Welcome to Nature Source - Alberta Parks' education resource and activity portal.
Explore photos and videos that showcase wildlife in our parks through the seasons.
ID Sheets / Keys
Scavenger Hunts
The diversity of living elements in nature come in all shapes, sizes, textures and smells. Students will explore a natural area, embracing all their senses, while discovering the diversity of life forms in the process.
Grades: K - 3During this thematic walk, students will discover wildlife, plants or insects that represent letters of the alphabet. Through the creation of student posters, construct your own ABC wildlife book or alphabet line for your classroom.
Grades: K - 3This classic activity introduces students to a wide diversity of Alberta’s wildlife. Through questions and reflection, students gain an understanding of how animals can be sorted to better understand animal classifications.
Grades: K - 12Building upon students’ natural curiosity through free exploration, discovery and research, this Inquiry presents students with a guiding question, “What lives in our Natural Area?”
Grades: K - 6Food chains, food webs and the interdependence of producers, consumers and decomposers come to life in this interactive and visual activity. Students will discover that diverse and intact ecosystems are more resilient to natural and human impacts.
Grades: 4 - 9Explore the many ways plants and animals adapt to winter.
Grades: 4 - 9In this fun discovery activity, students will become nature detectives exploring the species diversity of their schoolyard or nearby nature.
Grades: 4 - 6The predator-prey relationship of the Snowshoe Hare and Lynx comes alive in this active outdoor game.
Grades: 4 - 12Simulate what the subnivean world might feel like for your students and explore for evidence of life.
Grades: K - 6Discover how animals survive Alberta's winters through hibernation. A short video and hands on experiment, reveal the science behind amphibians' natural antifreeze.
Grades: 4 - 9An engaging game, exploring animal adaptations that can be played in all seasons in any habitat.
Grades: K - 9If you cannot visit Alberta Parks with your class, try “Exploring Biodiversity”, a teacher directed field study for grade 9 & 11 science students.
Grades: 7 - 12In this interactive game, students gain an understanding of the hardships northern caribou face during their annual migration.
Grades: 7 - 12Young scientists explore shapes, sizes and problem solving while having fun in puddles!
Grades: K - 3Discover plant transpiration in action as students observe, diagram and connect how water moves from leaves to the environment in this hands-on-activity.
Grades: 4 - 6Students will search for stories in the snow using evidence and tracks left behind by animals.
Grades: K - 6A predator-prey game in which adaptations to the cold and snow conditions are emphasized.
Grades: 4 - 9Students will interpret and identify animal tracks in nearby nature to build connections to the wildlife and the land.
Grades: 4 - 12This lesson introduces Bergmann's Rule, which explains how animals in colder climates tend to be larger to conserve heat, while those in warmer climates tend to be smaller to release heat by exploring two different activities.
Grades: 4 - 12In this activity, students are challenged to keep a ‘mouse’ from freezing in the winter. This is an engaging activity to help students consider how small animals stay warm in the winter.
Grades: K - 12A field study that can be completed in a local natural area or nearby nature. It explores human use, life cycles and food webs.
Grades: K - 3Visiting a natural area or nearby nature, students observe and record the variety of animals including insects and spiders they see while recording each organism's unique bodily functions.
Grades: 4 - 6This diverse resource is a must-have for your classroom! Students discover how adaptations, environmental challenges, and human actions shape Alberta’s landscapes.
Grades: 4 - 12This engaging winter activity transforms a snow study pit into a hands-on exploration of weather, snow science, and animal survival. By analyzing the temperature, depth, and density of different snow layers, students gain a clear understanding of either mountain safety risks or the hidden ecosystems that wildlife use to survive the cold.
Grades: 7 - 6
