Students then got to experience a Google Expedition example I created for Alexis Creek. I created a scene from a local restaurant that had burned to the ground recently, as an example to show students how to embed photos. It opened a discussion on the storytelling aspect of Google Expeditions. Students then added a scene ( CHECK OUT "SCENE 4") by using our 360 camera and taking a picture of the school, and adding the new school playground as a point of interest. We also found an image from the devastating fires that threatened the community in 2017 and added that as a point of interest as well.

We then broke into 3 groups, to brainstorm areas and points of interest we would use to create our Expedition. Because of the large geographic area we are covering, as well as 3 distinct communities, we think we may do 3 separate tours, each highlighting the separate communities that make up our draw area.

Although we are getting close to the end of the year, we wanted to get a start on one tour and give students a chance to play with the cameras and equipment. We started on Monday, by planning out a few sites to visit, and brainstorming the text and still images. Students teamed up in partners to do the planning.

On Tuesday, we headed out in teams with the cameras to take some pictures. Students had an opportunity to take 360 images with the street view app, as well as take still images to be loaded as points of interest into the tours.

We hoped to get 4 location shoots in, but were only able to get to 2 spots. Just west of Alexis Creek is the beautiful Bull Canyon Provincial Park. It borders the turquoise waters of the Chilcotin River which flows along the flats past Alexis Creek, eventually reaching the Fraser River near the historic Gang Ranch. The river was an important source for steelhead fishing for the Tsilhqot’in nation, who in 2018, voluntarily closed fishing to its people because of an 81 per cent species decline over the last 18 years.

Facing the opposite direction, you see the impressive facade of Bull Canyon cliffs lined with shallow caves. The Bull Canyon Mountain is considered sacred by the Tsilhqot'in and a site of archaeological significance.

From the park, we took a drive back towards town, and took a detour on a dirt track through a field to a gate. Through the gate, we walked to the edge of a cliff that opens to a gob smacking view of the entire valley, looking back towards Alexis Creek. If you walk over the edge of the cliff, and down the sandy bank, watching out for the cactus, you will discover "The Woman Turned To Stone". Without a doubt, this is a sacred site, long revered by the Tsilhqot'in, and the story of the "Woman" has been passed down through generations. We are excited to add this story and images to our tour, but want to get permission of the band to post images before doing so, due to the sacred nature of the site.

Here are a a few of the 360 images of Bull Canyon captured by students with the Street View app. These images will be added to our virtual tour along with descriptions and embedded images.

Our school year is drawing to a close, so we will resume our work in the fall. Our first order of business is to connect with the local bands to seek support and endorsement for our project. We hope to honor these communities by showcasing this incredible region, the language and the culture, by having students act as the historians; interviewing Elders and teaching others about where they live.