New Unit! Solving the Conundrum

Hello Everyone! New Unit Time!!

We finished our city brochures and submitted them today, and we are jumping in to our new unit!

Unit Focus Statement: The methods we use for investigating and approaching problem-solving can extend creative thinking and the scope of the final solution.

Main Concepts for Unit: Connection, Causation, Problem-Solving, and Ethics

We will inquire into:

  • Consensus, decision making, and the “Ladder of Inference”
  • Math and science used in forensics to solve crimes
  • Mystery writing and analogies
  • Group art creation through sculpture
  • Ethics and debate
  • Canadian multiculturalism and discrimination

Some highlights of things we will do!

  • Math: Applied Math through the book You Do the Math: Solve A Crime, which will focus on math used in solving crimes such as data gathering, decimals, fractions, percentages, area, perimeter, and measurement
  • Science: A variety of experiments around forensic investigations involving chemical reactions, scientific observation, and critical thinking, as well as using the Private Eye Loupe Method to do more careful, magnified observation and scientific description using analogies.
  • LA: Writing mysteries in groups and on our own, discussing the use of analogies and other literary elements such as metaphor and simile, and constructing arguments in oral debates around ethics topics
  • Socials: Discussion of of ethics and discrimination by looking at case studies in BC and the world such as the Chinese Head Tax, the Komagata Maru, and the Japanese Internment
  • Arts: We will discuss history of sculpture and techniques for constructing sculptures with a variety of materials. We will make several group sculptures together using these techniques. Photography will also be discussed (composition, observation, and its relation to scientific observation.)
  • Applied Design: Continued work on our invention we designed, including making a prototype to share the idea with others and discussion about ethical engineering.
  • Career, PE and Health: We are focusing on aerobic exercise, fitness levels, and monitoring a healthy heart rate, as well as body changes and healthy behaviours for this age group. We will also work on collaboration, building creative ideas, consensus, and problem-solving.
  • French: We will continue to work in French Smart and Je French on basic vocabulary, grammar, and phrases. Those with French Immersion background will be given mini projects as appropriate, while still participating in reviewing and assessing basic French with us. 

In addition to the unit, we will also continue Independent Math. Students should have finished at least one unit test by Friday, January 13th. Everyone is reminded that their homework/lessons from the unit should be turned in to the INBOX after we finish marking them, so that Ms. D can check them off in the marks book!

Term two started with work from the Structures unit, and we will end the term before Spring Break! 

Save the Date!! Please be aware that the day after Easter Break we have a very cool field trip planned to the Lower Seymour Conservation Area in connection with our fifth unit of the year on our connection to nature. This is on Tuesday, April 18th all day. A notice will come out to you at the beginning of February. I look forward to this special opportunity to see an area of nature not usually open to the public. Thank you to the PAC and the GVRD for helping support this opportunity. More details to come!