Getting Started with dHL

This resource provides you with curriculum-based lesson ideas paired with dHL’s virtual content and subject-matter experts. Tee It Up by introducing a virtual tour/ virtual reality (vr) experience into a lesson, or Run With It by integrating virtual tours/ vr experiences with live streaming* programs and video conferences provided by dHL Experts.

*Live streaming programs are only available in Alberta and select districts on Ontario.


dHL Lesson Ideas & Classroom Examples

Curious about how dHL’s resources can be integrated into your classroom program to support student learning?

Browse our K-12 lesson ideas and classroom examples by selecting a curriculum subject area to get started!

K-12 Lesson Ideas for ART with mountains and river painting in contemporary style
K-12 Lesson Ideas for Drama & Dance with silhouettes on a stage
K-12 Lesson Ideas for Geography with colourful maps
K-12 Lesson Ideas for Health with a collection of fresh vegetables
K-12 Lesson Ideas for History with a historical building with a glass ceiling
K-12 Lesson Ideas with an open book on a table in a library
K-12 Lesson Ideas icon for Math with a math book and math instruments on a table
K-12 Lesson Ideas icon for Music with a line of musical notes on a staff
K-12 Lesson Ideas for Phys.Ed with sports equipment on a field
K-12 Lesson Ideas for Science with a static electricity ball
K-12 Lesson Ideas for Social Studies with a world globe covered in travel postcards
Cycle of Inquiry with dHL's logo in the background

ART

GradesAll
CurriculumCreating and Presenting; Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing; Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts
Concepts: Elements of Design; Principles of Design
Lesson IdeasBasic elements of design (color, line, shape, form, and texture); developing your skills of creative expression.
Explore Virtual Tours and VR icon Andy Warhol Museum
Artsy Education (Making all the world’s art accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Browse artwork, collections and over 1000 categories including subject matter, time period, styles, movements, mediums and techniques.)
Program TopicsThe Arts
Video Conference with Experts iconArt Gallery of Ontario
Children’s Book Illustrators
Program TopicsArt and the creative process; Art and the Canadian identity; Indigenous art and artists, etc.

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ART

GradesAll
CurriculumCreating and Presenting; Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing; Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts
Concepts: Elements of Design; Principles of Design
Lesson IdeasExploring forms of art (painting, architecture, sculpture, literature, music, performing, and cinema); developing your skills of creative expression.
Explore Virtual Tours and VR icon Google Arts and Culture: Street Art
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Program TopicsThe Arts
Video Conference with Experts iconArt Gallery of Ontario
National Gallery of Canada
Program TopicsPaintings/ painters, architecture/ architects, sculpture/ sculptors, literature/ literary icons, music/ musicians, cinema, etc.

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DRAMA/ DANCE

GradesAll
CurriculumCreating and Presenting; Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing; Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts
Elements: body, space, time, energy, relationship
Lesson IdeasExploring movement and the elements of dance in the environment
Explore Virtual Tours and VR iconThe Northern Lights
Program Topics The Arts
Video Conference with Experts iconTravelling Stage
Program TopicsParticipate in dance, drama and music workshops alongside established performing artists.

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GEOGRAPHY

Grades7-9
CurriculumInteractions in the Physical Environment; Natural Resources around the World: Use and Sustainability
Lesson IdeasApply the geographic inquiry process while exploring and comparing physical environments around the world and the natural resources they produce.
Explore Virtual Tours and VR icon Australian Outback
Guilin Mountains, China
Parks Canada
360 Underwater National Park | National Geographic
Program Topics Social Studies
Video Conference with Experts iconNational Parks Conservationists
Program TopicsPhysical environments, land formations, natural resources, conservation, sustainability, etc.

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HEALTH

GradesAll
CurriculumHealthy Living; Active Living
Lesson IdeasHealthy eating, food groups, physical and mental health, safety, fitness
Explore Virtual Tours and VR iconTouristTube: Best restaurants in 360 virtual tour
Program Topics Life Sciences
Video Conference with Experts iconNutritionist
Chef
Personal Trainer
Dancers
Program TopicsHealthy eating, nutrition, fitness, mental health, well-being, mindfulness, etc.

