GETCA 2025

With AI and misinformation abundant online, researching any subject topic is problematic. Free lessons and resources help build critical inquiry and assessment skills using lateral reading, a simple evaluation checklist, and scientific research skills. Also new are lessons on Indigenous history in Canada as well as Indigenous teachings to support strong development, all co-developed by Indigenous educators and Elders that includes local input. There are many more cross-curricular and relevant topics with lessons and adaptable resources for building literacy, comprehension, inquiry, and group centre activities. In this interactive workshop, teachers become students and experience the engaging learning format that includes audio, images, videos, and quizzes where scores of 80% or higher earn life-saving vaccines (polio, diphtheria, tetanus and measles) for others in need around the world through UNICEF. This is why the resource is called Kids Boost Immunity (KBI). There is also a teacher-led option where the class can earn vaccines to help others without being online. The aim of the session is for teachers to leave with everything they need to start using the resource.

Having a sense of curiosity and activating the ability to wonder about the world around you is at the heart of any discovery and invention that happens in STEM and health related fields. Curriculum-linked lessons and support resources made by teachers in partnership with health and research scientists, are available free on Kids Boost Immunity (KBI). Lessons cover a broad range of science and health curriculum topics such as using a critical inquiry lens to evaluate science sources and information, diversity of living things, environment and climate change, the body’s immune system and germs, antibiotics, evolution and natural selection, inspiring women in STEM, social and emotional learning, and more. In this interactive workshop, teachers become students and experience the engaging learning format that includes audio, images, videos, and quizzes where scores of 80% or higher earn life-saving vaccines (polio, diphtheria, tetanus and measles) for others in need around the world through UNICEF. There is also a teacher-led option where the class can earn vaccines to help others without students being online. Teachers will leave the session with all they need to use the adaptable resources in a way that best meets their classroom needs.

Indigenous lessons on pre-contact, contact, treaties, colonialism and The Indian Act, as well as Indigenous teachings to support strong development have been co-developed by Manitoba Indigenous educators and Elders along with input from local Indigenous educators, and are available FREE to teachers on Kids Boost Immunity (KBI). Also new are lessons and tools to help students identify and avoid online misinformation. Students are shown how to use lateral reading strategies, decipher and deconstruct information to assess accuracy. These and many more social studies curricular and relevant topics include sequenced lessons along with accompanying resources that help build literacy, comprehension, inquiry and include group centre activities. In this interactive workshop, teachers become students and experience the engaging learning format that includes audio, images, videos, and quizzes where scores of 80% or higher earn life-saving vaccines (polio, diphtheria, tetanus and measles) for others in need around the world through UNICEF. There is also a teacher-led option where the class can earn vaccines to help others without being online. The aim of this session is for teachers to leave ready to use resources in a way that works best for their classroom needs.