God’s grand story!

by Brian Doornenbal