Global Trade: Investigating Chocolate

As we talk about where our STUFF comes from, it is important to understand global trade. Today we talked about the many countries and materials that go into making jeans, and we watched the video called The Story of Stuff to learn about the materials economy involved in getting stuff to us in the stores.

To further investigate global trade, we are looking at where one of our favourite sweets comes from — CHOCOLATE!

In groups of three, we are looking at different chocolate companies to answer the following questions:

  1. What is the name of the company?
  2. What is their most popular chocolate product?
  3. Which town and/or country did the company originate in?
  4. When did the company start making chocolate?
  5. Where does the company manufacture chocolate? Where are their factories?
  6. Where do they get their cocoa beans from to make the chocolate?
  7. What other main ingredients are used in their chocolate products?
  8. Where do they get those ingredients from?
  9. Where do they sell their chocolate?
  10. How many people do they employ?
  11. How much profit does the company make?
  12. What do they claim they do to be socially responsible as regards the welfare of either people or the environment? (Fair trade, employment protection, against child labour, green farming, etc.)
  13.  Any other interesting facts??

Record these facts in your journal together as a group of three. Our goal is to see which company is the most responsible AND to learn a little more about where our STUFF comes from.

Ms. D

Independent Project Update: Books and Primary Research

Hello Everyone!

We have already talked about this in class, so here is a formal update on Independent Project 2024!

What has already been done?

  • Students chose their topics and informed Ms. D
  • Ms. Ho put out requests to all District libraries for books related to topics
  • Ms. D went over the Jar of Inquiry and how to ask questions.
  • Students were told to begin with Form and Function type questions, and then to expand up into connection, perspective, and responsibility questions. Examples were provided in class and via the wonderings board, which you all had an opportunity to see at Student Led Conferences.
  • Over this year, Ms. D has reviewed which are good websites to use, what information to take down to document resources, how to take notes in a T chart, and where to find things like copyright dates/publishers/about us on websites, etc.
  • Students began taking notes, whether in their journals by hand or online. No cutting and pasting, please! Notes in their own words. Use the T CHART format.

What’s next?

  • Continue to take notes using books from the public library, books from Ms. Ho that are available in the classroom, and websites.
  • Ask new questions. As you research, if something comes up that you are curious about, ask a new question!
  • We have been doing secondary research. If you haven’t done it already, it is time to come up with some primary research ideas.

What is Primary Research?

Primary research is doing the observing, documenting, analyzing, and making conclusions on your own instead of finding research already done by someone else. It can take many forms. Primary research is required for the project, and it needs to be documented with pictures or notes. Here are some ideas:

  • Interview with an expert on the topic. Before you do an interview, write down your questions and ask Ms. D to review them with you. Record the person’s answers, their name, and the date of the interview.
  • Do observations at a location, or of someone doing something related to your topic. It is a good idea to take both written observations, the dates you took the observations, and take some pictures to share later as part of your presentation.
  • Conduct a lab experiment. Use the scientific method to do a lab write up. Take pictures to document the process so you will have them for your presentation later. Write down the dates you conducted the experiment. We will be talking more about the scientific method this unit.
  • Build something. Document your design process with a draft drawing or plan, notes about how the process is going, and pictures so you have them for your presentation later. Record dates about when you did certain things in your notes.
  • Do something. Try something for the first time, document the experience, and take pictures so you have them for your presentation later. Record dates about when you did certain things in your notes.

Please try to think about a primary research item on your own. Ms. D can discuss with you some ideas to help.

