Pakenham Public School Students Showcase History Through Real-World Learning Project

Learning about Pakenham’s history is now even easier, thanks to local students.

Students in Grade 4, 5 and 6 classes at Pakenham Public School recently unveiled a Real-World Learning Project they worked on throughout the school year. Mayor Christa Lowry met with some of the students involved in the project this week. (Pictured above, clockwise from left: Grade 5 students Reid Townley, Connor Townley and Declan Lairar, Grade 6 student Maddie Plager, Mayor Lowry, Grade 6 students Abby Mould, Cristopher McMillan and Lydia Pickett). 

Involved from start to finish, students carefully researched the history of the village and compiled it into a scavenger hunt via QR codes placed in four picnic tables they built and have placed around Pakenham.

There are seven categories and QR codes featured in the hunt – Pakenham Train Station, Pakenham Sports, Five-Span Bridge, Pakenham Diefenbunker, Pakenham Military History, Pakenham Whale Bone and Pakenham Historical Buildings.

Classes consulted with the Municipality’s Recreation and Culture Department to determine the best locations for the picnic tables, which they built with help from St. Lawrence College’s Mobile Training Lab during a visit to Almonte District High School in May. The accessible tables can be found at the school, two at Pakenham Beach and another at the gazebo.

By scanning each code, inset into the four picnic tables, residents and visitors alike can unlock a wealth of information on the village’s history.

Pakenham Military Scavenger Hunt

The military aspect of the project saw students, led by Maddie Plager and Abby Mould in Grade 6, research seven soldiers born or who lived in Pakenham that fought in the First World War. It also inspired its own separate scavenger hunt. Posters with soldiers’ names and QR codes leading to additional information about each soldier have been placed around the village. The locations:

• Pakenham 1840s General Store and Bakery

• Keepers

• Pakenham Branch of the Mississippi Mills Public Library

• Centennial Restaurant

• Five-Span Bridge

• Pakenham Beach

• Scoops

• Pakenham Cenotaph

“We brainstormed ideas to make the project more interactive, instead of a plaque for people to read about,” explained Plager. “This way, they can walk through and find out more. It helps tourists experience the village too.”

Thank you Pakenham Public School students, for this wonderful example of youth civic engagement!