Challenge #4
"Part 1) The task is to browse through the blogs of the other players in your group, find a unique insight that you may have learned from each of their local watersheds, and see if there are any themes across the blogs.
Part 2) What will you do in your community to ensure that someday your children can have the same enjoyment or better water quality than you do today? Display to us, on your blog, in a creative way what you envision."
PART 1:
I visited the four blogs from Group C - Chantalle, Kaylyn, Penelope and a Grade 4/5 Class. It was really great to learn about the different issues in their local watersheds, and connect their reflections with what I have learned so far in Toronto.
All of the players described their personal relationships with water in the first challenge, and carried those relations throughout the second and third challenge. It was clear that all of the players have deep connections with water, and those connections grew stronger as they reflected and posted about their experiences.
The second challenge demonstrated their explorations of the history and culture of local watersheds, while trying to understand local watershed issues and the impacts. The third challenge provided deeper insights into their explorations and discoveries so far, and showed their knowledge of Indigenous and First Nations history, cultural heritage around water, and the changing landscapes in their local watersheds (due to increased human development). The local watershed issues covered climate change, water level decline, biodiversity loss and pollution. Some of the bloggers touched on the impacts of colonialism, capitalism and industrial growth. Additionally, everyone discussed inequities in the distribution of water resources, and the resulting struggles of many Indigenous and First Nations communities to access safe, clean water.
Below, I have included a table that summarizes the themes emerged in all of the players' posts.
I left comments on each of the player's blogs to highlight what I found most insightful:
Hi Chantalle,
I am a fellow Great Waters Challenge competitor. :) It is awesome to see the work you are doing in B.C!
Your connection to water absolutely shines through your blog! I enjoyed learning about who you are, where you are from, how water is meaningful to you, and your passion for water exploration! Your post about landmark exploration of the Point Atkinson Lighthouse, Marine Building, and White Rock was really fascinating, and the photographs you included were beautiful. It was great to learn about the connections between place and water in Surrey, and the different issues around water in the area. The background research you included demonstrated similar struggles in B.C as I have seen in Ontario. It is important to continue to educate others and bring awareness to the (many) issues around water.
I look forward to your future posts!
All the best,
Stephanie
Hi Kaylyn,
I am a fellow Great Waters Challenge competitor. I really enjoyed reading all of your posts and to see how each challenge built upon one another! It is wonderful to discuss and recall memories around water with others, and to appreciate our connections to specific bodies of water. Your blog reminded me of my hometown (Dryden, Ontario) and the issues of water level decline, climate change, pollution and sedimentation in the area. I have been very focused on my current local watershed (Toronto, Ontario) and the issues in the area, I have not been thinking about my hometown's water issues. So thank you for the reminder, and taking me back to my roots.
Also, I love your pamphlet "Take it off! The Lake"! With your permission, I would love to hand them out to folks on the lake in Dryden this Christmas holiday. It is very educational, and I know that a lot of people do not think about the damage these things can have to the water. And I know they care about the water too! :)
Keep up the great work, I look forward to seeing your future posts!
All the best,
Stephanie
Hi Penelope,
I am a fellow Great Waters Challenge competitor. I am also currently living in Toronto, and your posts reminded me a lot of what I have discovered in our local watershed. The way you connected place and water through water exploration inspired me to go out and explore more of Toronto's water landmarks, and to educate others on the history of water landmarks in Toronto. Thank you for sharing your adventures, and I look forward to seeing your upcoming posts!
All the best,
Stephanie
Hi there,
I am a fellow Great Waters Challenge competitor, and it was really wonderful to read about the different issues you are discussing with your Grade 4/5s. They are so lucky to have a teacher like you who cares about water and water issues! I learned a lot about your local watershed from your blog posts, from the history of local water management, to biodiversity loss and the impacts of climate change and pollution. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to seeing what you and your students discover in future posts!
All the best,
Stephanie
PART 2:
"Youth Water Education"
I made a collage depicting water-based pedagogies and youth water education.
I envision a future where youth are taught, both inside and outside the classroom, how to appreciate, value, and care for water, ultimately deepening their relationships and connections with water. I think it is essential, for the future of our planet, that children feel connected to water and nature, and these relationships can be fostered, blossomed and nourished by being in and near the water. Students need to "get their feet wet!" as Professor Bonnie McElhinny would say.
None of the above images belong to me, please see the following links for image sources:
http://www.terragalleria.com/images/vietnam/viet8321.jpeg
https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/group-kids-jumping-lake-6358972.jpg
https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/06/be/9f/1d/shenandoah-valley-campground.jpg
https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/06/be/9f/1d/shenandoah-valley-campground.jpg
http://www.schuylerswcd.com/uploads/1/1/5/2/11520284/7548146_orig.jpg
http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/670/cache/children-dam-bali_67085_990x742.jpg
http://www.scholastic.com/content/images/articles/sn_ts/sn_ts_062509_fixed.jpg
http://blog.wwf.ca/files/2012/05/DSC04388.jpg
http://vistahumanities16.wikispaces.com/file/view/children-picking-up-trash-photo.jpg/268946318/children-picking-up-trash-photo.jpg
http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/styles/borealis_article_hero_respondlarge/public/kids%20clean%20up.jpg?itok=syC32Qfh
http://lovethehazeltons.com/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTUvMDgvMDUvMDlfMzhfMjlfNDM0XzIwMTE0ODUwNTEwXzA3ZWMxZjZlOTJfa19kLmpwZyJdLFsicCIsInRodW1iIiwiNDEzeDI0MCMiXV0?sha=8f8523e861b5effa
https://denverwater.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/water-festival.jpg
http://itascawaterlegacypartnership.org/assets/2015%20Photos/2013%20Youth%20Summit%20Session-2.jpeg
http://cdn.mntm.me/16/6c/6c/10-Reasons-to-Visit-Cancn-with-Kids-166c6cb5bf1e49deb80d2512ee53b995.jpg
http://momvoyage.hilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DSC_7005-940x564.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c-8h-ndBBhk/UfmyS_hmE2I/AAAAAAAAOfI/Oqvsmi_Hy7Y/s1600/IMG_8652.JPG