Next Step — Bibliography and Presentation Details:

  • All notes, primary research, and bibliographies are due to Ms. D by May 31st.
  • In May, we will begin working on presentations, and Ms. D will go over ideas. Our goal will be to not all have trifolds like a Science Fair. Independent Project is not like Science Fair presentations. We want to see models, interactive displays, brochures, handouts, etc. versus just a board people can look at and read. Materials are available in class, and computers/iPads will be available, as well. More details about this as we get into May.
  • Presentation will be from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM on June 12th, Wednesday. We may use a combination of our classroom and the library, or just the library, for presenting. Set up will be all morning on the 12th. Lunch will be early that day to accommodate a lunchtime viewing for parents and families.
  • Some items from Independent Project, if they are digital, can be displayed on our class blog. Be thinking of what items could be displayed there, such as the bibliography, primary research documentation, and handouts. I will not post notes on the blog, only final presentation pieces.

Looking forward to your work!

Ms. D

Student Led Parent E-Port Questions

After you have attended your child’s student-led conference, please make an e-port on their e-portfolio website. You can get their help logging in!

If you would like to post a picture of you and your child at student leds, that is great!

Title: Student Led Conference Parent E-Port Reflection

Questions:

Which activity at student led conferences was your favourite?

Did you learn something new from your child during student led conferences? If so, what was it?

What question did you ask for our wondering wall?

What is one thing you would like to share with your child about something they created or shared with you during student led conferences?

 

EPORT on Britannia Mines and Virtual Port of Vancouver Trips

*Please post a picture of Britannia Mines if you can! If you were absent for these trips, please only answer the questions you can. I encourage you to touch base with your fellow students to see what you missed. E-Port is due Tuesday, April 23rd.

Title:  Britannia Mines and Port of Vancouver Trips

Questions:

How did technology change to get light in the mine, so the miners could see?

How did they get the copper out of the rock ore in the mill? Describe what you can from the process (think about the movie/interactive BOOM presentation at the end of our trip.)

How do they remove copper from the water so it doesn’t pollute Howe Sound and kill the marine animals and life there?

Which mineral does copper come from?

How did the technology change for drilling in the mountain tunnels over time?

What does gold look like during gold panning? How do you know it isn’t pyrite?

What other facts did you learn while you were there about mining, rocks, gold panning, etc.?

What areas does the “Port of Vancouver” cover other than Vancouver?

Name the different types of ships that come into the Port of Vancouver?

What are some of the major countries we trade with?

What resources are often being sent out on ships to these other countries from Canada?

Why do you think having a port is a good thing for us and for British Columbia?

Geologist Presentation – Bonus Questions, Optional!!

Hello Everyone,

This is a bonus e-port activity — it is 100% optional! We had a great presentation today from Minerals Education BC, with our visiting geologist Derrick. Ms. D took some notes and I have some bonus questions you can answer on an e-port if you want to show what you know! It is amazing how much we discussed today!!!

This is 100% optional for my students who are extending in geology and would like to have the challenge. It is due whenever you finish it. This activity is not connected with our Classroom Economy activities. 

________

Name 15 different things a geologist needs to take with them into the field when they go and search for minerals.

How do we know where a certain mineral can be found? (Hint, what is the process they use to check, with a specific name)

How much does it cost for a drill to go into the Earth for 100m?

Why is copper used in electronics?

How many different elements are in a smart phone? Name four.

Which two elements that are frequently used in electronics are difficult to recycle and cause environmental issues?

If you were extracting copper from a rock, what percentage would be copper and what percentage would be waste?

What is rock waste called?

Which two elements are often in rock waste that can be toxic and a pollutant?

What are the two types of mines we mainly have in BC?

What mineral is used in a pencil?

How far down have humans been able to dig into the Earth?

How do we know the Earth has layers such as the mantle, outer core, and inner core?

What is the machine used for measuring earthquakes?

How thick is the Earth’s crust?

Why is Mt. Everest not technically the world’s tallest mountain? Which one is?

What makes the continental plates move on top of the mantle? (science word for the force involved)

Where are the plates splitting apart, which could eventually become a new ocean?

What is the science word for how sedimentary rock is formed with burying, compacting, and then cementing?

What are the two types of igneous rock?

When would crystals be bigger?

What are three types of sedimentary rock we discussed?

