Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 03/05) - A total of 35 students, teachers and science lovers gathered at Blueberry Hill near Baker Lake recently for the Kivalliq Regional Science Culture Camp.

Now in its fifth year, the camp is sponsored by the Kivalliq Science Educator's Community, a non-profit organization comprised of teachers and people in the region interested in science.

Kivalliq School Operations program consultant Jim Kreuger says Baker has hosted the camp for the past two years.

He says those who participate in the camp receive academic credit, so organizers try to ensure as many kids as possible can attend.

"This was the second year the camp's theme was rocks and minerals and there were no repeat attendees from 2004," says Kreuger.

"We wanted to get as many students involved as possible because mining is going to become a reality here in the not-too-distant future."

Kreuger says the camp received a major facelift this year thanks to a donation from Cumberland Resources.

He says organizers used the money to buy all new tents so the camp can now be moved among communities.

"We have one large tent that measures 4.8 x 6 metres and is like a portable classroom.

"We can have all the kids in the tent at one time, which comes in handy when we have weather like this year.

"They can be doing work, drum dancing, circle games or storytelling.

"We can even eat in there if we have to."

In keeping with the theme, students received an overview of the rock cycle and the types of rocks and minerals found in the region.

They also learned to test for streak, magnetic and electrical properties and colour.

Kreuger says learning the Global Positioning System (GPS) was another big part of the camp's curriculum.

He says students learn how to use the GPS to navigate and then, as a final activity, take part in a practical scavenger hunt.

"We go out on the land and mark 12 weight points containing a mineral in a plastic bag with a question.

"The kids take their mineral testing kits with them and have to answer the questions by either performing a test on the mineral or identifying a certain quality about it.

"We send them out in groups of three and it takes them about two or three hours to cover the five kilometres and complete the stations.

"It's been extremely popular the past two years and all the kids have completed it."