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Alberta Online Encyclopedia


Namedropper Program

Made possible by the Friends of Geographical Names of Alberta, the Namedropper Presentation is an educational tool designed to aid teachers and instructors engage grade 4 students with various aspects of Alberta's history through the study of geographical place names. The Namedropper Presentation entails a wide range of interactive and educational assignments for students, all hinged around the theme of Alberta's place names. Activities include artistic assignments, class presentations, charade-style games, language games, true or false questions, word searches, and matching assignments. The program also comes with a large place-name resource index, as well as photo and document archives, to facilitate further engagement on the part of the students.

The Friends of Geographical Names of Alberta is proud to announce that the Namedropper Presentation will be fully available in both English and French complete versions, with activities and resources.

Meant to be used in conjunction with the revamped grade 4 social studies curriculum updated in 2006, and the theme, "The Land, Histories and Stories", the three main objectives of the Namedropper Presentation are as follows:

1. To recognize and respect individual and collective identity and the role it plays in a democratic and pluralistic society in the land we call Alberta.

2. To establish a sense of belonging and acceptance of each other and an understanding of our heritage as they explore "The Land, The People and Their Stories".

3. To develop key values and attitudes, knowledge and understanding and skills and processes so they will know who they are and the freedom and opportunity as well as the responsibilities of citizenship in a inclusive democratic society.

And with the use of the Namedropper presentation, students will develop these three skills:

1. Develop the skill of Historical thinking by:

  • Using Place Names to teach an understanding of the diversity of peoples who settled this land we now call Alberta.
  • Using Archival photographs students will learn the sequence of historical events.
  • Learning how the arrival of fur traders and settlers changed the aboriginal people.

2. Develop the skill of Geographical thinking by:

  • Reading a map is like reading a storybook of the history of Alberta.
  • Learning placement on a map of Alberta.
  • Identifying areas where specific resources are found.

3. Develop the skills of Cooperation, Conflict Resolution and Consensus Building by:

  • Using group activities such as "Charades", "Picture it", "Who am I?" and "True or False."
  • Students learn how to compromise and build consensus.
  • Consider the needs and ideas of others
  • Work together to complete a group task
  • Share information with others in a respectful and inclusive manner

Also, during the presentation, which lasts about 1 ½ hours, the "Namedropper", usually a retired teacher from the region, will recite the Geography Action Poem to excite the children about all the things that are important and unique to Alberta's place names:

"Mountains, Foothills, Rivers and Creeks.
These are things that make Alberta unique
Lakes, lowlands and plains too.
Don't forget the plateaus and Hoodoos.
Towns and cities large and small.
Make our geography the best of all."

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            For more on place names of Alberta, visit Peel’s Prairie Provinces.

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