Banded Peak School’s Grade 3/4 students saddled up their school bus and headed out to Bow Valley Ranche last month for a unique history lesson on Alberta’s western heritage. The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Alberta History Quiz Show called on students from Bragg Creek and Vulcan to compete in a video- recorded trivia contest, to be aired in Alberta classrooms.
“The exciting thing is that participating teachers can play the 20-minute episode and pause the show as the questions are read, allowing their students to guess the answers,” says organizer and ‘History Wrangler’ Rob Lennard. He adds that Lieutenant Governor Lois Mitchell started the program to emphasize Alberta’s history, as part of her mandate.
The episodes recorded with local students deal primarily with the Calgary Stampede, but include other questions such as, “what was Mary Dover known for?” (Answer at bottom.) Students can ultimately win the chance to have a slice of cake and celebrate the birthday of Alberta’s namesake, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, with the Lieutenant Governor herself.
Photo courtesy : Faith McLean
“It’s fun! Everybody gets a part to do, and you get to pick your part,” says Jaxon Padgett, Grade 4 Banded Peak student participant. He’ll be appearing in the quiz show, along with lots of local celebrities, such as Carly Heath and Astokomii Smith, Calgary Stampede Queen and First Nations Princess.
Next up, the quiz show heads to museums and landmarks across Alberta — with a variety of historical themes — giving students around the province the chance to participate. The show will begin airing in classrooms during the 2019-20 school year.
*Answer: Mary Dover is known for preserving natural places in Calgary and being a stuntwoman in a movie.
Faith McLean, HCN Staff
faith@highcountrynews.ca
