Happy Long Weekend! Update May 19th and Important Dates List

Hello Everyone!

We have had a busy week working on projects, having great discussions, and doing some awesome outdoor activity through dragon boating!

Projects We Are Working On:

  • Disasters Project is due May 26th EOD. Don’t forget to have a variety of sources including an encyclopaedia, legitimate science websites, and newspapers. Remember to make a bibliography.Project description can be found here.  And the rubric: Disasters Project Rubric 2017
  • ART: Your animal art should be done. They look great! Remember to take a picture of the art, post it to your E-Port, and then write two paragraphs for assessment (art and language arts). Paragraph 1: Talk about your animal (8-10 sentences), Paragraph 2: Tell us about the images you used on the drawing — how do they relate to information you discovered about your endangered animal?
  • Weather Report: Due June 1st. French Rubric Weather Report. You have the project description in your binders.
  • MASKS: Keep working on your masks designs, adding any details before next week to your nature character. Bring your bag of supplies to make plaster mess no later than Thursday next week.
  • POETRY: Today we went over different kinds of literary devices used in poetry. Then we talked about Blues and Spoken Word Poetry, which are two forms of poetry used to express emotional ideas. Remember, you will need to think about what your nature character and you would like to say – something that is important to you both. You will be writing a poem, which could be free verse or any other style, to express the character’s ideas. 

Math Update:

  • Remember, for independent math, you need to complete two more units by June 7th. Most of you are doing a great job with this!
  • Thank you to everyone who took the Gauss and Abel exams. Results announced at the end of year Recognition Assembly on June 27th.
  • We have been doing group math challenges using Pickle Math online. So far, we did the Venn Diagrams challenge as part of our focus on graphs/charts/data and nature, and we also looked at the Hexagonal Trampolines probability challenge. We will keep doing these until the end of the year. The problems are tough, but I hope you enjoy them! I expect everyone to at the minimum participate and turn in their work as they go through the problem-solving process. (NOTE: Please do not use Pickle Math online, as this will ruin the work we do together.)

Independent Project:

  • Ms. D has been working to make connections in our community so everyone can get some primary research done, but “it does take a village!” Make sure you talk with Mom and Dad to see if they know anyone that could help. Thank you to all parents who have been helping with this.
  • Go to the public library!!!! I would love to start seeing students bringing in any books they have found on their topics there! Please go!
  • Make sure you are keeping a running bibliography and taking notes as you research.
  • If you are doing an experiment, make sure you write up a proper lab.
  • If you do an interview, make sure you type up questions and answers.
  • Research, notes, bibliography, and primary research are due June 7th.

All Upcoming Events and Dates (six weeks left!!!):

  • Dragon Boating May 23rd. Leaving at 9:45 AM
  • Plaster Mess May 25th Thursday afternoon, bring supplies
  • Dragon Boating May 26th. Leaving at 9:45 AM
  • Disasters Project Due May 26th EOD
  • Sexual Education with Saleema Noon Educators (more info to come) May 29th-May 31st
  • French Weather Report Due June 1st EOD
  • PRO D, NO SCHOOL June 2nd, Friday
  • Ultimate Workshop for PE June 6th, Tuesday
  • Independent Research Notes/Bib/Primary Research Due June 7th, EOD
  • Sports Day June 9th
  • Vancouver Maker Faire at the PNE (Ms. D there on Saturday) June 10-11
  • Battle of the Books Competition in Class June 12
  • Kayaking Deep Cove June 20th, Tuesday
  • Independent Project Presentations/Viewing — Parents Welcome, 12-2 June 23rd, Friday
  • Recognition Assembly Awards/Certificates, June 27th
  • MACC 4/5 Awards and Party, CLEAN UP OF ROOM June 28th
  • LAST DAY June 29th 9-10 AM, Reports Go Home

Getting Busy ON Projects!

Hello Everyone! And again, Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms!

Today, we had our Gauss Math Test Competition, and thank you to everyone who participated! I will let you know when results will be announced.

We also had a lot of time for open project work on our Disasters Project to finish up the nature unit, our French weather report presentation, our Sue Coccia art, and independent math.

Tomorrow is DRAGON BOATING! Parent drivers should come at 9:40 AM, and we will leave promptly at 9:45. We will boat from 10:15-11:15, and then return to school before 11:45. Please dress for the weather. Take into mind you cannot wear jeans, you may get wet, and you can’t wear a bulky coat as the life jacket has to be put on over it. We went over what you need in class today, and I also provided a Dragon Boating Participation Rubric for this outdoor education opportunity.

