Cape Forchu

      This I-Search Project is directed towards senior high students having diverse cognitive abilities.  The immersion phase will examine the students' knowledge and attitudes towards the environment in general and Cape Forchu in particular.  Exposing the students to volcanism, erosion and lunar influences through guest speakers, texts/literature, on-line sites, software and videos will further develop  their awareness and knowledge of Cape Forchu, thereby enabling them to achieve a better understanding of local as well as regional/international  environmental issues.
 
 

John's Cove Beach,  Cape Forchu, Circa 1930

        Cape Forchu is a land mass that  slightly parallels  the shoreline on which the  town of  Yarmouth is situated and which provides  protection for the harbour.  From the introduction of resources designed to stimulate and challenge to the final presentations, this topic incorporates the disciplines of  Math, Geology, Earth Science, Global History, Global Geography, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Canadian History, and English. Within the Geology 12 curriculum is a unit on volcanism; existing  on Cape Forchu is geological evidence that it is the result of a volcanic eruption. The area also contains many different types of rocks and minerals, the study of  which  is an  integral part of the Geology 12 curriculum. In addition to learning  basic physical features,  theories  such as uniformitarianism can be explored and examined within the context of this local geological formation. The shoreline also offers opportunities to  extend and enhance  curriculum content of Earth Science 12 through an examination of erosion, habitat and the study of an ecologically sensitive environment. By  comparing and contrasting Cape Forchu in its present state to that of its land form in its earlier stages,  Geology and Earth Science will examine the impact of a changing landscape on settlement and land development.

    Cape Forchu is both a micro system and a reflection of what is occurring in various locations throughout the world.  In the local community, it is highly regarded, with a well maintained  sea wall, park and other amenities.  It is a place for recreation for both young and old.  Newcomers to town are often taken first to Cape Forchu so that they may get a feel of what it is like to live in the community. Students express pride in the presence of Cape Forchu and lament any changes, such as the closing of the manned lighthouse, that they perceive as being detrimental to the overall environment. Globally, the students are able to relate  to geographical events elsewhere because of their firsthand knowledge of the impact of storms on the land. The volcanic history of the site also facilitates their understanding of eruptions  and the consequences of these eruptions in various parts of the world, thereby extending their awareness, through Global History, of  the issues faced by coastal communities in other parts of the world.
 
 

Yarmouth Light, Cape Forchu, Circa 1910

    Because the history of Yarmouth and therefore Cape Forchu, goes back at least 300 years, the Canadian History course  that is being  introduced this year will provide added meaning to the site.   Through predictions, calculations, estimations, graphing  and the compilation and calculation of raw data,  Math will deal with statistical information gathering and computations. Biology will become relevant through discovering, recording and classifying  plants and animals. Solubility, insolubility,  chemical reactions  and analysis will  demonstrate the relevance of Chemistry  while Physics, with its attendant calculations providing a meaningful demonstration of physical change.  Through the Sciences, the  development of the understanding of the connectivity of tides, the moon and natural events such as volcanic eruptions  to the landscape and its inhabitants as well as to the environment will be furthered.

    In addition, written  and oral skills will be enhanced through projects, presentations and exchanges among students, thereby extending  knowledge and use of the English language as well as contributing to the social development of the students.

     Writing,  reading, learning, observing, discussing, investigating, calculating, sharing, collaborating, cooperating, comparing and examining are but a few of the ways in which communication, comprehension and expression are used to share and demonstrate acquired knowledge.  By providing students with the opportunity to explore and examine Cape Forchu on many levels, students will be able to have a deeper understanding of the value of the land mass itself, both physically and in relation to themselves and their community.  Its history will become their history for they are its future caretakers.

 
Overarching  Concepts:

    The purpose of this  Cape Forchu I-Search Project is to facilitate Grade 12 Earth Science  and Geology students'  understanding of the relationship between the moon and the tides.  Through studying the shoreline of Cape Forchcu, students will also be extending their awareness of shoreline erosion.  In addition, students will be broadening their knowledge about vulcanization. Throughout this process, students will be enhancing their technological skills by using  hardware and software to assist them in analysis, comparison and data collection and retrieval.  Collaboration with their peers will further develop  their awareness and knowledge about lunar influence, erosion, volcanism as they interact to create and present a project that reflects both their cognitive and social development.