Russell Eggleston

Leanne Hodges

VOICES OF NATURE

ONLINE LEARNING RESOURCES

featuring

Holly Arntzen, Kevin Wright

& Tom Arntzen

Proudly supported by

formerly BC Used Oil Management Association

For Teachers, Parents and Group Leaders… anyone who works with children… here are tools to help you bring songs about the Earth into your classroom, home or community group.

Live Concert Videos feature choirs of children with The Wilds, so young singers see their peers performing for community.

Teaching Videos for learning lyrics, and the subtle details of melody and phrasing.

Action Videos for learning simple choreography for each song.

Music Activities for fun physical breaks to insert into rehearsal sessions.

Educators’ Handbooks for cross-curricular activites linked to the song lyrics.

Voices of Nature Rocks! Videos explore the ecological science behind the song lyrics.

Episode 1 supports The Watershed Song, and answers the question, “What is a watershed?” Episode 2 supports the song Mr. Douglas, and explores Douglas Fir forest habitat and organisms.

VIEW DETAILED PROGRAM INFO

Voices of Nature helps you create singing sessions to enliven learning each day. You’ll find things laid out step-by-step on the Song pages. Song Modules may consist of: a Live Concert Video featuring childrens’ choirs performing with the Wilds, or Performance Singalong Video; a Teaching Video with lyrics displayed where Holly sings a phrase and singers echo, to learn the melody; an Action Video for learning movements. In addition, there are Musical Activities such as Echo Singing and Body Percussion.

Voices Of Nature Rocks! is Educational (and comical). 20-minute videos explore the ecological science that informs song lyrics. Episode 1 supports The Watershed Song, and answers the question, What is a watershed? Episode 2 supports the song Mr. Douglas, and explores Douglas Fir forest habitat and organisms.

Songs and stories about Indigenous world view and Halq'eméylem language
Check out Éy St’elmexw St’elt’ílém - Good Medicine Songs

FRENCH IMMERSION TEACHERS—check out the French/English songs

SONG LIST

The songs are categorized by primary and intermediate but you may want to explore them all and decide for yourself.

The Watershed Song (good for all grades but more suited towards 3-7)
We all live in a watershed, it’s our home place that connects us with the water cycle, rain, rivers and the ocean. We can make choices to be good watershed stewards and protect precious habitats for species such as wild Pacific Salmon.

Mr. Douglas (Gr 3-7)
Mr. Douglas was an old growth Douglas Fir tree that grew to be 1300 years old in the Koksilah watershed on Vancouver Island and lived through centuries of human historical events. Old growth forests are the guardians of endangered old growth ecosystems.

Up Your Watershed! (Gr 3-7)
In 2009 the sockeye runs crashed in the Fraser River. Everyone was asking: Where are the sockeye? What’s going on out in the ocean where they spend most of their lives? How can we protect wild Pacific salmon?

Solar Angel (Gr 3-7)
The climate crisis is showing up in wildfires, drought, and unpredictable weather patterns. Global warming is being caused by our use of fossil fuels. Yet we have a vast sources of renewable energy—sun, wind, and tide—that can allow us to live sustainably.

Voices of Nature (Gr K-7)

We can sing and raise our voices for all the elements of nature that can’t speak for themselves—the forests and wildlife—even the very weather systems that we depend on.

Life Cycle Dance (Gr K-3)
All beings are part of the web of life—the sun, moon, oceans, rivers, fish, bears, eagles, trees, dragonflies—are all interconnected.

Big Change Starts Small (Gr K-3)
Composting is something that we all can do to reduce waste going to the landfill, and build new soil.

My Roots Go Down (Gr K-3)

We all know that trees and plants have roots. And when you think about it, so do us humans, fish, bears and birds have roots that firmly connect us to the Earth.

Le cycle de la vie/Life Cycle Dance (Gr K-3) bilingual

All beings are part of the web of life—the sun, moon, oceans, rivers, fish, bears, eagles, trees, dragonflies—are all interconnected.

L’eau salee/Saltwater (Gr 4-7) bilingual

We know how to put a man on the moon, but do we have the wisdom and the will to make sure that all the children of the world have enough to eat? Will we protect the atmosphere and the forests that we depend on?