07/11/25

Today, I explored the BC curriculum with the goal of finding where identity, collaboration, and communication meet within Grade 4 science. These three stand out immediately as core competencies across the entire curriculum (communication, personal and social). To dig deeper, I looked into the Grade 4 Big Ideas in science. The concept that “all living things sense and respond to their environment” provides a strong link to identity and collaboration, opening up opportunities for students to explore their identities in relation to place. This idea extends into Indigenous worldviews and First People’s Principles like “Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).”

Looking further into the BC curriculum, the curricular competencies mention “express[ing] and reflect[ing] on personal or shared experiences of place” which is a strong link to both identity and communication. When looking for ties to collaboration, I found “contribute to care for self, others, school, and neighbourhood through individual or collaborative approaches” and “co-operatively design projects.” Students are encourages to ask questions, work together, reflect on their past experiences, and share their findings in meaningful ways: all tying to identity, collaboration, and communication.

I’m definitely leaning toward creating a Grade 4 Science unit for my end project. The curriculum holds so much potential to explore ecosystems and cultural identity.