Category: General Update

Overview Term 1 & 2, September – February 2020-21

MACC Suncrest Division 5 Overview, September – February

In anticipation of our Optional Learning Conferences and Report Card Reflections, here is an overview of what we studied during the last five months! Please see each student’s e-portfolio for more specific information on their projects and learning.


Division 5 began the year building the foundation for a great working community! 

Throughout many fun activities together we discussed and applied elements of the personal awareness core competency, and we made individual goals to improve our approach to learning. We made essential agreements for working together, and we did brainstorms about our interests for a new school year.


We created beautiful Life Islands to communicate our strengths and passions to one another; and we enjoyed playing games during Free Choice Fridays, which was a great opportunity to bond together as a class. We also learned how to run our own class meetings to plan events such as our Halloween party and the Winter Wonderland during December.

We also enjoyed doing psychology surveys from the book Who do you think you are?, which opened discussions about how everyone learns and experiences the world in different ways. In this way we could not only add to our own personal awareness, but also better understand our classmates and their needs.

 

 

Then we jumped right in to our conceptual units!

To tie the BIG IDEAS, content, and curricular competencies from our curriculum together into a larger, enduring understanding, we studied all subjects through the lens of universal, conceptual themes. See below to learn more about our two units from September – January!

First, we focused on the concept of STRUCTURE
in our unit “It’s All in the Design”

Unit Focus Statement:

The structure of something is designed to serve the needs of the user.

Form Follows Function! – Building and Experimenting – Science

Through a variety of fun building activities, we discussed the scientific principles behind STRUCTURE. Many of our conversations revolved around the phrase “form follows function.” For example, we talked about how different sports balls have a specific design to serve a specific sport, and how our chairs were designed taking our ergonomic and daily work needs in mind.

Using critical and creative thinking, personal awareness and responsibility, and communication skills, we collaboratively designed and built marble roller coasters, popsicle stick towers, Lego creations, and paper honeycomb structures based off of bee hive explorations to learn how certain shapes provide the greatest strength, and how understanding the science of our materials can help with design.

     

Through lab experiments, students learned about physical and chemical properties, atoms, forces, energy transfer, potential and kinetic energy, homogenous and heterogenous mixtures, and states of matter to better understand the structure of our world and how designers use this information to make new things!

   

We also had discussions about how the human body has a certain form to serve specific functions related to our survival. We looked at the human skeleton, the eye, and cells, to better understand all of their structure. Then, we compared our skeleton to those of other animals to see how they are different. Our inquiry led us to looking at how different animals have structural adaptations that allow them to survive in specific habitats.


Each of us did research on an animal of our choice, to learn about their adaptations, and then presented the information in an online Book Creator e-book or an oral presentation in front of the class. We were also fortunate to have the Bamfield Marine Science Centre do a virtual field trip to talk about invertebrates in our local oceans and their adaptations.

 

Rumble Bots and Coding – Applied Design


We used a lot of thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity making Rumble Bots!  After looking at energy transfer in guided science experiments, and learning about potential and kinetic energy while creating fast roller coasters, we applied our knowledge of energy to the creation of cardboard Rumble Bots that raced on a vibrating track!

 

We also participated in another virtual field trip with Science World, learning how to do coding online for mini ozobots! This was a great introduction for a later event in December, the Hour of Code, week-long event dedicated to learning code.

   


Structure of MATH Thinking and Our Number System

We talked about the STRUCTURE of our number system! We began by emphasizing the skills needed to be a successful mathematician, such as risk-taking, deep thinking, open-mindedness, questioning, and creative and critical thinking. We talked about how mathematicians work to prove and disprove conjectures, and we practiced being skeptics and convincers to question and to prove math understandings.

We also discussed the research of Prof. Jo Boaler and YouCubed at Stanford University, who talked about brain structure and the value of brain crossing, which involves doing two activities at the same time to better cement a concept in your head, such as drawing and math. We explored the question, “What does it mean to be a mathmatician?” This meant debunking the idea that math is all about the numbers (because you have to be able to explain your thinking, too), or that math is all about speed (because some of the best mathematicians have been some of the slowest, careful thinkers!)

To explore the structure of numbers, we completed a variety of independent math tasks to understand how we break down our number system, to discuss strategic thinking through games, and to explore new ways to apply brain crossing while practicing grade-level curriculum in multiplication, area/perimeter, and patterns.

Many of these tasks involved reading non-fiction resources for math history information, such as the history of zero or the biography of Archimedes, as well as answering critical-thinking questions about math games.


We looked carefully at a new game called Prime Climb by the mathematician/teacher Dan Finkel, discussing how to win through strategic use of the four operations and knowledge of prime and composite numbers. We had great discussions about the 4-colour theorem, Fibonacci patterns, and other fun, number curiosities, some proven, some not!

There was also the opportunity to apply our learning to the creation of a strategic math game! Working individually or with a partner, we created 3D, board, and card games, and shared them with other classmates.


Structure of a Healthy Community and World – Social Studies / PE & Health 

What kinds of structure are needed to support human life on Earth? We discussed the structure that allows our world to function, such as resource-delivery systems, government, city services, languages for communication, the nature of the land, and the Goldilocks Principle so our Earth is located in just the right place in the universe. Without all of this structure, we realized our lives would be pretty chaotic!

We were fortunate to have a virtual field trip to learn about the BC Parliament, live from the Legislative Assembly in Victoria. Everyone learned about the different levels of government, the roles of people who take part in the legislature, and about the different types of government in the world.

What is the structure of a healthy life?
We talked about the balance of work and play, as well as the importance of self-care — breathing, managing stress, mindfulness, taking breaks using our break board, staying healthy by washing hands, and getting enough sleep.

We learned about the importance of taking healthy risks, to get out of our comfort zone to do real learning! And we explored some alternative ways to get exercise and improve our focus, such as playing with devil sticks, taking mindful walks, and practicing yoga stretches during the day.

To apply our learning, we did the Your World Project, creating our own planets! We had to think about the planet’s place in the universe, the topographical features of the planet, the nature of its inhabitants, their language and government, and other elements of structure in the communities of the planet that allow the inhabitants to thrive. Then, we displayed our creative thinking through models, posters, and Book Creator e-books.


Structure of Language – Language Arts and French

Throughout all of the subject areas, as we communicated our ideas, we talked about the structure of language. We evaluated the elements of a good paragraph, we used homophones to play with language and make puns and jokes, and we discussed tools that help us with quality writing structure such as transition words. We documented our learning daily in our journals, shared ideas with partners, and wrote speeches, raps, and poems to demonstrate our understandings of mathematical concepts. After practicing how to make our sentences more complex, and how to make a proper paragraph, we applied this knowledge to several projects.

To help with our research on projects, we learned about non-fiction features we can use to help find information, how to record resources, how to look for legitimate websites, and how to ask different levels of inquiry questions. We will continue to use this in term three as we work toward our independent projects!

In French, we explored beginning vocabulary and phrases through French songs and discussion. We enjoyed doing comparisons of the structures of our mother tongues and learned about the history of language development through videos on TEDEd.


Elements and Principles – Playing with Structure in Art

We explored the elements and principles that structure art! We experimented with new materials, line, colour, and form through a paper quilling project. Our boxes art allowed us to explore making something with mixed media, while focusing on warm and cool colours, texture, and line. We created amazing mixed-media art about poppies for the Remembrance Day Virtual Assembly, using a variety of materials and techniques, as well as line, colour, texture, shape, perspective, and emphasis.

Next, we focused on
the concepts of
PERSPECTIVE and PROBLEM-SOLVING
in our unit

“Solving the Conundrum”

Unit Focus Statement:
Problem solving involves careful observation, critical thinking,
and consideration of multiple perspectives.

What are the skills you need to solve a problem?

We began our unit with cooperative games and challenges to explore the variety of curricular and core competencies required to solve a problem. Our main focus was critical thinking, but we also used communication, creative-thinking, and personal-awareness skills.

One of our favourites was playing the game Forbidden Island, which is unique because everyone has to work as a team, rather than against one another, to get the treasures and escape from the island before it sinks into the water! Everyone did a great job playing together, using communication and critical-thinking skills!

