Released on November 3, 2015
Saskatchewan needs a provincial fossil and students are going to help select it. Using educational resources provided by the Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM), students will explore Saskatchewan’s geological and paleontological history. Students are then invited to submit a video in support of their top candidate and could win a visit from an RSM paleontologist.“The history of life in Saskatchewan is preserved in our fossils,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Mark Docherty said. “Saskatchewan’s fossils are of remarkable value to scientists, they are a source of great fascination to our residents and tourists, and fossil discoveries are a source of pride for many Saskatchewan communities. Designating a provincial fossil will help bring attention and recognition to these aspects of our province’s natural heritage.”
In the spring of 2016, Saskatchewan will choose an official provincial fossil to represent our rich paleontological history. From mid-November until May, the public can visit the RSM to see the provincial fossil exhibit where they will learn more about the fossil candidates. In the spring of 2016, voting will open province-wide online with the new Saskatchewan Provincial Fossil to be announced in May.
To engage students, Grade 7 classrooms from across the province are invited to enter the Saskatchewan Provincial Fossil Video Contest. Students participating in the contest will learn about the fossils on the provincial fossil candidate list, choose the one they think would best represent Saskatchewan and create a video to argue their case. The videos entered into the contest will be posted online and used to help promote and build excitement about the candidates for Saskatchewan’s provincial fossil. The class with the winning video entry will receive a special gift and a visit to their classroom or school by a RSM paleontologist.
In connection with the video contest, the RSM has developed an Inquiry Lesson Plan for teachers to help students explore their knowledge of rocks, minerals and fossils. Classroom research about Saskatchewan paleontology is supported by French and English resources on the museum website.
“The Royal Saskatchewan Museum has a long tradition of providing outstanding education programs for the youth of this province,” Education Minister Don Morgan said. “I encourage all Grade 7 classes to learn more about our province’s rich fossil history and share their voice about how it should be represented.”
A wide variety of educational programs targeted to students from Pre-K to Grade 8 are available at the RSM yearly from October to June. High school, English as a Second Language, and adult learning groups are encouraged to contact the RSM for specialized programming.
To learn more about programs and resources available, teachers may visit the education tab at www.royalsaskmuseum.ca/education. The RSM, located at 2445 Albert Street, is open daily from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Visit www.royalsaskmuseum.ca or call 306-787-2815. Admission is by donation.
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For more information, contact:
Jill Sveinson
Parks, Culture and Sport
Regina
Phone: 306-787-5781
Email: jill.sveinson@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-527-8152