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HISTORY

Grades11
CurriculumWorld History since 1900: Global and Regional Interactions
Lesson IdeasExplore history through multiple perspectives and mediums
Explore Virtual Tours and VR iconAmerican Museum of Natural History
Canadian Museum of Civilization
National Women’s History Museum
Program Topics Social Studies
Video Conference with Experts iconAmerican Historian
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center 
Canadian Civil Rights Museum
Passages to Canada (storytelling initiative of Historica Canada)
Rusul Alrubail, Refugee Crisis Expert
Program TopicsImmigration, the experience of being a refugee, human rights, civil rights, Holocaust, genocide, etc.

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LITERACY

GradesAll
CurriculumWriting, Reading, Media Literacy, Oral Language
Lesson IdeasDeveloping your skills as a writer (writer’s craft), storytelling; Developing your skills as a reader; Developing your skills as an illustrator; Computer programming
Explore Virtual Tours and VR icon Canadian Museum of History (evolution of storytelling)
American Writer’s Museum Virtual Hub
Australia’s Oral History Collection (Indigenous oral storytelling)
National Museum of Computing (language of computing)
Program Topics English Language Arts and World Languages
Video Conference with Experts iconAuthors
Oral historians
Poets
Illustrators
Program TopicsWriting, writer’s craft, editing, publishing, storytelling, illustrating, etc.

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MATH/ SCIENCE

Grades11, 12
CurriculumMathematics for Work and Everyday Life, Workplace Preparation
The Mathematical Process: Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proving, Reflecting, Selecting Tools and Computational Strategies, Connecting, Representing, Communicating
Lesson IdeasAssessments of financial security systems, with a focus on their complexity, their mathematics, and their mechanisms (e.g. financial risks associated with natural disasters, insurance, etc.)
Explore Virtual Tours and VR icon Experience an earthquake in VR
Stand in Waist-Deep Floodwaters of Hurricane Nate (360 video)
Storm Chaser Reports from Eyewall of Hurricane
Program Topics Math and Technology
Video Conference with Experts iconCanadian Institute of Actuaries
Tornado Hunters
Program TopicsRisk assessment
Natural disasters

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MUSIC/ SCIENCE

Grades1-4, 7,8, 11
CurriculumMusic Curriculum: Creating and Presenting; Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing; 
Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts
Elements of Music: duration, pitch, dynamics and other expressive controls, timbre, texture/ harmony, form 

Science Curriculum: Understanding Life Systems: 
Grade 1:  Needs and Characteristics of Living Things
Grade 2:  Growth and Changes in Animals
Grade 3:  Growth and Changes in Plants
Grade 4:  Habitats and Communities
Grade 7:  Interactions in the Environment
Grade 8:  Systems in Action
Grade 11: Biology, Plants in the Natural Environment, Plant: Anatomy, Growth, and Function 
Grade 12: Biology, Population Dynamics
Lesson IdeasExploring music and movement in nature and the environment, growth and changes in plants and animals, ecosystems, pollution, stewardship
Explore Virtual Tours and VR icon Resistance of Honey Master (360 video) – BBC News (an urban Beekeeper and his bees, make honey – and music – from inside the beehive)
Be the Bee – A Hive to Table Experience
Program Topics The Arts, Life Sciences
Video Conference with Experts iconBee Keeper
Elizabeth Weigandt, Author of the Queen Bee Series (stories that take place in the world of honeybees)
Program TopicsHistory of beekeeping, how critical bees are to our food system, colony 
collapse disorder, the basics of a beehive design, bee biology, and how honey bees communicate through smell, sound, and dance. 