What is the mineral word for salt?

When quartz is in liquid form, it travels through a crack, then solidifies in a ______ which can be extracted from the rock.  Fill in the blank!

What is a mineral used in toothpaste?

What is a mineral used in ceramics?

What is a mineral used to make the paper for cards thicker, coated on the outside of each card?

Which elements/minerals create the reds and blues used in First Nations art along our coast?

E-Port on Resources and Geology

Hello, This is an e-port check in from the last two weeks since Spring Break, on our new unit. As it is being assigned today, Wednesday, April 10, it will be due one week from now on Wednesday, April 17. Do your best to answer questions using materials from class and your journal, rather than looking things up on the Internet.

Please include a picture of a favourite resource from BC or favourite mineral.

Title:  Resources and Geology Check In

Questions:

What are natural resources?

What does renewable and non-renewable mean? Give an example of each.

What are some specific resources we extract and/or sell in British Columbia? (You can use the station materials, with the resource samples, if you need them.)

Which of the natural resources is the most important according to our class data about the objects in our homes? Why do you think it is the most important?

What is geology?

What is a rock? What is a mineral? (How are they different or the same?)

What is an element?

Explain the rock cycle briefly, using scientific words.

What are the three types of rocks and tell me one characteristic of each that helps you know which is which?

How can we classify minerals (what characteristics do we look at)?

What does a geologist need or wear to go do their work?

What kind of rock would you find in the Rocky Mountains? Why?

Why might there be very different types of rocks on Vancouver Island than in Vancouver?

What are some of the main minerals we mine for in BC?

What kind of rock do we see a lot of along the coastline here in BC? Why?

New Unit! April – May 2024

Hello Everyone,

We are all excited to be starting a new unit!

Unit Title:  Getting Our Needs Met

Unit Concepts:  Systems –> Interdependence

Unit Focus Statement:

Humans create and use a variety of systems, tools, and scientific knowledge to get their needs and wants met.

Areas of Inquiry:

  • The nature of needs versus wants
  • Our use, management, and conservation of natural resources (renewable and non-renewable)
  • Government systems
  • How we use scientific knowledge to get our needs and wants met (geology, chemistry, geography)
  • Community systems we create to get our needs met
  • Economics and Trade
  • Financial Literacy and Budgeting
  • Language we use to get our needs met
  • Creation of personal fitness programs to stay healthy

Core Competency Focus:  Social Responsibility, Critical Thinking

Upcoming Activities:

  • Classroom Economy, Get a job!
  • Trade Game to Learn World Economics
  • April 10 – Rocks and Minerals Workshop with Minerals Education BC
  • Cookie Mining Activity
  • April 12 – Britannia Mines Trip All Day
  • April 19 – Student Led Sharing Evening
  • Element Superhero Creation
  • Independent Project Research
  • And more to come…..

 

Animal Migration Mini Project

In class, we have been studying migration of animals, including migration cues, and typical migration routes.

Each of you will choose one migratory animal to look at more closely.

You will use Book Creator on the iPads to make a short, creative book online to share your findings with us. This tool will give you one more option for presenting information as you think toward the end of the year and Independent Project.

While research can be done at home, the majority of the work on this project will be at school, so we need to use our time and project-management skills to stay on task during work periods!!

Step one: Do research on your animal and watch the Book Creator Tutorial on the iPads. Record your research using a T-Chart in your journal. See the questions below for what kinds of information you need to look for and share with us.

Step two: Make a storyboard of what you would like to share.

  • You can use your drawing book to make a layout of the pages you want to create in your Book Creator Book.
  • Your book can be about 10 pages — one page for a book cover, 8 pages of information and graphics, and one last page with a short bibliography of where your information came from.
  • Your book will need to have words and pictures to explain your animal and its migration.

Step three: Start making your pages using the Book Creator application on the iPads. If you are absent or know you will be away the next week, you can also create a free account at Bookcreator.com so you can work on your computer/laptop at home, or you can get the Book Creator application on a mobile device.

