Outside the Box

Chief Julius School, Fort McPherson, NWT

"Math can feel abstract and disconnected. At the time this project began, my class was
working on measurements, unit conversions, and scale ratios."

"Neil Colin brought those concepts to life by sharing the history of his father, Christopher Colin,
who traveled vast distances. What captivated me was the mystery of how he, years later, sat down with
his son and recalled the details of his journey. To engage my students, I posed a challenge: find a way to
calculate the approximate distance Christopher Colin traveled on the land in his lifetime."

Photo: Tony Devlin

"While Edyn was initially hesitant, she took the challenge head-on and successfully applied the math skills
we were learning in class. I explained to Edyn that we were working with minimal information.
To fully appreciate and quantify his journey, we would need to conduct interviews with his family to gather
more details about his life on the land."

Photo: NWT Archives

"Since Edyn grew up on the land, I asked her practical questions, like: 'Would this part of the journey
take about eight hours?' She would explain how the terrain would affect his travel time.
With her experience growing up on the land, coupled with her observations and stories, she taught
me about what typical day-to-day life on the land might have looked like. She brought history to life
through the map."

Photo: NWT Archives

"We brainstormed what living on the land looked like fifty, or even a hundred years ago.
Edyn was able to contribute significantly because of her upbringing and the stories she
had heard. She skillfully translated those stories into meaningful context for our project."

"The trails on the map were full of curves. Edyn suggested using string to measure
accurately. I borrowed thread from a Gwich'in teacher who does a lot of sewing."

"Edyn explained her method to a small group of interested students. Each of them repeated the
measurements independently to verify the accuracy of her work. While there were minor variations
between their results - expected in such a task - the differences were negligible. That demonstrated the
precision and care Edyn took in her calculations."

Photo: NWT Archives

"Pacing was a consideration, as Christopher Colin's walking speed varied through his life. Edyn took
the initiative to determine his likely pace at different ages, faster when he was younger and slower as
he grew older. We also considered the topography of the land. To better understand this, Edyn with her classmates
simulated his pacing by walking through the corridor and calculating the average speeds. They integrated
those findings into their estimates."

Photo: NWT Archives

"There were several factors we didn't fully address, such as the variations in the elevation
across the valleys and hills. Additionally, we could only estimate the number of times he
might have traveled certain trails during his lifetime."

Photo: NWT Archives

"Our study was intentionally left open-ended. Christopher Colin might have used
snowshoes, a canoe, or dog sleds, which could significantly alter the calculations. Future
work could expand based on these assumptions. The possibilities are endless."

"We challenged students to think outside the box. My students found out Christopher Colin walked over
60,000 kilometres. Put this into perspective: 'How far is that? Compare it to circling around the
borders of the NWT?' Edyn took it a step further, proving that he had effectively walked one
and a half times the circumference of the earth. If students persevere, like Edyn, they can achieve
remarkable results."