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MUSIC

GradesAll
CurriculumCreating and Presenting; Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing; Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts
Elements of Music: duration, pitch, dynamics and other expressive controls, timbre, texture/ harmony, form 
Lesson IdeasCreate original music across genres, hear insights from professional musicians, collaborate with professional musicians, learn how to conquer stage fright; learn about the orchestra, explore music as a career
Explore Virtual Tours and VR icon Carnegie Hall
Program Topics The Arts
Video Conference with Experts iconMark Carbone, Venturi Winds Quintet, Cambridge Symphony Orchestra
Program TopicsChamber music, clarinet, performance, orchestra, composing, etc.

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PHYS. ED

Grades4-8
CurriculumActive Living, Movement Competence
Lesson IdeasMovement combinations, manipulation skills (throwing, catching, and retaining), body awareness, spatial awareness, effort, strength, conditioning, simple movement principles, sports, etc.
Explore Virtual Tours and VR icon Extreme Sports VR / 360 Video Experience
The Modern Olympic Games | 360 VR Video | The New York Times
Eagles Defensive Line 360 Video | Ep. 1 | NFL Immersed
Program Topics Life Sciences
Video Conference with Experts iconLive Well for Life, Personal Training
Beyond Kung Fu
Program TopicsFitness, healthy living, movement, coordination, focus, respect for our bodies and minds, personal growth, character development

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SCIENCE

Grades6
CurriculumUnderstanding Structures and Mechanisms, Flight
Lesson IdeasFlight, aviation, flying devices, simple machines, properties of air, space, travel, war, etc.
Explore Virtual Tours and VR icon Military Aviation Museum Tour In 360 VR
Delta Airlines Operations
Heathrow Airport Live Cam
Hubble Control Center Virtual 360 Tour
Program TopicsEarth and Space Sciences, Physical Science
Video Conference with Experts iconRetired Flight Engineer, US Air Force
Canadian Aviation and Space Museum
Program TopicsScience, energy, space, planets, planes, airplanes, pilots, war, history, atmosphere, space shuttle, aerospace, astronauts, night sky, stars, space, energy, physics, math, pulleys, gears, levers, wheels and axles, ramps, environment

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SOCIAL STUDIES

Grades3, 4, 5, 6
CurriculumHeritage and Identity:
Grade 3: Communities in Canada, 1780–1850
Grade 5: First Nations and Europeans in New France and Early Canada
Grade 6: Communities in Canada, Past and Present

People and Environments:
Grade 5: The Role of Government and Responsible Citizenship
Grade 6: Canada’s Interactions with the Global Community
Lesson IdeasInteractions and interrelationships between different Peoples, perspectives on cooperation and conflict, government structures, rights and responsibilities, contributions to Canada’s development, differing experiences related to the development of Canada, identity, culture, etc.
Explore Virtual Tours and VR icon Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Center Exhibit
Canada’s Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: VR Documentary including subject matter, time period, styles, movements, mediums and techniques.)
Program Topics Social Studies
Video Conference with Experts iconNational Gallery of Canada
Sarah Thompson, Treaty 6 Education Council
Program TopicsLearn about Indigenous cultures and perspectives, First Nations, Metis and Inuit artists, First Nations in Saskatchewan (16 Cree First Nations schools), etc. 

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CYCLE OF INQUIRY

UNDERSTANDING EARTH & SPACE SYSTEMS

Air & Water in the Environment

Pedagogical Approach

The example provided is designed to help you conceptualize how student inquiries provide the foundation for an experiential model for learning in any K-8 curriculum subject area that can be supported by virtual content and live programs delivered by dHL Experts. Using a class blog, student blogs, and Twitter to document the process and products of learning, these platforms also serve as online learning environments that help students develop critical digital literacies, global competencies/ transferable skills, and digital citizenship.

Experiential Learning Cycle

1. Concrete experience followed by 

2. Observation of and reflection on that experience which leads to 

3. Formation of new knowledge, skills, and abstract concepts which are then 

4. Applied to test hypotheses in future situations, resulting in new experiences

*Effective learning only occurs when a learner progresses through all four stages.


