Teachers Romy Cooper and Graeme Cotton get students to find a research topic, question what they're passionate about and hunt for an answer that can't be found in a book.
Their students are in Grades 4 to 7 at General Gordon elementary in Kitsilano and this year Grade 3 students completed an introductory project. One Grade 6 student explored the deliberate explosion of the underwater peaks of Ripple Rock between Vancouver and Quadra islands in 1958.
"The student's question that he was exploring was was that the best decision, was their decision to explode it justifiable," Cooper said. "So he did a lot of critical thinking to try and come to his own conclusion."
Another student's interest in the work of a blacksmith spread to his family, who took him to Fort Langley one weekend so he could do more research.
"The passion for this aspect of history, it goes home," Cooper said. "We hear back from parents all the time that they now know more about Canadian history through their student's projects working with us over the past few years than they did in their adult life."
Students present their projects at school-based heritage fairs. Eighteen students from General Gordon progressed to this year's Vancouver Heritage Fair. Grade 6 student Luke Mantle will take his French-language project to a provincial heritage fair in Victoria this month.
The pair of teachers who've been perfecting the assignment for five years are finalists in the 2013 Governor General's History Awards for Excellence in Teaching. Cooper and Cotton of are among 25 finalists from across Canada, the only elementary school teachers selected.
Six winners will be selected in the fall. The winners will receive $2,500, a gold medal and a trip to the awards ceremonies at Rideau Hall. Their respective schools will also be awarded a cash gift of $1,000.
TOP SKILLS
Another Eric Hamber fashion student has won gold at the Skills Canada National competition.
Following in the footsteps of Donna Lu last year, Connie Cheng won gold earlier this month. Cheng was one of three Vancouver students who competed in the national competition. Candace Tam, also from Hamber, competed in graphic design and print pre-production and Simon Wong from Templeton competed in baking. Wong won silver.
Both Templeton and Hamber share a long history winning provincial and national skills competitions.
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High school student eyes world fashion design crown