The Space Team card game was also fun, which involved quickly solving your spaceship’s problems as a team, in only 5 minutes! We also used the book Zoom and had to put a 30-page wordless book back in the correct order, as a whole class, without being able to talk or touch one another!

After finishing challenges, we reflected as a group on the skills needed to be successful in a problem or conflict, such as active listening with partners, careful consideration of instructions and perspectives, self-regulation, and the ability to stay calm when you don’t know the answer right away or something unexpected happens.


Finding Perspective – Social-Emotional Learning, PE and Health, Social Studies

Why do people act the way they do? We incorporated social-emotional learning frequently into our discussions, talking about how to apply problem-solving methods to situations at school, how to care for our community, how to see another person’s perspective, and the emotions and needs such as belonging, power, and fun that drive behaviour. In this way we can better understand why people do the things they do, which can make it easier to respond to a stressful situation.

Big problem or small problem? We explored the difference between small problems and big problems in our everyday lives. We discussed how to identify a problem and strategies for solving minor conflicts amongst peers. I appreciated how students contributed to our lesson on “Words that Hurt” as we categorized language we had heard on the playground or in our community as either playful talk between friends or very hurtful words. We made a commitment to become more aware of how words can hurt, even if the person who said them didn’t mean to hurt anyone. This was part of learning perspective.

We started taking walks as a class that were about perspective. During one of our PE walks we did a Scavenger Hunt which forced everyone to look carefully for items in the local neighbourhood. We will continue doing focused, mindful activities like these from the Walking Curriculum to improve our observation skills. Walking is a great solution to feeling healthier or just working through your feelings about a problem, too!

 

Identity and Understanding Others – Core Competencies, Social Studies, Language Arts

What is culture? How does it shape our perspective? In connection with the core competency of Positive Personal and Cultural Identity, we discussed how understanding our own culture and that of others can help us gain perspective. We interviewed one another to see how we do things at home and how our daily lives are different because of culture and family history.

In December, we had a Culture Party, and each student brought in an artifact or display to share with other students, so we could celebrate our own identities and learn about important cultural traditions of others in our class community.

For French, in addition to learning basic vocabulary and phrases, we have discussed how language is related to culture, the history of French language, and how a person’s language is an important part of identity. This is why when residential school children were punished for speaking their own language it was such a serious infringement of their human rights.

We discussed how differences are sometimes celebrated, but sometimes also cause fear, which can lead to conflict and negative outcomes. We read passages from This Book is Antiracist, which helped us understand societal, long-held beliefs that lead to racism, prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination based on colour, gender identity, and ethnicity.

This led to a larger exploration of the history of discrimination in Canada. We discussed human rights, the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Convention of the Rights of a Child, and the UN Document on Indigenous rights about human rights and ethics. Then we looked closely at how human rights had been denied through Residential Schools, Japanese Internment in World War II, the Komagata Maru Incident, and the Chinese Head Tax. As a class, we read and analyzed My Name is Seepeetza, so we could better understand the conditions of residential schools from the perspective of someone our own age.

In groups, we wrote and performed teaching skits to help everyone learn about the history of discrimination in Canada, as well as some of the ways in which the government has tried to make amends or participate in reconciliation.



To help us understand reconciliation, we looked at the “City Beyond the City” exhibit through a virtual field trip to the Museum of Vancouver. The exhibit explains the history of the Musqueam and their village on what is now the Fraser River in South Vancouver. We learned their history and facts about how this exhibit was co-created between the Museum of Vancouver and the Musqueam peoples.



How do scientists solve mysteries? With problem-solving skills and scientific knowledge! — Science and Math

Oh no! A crime happened in Division 5! Ms. D’s metal statue and a class iPad were stolen! Well, not really, but we set up a pretty fantastic practice crime scene, practicing our observation, communication, thinking, and technology skills to carefully document a crime scene!

We also used our math skills, because accurate measurement is required to document where items are located within a crime scene space.

So, we gathered evidence, took notes, and carefully measured each of the marked evidence locations from two reference points in the room. Then we did a myriad of other lab experiments to practice being forensics investigators just like on CSI.

We learned about fingerprints, measuring bones to determine someone’s height, analyzing bullet holes in windows, reading a criminal for suspicious body language, forging of signatures, and watching for physical and chemical properties to identify substances left at the scene.   


We practiced our CSI Math skills in You Do the Math Solve a Crime, using math knowledge about coordinates, graphing, area, adding and subtracting decimals, fractions, and word problems to do some of the same math a CSI agent would do!



Proportionate Reasoning and Problem Solving – Math

Through Carole Fullerton’s Proportional Reasoning and other math exercises, we did some serious work trying to understand fractions and ratios. Using manipulatives such as coloured chips, a clothesline, and tangrams, we explored both set and area models of fractions.

Then, we applied our knowledge to recipes from home, looking at how we could make a favourite dish for more people if we had a big party! We discussed how the relationship between ingredients is a ratio, and we also looked at the types of measurement used when finding volume of ingredients, such as cups, teaspoons, and gallons. We will continue working on these concepts as we move into term three.

We also discussed the strategies you need to solve complicated word problems, such as reading carefully, making visual diagrams, and identifying important information and steps for the problem. Using the book Word Problems in Literature by Denise Gaskins, we applied Singapore visual, bar diagram strategies to solve word problems from The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia!


Writing a Mystery & Philosophy Through Picture Books – Language Arts and Socials

We put our CSI knowledge to work and wrote fantastic mystery stories! First, we analyzed mystery stories we already knew and watched Scooby Doo to identify typical mystery elements such as the suspects, victim, clues, red herring, and alibi. We read Chris Grabenstein’s book Super Puzzletastic Mysteries, and identified the mystery elements used by the writer to spin an interesting tale. We learned how to use punctuation in dialogue, because no story is complete without interesting characters and conversations. Now we need to share our stories with one another!

In connection with Social Studies, we analyzed picture books such as The Giving Tree, The Important Book, and Frederick, to look at big questions (or big problems to ponder) in ethics and philosophy. Which roles are valuable in a society? What makes you, you? Should you expect something in return if you give someone a gift? What is the meaning of work? See our e-portfolios for our thoughts on some of these questions!


Applied Design, Art, and Maker Problem Solving!

Leading up to the holiday, we put our problem-solving skills to the test, finding ways to make creative decorations for our Winter Wonderland. Everyone learned how to do wool felt landscapes; created zentangle, watercolour winter trees; and made geometric, hanging ornaments with embroidery thread.

  

During our Burnaby Art Gallery virtual field trip, we learned about Coast Salish art shapes, and then we used those shapes to create our own spirit animal prints in red and black. One of the interesting things we discovered about Coast Salish spindle whorls is that they can form different pictures depending on how you view the negative/positive space and your own perspective.

We also looked at abstract art and discussed how problem-solving skills such as critical thinking can help us connect with the feeling of non-objective abstract paintings. After an in-depth discussion of the colour wheel, tints and shades, and the meaning of the word monochromatic, we made our own geometric, monochromatic abstract art that almost looks like modern stain glass windows!

 

FINALLY, we made efforts to solve our own problems – Language Arts, Socials, Science, Social Responsibility

There are many problems in the world, and even though some of them seem really big, we can all play a role in solving them! First, we looked at the United Nations’ Global Goals to end poverty, inequality, and environmental problems by 2030. The UN asks people all over the world to engage in these goals and to find ways to contribute to solving problems. You can INNOVATE, INVENT, or CAMPAIGN — three key ways to make change!

We were inspired by a long list of young people who have made change in the world, and we chose one to research further. After reading about their story, we came up with our own problems to solve and an action plan, which we presented to the class in PowerPoint format. Together, we can find creative ways to make a difference!

Stay tuned for our new units coming up in term three, as well as our Independent Project studies!

New Unit: Solving the Conundrum! December 2020

Hello Everyone!

We are now done with our first unit on STRUCTURE, although we will continue to talk about some of the things we were learning about. For example, we are going to do in-class presentations about Your World, and I am looking forward to seeing the different planets we can go visit! We will also continue working on our math games, which are not due until the day before break. Finally, we will keep practicing our writing skills, looking at structure of sentences, using transition words, and organizing our ideas into solid paragraphs.