There may be a fee for the app on a mobile device, but using Book Creator on a laptop in a browser is free if you make an account with parent help. Talk to Ms. D if you have questions.

Step four:  Edit your book carefully by reviewing it yourself and asking a peer to look at it, as well.

Step five: Show your finished book to Ms. D — she will try to upload it to her shared library, or we can just view your book on the iPad. Our goal is to share these during our student led conferences in April.

As you research your migratory animal, please find out the answers to these questions:

  1. What is the name of your animal? Common name is fine.
  2. Where does your animal live? (Biome and habitat; specific location on map)
  3. What does your animal look like? What adaptations (features of its body) help it deal with the habitat and biome it lives in?
  4. Where does your animal travel to as it migrates?
  5. What is the migration route on a map? What biomes does it travel through?
  6. What does your animal need to survive? Food/habitat/conditions
  7. What cue causes your animal to migrate? What type of migration is it? (use the handouts from class if needed)
  8. How is your animal important to the ecosystems it lives in?
  9. Is your animal endangered and why? Are there any problems with human activity bothering the animal’s migration route?
  10. Any other really cool and interesting facts about your animal?

Criteria:

  • You are able to find specific migration information about your animal and to use the science vocabulary we have discussed to describe their migration.
  • You are able to create a clear presentation using a new digital tool, using simple graphics to communicate details about your animal.
  • You are able to use creative thinking and an organized layout as you design your presentation so your audience is engaged as they read the information.

Due Date:  April 16th at the latest, as we will present these during Student Led Conferences April 17 or 18.

Here are some websites on migratory animals you may find helpful or interesting! Many of these are on birds, but please see the Articles of Interest for other options, under the heading “Migration Unit.”

Earth Rangers Top Ten Most Amazing Animal Migrations

Nature Animal Migration

BBC Animal Migration Videos and Info

Cornell University Lab of Ornithology (study of birds — so any bird can be searched!)

NOVA Magnetic Field and Animal Migration

Scientific American Silent Skies: Billions of North American Birds Have Vanished

Audubon North America Has Lost More Than 1 in 4 Birds

Cornell Chronicle Nearly 30% of Birds in US Have Disappeared

Nature Canada How Climate Change is Impacting Birds

Mass Audubon Effects of Climate Change on Birds

Forbes Climate Change is Affecting Migration Timing of Birds

Cosmos Bird migratory patterns changing with climate

United Nations International Gathering on Birds to Discuss Migratory Species

Ted Ed Video on Bird Migration Dangers

Tiny House – Math, ADST, Identity Core Competency

Hello Everyone!

We started this project yesterday, and I passed out a packet to follow, but I wanted to put the details we have talked about down on the blog for parents to see, too.

We are building a TINY HOUSE MODEL as part of our combined MATH and ADST studies, and in connection with the IDENTITY core competency.

In class, we discussed tiny houses, looked at pictures, talked about why people build them, and considered different designs. Then, each person was given a planning packet to begin drafting their own tiny house scale model.

As part of math, we are using the TINY HOUSE to practice scale and proportionate thinking. We will also be practicing communication around area, perimeter, and measurement.

As part of IDENTITY, our concept of study for our recent unit, we are exploring what kind of personal space we would invent for ourselves. This will be a great communication of our personal preferences and needs, through the designing of a living space.

Finally, as part of ADST, we will practice creative-thinking and building using a variety of tools to produce a scale model, while using the design process of envisioning our idea, drafting a plan, making our model, revising it as we go, and presenting a final product.