As you complete your French, please use this document for criteria: French Rubric Weather Report

As we work on our Independent Project, please use this document for criteria: Independent Project Rubric 2017 MACC

Great work today! More to come tomorrow!

Ms. D

Happy Weekend May 12th

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms this weekend!

This weekend, the tasks are:

  • Study for French Quiz on Numbers 1-31, which will be Wed. May 17th
  • Note: Dragon Boating First Session on Tuesday, May 16th
  • Think about primary research (some have deadlines to send me questions for interviews — I would like to see questions before interviews)
  • Catch up on Art (for those who were told to), or 15-30min. of Independent Math
  • Disaster Research if you want and/or have time
  • Continue to read BOB!

Upcoming Deadlines / Notes: (Don’t worry, Ms. D will be providing class time, support, guidance, and more info as we go along!!!! This is just to give you a heads up.)

  • French Quiz Numbers 1-31 — May 17
  • Sue Coccia Art — Due May 19
  • Dragon Boating – May 23
  • French Quiz Weather, Days of Week, Months — May 24
  • Dragon Boating – May 26
  • Disasters Project (Notes, Bibliography, Presentation for a mark) – due May 26
  • French Weather Report — due June 1
  • PRO-D Day, No School — June 2
  • Ultimate Presentation for PE — June 6
  • Independent Project Notes, Bibliography, Primary Research – due June 7
  • Mask and Poem for Character – due June 7
  • Independent Math Two Units at least — due June 9
  • BOB Competition — June 12
  • Masks Presentation — June 14
  • Deep Cove Kayaking — June 20
  • Independent Research Presentation — June 23
  • Recognition Assembly – June 27
  • Last Day (one hour) & Report Cards Distributed – June 29

Independent Project Details

As we get closer to the end of the year, I wanted to take a moment to detail what must be done for the independent project. Everyone already has a topic and has begun the research process. Time will be given in class, but it is also expected students are working on some of this at home, too. I will be providing support and guidance along the way, and thank you in advance to parents for supporting the research efforts at home!

Here is what must be included as part of the project:

  • Notes from your research: Must say where research has come from. Can be recorded on paper, in Google Docs, or on Evernote, as long as it can be sent to me electronically or a printed version can be handed in.
  • Proper bibliography: Use Easy Bib as a guide or other websites online to put your bibliography in order. Ms. Ho, our librarian, also has links on the library site to help with bibliography format. Must be a nice, neat, alphabetized bibliography printed out and handed in. This paper will also be available the day of presentation for people to view.
  • Primary research: First-hand research must be done. It cannot be based on past experiences or your own knowledge. You need to one of the following: an interview with an expert (write questions, write responses, document and turn in), an experiment (do a proper lab write up, take pictures of the process, write a conclusion), visit a location (go to the aquarium, zoo, space centre, a park, a lab and then record all observations with pictures and notes), make observations (create a journal and take detailed notes from observing something such as watching frogs in an aquarium over time), documenting making something as part of learning how to do something (examples: studying fish and then making a habitat for fish, or studying website production and making a website), or a survey (prefer you did not do this one as it is hard to get enough responses to actually mean anything — classmates are not enough.)
  • Present: Design and make a way to present your information to the public. Ideas are: poster, PowerPoint, Prezi, BookCreator, Puppet Pals, diorama, model, cartoon, drama presentation, speech, brochures to hand out, poster, active experiment display, etc.
  • Reflection: Reflections on work posted on E-Portfolio during and after the process.

Criteria (Rubric Will Be Provided):

  • Shows critical thinking about the topic. Asked some great questions along the way that helped the research along.
  • Answered questions posted on e-portfolio as best as you could. Evidence of having answered these questions is in notes or in the presentation.
  • Complete, alphabetized, printed, neat bibliography that shows at least 10 secondary resources used, as well as a mix of internet and book resources.
  • Primary research completed with complete documentation in terms of photos, observations, and notes.
  • Notes, with key points from what you read, and with each section of writing showing where the information came from.
  • Visually appealing, creative, engaging, and/or interesting presentation method so the public can enjoy your research. (Each project will be different, of course!)
  • Reflections show effort to look back on research process and comment on what went well and what could be improved for next year.
  • Time management – done on time before our presentation day.

Due Dates:

  • June 7th: All notes, bibliography, and primary research complete. Turn in notes and bibliography to Ms. D for marking.
  • June 23rd: Presentation due! Public comes to visit our classroom to see!

Human Impact Project

For this project, choose one environmental accident or disaster that has occurred where human activity was the cause.