Assessment

Co-create learning goals and success criteria with students (connect to your curriculum).

Gather and document conversations, observations and products of learning based on learning goals and success criteria (triangulate assessment data).

Engage students in self-assessment and peer assessment throughout the inquiry (build character, metacognition, critical thinking, and problem solving skills)


Minds On

Create a QR code to a padlet Wonder Wall and ask students to post their questions.


Intro Inquiry-based Activities (Wonder Wall Questions)

What is water? 

Online research to find images of water to help answer the above question. 

How do we save an image? 

  • Integrate lessons about:
    • How to search and locate royalty free images online using a search engine
    • CreativeCommons (CC licensed images) 
    • Copyright 
    • Attributribution 
    • Sharing

Online research to find information about water to help answer the above question. 

→ How do we know what we read online is true?

  • Integrate lessons about:
    • Searching and locating information online using a search engine
    • Evaluating websites
    • Synthesizing information
    • Communicating information

Inquiry-based Activities (Wonder Wall Questions)

Where do we get clean drinking water?

dHL Expert: Safe Drinking Water Foundation

Program: Operation Water Flow; Operation Water Pollution; Operation Water Drop (modified for grade 2)

Program Overview: Educate students about drinking water quality issues to realize the goal of safe drinking water being available to every Canadian.

Virtual Tour/VR: Water Treatment Plant 3D Virtual Tour

Content: Tour a Wastewater Treatment Plant and learn how these facilities recycle the water and waste we flush down the drain.

Virtual Tour/VR: Water Treatment Processes Virtual Tours

Content: Turning Seawater into Drinking Water; Inside a wastewater treatment plant; Discover groundwater replenishment; Treating groundwater for drinking

How is water stored underground? 

dHL Expert: Texas Wildlife Association

Program: Aquifers

Program Overview: From raindrops to aquifers, students are challenged to think about where water comes from, how it got there, where it ends up, and how it is being used. 

Virtual Tours/VR: Walking on Water

Content: Aquifer Virtual Tour (underground)

Water Cycle Experiments (lightening, thunderstorms, tornado)

dHL Expert: Geoff Coulson, Environment Canada

Program: Collaborative learning partner on class blog

Program Overview: Answer student questions about weather as they arise and provide links to relevant information online to further student learning.

Virtual Tours/VR: Tornadoes

Content: Experience tornadoes in 360° and/or stand inside a tornado in VR

What is the hottest place on Earth?

Virtual Tours/VR: NASA’s Vizualization App

Content: Deserts

What is the coldest place on Earth?

Virtual Tours/VR: NASA’s Vizualization App

Content: Icebergs

How do polar bears survive in Antarctica?

dHL Expert: North Carolina Zoo

Program: Animal habitats, Adaptation

Program Overview: Mammal habitats and adaptations for survival.

dHL Expert: Polar Bears International

Program: Tundra Connections

Program Overview: The study of polar bears and their habitats. Research about the effects of global warming on polar bears. 

Virtual Tours/VR: Live polar bear cams

Content: Watch polar bears in their natural habitats in Ontario and Manitoba

How can we help the Polar Bears?

dHL Expert: Michael Furdyk, TakingITGlobal 

Program: Your Carbon Footprint

Program Overview: Learn how to reduce your carbon footprint. Take the 90 challenge.


Reflection  

A collection of dHL Experts' logos

As I reflect back on the science program I used to deliver, and compare it to the science program my students created, not only did their inquiries lead them through the curriculum in an integrated and multi-disciplinary way, but they were engaged and motivated to learn. My students were given voice and choice and as a result took ownership of their own learning. 

I learned that as teachers we do our students our huge disservice by positioning ourselves as the only knowledgeable other in the room. When we invite dHL Experts into our classrooms we teach students the importance of networking and the invaluable role relationships play in creating an experience of learning. We show students that asking for help is an act of empowerment, and that teachers are learners too. 

No significant learning happens without a significant relationship ~Dr. Comer

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