Steps for Creating the Model:

  1. PLAN:  Read through the Tiny House Booklet and make a plan on the design page. Use the list of items on that page to help you think about what a tiny house needs. You are welcome to look at Tiny House ideas on the internet, as there are so many TV shows on YouTube about them!
  2. MAKE:  Ms. D will provide you with cardstock grid paper for the floor, roof, and walls of your tiny house. The building of our Tiny House will happen in class. You may use coloured pencils, markers, clear tape, glue, extra cardstock, pipe cleaners, and other building supplies to help create your space.
  3. BE AWARE OF SCALE: We discussed in class having an idea of how big your person is that is moving in the house. This will help you design things, so that your couch isn’t made for a giant! Also, we compared the grid squares to the size of our classroom, so that we would know how high to make doors and windows. Be aware that all of your items in the house need to “make sense” in terms of size and relationship to one another.
  4. CREATE 3D FURNITURE: Ms. D has a handout with sample furniture already on it, or you can create your own. Make the furniture, light fixtures, garden items, etc. as 3D as you can. You can draw some things on the walls, though, such as art or in-set shelves that are not sticking out into the space.
  5. BE CREATIVE:  Make sure you add colour! What does the outside look like? Will you have a roof patio? A garden? An interesting pathway? You decide!
  6. PRESENT:  When you finish, we will present to one another, sharing our creativity, in our TINY HOUSE TOWN! I will ask you to write about your design experience, as well as the math involved, in a final e-port reflection.

CRITERIA:

  • I can envision a creative tiny house space, including elements that represent my identity and personal preferences.
  • I can use the design process to draft ideas, build, revise, and produce a tiny house model.
  • I can work with alternative materials successfully to create a 3D model of a space.
  • I can use proportionate thinking to design a space that makes sense in terms of the related size of furniture, door, window, and other items.
  • I can use a grid plan, as well as a sense of area, to plan out a tiny house.
  • I can use design elements and creative thinking (colour, 3D construction, line, texture, interesting items included) to make an interesting and aesthetic house model.
  • I can explain the design process and my math thinking successfully through a written reflection.
  • I can use materials responsibly, not wasting cardstock and other classroom supplies as I build.

DUE DATE:  No later than April 17th, Wednesday morning

BUILDING HAPPENS IN CLASS — SO MS. D CAN SEE YOUR PROCESS. Thank you!!

Overview MACC Division 5 Term Two: November – February, 2023-2024

Here is a review of the many things we did Term Two 2023-2024!

To tie the big ideas from our curriculum together into a larger, enduring understanding,
we studied all subjects through the lens of universal, conceptual themes.


First, we focused on the concepts of
CREATIVITY and CHANGE
in our unit 
“Human Creations”

Unit Focus Statement:  

We use creativity and knowledge together to make innovations that change our world.

Core Competency Focus:

Creative Thinking


What is creativity?
(Core Competencies, Science, Career Education, ADST, Socials, Language Arts)

We used this unit to better understand the nature of creativity. What is it? Who has it and why? Can we cultivate it? Can it be taught? We did a variety of activities to explore creativity, such as reading a collection of picture books about imagination and ideas; doing theatre improvisation; creating Scratch programming and games as part of the Hour of Code week in December; and constructing maker art for the holidays out of mixed media such as wool and found objects.

Some activities were designed as “alternative uses” tests, which are often employed by researchers to test creativity. How many things can you make out of a small can of playdoh in a short time period?

We read the book The Perfect Square, then everyone took a plain, boring piece of paper, and with only five cuts and folding, constructed new 3D creations from our imaginations.

We watched several TED talks about creativity, and we did shared, non-fiction readings from the Time Magazine: Creativity Issue to better understand the brain science behind creativity, and how people think creativity can be cultivated in our learning and daily lives. We also talked about how GROUP THINK can be better than SOLO THINK for any project. Building upon someone else’s ideas is okay, and it is the way innovation happens!

As part of language arts, and in connection with our school goals around writing, we also took time to do daily, creative quick-writes during our recalibrate time to focus our energy for the day. The emphasis was on increasing written output, idea generation strategies, and using more complex vocabulary. We discussed the difference between 5 cent, 10 cent, and 25 cent words. More interesting vocabulary means our writing is worth more! We also discussed not self-censoring — meaning, just get the thoughts to paper in a first draft and don’t worry so much about perfection! All ideas are good!