Everyone did a great job this term, whether it was creating mixed media art through quilling and other new techniques, building towers in critical-thinking challenges, learning about animal adaptations, discussing how form follows function, learning how to use Book Creator, making speeches, doing experiments, making a planet…… Wow! We did a lot! Congratulations to all of Division 5 for their hard work.

Now it is time to move on to a new unit, which will last through the beginning of February.

Title:  Solving the Conundrum

Key Concepts: Perspective, Problem-solving

Unit Focus Statement:

Problem solving involves careful observation, critical thinking, and consideration of multiple perspectives.

An Inquiry Into:

  • Tools for problem solving (consensus building, “7 Norms of Collaboration”, the “Ladder of Inference)
  • Math and Science used in forensics to solve crimes
  • Problem solving in math, which will include discussions about proportionate reasoning
  • Elements of a good story, perspective taking in writing, and writing a mystery
  • Using perspective to make art, and using art to find perspective
  • Ethics
  • Human rights (Personal, Children, Aboriginal, International)
  • Why racism and discrimination happen
  • Past discrimination in Canada (Japanese Internment, Chinese Head Tax, Residential Schools, Komagata Maru)
  • Reparation and Reconciliation

Some (But Not All!) of Our Upcoming Activities:

  • Crime Scene Investigation experiments
  • Hour of Code and Ozobots week of Dec. 7th
  • Burnaby Art Gallery Virtual Workshop on Dec. 8th, First Nations’ Collections
  • Discussion of ethics through pictures books, followed by class debates around hard questions
  • Discussion about culture, our own identities, and how those things colour our beliefs about the world, and our perspective
  • My Culture Presentations Week of Dec. 14th
  • Writing a mystery story!
  • Reading and discussion of My Name is Seepeetza
  • Looking at the UN Declaration of Human Rights and Convention on the Rights of a Child, and comparing it to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
  • and more!

More to come as we start to unpack the unit! Stay tuned on Twitter to see some of the things we are doing in class and talk at home about some of the hard questions we bring up during the unit.

Have a good week!

Ms. D

Update on Unit “It’s All in the Design” – September 28th

Hello Everyone!

We have been gradually unpacking our unit and getting used to our permanent weekly schedule! Here’s a quick update of what we are doing!

 

Schedule:

We now have a permanent schedule, and Division 5 will have music on Tuesday and Friday mornings, as well as Thursday afternoons. We will have gym before lunch on Tuesday and Thursday, as well as Wednesday after recess.

Library will be scheduled at a later date, but Ms. Ho has already come to our classroom to do a mobile library visit! Students may check out books for 2 weeks at a time. They can have up to 4 books. Books from the Suncrest Library can go home and will be stored in backpacks. Books from Ms. D’s personal library need to stay in the classroom, please. Thank you!

E-Ports and MS Teams:

We now have our user names and passwords to access both of these tools! Please make sure you test MS Teams access at home and see if all passwords work. If they do not, let me know. Right now, there is not very much on MS Teams because we are just setting it up. We do have 2 posts in our e-portfolios, though, so we welcome parents to come and check out the entries and to provide feedback.

E-Portfolio entries are used for checking in with student understandings throughout the year. I look forward to reading them as we get going with the unit. E-Portfolio entries need to:

  • have a title, provided by Ms. D,
  • have a category marked in the side bar,
  • include the questions Ms. D asked, with questions written in bold,
  • be edited before publishing,
  • have answers to the questions with complete sentences and detail to show understandings and deeper thinking, and
  • have a picture of student work or of a related image from the internet (pictures need to be sized correctly by editing them once uploaded, and please do not post pictures with copyright symbols on them.)

Language Arts:

In connection with our discussion of the concept STRUCTURE, we are looking at the structure of effective paragraphs and sentences, the structure of language, and the structure of different writing forms. How does the FORM of the writing relate to its FUNCTION in terms of communicating ideas to others?

Students now have a blue duotang for Vocabulary Study, with fun language lists and activities by Ian Byrd, who is a fantastic education consultant specializing in gifted curriculum. Our first study of words is around HOMOPHONES, and we have several tasks to complete. Students can choose which one they would like to try doing each day over the next couple of weeks. We will share their favourite task on E-Portfolios and then move on to the next challenge list. We do not have spelling tests, but this is a way of looking more closely at language.

In addition, I am introducing them to new words through two new books of mine The Dictionary of Difficult Words and The Lost Words. We also had a great discussion about the many languages in our classroom, the universal phonetic alphabet used by linguists to structure and identify human languages, and the different alphabets used to construct human language. More to come as we unpack writing and language structure.

Everyone also now has a green duotang for Reading Around the World. Your child can use this list as an optional way to structure their home and class reading. There are prizes for traveling around the world through reading! Good luck!

Science:

How do designers use scientific knowledge to make things? How is FORM related to function? For example, today we looked at the different chairs in our classroom. Why are they designed the way they are, with specific back rests, textures, supports, and materials? If we made our own chair, which features would we change or add to serve our own needs? We also looked at different kinds of sports balls. Why is a basketball spherical and rough? Why is a football streamlined and leather?

These discussions are helping us understand how FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION!

We are investigating states of matter, molecular structure, energy transfer, Newton’s laws, and other science knowledge a designer may take into mind when creating something like a large building or even a simple chair.

  • With our rumblebots, we investigated energy transfer through vibrations, and we watched a video to learn how they travel down the track!
  • Last week, we used slinky toys to look at compression waves and how energy travels. Watch the slinky challenge here, and the answer to the challenge at this site.
  • We will be using ramps and marbles to talk about how Newton’s first law and how gravity, height, and friction affect a moving object.
  • We hope to watch Bill Nye’s video on Structure, to further discuss FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION!

We will also discuss, how is the anatomical structure of an organism designed to serve the organism’s function? We will be looking at our own skeletons and parts of the body, how they are designed, and how they help us to be the mobile humans we are! We will also look at a large visual book of animal skeletons, and to try and guess the animals’ names just by looking at their bone structure. How do bone structures depend on animal behaviour, habitat, size, food, and predators.

Finally, we will also touch upon the STRUCTURE of our lives based upon the science of the sun, moon, and our placement in the galaxy. We will discuss the Goldilocks Principle, as well as why other planets do not have the life Earth does.

I look forward to our discussions and the projects to follow, during which students can get more creative about areas of passion that are related to our unit.

Math:

As we look at the concept of STRUCTURE, we will ask deeper questions about the structure of mathematics. For example: What are the different kinds of numbers? Why is math organized the way it is? How does looking for patterns help us better understand multiplication and division? 

We do not have one textbook to work out of in math. Instead, students will be completing activities from multiple sources. Some of our deeper thinking around numeracy, patterns, and how the brain understands math will come from the work of Jo Boaler at Stanford University. Students have already been watching videos from her YouCubed Inspirational Math series, which discuss such things as:

  • great math is more about deep thinking versus speed,
  • cementing ideas about math in the brain involves something called “brain crossing” in which two different kinds of activities are done at once, such as drawing and visualizing mathematical ideas,
  • mathematics is about understanding and noticing patterns, and
  • mathematicians who struggle with big ideas play the role of both convincers and skeptics — you need someone who tries to prove a theory, but you also need someone to ask good questions so the work is of quality.

We will also explore STRUCTURE of mathematics, as well as patterns and multiplication, through a variety of math games such as Prime Climb, Math Fluxx, and Sumoku. This will allow us to have fun and employ critical-thinking, creative-thinking, and communication skills while accessing math curricular content and competencies.

In another week, students will be receiving a list of mini projects and tasks to complete independently or in small groups. The list will have a due date; however, it is meant to provide lots of choice (as activities do not have to be completed in order), and students can work at their own pace within the larger deadline. This list will be kept in their binders.

Today, students did an exploration of Pascal’s Triangle. You may want to see it in their binder and ask them questions about the patterns they found.

After the unit ends, we will do a math project! More information to come on that soon!

Socials:

With elections coming up in both our province and in the US, there is an excellent opportunity to discuss government and the structure of municipal, provincial, and federal services that are set up to meet the needs of our large population. More to come about this soon.