Your job is to use this incident to help prevent future disasters!

Find out:

  • Details of the incident–where, what, how, when
  • What was done to clean up the mess
  • What the impact on the environment was
  • How the damage to the environment hurt the ecosystem 
  • How the incident impacted humans directly
  • Could the incident happen here? If it did, then what would be the impact?
  • What should we do to avoid that happening?

You will need to have:

  • Notes and bibliography 
  • A way of sharing the info with us, whether diorama, ppt, prezi, or speech and slideshow of pictures. 
  • A chart to show data you found about the event

Criteria (rubric to come):

  • Complete research with notes in Google Docs where you have put a bibliography entry first and can then cut and paste info you find.
  • Good communication skills as you present your information, clear enunciation, volume, speed
  • An effective visual aide with evidence
  • Must have info relating the event to both impact on environment and on US
  • Must have a chart with data, whether about the event or Vancouver as you talk about how to avoid disaster here. Chart must be labeled appropriately, appealing, and use units on x and y axis effectively.
  • Uses data and past event details to really convince us we need to avoid events like that here.

For your reference, Top Man-Made Disasters!

Ocean Acidification Labs! May 10

Hello Everyone,

Today, we explored ocean acidification as a way humans are impacting nature. As a result of increased carbon dioxide in our atmosphere from human activities, and because the Earth’s trees and plants cannot absorb all of the excess, there is a lot of extra carbon dioxide! Not only is it contributing to global warming and climate change, but it is also being absorbed by our oceans. As more carbon dioxide is absorbed, it changes the alkalinity of the ocean and the pH. This means organisms who rely on a specific pH are having difficulty and that their shells, made of calcium, are deteriorating in the over-acidic water.

For more information on this, we watched a video on ocean acidification, narrated by Sigourney Weaver, which originally aired on Discovery Planet Green.

Then, we experimented with the pH scale by testing a wide variety of household liquids and types of water available to us: lemon juice, vitamin C (Redoxon), oxyclean, 2% milk, salt water, distilled water, tap water, seltzer water, lemon-lime soda, baking soda, vinegar, borax, and aspirin. To test the acidity of each, we used red cabbage extract, which is a natural anthocyanin that can be used to test acidity levels. For more information on how to prepare your own red cabbage extract, see these links:

Red Cabbage Indicator Experiment  (complex version, with higher chemistry)

Science Project Lab on Red Cabbage and Acidity

Red Cabbage Coloured pH Scale

We had a rainbow of colours as our indicator changed colour in each of the substances. We predicted the possible pH ahead of time, making a hypothesis, and then recorded the actual results. Finally, we had a discussion, making conclusions about the proper pH for organisms to survive in fresh or salt water. If you have an aquarium or visit pet stores, you may know about this already!

We then talked about alkalinity, which is the water’s ability to hold a consistent pH and is measured in mg/L or ppm. We discovered alkalinity increases as the pH increases. In other words, as the ocean gets more acidic, alkalinity goes down, and the water has a harder time holding the appropriate level of pH. To test this, we took four water samples (salt water, distilled water, tap water, seltzer water) and tested alkalinity using Tetra test strips for aquariums. Then we measured the pH of each water. Finally, we took straws to blow bubbles into the water, adding CO2, to see if we could affect the colour from the indicator and make the water more acidic.

Thank you everyone for your great work on the lab!

Students who signed up for the ABEL TEST completed their tests this afternoon. I will let you know when I am able to share results with you, but I know they have to be reported to the District first. Thank you for your patience in advance.

If you are taking the GAUSS TEST, then you will do that on May 15th, Monday. Please study ahead of time and be prepared by having a calculator for class. 

We also did some exploring outside, trying to identify local plants around the school.

For tonight:

  • Please work on our Sue Coccia drawing art if you need to catch up.
  • Remember to turn in your 20 BOB Questions, poems, and journal which are now overdue.
  • Read the rules for the Biodiversity Card Game so you can play it tomorrow with a partner.
  • Take a look at yesterday’s blog post for websites and articles on oceans that we won’t have time for in class.
  • And LIBRARY is tomorrow, so bring your books!

Have a good evening! 

 

Articles on Oceans to Read & Don’t Forget ABEL Practice!

If you signed up to take the ABEL Exam, please don’t forget to do a practice test. As announced, the test is tomorrow. We will do it in the afternoon.

Congratulations to Sylvia who visited 45 nature places and won our overall NATURE CHALLENGE! Thank you, too, to Anisha, Michael, Peter, Kane, Patricia, and Emily who all made a great effort and submitted nature slide shows of their adventures. Thank you for participating! Prizes were handed out in class. It was nice to see people enjoying the frisbees on the park this afternoon!

