Elizabeth Phipps

Fairhaven School, Saskatoon (Saskatchewan)

Effectively teaching her young students about the unique historical relationship between indigenous and non-native people of Canada was the motivation for Elizabeth Phipps when she started her Saskatchewan landscape project. Together her students created and developed a living landscape of Saskatchewan that focused on the history of First Nations, the Métis and European settlers.

Her students engaged in learning opportunities that allowed them to use critical and historical thinking about Saskatchewan’s history from the last ice age to the early twentieth century. During the six-week project, the students participated in hands-on learning and research. They listened to guest speakers and visited historic locations in and around Saskatoon.

By creating a three-dimensional representation of their history and geography the students were able to see the influence of the natural environment on the development of different types of communities in the region.