Class Meeting:

Speaking of structure and governance, the way we introduce new ideas and discuss the ways to make student proposals happen is through class meeting! So far, we have a Halloween Party Committee formed. While we can’t have any food or treats brought to school, we can have a party! We will have class meeting on Tuesdays after music if you have ideas you would like the class to consider. If you want something to happen, speak up, or make a written proposal for the agenda before we start a meeting!

Personal Awareness and Responsibility Competency:

During this unit we will focus on the core competency of Personal Awareness and Responsibility.  You can read about the competency here!

We worked together to make essential agreements as a class about our values and what kind of learning environment we want to have in MACC 4/5, which is directly related to taking responsibility for our own learning space, our relationships with other students, and our own self-management skills.

We had a personal awareness discussion and game about the Comfort Circle and in our journals began to identify characteristics of our own personal comfort zone, learning zone, and panic zone. The best learning happens in the “LEARNING ZONE” when you are slightly uncomfortable, but not too much. Great learning involves taking risks and trying new things!

We also talked about how learning is a lifelong journey and brainstormed a LIFE RUBRIC in our journals of activities we feel we are beginning, developing, proficient at, or extending/expert at, in relation to the proficiency scale used for assessment. It is okay to be developing a skill, and we do not have to be perfect at everything! Ms. D shared her own Life Rubric ideas. Even adults have ongoing learning they can do!

Okay, more to come, but…..

Too much for one entry, but more to come this week as we engage in more experiments, build some things, talk about a Skill Share Project, do some fun research, and more!

Have a great week and don’t forget Terry Fox Run on Friday! The link to support Terry Fox Foundation is on the Suncrest Website.

Thank you!

Ms. D

Overview of Term Three Remote Learning, End of Year Report Card

Term Three Overview, Spring 2020

To tie the big ideas from our curriculum together into a larger, enduring understanding,
we studied subject areas through the lens of a universal, conceptual theme.

CONCEPTS:  SYSTEMS and INTERDEPENDENCE

Unit focus statement:
Humans create a variety of systems and tools to get their needs and wants met.


Remote Learning — Keep Learning, Stay Connected!:

Division 5 did a great job of continuing their learning and staying connected, even though not at school. Students participated in unit discussions and completed learning opportunities through online tools such as MS Teams, Zoom, E-Portfolios, SoundTrap, Excel, PowerPoint, EPIC, Open School BC, IXL, Prodigy, and more.

I am proud of how everyone did their best to adjust to a new way of communicating and learning. We all learned new technology tools and tricks!

Students created independent schedules to follow at home based on these categories:

  • MAKER HOUR (ADST/ART),
  • FITNESS HOUR (stay active),
  • GENIUS HOUR (passion projects),
  • INDIE READING (read EPIC),
  • SERVICE & CONNECTION (connect with classmates or help at home), and
  • UNIT HOUR (LA, Math, socials, science).

An activities list using these categories was provided each week on the blog to follow.

Unpacking the Unit:

 

Each week, I met with seven smaller groups of 3-4 students each, and we rotated participants to allow for cross-pollination of ideas. We structured meetings by pondering 1-2 inquiry questions. For example, in our first meeting, we asked, “What is the issue with toilet paper?”

We defined needs versus wants, then identified problems arising from our current situation for getting those needs and wants fulfilled. This led to discussion of curriculum content such as natural resources, scientific knowledge needed to gain resources (geography, geology, chemistry), economics, and financial literacy.

Afterwards, students engaged in related learning opportunities in MS Teams, as I monitored and prompted deeper discussion of unit topics. I was impressed with students’ application of core competencies during online work as they learned to support discussions respectfully, to communicate critical thinking about unit topics, and to use creative thinking to invent new ways to connect with one another.

Socials:

Students completed a brainstorm of their own needs and wants, then shared it in small-group discussions. We expanded the list by reviewing Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and then identified systems humans have created to fulfill basic needs and to provide social-emotional support for communities.


To get needs and wants fulfilled, we use a lot of renewable and non-renewable resources! What are they? Which ones do we use the most? How do they get to us? Are there problems with our use of resources? Students did a scavenger hunt in their homes, and we concluded minerals are used more than any other resource to make the things we use!

Through the TED-Ed Earth School program online, students viewed videos designed to prompt discussion about sustainability, such as how many resources are used to make smartphones, the environmental and health costs of using plastics, and agricultural practices to support food security for everyone. The video that provoked the most discussion explained how humans could expand their use of insects as a source of protein!

We also talked about the inequitable distribution of resources in the world — why some countries are richer than others, and why 1% of the population in many countries has 99% of the wealth. To understand how this problem relates to the concepts of systems and interdependence, we discussed economics, quality of life, government, and the geographical, political, and cultural factors that can impact a nation’s wealth and overall well being.

Students then conducted independent research on topics of passion from the unit. They worked in small, collaborative groups on MS Teams to make PowerPoint presentations to share with peers.

Science:

If minerals are used more than any other resource in our homes, how do we find them? What kind of scientific knowledge is required to find all the building blocks of items we use? We were all surprised by the number of minerals used in everyday items, such as toothpaste, drywall in our homes, toilets, paints, and electronics.

To better understand this, we started at the beginning. First, what is the difference between a rock, a mineral, and an element? What are the different types of rocks? Where would you find them? What are the geological processes that create the minerals we need?Students read Geology of the Pacific Northwest on EPIC to learn about the basics of geology.

We discussed the rock cycle, plate tectonics, the geological history of British Columbia, and how geologists make careful observations to determine the land’s story. Who knew the Rocky Mountains were once under the ocean? Did you know we have volcanoes very near to where we live? Why is the rock on Vancouver Island different from that of Vancouver Mainland?

We read Old Rock is Not Boring, and reflected on how every rock has an amazing story! Ms. D posted daily “Guess the Rock’s Story” challenges, as students tried to figure out the names of rocks and minerals in Ms. D’s personal collection, where they came from, and how they formed. Ms. D’s brother contributed pictures from his travels, as he is a rock hound, too, so we were fortunate to look at rock formations as far away as Iceland and Turkey.

During ZOOM meetings as a whole class, Ms. D presented experiments and guessing games designed to help understand how the periodic table is related to geology; the difference between an element and a mineral; how the rock cycle involves changes in matter through physical and chemical forces such as erosion, heat, pressure, and the bonding of elements; and how rocks form out of cooling liquid magma.

We pretended PEEPS (weird marshmallow treats available in April) were taking over the planet, and that the PEEP Elimination Council had asked us to destroy them using only household materials. We brainstormed things that could easily dissolve PEEPS! Ms. D took everyone’s ideas, put volunteer PEEPS into solutions, and showed everyone the results!

We found out, amazingly, that hot water worked best! This experiment led to great discussion about what things can break down chemical bonds to make a solid turn into a liquid solution. HEAT is very effective, because cold water did nothing to a PEEP.

We also made Borax crystals to discuss super-saturated solutions. We learned how the cooling process of hot magma results in the formation of crystals — like the ones that appear when you make Borax crystals at home!

Congratulations to Division 5 for amazing questions and discussions after our experiments. I think we have many future geologists in the group!


Language Arts:

As students communicated ideas about the unit, they focused on strengthening prose with appropriate comma use, dialogue, paragraphing, detailed descriptions, and complex sentences with conjunctions and transitions. Students completed Quick Write challenges each week, using John Spencer’s creative writing prompts such as designing a school for ninjas or telling the story of a lost shoe. Students can be proud of their amazing stories, full of interesting vocabulary and literary devices such as personification.

As part of MAKER HOUR, students listened to podcasts and analyzed how they are different from other types of oral storytelling and personal narratives. They used a planner to structure their own podcasts, recording them in SoundTrap and sharing them with the group. Some students even chose to work together, organizing their own Zoom meetings to collaborate on scripts.

We all enjoyed our daily read aloud sessions of Orphan Island and The Inquisitor’s Tale, and some students decided to collaborate together independently through One Drive to write an Orphan Island Part 2, to answer the many lingering questions about the island’s history! Students engaged daily in creative writing through prompts in our “Writing Challenges Channel” on MS Teams, making funny haikus about social distancing or writing collaborative fantasy stories.


