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

Staying in Touch MS Teams April 8 Post #1 of 2

Hello Everyone!

Thank you to everyone who is actively participating in MS Teams. It is so nice to connect with you all through daily chats in our conversation channel!

As a reminder, check MS Teams daily. Here are the things you can and need to do in there:

  • Participate in class conversation, on the Connect with Classmates channel.
  • Join a small group meeting or a meeting with Ms. D. For these meetings, you will receive an email invitation. Please click accept, and it will add the meeting to your calendar. Then, you can go in to Calendar on the left side bar of MS Teams to see the meeting in your schedule. At the designated time for the meeting, just click join!
  • Watch videos from Ms. D about class topics or to hear readings. Links are in the General channel.
  • Get information about assignments, in the General Channel OR by using the Assignments tab at the top.
  • Submitting assignments, uploading documents or putting in links to say you have completed work for the week.
  • Use the Class Notebook tab to access your journal. There is a folder called Independent Project, and you can write in that folder anything you are doing about independent project.  It will only be seen by you and me. The Class Notebook tab may also be used in the future for class discussions under the collaboration section, so at least try to find where Class Notebook is!

To answer some questions people have asked:

  • Do I have to do the assignments? Yes. To show me you are actively participating in our class and to give me feedback I need to create new learning opportunities, I need you to participate in MS Teams by submitting assignments.
  • Are we marked on the assignments? I am providing feedback on assignments and e-ports, going through all of them as fast as I can, and the feedback, as always, is part of assessment for our class. There will be a report card for term three, so participation and completion of assignments will be something we can talk about for that report.
  • Are all assignments due by the due dates? I put due dates to help everyone stay on track and have a schedule. Even with this changed learning environment, we all need some structure, otherwise we would never get things done and move forward in our learning. BUT, I completely understand every family is different, you are all doing the best you can in this stressful situation, and you may not always be able to do things by the deadlines. So, MS Teams allows you to turn in work late. I will contact both you and your parents if I don’t see you participating or turning in anything at all.
  • I can’t seem to access the video link from MS Teams. What do I do? Remember, to access videos, you will need to be logged on to your Microsoft school account ON THE WEB first. Generally, you click on the link for the video, and a sign in screen should pop up. Once you sign in, the video will show. If you don’t get a sign in screen, try logging in to your email first on the web. Go to this link to do that. If you still have trouble accessing videos after that, please email me.
  • I need to talk to you, how can I do that? I respond to emails and the Connect with Classmates channel from 9 AM to 3 PM. Sometimes you will see me on there outside of that time, as well, but I may not respond right away. If you want to talk with me, just schedule a 5 minute video conference with me, any time! Send me an email.
  • How can I connect with classmates? Send them email letters! Maybe start with responding to the pen pal letter that was sent to you as part of assignments. Email is best used for longer communications. You can also connect on our Connect with Classmates channel in MS Teams. I will put prompts in there daily, and you can also do the same! You can also make arrangements via email with a friend from class, and then chat with them outside of school, using a non-school communication tool. As a reminder, please don’t use our school email for chatting. The only chatting is on the Connect with Classmates channel, or by using other tools at home, which your parents will need to supervise. I only supervise the MS Teams chats. Thanks!
  • How do I find someone’s email address? Log in to your email for school.  Put their full name in the TO box. Make sure you know their last name, because there could be more than one person in the District with the first name. If you don’t know someone’s last name from class, just contact me. I am happy to help.

More questions? Let me know, either in our one-on-one meetings happening this week, or via email. I will add them to the list here so everyone can see.

Thank you,

Ms. D

SCHEDULE OPTIONS April 6th, Post #2 of 3

Hello Everyone,

Here is an update of possible activities for the week of April 6th. Remember, USE THIS LIST! Don’t sit around bored. There are things to do! Do something from EACH category, EACH day.

Take a deep breath, find a comfortable spot where you think you can do some learning, and find an activity you like to do. 

You don’t have to do them in this exact order, you don’t have to do all of the optional activities, and your schedule can be designed to suit your family. But, please choose something from each list (or use activities from your own family’s choices) and commit to a chunk of time to do each category.

There are NEED TO DO & OPTIONAL assignments. NEED TO DO assignments will sometimes be explained more on the blog and in MS Teams on the assignments tab. Some may require you to submit something in MS Teams.

I hope this helps structure your time this week! Let me know if you have questions.

_______________________________________________________________________

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

Need to Do:

  • Making art to share with everyone. Ms. D will provide a separate blog entry about how to do this.
  • Provide an e-port entry with a picture of you doing one of the MAKER HOUR choices (or another category below other than INDIE READING), and explain how it went. What did you do? What did you learn? How did it go?

Optional Choices:

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

Need to Do:

  • Listen to this news story on BBC about a football player in Africa who has created a shoe workout to keep herself in shape. Then, create your own shoe workout. Have someone video tape you doing the workout. Save the video in One Drive. I will put a separate post about how to share videos with us using your e-port or the blog.
  • Part of fitness is also monitoring your MENTAL HEALTH. What are you doing to help keep your spirits up? I use the app CALM. Ask your parents for help to get the app for free. If you can’t, then find a quiet space, put on some nice music, look at a pleasant image, and do some deep breathing to calm yourself. It is good to do this at the beginning and the end of your day.

Optional Choices:

INDIE READING (30 minutes) 
Reading, preferably offline but if you are out of books and need to go online, at least not news or current events articles.

  • Go on to EPIC and read books from the class assignments list.
  • 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 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! A great way to help everyone in your family and community feel better during this stressful time!

  • Participate in the 7PM NOISE outside, done by the community to say thank you to our first responders and healthcare workers!
  • Create messages of hope, hearts, or other beautiful things to hang in the window or on the balcony that people in your neighbourhood can see from their windows.
  • 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.
  • 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:

  • Have a one-on-one video conference meeting with Ms. D to talk about how you are doing on your independent project research. Check your email to RSVP for your meeting. If the time doesn’t work, suggest new times.
  • Look at this document and make sure you understand how to cite your sources for your project bibliography. Do the practice examples they give you. If you are using Easy Bib, you still need to ensure your bibliography has correct format and lists resources correctly. Each type of resources (book, website, etc.) is cited in a different way.
  • The Burnaby School District has provided a Digital Web Quest to talk about digital citizenship. As we are using technology even more, I think it is a good idea for you all to do the web quest this week. It says it is for secondary students, but I think it will help you, too.
  • Read Can You Believe It on the Exploratorium’s website and find out the seven questions you should ask yourself when reading scientific claims (such as those about COVID-19 in the news.)

Optional Choices:

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

Need to Do:

  • Write a pen pal letter (see blog, April 6 post #1 of 3).
  • Go to Science Snacks on the San Francisco Exploratorium’s website and do the activity called Life Size to understand the size of microscopic things. If you can’t print out the handout, just make a list of your own of the items on the handout using scrap pieces of paper.
  • What are all of the currency forms for Canadian money? Write them down (bills and coins), and then think of all the different ways you could make $19.99 using those bills and/or coins. Record them on an MS Word document to turn in, or draw it and turn in a picture of it!

Optional Choices:

Questions? Email me!

With kindness,

Ms. D

More Online Reading and Research Resources 4/2, #2 of 3

Hello Everyone,

If you go to the Suncrest Website, you can find free Burnaby District reading and research resources through our library. In order to get the free access, you need to access it through the Suncrest Website portal. Here is how:

  1. Go to the Suncrest Website
  2. On the top menu, select LIBRARY, and then select WEB RESOURCES
  3. On the WEB RESOURCES page, put a check in the box before “Grades 4-7”
  4. Click on any of the resources you see for Grades 4-7
  5. You will need a USER ID and PASSWORD, which is the same for any of the resources listed. I can’t post it publicly, but I will send it to you in email.

You will see one of the options is TUMBLEBOOKS, which is another reading site. I can’t create a class group with suggestions, so you will just have to search on your own. I suggest going to the search tool at the top right of the TUMBLEBOOKS home page, searching for EBOOKS under types of books, and then filtering your choices according to reading level, so you get the most challenging books.

You will also find research resources such as WORLD BOOK, along with EXPLORA, which had many cool things to read and learn about on a variety of topics. We will need these resources when doing unit work, and you may also find things relevant to your Independent Project Research.

Happy reading!! And look for my email to you with the password.

Ms. D

Overview of Term Two, Spring 2020

Here is a review of the many things we did during term two! 

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


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

Unit Focus Statement:  

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


What is creativity? (Core Competency Creative Thinking, Career Education, Socials)

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

Some activities were designed as “alternative uses” tests, which are often employed by researchers to test creativity. How many things can you make out of a small can of play doh in a short time period? We read the book The Perfect Square, then everyone took a plain, boring piece of paper, and with only five cuts and folding, constructed new 3D creations from our imaginations.


We watched several TED talks about creativity, and Ms. D shared research from the book Wired to Create about how creativity can be nurtured. We did shared, non-fiction readings from the Time Magazine: Creativity Issue to better understand the brain science behind creativity, and how people think creativity can be cultivated in our learning and daily lives.


Later this year, we will do independent inquiry projects, so each unit allows time to learn and apply specific research skills. This time, the focus was collecting and documenting primary research such as an experiment, interview, or observation.

We did playground observations to look at how students of all ages play, followed by rich discussions about how much play we have in our own lives, why play is important for creativity, and how play differs depending on your age.

We also did a creativity study, teaching younger classes how to make marble roller coasters. Some students helped with construction, while others recorded primary research observations. Afterwards, we had discussions to analyze results! Why was it a different experience for younger kids than for us? How do younger children feel and touch materials as they explore their potential uses? Why do younger children have a different attention span? Why does the way we play change as we get older?

Simple Machines!  (Science, Math, & Applied Design)


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


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

We had car races down inclined planes, doing math involving distance/time/rate, and discovering how speed is related to the height of the plane. We lifted books up a plane using a Newton gauge, to show how less force is required when we add more distance. Using rulers and blocks we made cantilevers, taking into mind lever math developed by Archimedes involving balanced equations, measurement of distance from the fulcrum, and multiplication! That’s how cranes can lift so much weight!

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

Then, we researched Rube Goldberg, who designed machines that were very complicated, but completed very easy tasks!  We created Rube Goldberg devices all over the classroom, using a variety of found materials, objects, and the design process. We also learned about hydraulics, discovering how liquids, unlike other states of matter, can’t be compressed! Working collaboratively, we made cranes and other unique devices.


Human Innovations over Time — Change 
(Socials, Language Arts)

Our creativity has led to many innovations that have changed our lives over time. What are those innovations? When did we start using simple machines? Has our use of technology been positive or negative?

We researched early indigenous innovations, such as snow goggles, inukshuks, umiaks, burins, and ulus. We learned what early tools were used for, which groups in Coastal B.C. created them, and how the tools addressed people’s basic needs. We also read about spindle whorls, which would be the inspiration for artwork in our next unit.

We read the book Ingenious and were surprised how many important innovations originated in Canada! We identified technologies used in different areas of our lives, such as communication, health, transportation, and entertainment; then we evaluated each one for its positive and negative impacts on humans. Each student chose to research one area further, creating a timeline to illustrate how technologies have changed over time.

We read the books Goodnight iPad and Nerdy Birdy Tweets to discuss how technology such as smartphones and social media can distract from other activities or relationships. What impact is technology having on children? Using a shared Padlet, we did a group inquiry to find reliable websites on this topic. We used our research to debate issues such as e-readers v.s. real books, technology use guidelines, and the impact of video games on children.


Idea Generation and Descriptive Detail in Creative Writing  
(Language Arts)

As a whole school, we are focusing on writing goals in the areas of idea generation and adding descriptive detail. There were many opportunities to practice, such as a persuasive debate speech, e-portfolio reflections, and creative stories. We did many daily quick writes, which involve a mini lesson followed by a short period of independent writing. At the end of term, we had writing conferences to set individual writing goals for the rest of the year. Sometimes we used creative prompts to get ideas flowing, such as those in the book The Creativity Project. We also discussed literary devices, like personification, simile, and metaphor, and practiced using a thesaurus to find higher-level vocabulary.


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

Using You Do the Math: Skyscrapers, we looked at the combination of math knowledge needed to build new things such as skyscrapers! This included understanding geometric solids, measurement, reading tables, plotting coordinates, area, and perimeter. We did problem solving involving basic fractions and decimals, and some students did surface area or algebraic challenges.


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


Creativity in the Arts, PHE, and Languages! 
(Fine Arts, Music, PHE, French)

We couldn’t have the arts without creativity. Our creativity plus knowledge of arts elements and principles equals an amazing product! We discussed the colour wheel; primary, secondary, and tertiary colours; analogous and complementary colours; and how this information helps us in our presentations.

With this knowledge, we made amazing abstract colour trees blending oil pastels together!

Division 5 was heavily involved in the musical production of Snow Biz, whether making decorations and props, singing in the choir, setting up the stage, or playing a main part! It was an amazing performance!!

 

Our creativity played a role during physical education and health! We focused on getting our heart rate up by learning new dance moves and doing Just Dance challenges!

Before break, everyone will share dance moves they created, so we can do our own aerobic routine together.

Finally, for French, we have been using technology as a creative tool to do independently paced learning of French vocabulary. Lessons involve games, pronunciation and listening, as well as assessment to see what has been learned. We plan to use this vocabulary on a French country mini project.


Second, we focused on the concepts of EXPLORATION and IDENTITY
in our unit On the Move!

Unit focus statement:  

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


How am I an explorer?   (Core Competency of Positive Personal and Cultural Identity)

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

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

Migration — Humans  (Socials, Language Arts)


Why do people move from place to place? What is your own migration story? Students asked their parents for information about their family tree and charted the migration path of past generations coming to Canada.

Using the book Human Migration and Why We Live Where We Live, among other book and online resources, we discussed the many push and pull factors that cause people to move as they seek a better quality of life. We talked about how some people move all the time because of a “restless gene” that just makes them seek novelty and something new!

Using a TON of great books from the District Library, we did a group inquiry about “How did we get here?” How did we all come to be in Canada? What were the reasons people came here? Who was here first? We made a timeline on the board and listed the many reasons people came, such as trade, land, gold, and escaping war. Each student chose a historical figure to represent from this timeline, and before Spring Break, they will create a monologue to present about the person for our “Wax Museum of History.”

Students also looked at 10 different case studies of people trying to come into Canada and made decisions about which 5 would get to come in. This is part of an ongoing conversation about immigration policy in Canada and how the government makes decisions about who it lets in to the country. How do people become a citizen? Please check student e-portfolios as we continue to talk about these issues before break.

To better understand what it is like to be a refugee or immigrant, each student read a different historical fiction novel, such as Escape from Aleppo, Refugee, and Homes. We are using the Reading Power model to help us add depth and complexity to our reading. What connections are we making as we read? What are we visualizing in our heads while reading? What questions are we asking?


Migration – Animals 
 (Science and Language Arts)

We began our unit with an amazing trip to Reifel Bird Sanctuary, one of the local, protected estuaries where you can find migratory animals this time of year. We learned about local bird species, the essential things animals need to survive, and why the estuary is a popular stop on migration routes. Many of us fed birds for the first time, and we saw sandhill cranes, saw whet owls, and red-wing blackbirds, among other species. Dan, the biologist, also helped us find tracks of beavers and other animals in the snow!


The trip, along with the movie Winged Migration, helped us understand why and how animals migrate over long distances, between different biomes of the world, as well as their migratory triggers and cues. Each student chose a migratory animal to research further and created a Puppet Pal presentation about their findings using the iPad. We hope you can come see it when we have Student Led Conferences!

We also conducted a Citizen Science activity, participating in the Feb. 14-18 Backyard Bird Count! Everyone was surprised how many different species we could see right around the school, such as red-wing blackbirds, chickadees, a bald eagle, song sparrows, starlings, crows, gulls, and robins!

Art, Identity, and Spindle Whorls  (Socials, Fine Arts, Math)

We looked at a variety of indigenous art from across Canada and North America, trying to guess each piece’s origin according to the colours, images, and shapes used in the art. It really helped us to see how the art of a culture is connected to place. We represent in our art what we see locally and what is important to us.


We looked closely at the story of the Spindle Whorl, discovering how this spinning tool was not only carved with special artwork and passed down in families, but also represented the family’s identity and indigenous group.

Then we looked at the shapes and colours of art from local Salish groups such as the Musqueam peoples, as compared to form line shapes of art done by indigenous groups further north such as the Haida. Inspired by the art of Susan Point, each student created their own circular print, using geometry to create reflexive symmetry through reflection, rotation, and translation of Salish shapes.

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


People are choosing to live in less space, so their impact is less on the world. How does a living space represent you and your beliefs about what is essential? What choices would you make?  Using our ongoing work with multiplication, measurement, geometry, and proportionate reasoning, as well as the design process, students created tiny house models and discussed the area and perimeter of their final creations.

 

Term Two Music Notes from Ms. Fletcher:

While more information can be found on Ms. Fletcher’s blog, here is a summary of the main areas covered in music by our class:

Core Competencies:  Communication, collaboration, thinking, and personal awareness.

Big Idea: Music is a unique language for creating and communicating.

Curricular Competencies:  Students will explore elements of music, and create music collaboratively and as an individual. Students will experience and present creative works in a variety of ways.

Content/Overview: In music class students worked on developing music skills – beat, rhythm, tempo, pitch, dynamics, form and music literacy through playing hand chimes and ukuleles.

Overall, term two has been rich with learning experiences, and this overview is only a snapshot! We look forward to term three, with two new units and our independent projects on June 10th!

New Unit: The Way We Move!

Hello Everyone,

This past week, we began a new inquiry unit called The Way We Move!

Unit Focus Statement: Migration is a response to challenges, risks, survival, and a natural need to explore.

Concepts: EXPLORATION, IDENTITY

Core Competency: Positive Personal & Cultural Identity

Areas of Inquiry:

  • The nature of exploration
  • The reasons people move throughout the world
  • Human migration and its impact on Canada, indigenous cultures, and the world
  • The similarities between humanity and other animals as related to migration
  • Our own personal and cultural identity as a result of migration
  • Biomes of the world
  • Geography and maps
  • Personal narrative writing as related to identity
  • Tiny House Math Projects (Area, Perimeter, Multiplication, Division) related to what is most important to us
  • French Country Mini Project, as well as ongoing vocabulary learning

We look forward to….

  • Doing exploration of our identity, of our outside spaces, and more through the use of careful observation and documentation skills
  • Studying migratory birds and other animals, tracking their journeys and reporting about them in Puppet Pals
  • Writing mini stories designed to strengthen our idea-generation strategies, paragraphing, dialogue writing, and conventions
  • Making mini bird feeders for our playground trees
  • Creating a class map of our own family’s migration paths
  • Interviewing community members about immigration stories
  • Doing a group research timeline on how we all came to be in Canada, then writing mini monologues to present some of the key figures and events from our history
  • Making a Quilt of Belonging piece representative of our Cultural Background/Identity
  • Reading and analyzing books/stories related to immigration and refugees
  • Discussing immigration policies in Canada, and then making our own immigration policy for a made-up location
  • Doing activities and games related to multiplication, division, and geometry skills
  • Creating our own dance exploration and sharing with peers in PE
  • Finishing our Spindle Whorls, technology debates, and mini research on one of the indigenous groups of BC

Plans may change depending on time and other events going on at the school. We will do as much as we can in February and early March, and finish this unit before we go to Spring Break, or just after we return. Next unit will be on NEEDS and WANTS, talking about resources, geology, economics, trade, and more. Our independent project research and work will be ongoing from now until June.

More to come!

Ms. D

New Unit Dec./Jan. and Year-Long Curriculum Information

 

Hello Everyone,

As communicated in the parent orientation and via the blog earlier this fall, we are continuing with our conceptual-based units throughout the year.

These units integrate all subjects and connect directly to the B.C. curriculum, whether through the big ideas, content, or curricular competency skill areas. The units also integrate curriculum from both the grade 4 and 5 years.

Given MACC students are with me for two years, I have created a program that runs over two years and does not repeat in terms of content. We do repeatedly practice skill areas, as they need practice for longer than just one year. Some skill areas they practice all the way through high school, too!

Our schedule for the year goes like this:

Term 1:  
Unit 1 — Concept SYSTEMS, unit integrated around health and human body

Term 2:  
Unit 2 — Concept CHANGE/CREATIVITY, unit integrated around technology/maker things
Unit 3 — Concept EXPLORATION, unit integrated around people/animal migration

Term 3:
Unit 4 — Concept STRUCTURE/ORDER, unit integrated around resources and needs/wants
Unit 5 — Concept CONNECTION/PATTERNS, unit integrated around space, stories, myths
Unit 6 — Independent Project (process happens throughout term 2 and 3, with presentation in June for the public)

For Term 2, here is our unit we began two and a half weeks ago! 
See my Twitter feed for pictures of work we have already done so far!

Unit #2:  Our Human Creations, December – Mid-January

CONCEPT:  Change and Creativity

Unit Focus Statement: We use creativity and knowledge together to make innovations that change our world.

An Inquiry Into:

  • Our learning and use of creative thinking (from the core competencies)
  • Change and the design process
  • Tools we can use to change the depth of our reading and writing
  • Scientific forces and mathematical thinking behind our creations
  • How innovations make change
  • Using technology to learn or to create change
  • Change in our lives, perspectives, thinking, and abilities
  • How we can share our creative thinking with one another and the community

Some of the Specific Topics Covered In:

Science: Simple machines, Work, Center of Gravity, Technology, Early Indigenous Tools, Deciding which machine has had the greatest benefit/use, making catapults, creating hydraulic devices, Rube Goldberg devices
Socials:  Technology and Society — Positive and Negative Impacts, History of Technology, Timelines, Critical Thinking About Our Technology Use, Creation of a Timeline, Debate on Impact of Video Game Use on Children
Math:  Deeper Conversations around multiplication and division, Use of scientific formulas from physics around work and rate/distance/time, Basic Variables/Algebra, Area/Perimeter, Tiny House Creation, Math Used in Creating Buildings/Skyscrapers through the book “You Do the Math: Skyscrapers”
Language Arts: Creative Writing, Careful editing, use of non-fiction features in books to do research, organizing notes for research, using key words for internet searches, reading of City of Ember through the use of Reading Power.
Applied Design: Design Process steps used in the creation of catapults, “Perfect Square” structures, as well as discussions around how creative thinking can be learned. Creativity research study observing how younger children work with marble roller coaster creation.
French: Use of French-games.net to do a variety of vocabulary-building, independently-paced lessons. Students will do practice and assessments in class on vocabulary lists and phrases built from these activities.
Arts:  Maker Projects, Musical Performance, Spindle Whorls and Coast Salish Art Forms, Not a Box Activity, Creative-Thinking Challenges, and continued talk about elements and principles of art. 
Physical Education and Health: Movement activities focused around the quality of movement, dance moves, where we can find aerobic activities that get our heart pumping, and the creative choreography of our own dances to music. Also, brainstorming together creative options for cooperative play on the playground.

More updates to come as specific projects are introduced! Please ask if you have questions!

Ms. D

Overview Term 1 Fall 2019 — Great Work Division 5!

Here is a review of the many things we did during term one! 

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

For term one we focused on the concept of SYSTEMS 
in our unit BODY WORKS. 

Unit focus statement:  

Our personal choices play a role
in how the interconnected system of the human body works.


SUNCREST CONNECTS! Let’s Make a Great Learning Community!

We spent the first two weeks creating the foundation of a great learning community! We created table map graphs to visually show how we are connected through common activities, interests, and preferences. We worked in small teams to design marble roller coasters all over the classroom, discussing both science concepts and what great collaboration looks like during projects. With the entire school community, we created a drumming performance, focusing on working as a team to make music.

 

To start our unit, we brainstormed what makes a classroom SYSTEM work well, relating it to the UNIVERSAL SYSTEMS MODEL, an important part of our unit discussions. What do we want to get out of our learning? (output) What do we need to put in to our learning experiences to accomplish our desired output? (input/process)

To better understand this, we analyzed other systems we know, such as our community and ecosystems. Then, we identified what our classroom needs to contribute to a successful system. Students made a poster of our essential agreements and values and posted it in the classroom.

Throughout the term, we focused on the core competencies of personal awareness and critical thinking, which were embedded into each activity and lesson for the unit.

 

THE HUMAN BODY SYSTEMS! (Science, Socials and Inquiry Processes, LA)

What do you already know about human anatomy? We created life-sized drawings of classmates to identify the inside parts we already knew from our many body systems. We already knew quite a bit, but we needed some more specific information.

So, we did independent investigation stations! We gathered facts from non-fiction books and online resources like Kids Health, and completed fun experiments on lung capacity, heart rate, and digestive system length.

We then pretended the Human Body Corporation was having money problems, needed to make budget cuts, and planned to fire one of the many organs in the body! After learning about paragraphs and business letter format, each student chose an organ to research further and wrote a letter to the Corporation with detailed reasons their organ should not be fired! 

Our Science World trip provided opportunities to see the Digestion Show and learn many facts, such as it takes 18-24 hours to fully digest food! We saw the IMAX movie Human Body, which provided detailed visuals on how the smallest parts of our body keep us alive each day.

We did experiments to expand our knowledge of germs and how they are spread. Students learned to use the scientific method, to gather data through careful observations, and to analyze results using math and critical-thinking skills.

We discussed genetic traits and extracted strawberry DNA, a process which allowed us to learn the role soap plays in bursting the cell membranes of pathogens. Then, we had discussions about herd immunity, vaccines, epistemology (the diagnosis of diseases), and communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Our lab on “patient zero” allowed us to see how germs are spread quickly in a group! Finally, we tested 24 sites in the school and grew germ colonies in homemade petri dishes. We made careful observations, analyzed our data, and then concluded, based on the 24 sites, that there was a 65% chance or probability of having touched a bacteria, yeast, mold, or fungus. During all experiments, we used critical-thinking to ask questions and make conclusions, and we used personal awareness to work with others collaboratively and safely.

At the end of the unit, each student chose a disease to investigate further, with the purpose of learning how to take research notes and to find information that would help them diagnose some mystery diseases presented by Ms. D.

      

SYSTEMS and Applied Design Opportunities!

To connect with our unit, we looked at the SYSTEM of an electrical circuit. We discussed how electricity moves through a circuit, how a battery works, and how electrons and chemical reactions are involved. Then, using simple parts and cardboard, we created our own scrappy circuits! It involved trial and error, fine-motor skills, and critical thinking as we solved problems to make LEDs light up!

In October, we had a visit from KidsCoding, and we discussed artificial intelligence, coding, and how to use micro:bits.

We enjoyed making games and sending messages to one another via radio on our computers! Students had to use patience, communication skills, and critical thinking to create the right series of coding steps to instruct their devices.

Food Choices & The Body (Socials, Science, PHE, Career Education, LA):

To make our SYSTEM of the human body function effectively, we need to be aware of the INPUTS we put into our body such as food. Students looked at informational graphs, watched TED talks, and listened to a variety of perspectives about good health to learn how to make positive food and environmental choices. 

This included exploring the Indigenous Health and Wellness Model to discuss holistic aspects of health, such as the relationship between good health and your connection with family and community. 

We explored mindful eating, which means having presence while eating and becoming aware of the eating experience. It involves savoring food, and through this, eating less, because you are fully enjoying what you eat. We practiced while eating fresh apple and plums, using descriptive language to record the experience.

Students brought in snacks and analyzed ingredients lists and food labels to better understand the nutritional value of processed foods.

After this, they grew delicious sprouts, which we ate during the Halloween Party! We learned that soaking beans and allowing them to sprout before eating deactivates the enzyme inhibitors found around the bean. Sprouts have vitamin C and are digested more readily once the inhibitor is gone!

With inspiration from the book GUT: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ, we learned about probiotics and the healthy bacteria in our gut biome. We made homemade Ginger Ale so we could try creating our own healthy bacteria in a tasty drink!

 

We also studied the impact of vitamins and minerals on the body. Each student chose and conducted research about a vitamin or mineral and its impact on the body. They then created informational posters with facts to share with their classmates. 

 

 

Gathering and Communicating Data in Math:

We played many probability games, read the entertaining book It’s Possible, discussed the language referring to probability, and through experiments discovered the difference between experimental and theoretical probability. This involved discussion of basic fractions, decimals, and how to find percentages. We applied this math to our germ lab to express the probability of touching pathogens in locations throughout the school. This is an example of how math knowledge can help us make personal choices that impact our health in positive ways.

We explored imperial and metric SYSTEMS of measurement, then practiced using measurement tools and metric conversion to determine how much personal space we could tolerate or different distances on parts of the body.

We used critical-thinking to think about how gathering data on measurements of the body could be used in creative ways by anthropologists or makers of clothing.

We used the NY Times Learning Network to look at different types of graphs about nutrition, climate change, and blood sugar levels. We practiced two questions to increase our critical thinking and observation skills, “What do you notice?” and “What do you wonder?” We identified essential parts of a graph and how graphs communicate data.

We practiced gathering data, whether about ourselves, genetic traits, or class preferences. We learned to analyze data using measures of central tendency such as mean, median, mode, and range, then applied these skills as we pretended to be consultants analyzing Skittles packages for a fair distribution of colours. 


Students ended the unit creating a survey about nutrition in their peers snack foods, displaying the data in a graph, and analyzing the results for patterns. 

Throughout our activities, students built skills in data management, used critical-thinking skills to present results, and became more aware of their food choices through a deeper understanding of the numbers on food packaging that tell us about nutrition.

Thank you to all of the students who helped with Family Math Games Night, teaching younger students games!



Mental Health & Self-Expression (Socials/Science/PHE/Career Ed/Art/LA):

Students explored the connection between our mental health and physical health. We started by using the Mind Up Curriculum to look at brain structure, so we could understand how the brain responds to intense emotion.

We learned the function of the main parts, including the amygdala, pre-frontal cortex, and hippocampus. Then, we created mini skits to show how the brain responds to moments of stress and emotion. We had great discussion about how it is hard to make rational decisions when one is emotional, so it is important to find self-regulation strategies to calm the brain before taking action.

We tried many self-regulation strategies in class, including daily mindful breathing, outdoor breaks, practicing gratitude, taking mindful walks, journaling, using the RULER chart to be aware of your emotional state, and using the break board to take a moment during longer work periods.

We watched the TED talk “How to Make Stress Your Friend” and discussed how not all stress is bad. We learned that managing stress and being connected with your community contributes to long life.

We also identified the different types of mental health conditions that exist, discussed the stigma involved with mental health issues, and brainstormed how to be understanding and supportive of anyone going through stress or difficulties in their life.

Spending time in the outdoors can help our mental health.
During a walking field trip to Central Park, we made mandalas with nature-found materials, did a nature scavenger hunt requiring close observation of our surroundings, and talked about having gratitude for nature, acknowledging our special connection to the land. Getting physical definitely helps our health, and we had fun doing many outdoor and indoor cooperative games for gym.


Creativity is an important tool for mental health. We practiced zentangle doodling related to mindfulness and created a large cooperative mural of zentangle designs.

We created beautiful poppy paintings for Remembrance Day, applying elements and principles of art such as colour, emphasis, and negative space.

 

We also created HIVE art, using mixed media to represent people, places, and things that bring us strength
and help us thrive.

 

 

    

 

Language Arts & Empowering Someone Through a TED TALK!

Throughout all subjects, we used language arts curricular competencies to analyze news articles and non-fiction resources, to communicate information in graphics and speeches, and to do research on diseases or nutrition. We read a variety of articles from Kids Health, learned to take research notes by identifying key ideas, identified criteria for finding appropriate resources online, and discussed ways to better present our ideas in clear, organized, and/or persuasive ways.

We learned about personal and business letter formats, and we discussed how to make a strong, organized paragraph. We strengthened our writing by adding creative vocabulary and looking for ways to express ideas in ways that inspire others. We talked about what makes an effective speech, and how to be a respectful active listener in the audience.

We also discussed how to ask more interesting questions using the inquiry wall prompts, and how to add detail to our e-portfolios to better communicate ideas and our learning.

Finally, after watching many TED talks this term, we created an inspiring TED Talk on a topic of choice, sharing personal examples and research to empower our audience.

French:

In connection with our learning about the human body, we learned phrases for basic body parts, question words, and numbers. For example, “This is my foot.” or “I have two legs.” We practiced French using songs, conversation with peers, and games of Simon Says. Students with French fluency read French articles and picture books, then wrote information about them in their journals.

Government & Climate Change:

In connection with the October federal election and our discussions on SYSTEMS, we learned about levels of government and their responsibilities, the electoral system, and how the voting process works. We participated in Student Vote, adding our votes to the national Student Vote results. We also had a pretend election in class, with speakers from invented political parties.

We discussed the impact of climate change and CO2 levels during Greta Thunberg’s visit to North America this fall. We also read and analyzed readings from the news about the Students Global Climate Action Strike.

Music:

Students had music with Ms. Fletcher 3 times per week. The Big Idea for term one was: Music is a unique language for creating and communicating. Students worked on developing music skills – beat, rhythm, tempo, pitch, dynamics and form through playing percussion instruments and xylophones, creating dances, and learning songs to present at the winter musical. We look forward to their performance on Dec. 18th!

Putting Learning Together in a Creative Way!

We ended the term synthesizing our knowledge of SYSTEMS and showing our understanding of how personal choices impact the human body through the creation of a fun game to play with peers.

Students had a lot of fun using applied design skills to create unique and interactive games!

Overall, it was an amazing term. We thank Ms. Boroumand, our student teacher, for bringing her knowledge to Division 5 and helping us to learn so much about physical and mental health. 

Students completed self-reflections, and we are looking forward to having our Learning Conferences to make goals for term two!

Unit Update November 12th! Coming to the end of the term!

Hello Everyone,

In addition to the email we sent you with deadlines for the mini projects we are doing, here is a quick update on some of the things we have been doing in class.

Math

In the past few weeks, we have continued to explore measures of central tendency and graphing, using Smarties as our research tool. We had a quiz this week to assess our understanding. Ms. B will be checking in with some students this week who need to do a re-take of the quiz, just to ensure they fully understand the material. We have also started a graphing project to explore food and eating patterns in the class, as well as to explore the nutritional value of different foods. Students have had to configure and conduct their own surveys, make a graph based on their survey findings, and write a paragraph explaining what they surveyed, why they chose to use the graph that they did, and what patterns they can see. This project will be due on Friday, November 15th, although we will be checking in with students to see how they are doing time-wise this week.


Physical and Health Education

In the past few weeks, we have continued to explore concepts related to physical and mental health. We have explored Indigenous perspectives on holistic health and how to understand food labels and nutritional facts. Students made their own vitamin and mineral-rich mung bean sprouts. These sprouts were a healthy alternative option at the Halloween party.

We had a class science conference, during which students explored the many roles of beneficial intestinal bacteria. The conference concluded with students making their own natural probiotic ginger ale.

Students are now working on making a poster to inform others about one vitamin or mineral, why our bodies need it, and which foods contain it. By the end of the upcoming week, we will have 24 different vitamin and mineral posters for all to learn from. These posters are due on November 15th, Friday.

We have also explored the benefits of listening to music and connecting with friends for our mental health. We took a walking trip to Central Park to explore the benefits of spending time in nature for our mental and physical health.


Language Arts

In the past few weeks, we have been working on writing our own personal TED Talks, focusing on a topic we are passionate about, related to mental and/or physical health, personal awareness and responsibility, empowerment, or another related topic. Students have all finished their first drafts, and some have also revised these drafts in preparation for their presentations on Thursday and Friday, November 14 and 15. In the coming week, students will be practicing reading their speeches to their peers and giving each other feedback on how to improve their speeches before their presentations.


French

In the past few weeks, we have explored how to say and talk about parts of the body in French. