FIELD TRIP - Heritage Park Historical Village, Calgary

The weather forecast is for winter to show up in the next few days.  John says tonight it will be -7 degrees Celcius, with a chance of snow.  (I guess truckers are fanatical about the weather so they know what the roads might be like).  I am crossing my fingers and hoping that old Jack Frost will hold off until at least next week as we have an adventure planned!

Heritage Park's "Gasoline Alley Museum" is holding a special "Homeschooler’s Day" from 9:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Friday, November 19th.  Unfortunately, in order to participate in this interesting event, we have to make the long drive to Calgary and back.  Hopefully it is worth the trip!

Heritage Park's website, at http://www.heritagepark.ca/ states, "Our interactive, full day Homeschool Programs provide students with the unique opportunity to explore and experience the lives of Western Canada's pioneers and settlers in our hands-on historic environment. Here are two great opportunities to immerse your homeshoolers in “How the West was Once!”  (Unfortunately the second Homeschool Program is scheduled for March 18, 2011 and is only appropriate for students in Grades 1 through 5, so neither Alisdair or Isobel would be eligible to attend.)

The site also gives a tentative schedule for Friday's activities.  Alisdair's timetable is outlined as follows: Grade 4-6

Assembly Line (45 minutes)
This hands-on presentation demonstrates how different daily life was before the introduction of the assembly line to the auto industry.

Gas Pump Tour (45 minutes)
The evolution of the gas pump is brought to life!

3D Truck Craft / Time Line Game
Build your own three dimensional old fashioned truck, and test your knowledge of history with a fun card game.

Lunch Break (1/2 hour)

Auto Motion (2 hr)
Students have fun building and racing their own rubber band powered cars! (Grade four science tie in)

Lower Showroom Tour (30 minutes)
Students can get up close and personal with the beautiful collection of vintage cars, trucks and gas pumps in our lower showroom.

Although Isobel is attending regular classes at Neilburg Composite School, and it is a Kindergarten Day on Friday, it seemed easier to let her pretend to be "homeschooled" for the day!  (Overnight childcare would, no doubt, be difficult to arrange).  So I enrolled her in the program for students in Kindergarten To Grade 3, which is described as follows:

Teddy Bear’s Picnic (modified 1 1/2 hr)
In this fun filled activity based program, students will learn the history of the Teddy Bear, play picnic games and learn about nutrition.

Rules of the Road (classroom version 1hr)
Students will learn the rules of the road through road signs and “driving” around our classroom circuit.

Lunch Break (1/2 hour)
Story telling – transportation/dress up
This interactive story time will bring out the creativity and imagination in your little learners!

Movie – Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin helps students discover Henry Ford’s revolutionary idea–the assembly line.

We'll hit the open road sometime Thursday and get home again on Saturday - just in time for ballet choreography practice and to deliver two days worth of newspapers!  (Since we can't find a substitute we were advised that we can tell our subscribers they can either pick their paper up from our front doorstep or can wait for us to deliver two days worth on Saturday afternoon!   I trust everyone will be understanding).  I am also grateful for a brother and sister-in-law that are happy to host us for a couple of nights.  We'll post some photos of our adventure at Heritage Park upon our return.  Wish us travelling mercies....