We discussed the nature of PLAY and developing creative thinking skills. How do younger children feel and touch materials as they explore their potential uses? Why do younger children have a different attention span? Why does the way we play change as we get older? We did some primary research about this by teaching our younger buddies how to do marble roller coasters like we did earlier this year, then observing them to see how their play and experimentation differed from our own.

How do we make work easier? With simple machines!
(Science, Math, and ADST)

Creativity is important to solve problems! We explored how humans have used experimentation and scientific knowledge to create simple machines that make work easier. To begin our discussion, a pile of weird tools from Ms. D’s and Mr. L’s eclectic collection, including some antiques, were put out on tables for students to explore and draw. Everyone had to guess what the tools are used for and how they work!

Then, we identified the main simple machines and did hands-on activities to experiment with them. Let’s lift Ms. D up with one student using a giant wood lever and fulcrum!

We identified the steps of the design process, then created several devices using creative thinking and simple machines. First, we made marshmallow catapults, seeing who, with limited time and materials, could build a device that would successfully launch marshmallows the furthest across the classroom.

Then, we researched Rube Goldberg, who designed machines that were very complicated, but completed very easy tasks!  We created Rube Goldberg devices all over the classroom, using a variety of found materials and the design process.

Finally, we also learned about hydraulics, discovering how liquids, unlike other states of matter, can’t be compressed! Working collaboratively, we made cranes and other unique devices.


Human Innovations over Time — The concept of CHANGE
(Socials, Language Arts, Core Competencies)

Our creativity has led to many innovations that have changed our lives over time. What are those innovations? When did we start using simple machines? Has our use of technology been positive or negative? We had many discussions about the impact of technology, as well as the history of human creations. The book Backward Science gave us a better idea of what life was like before we had inventions like the toilet or the car! We looked at early Indigenous innovations, as well, such as snow goggles, inukshuks, umiaks, burins, spindle whorls, and ulus.

We read the book Ingenious and were surprised how many important innovations originated in Canada! We learned how many other inventions have been inspired by creations from First Peoples of Canada by looking at the book Indigenous Ingenuity.

Then, we identified technologies used in different areas of our lives, such as communication, medical technology, electronics, and entertainment; then we evaluated each one for its positive and negative impacts on humans. Each student chose to research one area further, creating a timeline to illustrate how technologies have changed over time.

As we did research, we focused on how to evaluate online sites to ensure they are legitmate sources, how to ask questions about your topic first before starting the research process, and how to document notes in a two-column format in your own words, citing where you found the information.

We read the books Goodnight iPad and Nerdy Birdy Tweets to discuss how technology such as smartphones and social media can distract from other activities or relationships. We watched The Story of Plastics to learn about the impact of the invention of plastic on both us and the environment. As we read about the invention of the printing press, we reflected on how much technology has changed us and the way we do things.

We also did some self-reflection about how we have CHANGED over time, too! We read the book Once Upon A time There Was and Will Be So Much More, then brainstormed how we have changed since being a baby. After, we imagined what we would be doing next year, in ten years, and in fifty years!

Finally, each student did a PowerPoint presentation on the innovation or invention they believed was the most impactful on human lives. This allowed everyone to practice creating aesthetic presentations, giving and receiving constructive feedback, and researching while using reliable resources.


Math is a Creative Tool for Innovation! 
 (Math and Critical-Thinking Strategies)

How can we approach multi-digit multiplication with creative thinking? Why do we use multiplication, and what is it? Using Carole Fullerton’s Multiplicative Thinking, we played games to learn about multiples, factors, prime factor trees, squared numbers, exponents, and math properties (distributive, associative, and commutative.) We experimented with many different ways of solving 2 by 2 multiplication problems, such as the window, the FOIL method, mental math, and the traditional column approach.

