MSSTANews

MSSTA AGM

2010-02-17T20:34:00.002-06:00

The MSSTA Annual General Meeting has been scheduled for Saturday, February 27th starting at 9:30 at the St. Boniface Museum. Those attending should contact mssta@shaw.ca, as lunch will be served.

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Preview SAG 2009

2009-06-10T22:29:00.002-05:00

With SAG 2009 rapidly approaching, MSSTA is giving you a preview of the events and sessions planned for this year. See the download link below for more information!

Downloads

SAG 2009 Preview.pdf

The World History and Historical Materialism Conference

2009-02-18T12:34:00.000-06:00

The World History and Historical Materialism conference will be held
at the University of Manitoba, March 12-14, 2009. Plenary speakers
are: Amiya Bagchi (University of Kolkata), Bruce Cumings (University
of Chicago), Alex Callinicos (University of London), Karen Dubinsky
(Queen's University), Rosemary Hennessy (Rice University), Rebecca
Karl (New York University), Hyun Ok Park (York University), and Mary
Poovey (New York University).

For more information on the conference please visit the conference
website:
http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/history/worldhistoryconf/

Those interested in attending the conference should register by
February 28 to ensure availability of registration materials. There is
no registration fee for students registered at the University of
Manitoba, University of Winnipeg, or Brandon University; students
should still complete the registration form available on the website.

For more information, please contact worldhistoryconf@umanitoba.ca

Annual General Meeting

2008-12-17T18:41:00.001-06:00

Just a quick note to set the AGM meeting - it will take place January 17th at St. Boniface Museum. It will follow the regular format - AGM meeting first, followed by our regular meeting. We'll start the AGM at 9:30. Lunch will be provided.

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Introducing the WHERE Challenge

2008-10-28T12:39:00.003-05:00

Introducing the WHERE Challenge
What on Earth is in your stuff and WHERE on Earth does it come from
National contest offers cash prizes for students and schools

In celebration of the International Year of Planet Earth, the first annual WHERE Challenge is a unique national contest that asks Canadian kids aged 10 - 14 years to discover the answers to these questions: What on Earth is in your stuff and WHERE on Earth does it come from? More than $17-thousand in cash prizes will be awarded to regional and national winners, as well as schools. The non-profit WHERE Challenge is sponsored by EnCana Corporation and Teck Cominco Limited.

We sincerely hope that you'll join in this celebration by helping to promote this educational Challenge. The WHERE Challenge is encouraging bright young minds to not only think about the many ways the Earth's resources support us, but also to contribute to future discoveries and ground-breaking innovations by considering Earth sciences as an exciting educational and career opportunity.

The WHERE Challenge is designed to foster curiosity and ingenuity through innovative story-telling as kids discover the wonder of the Earth's resources and WHERE on Earth they come from. The WHERE Challenge is inviting kids and schools to compete for regional and national cash prizes by letting their imaginations run wild. Students are asked to create a story about what on Earth is in their stuff and WHERE on Earth it comes from. Participants pick a favourite object in their home, school or playground, identify one or more non-renewable Earth resources used to make that object and WHERE on Earth those resources come from. The story can be told can be told through an essay, a poem, a song or a play, a painting or a poster, an audio, video or multimedia presentation or anything else kids can dream up!

All Canadian students between 10 and 14 years are encouraged to participate in the WHERE Challenge, and kids may submit an individual or group entry. Entries may be submitted between January 15th and February 28th, 2009. Judging is based on creativity, accuracy and originality and winning entries will be used as promotional tools to raise awareness about Earth sciences. Up to seven regional cash prizes ranging from $250 to $100 will be awarded in each of the following regions: Atlantic (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI & Labrador, Newfoundland), Quebec, Ontario, Prairies (Saskatchewan & Manitoba), Alberta, British Columbia, the North (Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut). Three national grand prizes of $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 will be awarded. In addition, each of the top three school entries will be awarded $1,000.

Links

www.earthsciencescanada.com

lyalljennifer@shaw.ca

Sustainable Development: Imagining the Possible

2008-10-28T12:37:00.002-05:00

On Monday, April 20, 2009, St. John's-Ravenscourt School will be hosting a conference for students in Grade 10 to 12 entitled "SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: IMAGINING THE POSSIBLE."

We have two keynote speakers lined up. The first is Professor Thomas-Homer Dixon, the author of the bestseller and Governor General's award winning book, The Ingenuity Gap, which examines how societies adapt to complex economic, ecological and technological change. The second keynote address will be given by Simon Jackson, the founder of the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition. Also speaking during the day will be Professor David Barber of the Faculty of Environment at the University of Manitoba, Heather Creech, Director, Knowledge Communications, International Institute of Sustainable Development, and Dr. Gordon Robinson of the University of Manitoba and the Leader of Centre for Research in Youth, Science Teaching and Learning-among others.

Each school in Manitoba is invited to send three students, with a teacher (optional). The charge for the students is $20 each, which includes lunch. There is no charge for the teacher. Please watch for a letter being sent to all Manitoba Senior Schools in early November. Registration will be online.

Run a Student Vote at your school

2008-09-18T16:21:00.002-05:00

Canada's 40th General Election is now under way and Student Vote is once again partnering with Elections Canada to provide students under the voting age with an opportunity to develop and practice the skills of citizenship.

The program culminates in a vote - hosted by students themselves - where the student body casts a ballot on the real candidates running in the schools' riding. The Student Vote results will be displayed to the public following the close of official polls in partnership with CBC and regional daily newspapers across Canada.

For more information on how to participate in Student Vote, please visit studentvote.ca

Links

studentvote.ca

Why Should I Join MSSTA?