Here are some articles and websites to check out as we talk about oceans:

NASA’s Climate Change Kids – Oceans

World Wildlife Federation – Climate Change

Oceana Canada

Nature Conservancy Oceans & Coasts

PBS Oceans of Acid

Convection Currents Demonstration — How the currents work!

National Ocean Service – What does an oceanographer do?

National Ocean Service – Ocean Facts

The Ocean Clean Up

NASA Garbage Patch Data

What really happens to the plastic you throw away – TED Talks

Is Sea Level Rising? Yes.

Also, there are lots of songbirds and nature out there to watch! Go to these sites to check them out and get out in nature! 

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Vote for Vancouver’s Official City Bird

iNaturalist.org – Record species you find and be part of a community of scientists!

Observe Nature with iNaturalist – Tells How it Works

How to use a compass

Go back to the Lower Seymour Watershed by yourself – here’s a map!

Have a good night,

Ms. D

Monday, May 8th! Using the microscopes….

Hello Everyone!

Today we had the quiz, and thank you to everyone who took the time to review the material from our unit at home. Thank you, as well, to the students who helped with review by posting questions on the blog. Some of you still need to finish, so you can do that tomorrow morning, as the online form is only available in class. Don’t worry — the quiz was a bit long, and it is okay to take extra time.

We talked together about how to study with success! Here’s what you said worked:

  • Write down key terms from what you read. Put them into Quizlet, an app that can quiz you about these terms.
  • Write down key terms and have someone else go over them with you.
  • Look at your notes and the highlighted parts of your reading (by highlighting the key terms when I ask you to, then you are already ready to go!)
  • Posting questions on the blog and then answering them.

When you are taking a quiz, there are some strategies to think about:

  • If you don’t know something, don’t beat yourself up! This happens. Don’t obsess about the question for too long thinking the answer will magically appear. Move on to the next question.
  • Try to stay calm when taking your quiz. Breathe, take breaks, stretch if you need to, and move to an area of the classroom where it works for you to think.
  • Try not to immediately give up and have anxiety when a question is tough. Not all questions are straightforward. Sometimes thinking is involved. Make it your goal to tell yourself, when things are tough, “You know, this is tough, but I will do my best, and that is all I can ask of myself!”
  • Don’t take too long on one question. Read the question carefully, ask yourself what the question is asking for, and then focus on just answering it. Don’t give too much extra detail, as you have more questions to answer.
  • Get sleep before a quiz day and make sure you eat well. Bring a snack to school every day, but particularly on quiz or project days when you know you need the energy.
  • Remember that the teacher isn’t “mad” when you don’t know something. They will encourage you to keep reviewing. They may point out that you could have spent more time studying. But this feedback is designed to help you. 
  • YOUR WORK is not a reflection of WHO YOU ARE. Sometimes the work is good, other times it is not as good. But that doesn’t mean that you are not a good person or that you are terrible at doing things. 

Tonight, continue on work assigned Friday, and if you are behind in ART, take your art home to draw for 15 minutes.

Tomorrow, a blog entry by the class on the pros and cons of fidget toys. Let’s have a class meeting to discuss!

Ms. D

Weekend Update May 5th

Hello Everyone,

An interesting photo posted by the David Suzuki Foundation. Photo Credit: Jorge Gamboa, Bicébé 2017. Caption: “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Just a quick update on things to do as a follow up to the large chunk of time I gave you today to get most of these things done!

Class Photo: Sent home today!

Poetry: Write 3 poems using handout (overdue)

Math: Finish biodiversity data chart (overdue)

Oceans: Rubber Ducky Chart and Questions (overdue)

Independent Project: Post a picture with caption, encyclopedia article link and notes, and a web article and notes. Notes can be point form; just key ideas. Post a link and the EasyBib bibliography entry.

Primary Research for Independent Project: Also, please talk with your parents — who could you talk to with an interview via email, Skype, or a quick in-person appointment that may relate to your topic. Ms. D is doing her best, but we will need to ask for help, too!

Study for Quiz: On Monday. Use white folder with handouts to study!

French: Go over days of week, months, and numbers 1-31 in prep for weather report project

Microscopes: Read two microscopes handouts for Monday when we will work more with our nice microscope equipment! (class time was given today) Bring a water sample. Make sure samples are labeled, cleaned off, and securely shut!

BOB: Ongoing reading through May/Early June. Write 20 new questions for Wed. for the competition. (class time was given today)

Have a good weekend!