Using You Do the Math: Skyscraperswe looked at the combination of math knowledge needed to build new things such as skyscrapers! This included understanding geometric solids, measurement, reading tables, plotting coordinates, area, and perimeter. We did problem solving involving basic fractions and decimals, and some students did surface area or algebraic challenges. This work continued into our next unit on migration. Stay tuned for pictures of our work making Tiny Houses for ADST and Math, applying what we learned in term two!

Creativity in the Arts and ADST!
(Fine Arts, ADST, Core Competencies)

As we came closer to Winter Break, the class decided to have a Winter Theme for the classroom. So, we focused our creative thinking skills on making stuff to help decorate and to give as gifts during the holidays. We also participated in the HOUR OF CODE, a celebration of coding all over the world!

We worked with new materials and learned new methods of creation, such as wool felting, collage, and acrylic landscape painting on wood.  Hopefully everyone enjoyed seeing the results at home!

            


For our SECOND UNIT in TERM TWO,
we focused on the concepts of
EXPLORATION and IDENTITY
in our unit 
“On the Move!”

Unit focus statement:  

Migration is a response to challenges, risks, survival, and a natural need to explore.

Core Competency Focus:

Positive Personal and Cultural Identity

**Please note, we will be finishing this unit up until Spring Break,
and so we will be adding to this entry with photos as student work is completed,
and report cards will reflect only what we are able to finish before February 29th.


How am I an explorer?
(Career Education, Social Thinking, Core Competency of Positive Personal and Cultural Identity)

What does it mean to be an explorer? What would you feel and do? We unpacked the meaning of exploration and realized it does not only apply to ancient explorers who crossed the seas. It can apply to us and involve risk-taking, or careful, methodical observation for art, science, and research. It can also mean making an effort to explore one’s identity and culture.

Through exercises in the book How to be An Explorer of the World, we will continue to hone our observation and noticing skills, particularly through explorations outside as the weather improves. We are also reading many picture books to facilitate discussions about our own identity, culture, and acceptance of others’ identities.

Migration — Humans
(Socials, Science, Language Arts, Core Competency of Positive Personal & Cultural Identity, French)


Why do people move from place to place? What is your own migration story? How did we all get here in Canada?

Students started by asking their parents for information about their family tree and the journey their family took to arrive here. We charted all of our migration paths on a large map for all to see. Through this, we had great discussions about the diverse backgrounds and cultural beliefs in the classroom. Even though we are all different, we found we had many things in common! For example, we all have traditions to mark important events, certain ways of doing things in the home, and objects and practices that are important to us. Thank you, Division 5, for our respectful and interesting discussions!

Our next step was to look closely at the Indigenous or First Peoples of Canada, whose history on these lands is much, much longer than ours. How did they come here? What are the main Indigenous groups of Canada? How many Indigenous groups existed here for such a long time before European explorers and other settlers arrived? Each student did research on groups they were less familiar with, like the Algonquin, Dene, Cree, and Iroquois First Nations communities. Then, we did more in-depth work to learn more about the Coast Salish groups, on whose unceded territories we live, work, learn, and play. Thank you, Division 5, for your respectful conversations about land acknowledgements and why we do them.

Using the book Human Migration on EPIC, Why We Live Where We Live, and many other resources, we discussed the many push and pull factors that cause humans to move from place to place. We talked about how some people move all the time because of a “restless gene” that just makes them seek novelty and something new!

Each student is doing some GEOGRAPHY studies to learn about the different countries in each continent and expand their international mindedness about the world. It allowed is to also talk about where certain languages have come from in the world, which parts of the world were explored by who, and which countries are FRENCH speaking. Each student chose a French-speaking country to research further and produced a colourful poster to inform the class of their findings.

Ms. D has a large map in the classroom with quality of life data on each country, and this allowed us to have discussions about why people move from one place to another as an immigrant or refugee.

