Ripple Rock Kindergarteners Open Bear Museum for Families and Classmates

Kindergarten students at Ripple Rock Elementary welcomed families and classmates into their very own Bear Museum after spending a month learning all about bears.

Mrs. Carly’s class explored where bears live, their physical characteristics and how people can stay safe around wildlife. Their learning included hands-on activities, group talks and real artifacts loaned by community members and local wildlife groups. These items helped students connect their classroom lessons to the world outside their school.

To celebrate everything they learned, students turned their classroom into a museum filled with drawings, models and interactive displays. They proudly showed visitors around and explained each exhibit like real museum guides.

One popular stop was the blubber experiment. Guests placed their hand in ice water, then into a “blubber mitt,” and back into the water to feel the difference. Students explained how polar bears use blubber and thick fur to stay warm in the Arctic. Another display tested how strong a bear’s sense of smell is, using mystery scents hidden in small cups.

The project also focused on inclusion. Mrs. Carly programmed an assistive communication device so one student could take part as a tour guide. Each display had a matching picture on the device. When the student pressed it, the device shared information about the exhibit out loud.

The class received help from wildlife scientist Lana Ciarniello, BC Conservation member Gord Gudbranson, and educators from Wild Wise Campbell River, including Lorna Seldon Burd and Natasha Garritty.

Families were not the only visitors. Other classes from the school were invited to tour the museum and learn from the kindergarten experts.

The Bear Museum helped students build confidence, learn about wildlife safety and feel proud of their work. Most of all, it showed how learning can be fun, hands-on and shared with the whole school community.