What is Nature Labs?

Nature Labs uses impactful and immersive storytelling to bring to life an innovative digital ecosystem of curated resources designed for inquiry-based, exploratory learning that – across four subjects – uses biodiversity as a real-world example of course lessons. The goal? Strengthen interdisciplinary education and foster a new generation of environmentally literate citizens who understand and appreciate nature. If successful, Nature Labs hopes to foster a generation that takes ownership for their natural inheritance by thinking critically about the complex issues that affect biodiversity and, indeed, all life. Read more...

Unit and lesson plans
Unit plans that uses biodiversity as a real-world lens for learning in each of the core four grade nine subjects: Science, English & Language Arts, Social Studies, and Art.
Plug-and-play interdisciplinary themes
Seamless interdisciplinary lessons that don’t require coordination between teachers in different subjects.
Student-selected story portal
Each time a student first enters the Nature Labs platform, they’ll be given the opportunity to view an immersive story about one animal, showcasing the unit’s overarching themes and transporting them into this animal’s home.
Curated digital ecosystem
This online space will be built around high quality, multi-media content and aimed at exploring unit themes and issues – and with every lesson teachers choose to deliver, their ecosystem expands to include the additional, relevant information.
Daily content
The digital ecosystem will be enhanced with daily content, providing the latest information on a student’s animal from the field, integrating just-published research and highlighting current events that link the animal stories to the broader Canadian and global landscape.
Challenge project
Every unit plan ends with a challenge project in order to have students think critically about what they’ve learned, understand what their learning means in the real world, and embrace their role as stewards of Canada’s biodiversity in their communities.
Mentorship scholarship
Challenge projects can be submitted to inform Canada’s national strategy to protect biodiversity. The best idea will receive a mentorship scholarship to spend a year implementing their concept.
Customizable unit and lesson plans

An increased level of customization - extra lessons, community-specific activities, tailored cross-course lesson integration.

Class, school or community curated content

The content in a student’s digital classroom will be curated to create class, school or community-specific linkages that reflect that their realities.

Virtual field trips

Take students into nature virtually to showcase one of Canada’s most biologically important and diverse ecosystems.

Live and interactive learning

Live learning through expert presentations, debates and hosted conversations.

On-demand teacher mentorship

Constant encouragement and support in order to increase the success rate of a new method of teaching.

Virtual student tutoring

The ability to seek out an expert to assist with research, questions, and assignments, without the help becoming a crutch for learning.