2008-03-24T19:13:00.005-05:00

What does this association offer and what does it really do?

MSSTA does the following:

MSSTA supports Social Studies teachers and students in Manitoba.

We provide a quarterly MSSTA Journal filled with useful articles covering. various history and geography topics suitable for the Manitoba K-12 Curriculum.

We provide a reduced rate for the Annual SAG Conference, which offers workshops, new materials, curriculum information and a chance to network with many other Manitoba Social Studies Teachers K-12.

We provide summer workshops for new teachers of Social Studies covering relevant materials and ideas to support teaching Manitoba Social Studies K-12.

We support for Heritage Fairs in Manitoba.

We offer workshops about GIS.

We promote teachers attending PD programs such as the Teachers' Institute on Parliamentary Democracy, The CCGE Summer Institutes, Canadian Battlefields of France - Juno Beach Centre Program.

We defend Social Studies' place in education.

We have active links with the Department of Education through membership on curriculum committees and regular contact with consultants.

Links to other provincial social studies organizations.

We provide annual awards to the top graduating Social Studies Teachers from the 3 Manitoba Universities.

We provide a website offering Social Studies Teachers updated information about MSSTA and various PD programs available to all.

MSSTA encourages members to be proactive in support of Social Studies in Manitoba.

MSSTA has regular contact with universities through board members.

Launch of the Historical Atlas of Canada Online Learning Project

2008-03-24T01:08:00.000-05:00

This is to announce the launch of the Historical Atlas of Canada
Online Learning Project at www.historicalatlas.ca

This website is based on the award-winning Historical Atlas of
Canada. The Atlas was a three-volume collaborative research and
publishing project which used maps, text and graphics to explore
themes in the history of Canada. The Online Learning Project brings
selected content from the original atlas into today´s Web culture,
making it available to a much wider audience. This website has been
developed at the Cartography Office in the Department of Geography at
the University of Toronto. It is free to all web users.

Teachers' Institute of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba

2008-03-24T00:55:00.006-05:00

The Teachers' Institute of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba has an upcoming professional development opportunity!

Applications are invited for the Second Annual Teachers' Institute on
Parliamentary Democracy Saturday, April 19, 2008 to Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Downloads

Application Form

Information Sheet

Rivers West

2008-01-15T13:10:00.000-06:00

Rivers West, a local not-for-profit organization, is providing teachers with free resources to teach students about the Red River. You can download their three curriculum guides, free of charge:

Historic Places of the Red River (Grades 4 to 6 Manitoba Social Studies Curriculum)
Habitat Means Home (Grade 4 Manitoba Science Curriculum - habitat unit)
Red River Basin (Grade 8 Manitoba Science Curriculum - water unit)

Historic Places of the Red is full of outcome-base activities and resources for field trip to local historic places. Don't miss the PowerPoint slideshows - a great teaching tool. You can request your own CD of the guides from Rivers West at www.riverswest.ca or (204) 987.4356 or invite them out for a workshop. Bring history alive with the stories our historic places tell.

Manitoba Teachers Recognized for their work with Parks Canada

2008-01-15T12:46:00.000-06:00

A newly implemented Parks Canada's Ambassador in Education Award was presented to four Manitoba teachers during the 2007-2008 school year. This award was given to teachers in recognition of their significant contributions towards increasing student awareness and appreciation for Canada's natural and cultural heritage. These educators made excellent use of Parks Canada's educational resources and programs in delivering the Social Studies and the Science curricula. Three of the awards were delivered on SAG day, and one will be delivered in the spring, at a local PD day.

Recipients for 2007-2008:

Terry Skarban, principal of Ruth Hooker School in Selkirk, and Sharon Moolchan, the lead Social Studies teacher for the Lord Selkirk School Division (LSSD) were both key players in the development and implementation of the Lower Fort Garry Heritage Activity Day, a special event dedicating an entire day to all the 350 grade five students from the LSSD.

Jacqueline Mignot, an Aboriginal Education Support Teacher with Winnipeg 1 School Division, was also recognized for actively supporting and presenting Parks Canada's educational resources to her colleagues. After participating in a Parks Canada workshop, Jacqueline requested material on a yearly basis, to share with teachers in her school division.

Robert Lepischak, of Neepawa Area Collegiate, is a long time contributor to Riding Mountain National Park. He has been introducing RMNP to students and colleagues for many years - an estimated 1600 from Neepawa Collegiate alone.

Parks Canada showed their appreciation by presenting these teachers with a framed certificate as well as a 1-year Parks Canada Pass, giving them access to all National Parks and National Historical Sites in Canada. Thank you to our four recipients!

MSSTA Annual General Meeting [UPDATE 2]

2007-11-07T14:05:00.001-06:00

The M.S.S.T.A. AGM will be hosted on January 26th, 2008 at Fort Whyte Center. Those interested in attending should contact mssta@shaw.ca.

Updates

2007-10-15T12:35:00.001-05:00

Just a quick note that the MSSTA Journal and Members sections of the website are now up and running!

New Website

2007-10-13T12:26:00.000-05:00

At long last, the new M.S.S.T.A. website is live!
Prepare for new features, new content, new information, and a more up-to-date version of mssta.mb.ca
If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or any content you would like to see on the website, please feel free to contact mssta@shaw.ca.

Iain Connor

2008 Red River Regional Heritage Fair

2007-10-13T00:03:00.000-05:00

This year's Red River Regional Heritage Fair has been scheduled for Thursday May 15, 2008 at The University of Winnipeg's Duckworth Center.

Those interested can find more information at http://www.redriverheritage.ca

Downloads

Red River Fair Application Form 2008.doc