Ms. D

Sunshine! Summer’s on its way! May 4th

Hello Everyone!

May the 4th Be With You!!!!! (for all the Star Wars fans)

Today, we had our last Caribou Test for the year. Thank you to everyone for participating. Results should be out tonight or early morning. It can take longer on the last contest.

We also talked about two other Math Competitions coming up. The first is the ABEL TEST, which is for grade 5 and below, run by the Burnaby School District, here at school on May 10th, Wednesday. The second is the GAUSS TEST which is run by University of Waterloo for grades 7 and below, held here at school on May 15th (we are doing it slightly later than some schools due to GR 7 Camp dates.) Students signed up for one or the other, as I asked them to only do one of the two tests that is suitable for their level of math. I recommend you practice! See the District’s Math Blog for practice tests.

Everyone is beginning independent project research! This research will be recorded in student binders and on E-Portfolios, as they reflect and work on the process of researching. Ms. D has begun talking with individual students about possible primary research interviews with an expert in the community. I also encourage parents to help us out! If you know an expert on or fan of one of these areas, please contact Ms. DeTerra, as helping the students with their interests takes a village!

  • World War 2 Aircraft (or war in general)
  • Phobias (or anyone working in psychology)
  • Hypnosis (or anyone working in psychology or neuroscience)
  • Optical Illusions 
  • Amur Leopard (Biologists, Nature Experts, Ecologists)
  • Jellyfish (Biologists, Nature Experts, Ecologists)
  • African Dwarf Frog (Biologists, Nature Experts, Ecologists)
  • Planets (Astronomers, Space Centre)
  • Making YouTube Channels Successful (Technology Experts, Marketing)
  • Jason and the Argonauts, Greek Mythology, Nemean Lion from mythology (Mythology, Literature Experts)
  • Ancient Egyptian Architecture (Architects, Historians)
  • Big Bang Theory (Physics Teachers, Physicists)
  • Candy and Effect on Teeth (Dentists, Dental Hygienists)
  • Why We Laugh (Psychology, Psychiatrists)
  • Addiction (Psychology, Counsellors, Nurses)
  • Arctic Ecology (Biologists, Nature Experts, Ecologists)
  • Cars and How They Have Changed (Mechanics, Car Historians)
  • Corporations and How They Compete- Apple V Microsoft, CocaCola V Pepsi (Business People, Microsoft Employees, Marketing, Advertising)
  • Why People Like Video Games (Marketing, Psychology, Business, Video Game Makers)
  • American Politics (Politicians, American History Professors)
  • Water (Physics, City Workers for Water System, Nature Experts on Water Cycle)

We also talked about CLIMATE CHANGE — what causes it, how people are denying it exists, and what the signs of climate change are. We watched Bill Nye Climate Change 101 and I asked everyone to continue watching Bill Nye’s Documentary on Climate Change with National Geographic Explorer at home, as it is too long for the classroom and the sound requires you to watch it on a personal device. 

Everyone completed the RUBBER DUCKY ocean challenge, figuring out how ocean currents caused lost rubber duckies from a shipment of toys to travel across the world. We plotted coordinates of rubber ducky sightings, and I asked students to describe the path the ducks followed according to ocean currents. Handout due tomorrow EOD.

We worked on research tips! We talked about the meaning of “the internet”, how to search effectively, how to work with e-portfolios (backgrounds, posting links, etc.) and with Easy Bib to make bibliography entries. Please read over the handout I gave you. We will be using the e-port to show our research process. Everyone needs to:

  • Make sure your e-portfolio presents well. Check colours, background, and links. Do some editing! Remember parents and Ms. D will look at this e-portfolio for report card in term three!
  • Make sure your e-portfolio is about the work we are doing. Avoid talking too much about personal issues and focus on the work. 
  • Find a picture that relates to your research. Post it and a caption.
  • Make a post about a World Book (or other Encyclopedia) article on your topic. Include Easy Bib entry (found at bottom of World Book articles, already done for you) and key points you learned.
  • Make a post about one web article for your topic. Include the Easy Bib entry and key points you learned. If you need help using Easy Bib, come see me.

REVIEW FOR QUIZ, MOVED TO MONDAY! Post some questions and answers about what we have learned so far (everything before talking about oceans and climate change, which will not be on there.)

You will collect a water sample this weekend!!! 🙂 Make sure you have a lid on whatever jar you are using and label where it came from with tape on the side. Microscopes have arrived, but we still have to go over how they work. More hands on stuff next week.

Have a great day!

Ms. D

 

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