Math:

Financial literacy was the key focus of our numeracy studies, which connected well with discussions about resource management, wealth, and economics.

Each student pretended they were living on their own and brainstormed all of the things they would have to pay for independently! They received a job assignment with a salary, and they had to create a monthly, personal budget, taking into consideration rent/mortgage, electrical bills, wifi costs, transportation, food, taxes, savings, and incidentals. Many students experimented with MS Excel for the first time and used it to present their budget information.

As part of understanding money, we discussed proper notation, currency exchange, and why currencies are different between countries. We talked about taxes, both those taken off of salaries and those paid at stores, and how those monies are used to pay for services we enjoy at each level of government.

Students were given opportunities to practice adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimal money amounts, according to their grade level, and we discussed percentages and how they work when giving a tip at a restaurant or reading ads about store discounts. Further practice of skills was provided online, using IXL Math.

Through our “Math Challenges” channel, students completed Difficult Math Riddles, as well as word problems from Perfectly Perilous Math and School of Math. 

To show their understandings of financial literacy and marketing ideas, students designed a product to sell at a pretend SHARK TANK show. They were asked to design a product, give it a slogan, logo, and brand name, and then make a presentation about its use and production costs to potential investors. We had a lot of creative ideas like gerbil carriers, water filters, memory accumulators, storage organizers, and more!


ADST:

The year was full of opportunities to use the design cycle, which includes defining a problem, ideating, prototyping, testing, making, and sharing. Here is an example — a gerbil carrier created as a MACC Mall product!

 

Students:

  • learned new tools such as SoundTrap, as they designed and recorded podcasts,
  • used the Book Creator application to make illustrated books on unit topics,
  • presented and organized ideas using Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint,
  • created products for MACC Mall and presented ideas to a pretend Shark Tank
  • made board games to show learning about human body systems,
  • applied geometry and measurement knowledge to create a tiny house model
  • participated in the Hour of Code to design and code games using Scratch,
  • learned how to program Micro:Bits on the laptop to create mini digital devices,
  • experimented with making electrical circuits through Scrappy Circuits building,
  • collaboratively designed Rube Goldberg machines and marble roller coasters, and taught younger children at school to create them, as well,
  • described their design process using e-portfolios and picture documentation,
  • demonstrated a willingness to work with new materials, to collaborate with others in developing ideas, and to safely store tools and technologies used, and
  • during remote learning, found their own MAKER HOUR activities to do such as making forts, coding games, and building new creations at home.

Independent Project and Career Education:


By February, most students had selected topics for independent study. They were allowed to select any topic as long as it was something they sincerely cared about!

During each project this year, we developed curricular competencies to help with a successful independent inquiry.


These skills can be found in almost every aspect of the curriculum, including career education, social studies, language arts, science, fine arts, and applied design. Here is a quick summary:

  • Understanding passions and making a commitment to pursue personal interests
  • Project management, goal setting, and meeting deadlines
  • Self-management as they monitor their time during open work periods
  • Asking questions that further an inquiry, including open and closed questions
  • Documenting and organizing research through notes and a bibliography
  • Searching online effectively, including finding reliable and safe resources
  • Using critical thinking to analyze resources and summarize findings
  • Communicating findings in writing and through public speaking
  • Applying creative thinking by sharing results through a variety of media

I was especially impressed with our primary research done this year, from experimenting with a vegan menu at home, building a pyramid using ancient math from Egypt and Greece, and constructing robots to study artificial intelligence. There are too many to mention!

Our independent projects from 2020 can be found on this page, which is available for the community on Friday, June 12th.

 

Physical and Health Education, Career Education:

During FITNESS HOUR, students committed to get moving and to find balance away from the screen during their day. Many participated in dance, tennis, or fitness programs through extra curricular activities that continued online via Zoom during their time at home. Students also created a shoe workout made for small spaces, and created a social-distancing sport, sharing both with the group online.

For SERVICE & CONNECTION, students created art to celebrate essential service workers, helped one another with projects, connected with friends over ZOOM, helped parents care for younger siblings, and tried cooking and baking healthy food, some for the first time.

Students completed digital citizenship modules online to learn about how to protect privacy and to communicate effectively on social media or MS Teams.

Overall, they reached out to one another to maintain our class community, and many were successful applying self-regulation strategies to stay productive and engaged in learning.


Fine Arts:

Students took amazing photographs this spring! We focused on learning the elements and principles of photography, particularly line, shape, colour, and perspective. During photo challenges, they looked at famous photos and tried to replicate the technique used, such as taking photos from the perspective of a small animal, creating a story through a photo, or making something look smaller by positioning the camera in a specific way.


They reviewed the history of photography and experimented with composition techniques, including the creation of a photographic collage.

You can see their amazing photography in a slideshow that was sent home to view!

Overall, despite how different our time was in Spring 2020, students were able to produce creative work and maintain connections with classmates and community. Thank you for all of your hard work, Division 5, and have a great summer!

Division 5 Update May 12th — Remote Learning Summary

Hello Everyone!

I just want to say how proud I am of all Division 5 students for making the adjustment to online learning. While it isn’t the same as our classroom, everyone is making an effort to make it work and continue their learning. We are working away on projects and learning of key content from our unit about needs and wants.

And I have noticed the positive, kind ways students have been reaching out to both me and to one another. Thank you to everyone for your efforts and kindness during this strange time. Thank you, also, for your creativity, as everyone has been using their MAKER, SERVICE, and GENIUS hour in amazing ways each week to continue independent learning. Great work!

Each day, I am having conversations with students on MS Teams, as we discuss topics or students complete challenges in our MS Teams Channels. Everyone has been very respectful contacting me for help, and between 8:30 and 4:00 I spend the day responding to email requests, having one-on-one meetings with students who ask for them, providing feedback on work, and checking in to make sure everyone is on track. I meet daily with multiple small groups to go over curriculum content and to discuss inquiry questions from our unit. We meet as a large group once a week, as well as during our daily read alouds in the afternoon, to gain connection. I know that is the part we miss the most about school — the social connection with peers!

Language Arts / Literacy: 

Each week, students have been completing Quick Writes, as we were doing in class before the break. Our focus has been to keep practicing creative writing skills, adding descriptive vocabulary, and editing carefully for conventions. I have been giving a lot of feedback on how to use commas, punctuation in dialogue, and conjunctions in complex sentences. Students also watched an online lesson I created about commas, and they are participating daily in writing challenges designed to get their creativity flowing and to practice advanced vocabulary.

In connection with ADST, we have also been learning about PODCASTS. What are they? How are they used? What makes a good podcast? We experimented with SoundTrap online, and now we will apply creative writing and storytelling skills to create a Podcast of our own!

I am proud of how much reading students are doing in this challenging time! Whether using EPIC, Audible, or public library ebooks, everyone is finding something they can read for INDIE READING TIME!

Math / Numeracy:

Through our small-group discussions, we have discussed financial literacy topics and economics, covering things like supply and demand, budgeting, savings, taxes, having a job, doing math with money, percentages, and the impact of current events on our economy in Canada. Everyone was given a pretend job with a salary, and they had to create a personal budget, taking into mind the actual costs of the many things they would have to pay for if they lived on their own. Many students independently learned excel skills and applied those to their work, creating spreadsheets with formulas. We will continue our discussion about money topics each week, talking about interest, how to make a business, entrepreneurship, and other financial literacy topics.

In connection with ADST, students are making a product they will advertise on their podcasts, complete with a brand name, slogan, or jingle. They will also be presenting the product to our Sharks (like in the show Shark Tank), asking for an investment of cash to increase their distribution and sales. I look forward to their creative thinking and presentations!

Socials:

We have had great discussions about how we get our needs and wants fulfilled. Money is a key part of it! Also, where do we find the resources to make the things we need and want? We brainstormed needs and wants, identified key renewable and non-renewable resources, and then looked for these resources in our homes. After discussion we concluded minerals are one of the most used resources in our houses. Where do we get the minerals?

