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Campers rock out in Baker Lake Regional science camp overcomes weather
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, September 18, 2013
BAKER LAKE
Young science lovers from across the region enjoyed their time at the annual Kivalliq Regional Science Camp in Baker Lake earlier this month, despite Mother Nature's testy mood.
The camp, which is sponsored by the Kivalliq Science Educator's Community (KSEC), ran from Sept. 4 to 9.
Each community sent four students and one teacher, with the hosts being allowed eight students.
KSEC co-president Glen Brocklebank of Chesterfield Inlet said this year's event was titled the Hard Rock Camp, and focused on rocks and minerals, first aid and the global positioning system (GPS).
He said the students really took to the material being covered at the camp.
"We had some real weather difficulties to overcome this year," said Brocklebank.
"The winds were gusting to 60 km/h our first night, so we lost some tent sides, but one group of boys went out and fixed all the damaged tents.
"The rest of the time was a mixture of rain, snow and a little bit of sunshine.
"The weather could have made it a sour camp, but everyone was happy to be there and stayed in good spirits."
The regional camp combines theory and hands-on instruction.
The students are given a 150-page booklet containing all the course readings and assignments.
They receive two 120-minute instruction sessions on first aid, GPS, and rocks and minerals.
They're also given assigned readings and homework based on the lessons they're taught.
The practical components include identifying rocks and minerals, as well as the use of triangular bandages and splints.
The students also learned how to find and mark locations during their practical GPS lessons, as well as learning how to enter points of latitude and longitude.
Brocklebank said the culmination of the lessons was a major GPS challenge.
He said, this year, the timed course was about seven kilometres long, during which they had to enter the co-ordinates of the points they had to find, locate them and then answer questions based on first aid, rocks and minerals.
"The cultural component of the camp includes learning how to function on the land properly, inukshuk building and identifying items found on the land.
"We found an old fox trap that was, probably, hundreds of years old, and then we had a long discussion on it."
Brocklebank said the students are asked to rate camp activities every year.
He said the landslide opinion of the coolest activity at this year's camp was a helicopter ride supplied by Areva Resources Canada Ltd.
"Thirty of the students listed that as the best activity, while the other two listed meeting people from other communities and making new friends as their favourite part of the camp.
"They had the helicopter ride listed second."
Brocklebank said the camp receives solid support from schools across the region, especially the principals and high school teachers.
"All the principals managed to make it to the camp and were very receptive to what they saw happening.
"They were all very impressed with the efforts of the students they sent to the camp.
"They also seemed to be impressed by the structure of the camp, so KSEC has solid support across the region for the camp."
Tusarvik School science teacher Jenn Roop of Repulse Bay said her students thoroughly enjoyed the science camp.
She said she was impressed by what she saw at her own first Kivalliq Regional Science Camp.
"The camp does a pretty good job of combining theory with hands-on learning," said Roop.
"The students have to show they understand what they've learned, and I saw a lot more learning out there in five days than what I would during a week in the classroom.
"The amount of learning, when you're doing something that's relevant to these kids, is far more than the amount of learning that goes on in a typical school day."
Roop said she also saw a lot of peer learning in Baker, especially with traditional camping skills.
She said the kids in Repulse Bay do a lot of camping, and they were quick to share their skills with the other students.
"We had a tent of girls from across the region, and my Grade 10 student Loretta Nimiqtaqtuq was showing all the girls the proper way to start a Coleman stove.
"She got them all to pump it up, while showing them the right way to lift your finger and stuff, and that was a skill some of them didn't have.
"She also showed them the proper way to light and handle a Coleman lantern.
"These were skills she had from home and they're very valuable skills for kids here to know."
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