🏞️ Introduction

It’s official, I have hiked the same trail as the queen. R.I.P. Read more about my trip to the Rocky Mountains..  

I’ve just completed our first humanities AND maker project, and it’s been quite the fascinating journey. This project was all about the west, we had two driving questions, one for maker and one for humanities. This is my humanities blog post, you can check out the maker post here.

 The humanities driving question was “How has the geography of the West shaped who we are?” To kick things off, we embarked on a road trip through the WILD WEST! (BC and Alberta.) Along the way, we had the privilege of witnessing breathtaking landscapes and deepening our understanding of geography. The first thing I learnt was the true definition of the question “what is geography?” Don’t worry, you will learn the answer in just a jiffy- (I just learnt that word!)

🌲 About the Trip

We drove through so many incredible landscapes that included lush forests, rugged mountains, pristine lakes, and vast open wilderness. We visited historical landmarks, such as the Last Spike, where the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed, and the Cave & Basin National Historic Site, where the discovery of hot springs led to the creation of Canada’s first national park. These places told stories of how geography has significantly influenced the region’s history and development.

We even got to have a little stop at the Spiral Tunnels, it was incredible to learn and understand the engineering marvels that demonstrated how the challenging geography of the West needed creative solutions. We stopped at Roger’s Pass, a site where the railway’s  passage went through treacherous terrain, highlighted the enduring connection between geography and the identity of the West. The modern marvel of the Golden Skybridge showcased how geography continues to shape new attractions that take advantage of the region’s natural beauty.

Here is a little video to help you get an insight on what our trip looked like and the beautiful geography we were surrounded by.

click here to see the video

🌍 What Is Geography? The Five Themes of Geography

Before our adventure, we needed to understand what geography truly meant. Geography is not just about naming mountains and rivers and their surroundings. It is divided into five themes that represent its true definition. We made a comic strip to help show the reader what the 5 themes are. Here is my comic strip:

You can read more about each theme in my ebook! (next paragraph)

📖My ebook, it has explanations of all the places we went and everything I learnt! Check it out below:

I made this ebook on book creator, and I have published it for the world to see. I really enjoyed creating this, writing the reflections helped me remember all of the cool things we leanrt and adding the doodles helps me spread the information across the page. I hope you enjoyed reading through it!

🏔️ Conclusion

Our journey through the Wild West of Canada highlighted how geography profoundly influences the political, social, and economic aspects of this region. The natural environment, from the mountainous terrains to the hot springs, has shaped the identity of the West. We’ve seen that the people who call this place home have adapted and developed in response to the geographical challenges and opportunities presented by the land. As we listened, spoke, and questioned our way through this adventure, it became clear that the geography of the West is not just a pretty picture, it’s a important feature that shapes who we are and how we interact with the world.

By experiencing the power of place, we recognize the impact of geography on our lives and the world around us. The competencies of critical thinking, creativity, reflection, and effective communication are crucial in processing and sharing these ideas. This trip taught me so much about how the geography does influence people, but also just simple but important things like adapting to my learning environment and getting work done! The Wild West of Canada is not just a destination; it’s a lesson in how geography molds our identity and who we are as well as our understanding of the world.

Thanks for reading this blog post, if you liked it feel free to check out my Maker blog post, where I talk all about the moving image and telling stories!! HERE also feel free to check out my YouTube Channel!

Peace out ✌️