The Cross-Canada Virtual Road Trip runs from March 28 to May 19, 2023.
The Cross-Canada Virtual Road Trip is a road trip like no other! Offered in collaboration with Parks Canada and Exploring by the Seat of your Pants, this program is free to all Canadian teachers and students in Grades 3-8 and features live virtual field trips to 10 different Parks Canada sites that stretch from coast to coast to coast.
Scroll down to find out how your class can participate in the live events, access a hands-on lesson plan, explore a visually stunning Google Earth Voyager Story, and learn more about Can Geo Education’s classroom contest offering cash prizes!
How to participate
You and your students can participate for free in each of the 10 virtual field trips in one of three ways:
- Register for a “camera spot” during a live event so your class can appear on screen and interact with the speaker.
- Tune in “off camera” during a live event via YouTube and ask questions in the chat.
- Watch recordings of the live events at a later date, which will be posted on the Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants YouTube page after each event has taken place.
To register for a spot, click the button below! You can attend as many events as you want — there’s no limit and spots are free. Read the full descriptions of the virtual field trips at Exploring by the Seat of your Pants.
Schedule of events
- March 29 – 1:00 p.m. ET – Colourful and unexpected life in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park
- April 4 – 11:00 a.m. ET – The Wood Frog in Kluane National Park and Reserve
- April 5 – 11:00 a.m. ET – Learn to camp safely and respectfully alongside local wildlife
- April 13 – 11:00 a.m. ET – Tracking Canada’s longest snake at Thousand Islands National Park
- April 19 – 1:00 p.m. ET – Caribou time at Jasper National Park
- May 2 – 11:00 a.m. ET – The Land of the Ancestors in Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve
- May 12 – 1:00 p.m. ET – Artefacts and stories from Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site
- May 16 – 11:00 a.m. ET – The 16th century Basque whaling capital at Red Bay National Historic Site
- May 18 – 11:00 a.m. ET – Puffins and seabirds at Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve
- May 19 – 11:00 a.m. ET – A visit to Green Gables Heritage Place
Classroom contest
Can Geo Education is offering a random-draw contest for classrooms interested in winning a cash prize that can be put towards celebrating their unique connection with nature.
The contest runs from March 28 until May 31, 2023.
Eligibility
Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 (or equivalent) classrooms in Canada.
How to enter
Participation is simple. Just follow these two easy steps:
- Watch as many Cross-Canada Virtual Road Trip events with your class as possible!
- This includes watching via a live “camera spot,” live but “off camera” via YouTube, or after-the-fact using the YouTube recording.
- After each event, work together as a class to answer a specific question about that event, and submit your answer as your entry.
- All answers must be submitted by a teacher on behalf of the class by midnight ET on May 31, 2023.
- Maximum of 10 entries per teacher/class (one per event).
- Answers should be 100 words or less and must be submitted using the form linked below.
- Each entry is equivalent to one chance at winning $250 — more entries means more chances for your class!
Prize structure:
Grades 3-4 (or equivalent): Four $250 cash prizes will be awarded by random selection.
Grades 5-6 (or equivalent): Four $250 cash prizes will be awarded by random selection.
Grades 7-8 (or equivalent): Four $250 cash prizes will be awarded by random selection.
Prize delivery:
Winners will be contacted by email between June 1 and June 9, 2023. Cheques will awarded in the name of the school and mailed before June 30, 2023.
Educational resources
Lesson plan
Looking for a primer on Parks Canada’s mandate and the importance of preserving and protecting environmental and cultural heritage? Use our quick lesson plan to get your students excited about their upcoming road trip!
Google Earth Voyager story
Are your students craving more interaction with the sites featured in this year’s program? Are they keen to “visit” these sites again? Have them explore the beauty and wonder of these incredible places using our Google Earth Voyager Story. For every site, we have included background information, photos, videos, and easy classroom activities to get your students asking questions about the unique geography of these Canadian landscapes and their histories.
Questions?
If you have questions about the 2023 Cross-Canada Virtual Road Trip, please contact us at [email protected].