Using a TON of great books from the District Library, we did a group inquiry about “How did we get here?” How did we all come to be in Canada? What were the reasons people came here? We made a timeline on the board and listed the many reasons people came, such as trade, land, gold, and escaping war.

 

Each student chose a historical figure to represent from this timeline, and each student presented a monologue as part of our “Museum of History!”

Students also looked at 10 different case studies of people trying to come into Canada and made decisions about which 5 would get to come in. This is part of an ongoing conversation about immigration policy in Canada and how the government makes decisions about who it lets in to the country. What is the difference between a permanent resident and a citizen? Is it required to speak English or French?

We're Not from HereTo better understand what it is like to be a refugee or immigrant, we also read aloud the book We’re Not From Here by Geoff Rodkey. It is a science fiction story that imagines what might happen if the Earth were uninhabitable, and we all had to immigrate to another planet. Would we be accepted? What would it be like to live in such a different place? What would it be like to be called the “alien”? Students used elements of Reading Power by Adrienne Gear to visualize details, make personal connections, and think more deeply while reading.


Migration – Animals and Getting Outside

(Science, Socials, Language Arts, ADST, PHE)

Humans aren’t the only ones moving around!  Using National Geographic resources, we looked at the migration routes of the red crab, the wildebeest, whales, and monarch butterflies. We discussed the different reasons animals migrate, as well as the many internal or external cues animals use to know when it is time to move.

We also visited the beautiful Reifel Bird Sanctuary!  This is one of the local, protected estuaries where you can find migratory animals this time of year. We learned about local bird species, the essential things animals need to survive, and why the estuary is a popular stop on migration routes. Many of us fed birds for the first time, and we saw pintail ducks, chickadees, saw-whet owls, and red-winged blackbirds, among other species.

Each student then chose a migratory animal to research further and created a Book Creator presentation about their findings using the iPad. We will be presenting these to one another after spring break.

Our walk at Reifel Bird Sanctuary and around the school, listening for birds outside, were a part of our physical and health education, as we focused on getting outside, breathing fresh air, and learning to make mindful observations for both science and our own mental health. This was in combination with other outdoor team-oriented games, such as kickball and ultimate frisbee, which required us to use our social-thinking skills!

Independent Project Beginnings – Asking Deeper Questions
(Socials, Science, Language Arts)

Each year, Division 5 students take on a passion topic of their choice to research, which leads to presentations to the community in mid-June. In January, everyone chose a topic and brainstormed questions to begin their research. Ms. D taught everyone about how to ask deeper questions using the Jar of Inquiry Model. After a beginning list of questions was created, students began their initial research.

Ms. Ho, our librarian, will be working with Ms. D to provide as many books as we can to support the chosen topics. It is also important students visit their local, public library and begin to look for resources.

Art, Identity, and Quilt of Belonging
(Socials, Fine Arts, Core Competencies)

First, we brainstormed what makes up an IDENTITY? How do we know what our identity is? What represents our identity? This meant thinking more deeply about cultural, gender, and individual versus family identity, and we had a great discussion about how it is a journey discovering everything about yourself!

We read the book Quilt of Belonging and learned about the quilt that was made to represent the multicultural nature of Canada, with a square for each nation or ethnic identity that has come to Canada and contributed to the fabric of who we are as a whole group. Each student then created their own identity square to make a class quilt, which will be displayed after break.

Tiny House Revolution!
(Identity,  Math, Applied Design, Career Education)

People are choosing to live in less space, so their impact is less on the world. How does a living space represent you and your beliefs about what is essential? What choices would you make?  Using our ongoing work with multiplication, measurement, geometry, and proportionate reasoning that we began during unit two, as well as the design process, students created tiny house models, then discussed the area and perimeter, as well as the personal choices they made for their final creations. Pictures to come as we keep working on these projects before break!

Overall, term two has been rich with learning experiences, and this overview is only a snapshot! We look forward to term three, with new units and our independent project presentations in June!

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