We also talked about our toilet paper shortage, which led to great discussion about supply and demand, the forces at play in an economy, and how government plays a role in making sure supplies are available and that everyone has the money they need to purchase supplies, too.

Students are participating in TED Ed’s Earth School series, which presents videos about our Earth. We are focusing on the videos addressing how we get our resources, how the availability of resources is inequitable, and how people in the world are using creative ideas to address resource shortages and sustainability.

Each student has now chosen a topic to research further from our unit. They are working in groups set up on MS Teams Channels, sharing resources and creating a mini PowerPoint together to present to other students. We are all doing different topics so we can learn from one another.

Science:

If we know we use a lot of minerals to make the things we need, how do we find them? We have been exploring geology, the science related to finding these important resources. What are the different types of rocks? What is the rock cycle? What is the geological history of BC and how does that help geologists find the minerals we need? What is the difference between a rock, mineral, and element? What happens when minerals are broken down with water into a solution? What happens when a solution with  minerals in it cools? Lots of science content around geology and chemistry to talk about!

Ms. D has been posting daily pictures of rocks from her own collection, as well as the geology-related photographs from her family, which is full of rock hounds. Students have to guess what the rock is, what type, where it is found, and what the geological story is. Thank you to everyone who has joined in these MS Teams discussions! We have also had great talks about rocks and the rock cycle in our small-group meetings, and students have read about geology concepts in Geology of the Pacific Northwest and other resources from EPIC or online resources posted on the blog.

Some students have chosen to learn more about topics in this area, so their inquiry projects in MS Teams are about minerals, mining, and the periodic table! We will all be talking about these things as a group over the next few weeks.

ADST, Music, The Arts:

One thing psychologists have said is important for this time in isolation is to CREATE and to do something MEANINGFUL. For this reason, many students have been continuing their learning of instruments or spend time making new things using our optional activities list.

We are also learning about photography techniques, and each week students are working on a specific challenge designed to help them see the different ways photography can be used to change our perspective or to tell a story. Thank you to students for your creative efforts!

Some students have created music on SoundTrap and have shared it with me, with other students, or with Ms. Fletcher. Some have tried out the many activities on Ms. Fletcher’s blog, as well. I look forward to seeing our creative thinking skills as we make a podcast on SoundTrap, add music and a commercial, and use creative voices to make it interesting. And our MACC Mall requires everyone to find some materials at home and think about how they can make a useful product to present to Shark Tank!

Independent Project:

Everyone is finishing their research on their projects, and everyone has informed me about what they would like to do for primary research (first-hand research). If anyone needs help with this research, please let me know. Some students have asked for one-on-one meetings, and I am also following up with any student I know is having difficulty making a decision about what to do. Remember, primary research can be an interview, a survey, the making of something (document it with reflection and pictures), the learning or experiencing of something (document it with reflection and pictures), or a science experiment (document it with a lab report like we learned to do earlier this year and pictures). If you can’t think of something or run into difficulties, I am here to help!

By the end of this week, I have asked students to let me know how they would like to present. We will not have an in-person presentation, of course, but we will present independent projects virtually. I will be creating a page only accessible to those we invite (parents, advanced learning, Suncrest teachers and staff, other MACC students) on the blog. Each student will be creating something that can be accessed via a link. Examples are: PowerPoint, Book Creator (we have a class account), Written Essay, Slideshow with audio, a speech recorded on video, a mini-movie, or anything the student would like to do that can be shared.

IP Bibliographies are due June 1st. IP Presentations are due June 10th.

Amazing work, everyone!

I think you are all doing great work as you adjust to online learning. I enjoy hearing your voices in MS Teams. Keep up your efforts to join in our discussions, to make contact with your classmates, and to use a schedule each day, so you can keep doing something with purpose and meaning. This is important for our mental health — the connection and the meaning. If you need help or want to talk, I am always here. You can always request a one-on-one appointment with me. Or, come to the daily read aloud and hang out for a bit afterwards, to ask questions. Thank you for everything you are doing. I know it is not the same as MACC was in the classroom, but you are showing some amazing personal awareness, critical and creative thinking, communication, and social responsibility through your daily participation in our online learning.

Many thanks from Ms. D.

 

Activities & Assignments List Week of May 4 – May 8


Activities Update for Week of May 4 – May 8

  • This list is also available on MS Teams in the General Channel.
  • Turn in assignments in MS Teams. Deadlines are flexible.
  • Choose one activity from each category each day of the week.
  • Do the NEED to DO items first, then do optional choices.
  • Need help, please ask!

______________________________________________________________________

MAKER HOUR (60 minutes)
Do something creative! 

Need to Do:

  • Art and Critical Thinking – Elements and Principles of Photography:   Learn about the history, as well as the elements and principles of photography. Create a photo collage of letters you find in your every day environment. Instructions are included in the MS Teams Assignment. Due May 15th
  • ADST Skills – Soundtrap:  Stay tuned for information this week about how to join Soundtrap using our class account. This is the tool we will use for a Podcast.
  • Music: Go see Chrome Music Lab. Also visit Ms. Fletcher’s Music Blog for ideas about making music.

Optional Choices:


FITNESS & HEALTH HOUR (60 Minutes) 
Get moving, get some exercise, get your heart pumping!

Need to Do:

  • Physical Health – Heart Workout: Pick one fitness activity each day, either of your own or from the optional choices list, that gets your heart rate up!
  • Personal Awareness – Be calm: Use the APP CALM.  Find a quiet space, put on nice music, look at a pleasant image, and do deep breathing to calm yourself.
  • Gratitude: Make a gratitude list of the things you are grateful for! When Ms. D asks you about it on MS Teams, add to our ongoing list of things that bring us joy.

Optional Choices:

INDIE READING (30 minutes) 
Read something fun and avoid news/current events.

Need to Do:

  • LA:  Read 30 minutes for fun, relaxation, or learning each day!
  • Join Daily Read Aloud: Ms. D will read Orphan Island each day 2:30-3:00 PM. Drop in, listen to the story! Look for the button to join in the General Channel of MS Teams. Afterwards ask questions or speak one-on-one with Ms. D if needed.

Optional Choices:


SERVICE and CONNECTION (30 minutes) 
Clean and help others! Connect with classmates and family. Play! Be kind! 

Need to Do:

  • ZOOM Group Meeting Wednesday 10:00 AM:  Watch a science experiment, get ideas for Mother’s Day, and join in discussion!
  • Contribute to our MS Teams channels.  Do the math and writing challenges, or participate in word games and riddles. Be part of your class community!
  • Connect with others!  Connect with a friend! Make sure you have contact with your class community and friends, which is important for your mental health!
  • Do the class OPTIONAL BEST IN SHOW CHALLENGE! See MS Teams for a Best in Show Pet, Stuffie, or Toy challenge that is just for fun and social-emotional connection as a class. We hope you will participate. Due on May 15th.

Optional Choices:

  • NEW  See the Optional Daily Activities Page for activities from past weeks
  • Escape Rooms: Here are some escape rooms you could do with friends online.
  • Random Acts of Kindness could be a great way to help improve someone’s day during our isolation at home. Here are 19 Random Acts of Kindness Ideas for Kids, and maybe just find ways to send random positive messages to family, friends, and adults in your lives. We all need some positive words right now!

GENIUS HOUR (60 minutes) 
Learn something new and document your learning in some way.

Need to Do:

  • IP:  Read Ms. DeTerra’s feedback on last week’s IP research when you receive it. Think of new questions. Decide on your primary research method and begin working on it. If you are doing an interview, please run questions by Ms. D. Turn in new questions, added research, and primary research idea by May 8th, Friday.
  • TYPING: Do All the Right Type when you have time after other assignments are all done. Ongoing assignment. We will finish all practice sections by June 10th.

Optional Choices:


UNIT, NUMERACY, LITERACY HOUR (60 minutes)
Specific learning opportunities at grade level or connected to our unit.

Need to Do:

  • Unit Discussion, Small-Group Meeting: Check email for invite. We will discuss your job budget, rocks and minerals, economics, and MACC MALL ideas.
  • LA – Quick Write: Practice brainstorming a story structure, careful editing aloud, and the use of proper spacing and punctuation in dialogue. Read the feedback from Ms. D from last week on your writing. Watch videos and choose to Create a Superhero Lair or Talk about How You Were Shrunk. Due May 11th.
  • Unit Socials/Science – Resources and Geology: Watch videos so far on TED Education’s Earth School program, review websites on the blog about geology and resources, and contribute to discussions in MS Teams under the Unit Discussions Channel. Due May 8th.
  • Math – Financial Literacy: In EPIC, read Getting Your Money’s Worth: Making Smart Financial Decisions and take the attached quiz in MS Teams. Due May 8th.
  • Unit Project – Living On Your Own, Personal Budget: Create a budget with the information we discussed in last week’s small-group meeting. Due May 13th.
  • Math – IXL Financial Literacy and Decimals: Use IXL to do math lessons and practice related to decimals and financial literacy. Ongoing through May, so do at your own pace and level.

Optional Choices:

  • NEW  See the Optional Daily Activities Page for activities from past weeks
  • LEARN EXCEL!  To help with making budgets, learn how to use Microsoft EXCEL. Here are tutorials on all the features. Or, a basic lesson on how to make a simple chart. Here is another one on basic math in Excel. And, finally, one more that has a basic introductory tutorial.
  • READ About Unit Topics: Go to EPIC and read any other non-fiction books about money. Read the rest of the Secret Life of Money from last week.
  • I will be posting less optional activities under this category. Take time to participate in MS Teams and do assignments so we can have great discussions.

Questions? Email me!

With kindness,

Ms. D

Activities and Assignments List, April 20th – April 24th

Here is an update of activities for week of April 20th.
Read this first!

Please choose one activity from each category each day.

Deadlines are flexible. Communicate if you need more time.

I just want to see you participating and doing your best to move forward with learning.

Check for missing assignments in MS Teams. My feedback is in MS Teams or on e-ports.

I have changed deadlines and not added many new things this week, so everyone has enough time. Thank you for your patience as I adjust based everyone’s needs.

Do NEED TO DO items first before going to optional choices.

Do at least one NEED TO DO assignment in MAKER, GENIUS, or UNIT HOUR per day.
Think 90 minutes per day as a guideline for work in Math, LA, Science and Socials.

______________________________________________________________________

MAKER HOUR (60 minutes)
Do something creative! Make something new! Take a picture to document work!

Need to Do:

  • ADST Skills – Podcasts: Finish PODCASTS assignment. Due April 24, Friday.
  • ART, Critical Thinking – Photography Challenge #1: From last week. Due April 20. See MS Teams.
  • ART and Critical Thinking – Photography Challenge #2: See new photo challenge for week. Due April 24th. Info in MS Teams.
  • ADST Skills – Soundtrap (only if done with all other assignments):  watch this tutorial on how to use the application Soundtrap. Do not join Soundtrap online as I need to set you up on a class account. Just watch and learn how to use it for making sound recordings. If YouTube is blocked for you, please talk to your parents about watching this. NO DEADLINE at this time.

Optional Choices:

FITNESS HOUR (60 Minutes) 
Get moving, get some exercise, get your heart pumping!

Need to Do:

  • Physical Health — Shoe Workout: Due last week. Post in MS Teams. Do the workout once or twice this week to really get your heart rate up!
  • Personal Awareness – Be calm: Try the APP CALM. Ask your parents for help to get the app for free.
  • Personal Awareness – Be Mindful:  Find a quiet space, put on nice music, look at a pleasant image, and do deep breathing to calm yourself. Try it at the beginning and end of the day.

Optional Choices:

INDIE READING (30 minutes) 
Preferably offline. If online, read something fun and avoid news/current events.

Need to Do:

  • LA:  Read 30 minutes for fun, relaxation, or learning each day!

Optional Choices:

  • Go on to EPIC and read books from the class assignments list.
  • As you read, make a list of words you don’t know and look them up later.
  • Write a short story/poem of your own using these new words!
  • Read in another language
  • Build a fort with a blanket over a table or chairs and do some reading under it
  • On Amazon.ca, if you have the Kindle App, there are lots of free books to read
  • With a library card, use online resources for Burnaby/Vancouver Public Libraries
  • Use Audible for free right now to listen to tons of online audible stories.
  • Use the Burnaby School District’s Tumblebooks Account to access books online. Press the ebooks tab at the top. I sent you an Outlook email about how to access this, as you need a user ID and password.
  • Higher Level Reading — Project Gutenberg free ebooks
  • Open Library — has non-fiction and fiction options, some great for IP!
  • Need a break from reading, but love words? Complete a word search or a crossword puzzle.

SERVICE (30 minutes) 
Clean and help others! Connect with your classmates and family. Play! Be kind! 

Need to Do:

  • Art – Essential Service Artwork for the Window: Finish from last week. Explanation on the blog. Post pictures in MS Teams. Due April 24th, Friday.
  • Social Responsibility and Personal Awareness – Make connection: Finish assigned pen pal responses. Be part of our meetings and/or optional read-aloud time to connect with classmates. Respond to MS Teams questions to let us know what you are thinking and feeling.

Optional Choices:

  • Play a pen and paper game with a family member (ex. dots and boxes, sprouts, 24, battleships, Go-Maku, Boggle, etc.)
  • Play a card game with a family member (or as a whole family!)
  • Look through old photo albums together and share memories
  • Play Charades or use the Heads Up app
  • Have an untimed Iron Chef contest with the whole family. Choose an ingredient, and everyone makes a different dish.
  • Prepare a mini lesson and teach someone something you’ve recently learned
  • Participate in the 7PM NOISE outside, done by the community to say thank you to our first responders and healthcare workers!
  • Make a homemade gift for members of your family, and learn how to wrap them using Furoshiki, the art of Japanese gift wrapping
  • Prepare a musical performance to share with your family after dinner.
  • Organize a family game activity.
  • Play a round of Rock-Paper-Scissors-Stretch with a family member
  • Create a dinner night, with fancy napkins, table, outfits, menus, decorations, etc. so when you can’t go out, there is something fun to do at home.
  • Make a shopping list for the family
  • Unload or load the dishwasher
  • Sweep or vacuum the house
  • Call a grandparent, family member, or friend to help them feel connected during this time of isolation
  • Help with the laundry — loading, folding, putting things away
  • Dust the house or blinds
  • Clean windows
  • Help with the garbage, recycling, or compost runs
  • Clean off counters
  • Wipe doorknobs and high-touch spaces with cleaner
  • Take care of a pet
  • Clean the toilet
  • Organize recycling
  • Watch your younger sibling so your parents can have a break
  • Make a dinner for your family so they have a break from it!

GENIUS HOUR (60 minutes) 
Learn something new and document your learning in some way.

Need to Do:
(all related to inquiry and critical thinking skills)

  • IP:  Assigned last Tuesday. Review websites. Post update of research in MS Teams. Due April 24th.
  • Digital Citizenship Module:  Finish module online. Reading of module is required; written assignments are optional. See MS Teams. Was due April 17th.
  • Questions to Ask When Reading Scientific Claims:  Finish. List the questions from the article you had to read. See MS Teams. Was due April 17th.
  • TYPING: Do All the Right Type when you have time after other assignments are all done. Ongoing assignment. We will finish all practice sections by June 10th. Tell me in MS Teams when you have finished so I can check online for completion.

Optional Choices:

UNIT, NUMERACY, LITERACY HOUR (60 minutes)
Specific learning opportunities at grade level or connected to our unit.

Need to Do:

  • LA/Creative Thinking – Invent a Sport:  Assigned last Tuesday. Practice using advanced vocabulary and adding descriptive detail. Write about an invented sport during time of social distancing. Watch video prompt. Post writing on e-port with picture of you playing a part of the game. Write what you can in 60 minutes, or up to 5 paragraphs. See MS Teams. Due April 24th, Friday.
  • LA/Creative Thinking -Tell the Story of Lost Shoes:  Assigned last Tuesday. Watch this video prompt and write untold story of your lost shoes. Write 60 minutes, up to 5 paragraphs. See MS Teams. Due April 27th, Monday.
  • Math – Financial Literacy, Making a Budget: Finish from last week. Make a Budget for the Library. See MS Teams for handouts. Due Friday, April 24th
  • Math – Critical Thinking Window Data:  Finish Outside Your Window activity on You Cubed. See MS Teams. Due Friday, April 24th
  • Socials/Science/Critical Thinking — Resources:  Finish from last week. Look for resources in your house. Handout in MS Teams. Due Friday, April 24th.
  • Socials/Science/LA — Geology:  Finish. Read pages in Geology book on EPIC and answer questions. See MS Teams. Due Friday, April 24th
  • MATH ONGOING WORK: Use IXL to do specific math lessons related to decimals and financial literacy. User ID and password were sent in email. See the blog and MS Teams. Ten lesson sections of your choice due on May 1st. The work on this is ongoing through April and May, so you can work at your own pace.

Optional Choices:

Questions? Email me!

With kindness,

Ms. D

PLEASE READ: Your Schedule and Work Tips April 20th

Hello! Notes for Everyone moving forward

Weekly Schedule:

  • Check the blog beginning of week for the list of updated learning activities.
  • Check MS Teams & Email at least 1-2 times a day. Don’t spend all day on there!
  • Post comments about unit questions Ms. D has in MS Teams.
  • Use a schedule with the categories — one activity from each category, each day.
  • Try focusing on one NEED TO DO assignment each day to meet deadlines.
  • Ms. D will have small-group meetings 2 times daily. Check your email for an invite. Meetings will be a half hour  (10:30-11:00, 1:30-2:00, 2:00-2:30)
  • Wednesday is whole-group meeting on ZOOM 10:00 – 10:30 AM. OPTIONAL
  • Every day read aloud 2:30 – 3:00. OPTIONAL
  • Ms. D is available every day for questions 9AM to 3PM.
  • MS Teams is open daily 8:30 – 4:00 for comments, closed night & weekends.

Helpful Tips:

  • Try not to work on one task for longer than 60 minutes. That’s why the categories I provided are not longer than one hour.
  • Stop and take regular breaks. Think about how we use the Break Board in class. Take SHORT breaks. Get up, get moving, get away from the screen!
  • Find out your assignments, but work on some of them offline. You don’t always need to be on the computer.
  • Work on one “need to do” assignment each day so deadlines are met.
  • If you are having trouble, communicate with Ms. D and I will help!
  • Remember, we are working in a weird time. I am flexible. Just show me you are making an effort and participating in our learning. That is what is important right now. 
  • The District has provided guidelines for technology use, specifically with video conferencing and MS Team Tools. Please follow the Digital Code of Conduct and  see this website for more details.

Questions? Please let me know! See the list of activities for the week on the next entry.

Read Aloud with Ms. D April 15th, Post #2 of 3

Hello Everyone,

Over the next few weeks, I will be doing open video conference sessions to read aloud the book Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder.

Thank you to everyone who attended the reading of Chapter 1 today! I hope you enjoyed it. It is a great story with a lot of descriptive detail!

Today we listened as Deen, the Elder of the island, left on the mysterious boat that comes once a year to Orphan Island for the Changing. What happens to Deen after he leaves on the boat? Why does a new child come on the boat in exchange? Why aren’t there any adults on the Island? Where do the new children come from?

If you missed today’s session, you can get the Kindle version of the book on Amazon.ca

Please don’t read ahead if you are planning to join us!

To join a read aloud session, just go to the General Channel of our MS Teams, look for the purple meeting announcement, and join us. Each day I plan to do it, it will sometime between 2:30 – 3:30 PM. It may not happen each day, depending on meetings, so please check the announcements.

I hope you enjoy listening to this great story!

Independent Project Update April 8 Post #2 of 2

Hello Everyone,

This is a specific update about independent project. We don’t know exactly when or if we will return before the end of the school year, so, we will plan as if we are not going to be together in person. It is important we still finish our projects and share them with one another and our learning community! And we can still do that in so many different ways.

What can I be doing on Independent Project right now?

Continue to do research online, to ask questions as you research, and to look for answers to those questions. Make sure you are taking notes and recording your resources. You will be required to do a bibliography. During April, we will be doing research.

In MS Teams, there is a section called CLASS NOTEBOOK. I have been showing this to each person I meet with individual on video conference this week, but you can find it yourself.

  • If you go to the General Channel of our Division 5 Team, you will see a tab at the top right next to Assignments. It is called Class Notebook.
  • Inside, you will see a section with your name, and this is your online journal that only you and I can see.
  • There is a folder you can click on marked Independent Project. Inside here, you can put notes, thoughts, questions, pictures, and drawings about your project. This is one way you can share your research process with me.

If you are taking notes in something else, please make sure you can share it with me. For example, if you are just making a MS Word document, you can upload that to One Drive and share it with Ms. D. That will work, too. Class Notebook, though, allows me to see things in progress. It would be better to put future brainstorms and notes there to show me your work.

In MAY, we will be working on presentation pieces. So, you can think about what format (see options below), but for now, focus on DEEP RESEARCH. I will be checking in with you about each of your projects.

Do I still do primary research?

Yes, you still need to do some primary research. Remember, primary research is first-hand research you do and document yourself, rather than reading about it on the internet. So, it can include the following options in this time of remote learning:

  • Create an experiment, write up the experiment using the scientific method, do the experiment at home, and then take pictures and document your results. Write a conclusion and think about what you have learned.
  • Create a survey that can be sent out to lots of people. Before you send it out, send it to Ms. D for review, and let’s talk together about how it can be sent and who we will send it to, okay?
  • Learn to Do Something. Many of you are learning to do some new things as a result of this time at home, so this is primary research, when you experience something yourself, first hand! If you learn a new skill, think about what you will produce with the skill to show you have learned it. Document the process of learning — rough drafts, planning documents, pictures of you learning or experimenting with something, etc.
  • Do an interview with an expert. If your parents know of someone you can connect with via video conference for an interview, this is an option. I am also going to be putting out your topics to our community and on Twitter, to see who I can find from the education community I correspond with online.
  • Visit a Virtual Museum. On the list of activities for this week on the blog, I put a link to virtual museums. Doing a visit and documenting your notes from it would also be a form of primary research.
  • Another idea? I am flexible and open to your ideas. Please contact me if you came up with something that is better than the ideas above.


I can’t find any more resources, so what do I do?

Some of you may be able to find extra resources on EPIC, Tumblebooks, Audible, or the other free online book resources I listed.

Ms. Ho, our librarian, and I are going to be working on accumulating resources online to put on blog page for you, based on the list of topics for our class. Stay tuned for more information.

Spend time doing primary research for your topic. Instead of looking up information, look for experiences or experiment online that you could do at home that would help with better understanding your topic.


How will we present?

Even if we are not in person, we will still find a way to present our projects to the class community, our parents, and some members of the Burnaby School District, just like we would have done in the second week of June.

It is likely whatever you create will need to be in some format that can be shared online via a link or upload to the blog.

Some options to explore are:

  • Make an Online Book: I will be creating a new Book Creator class account. Book Creator is an app that allows you to make a book with pictures, drawings, and text, and you can tell us about your topic through that.
  • Make a PowerPoint: Your Microsoft 365 account gives you access to a variety of applications including PowerPoint. You can make an informative slideshow to share. In fact, you can also present and record a presentation with your voice in PowerPoint, and share that.
  • Make a Video: You can create a speech with props and visuals, record it, and then share the video online.
  • Do a Live Conference: You can do a video conference online with the class, where we see your video, and we are listening through an audio connection.
  • Make art or something crafty and Present it! You can make art online or through hands-on crafty materials at home, then take pictures of your final product and explain it with a written explanation. If you want a series of pictures, you could make a slideshow of pictures showing your independent project process, or how you learned something new.
  • Another idea? Ask! There are many other ways online to present information. Have an idea, just ask me.

We need to start thinking about how this will be done now, so we can begin working on it during the month of May.

Okay, that’s all for now. Thank you for continuing your work in these strange circumstances. I am here to support you. Email me if you ever want to talk in person, because I am generally available from 9 AM to 3 PM at the computer, and we can video chat so you can get your questions answered!

All the best,

Ms. D

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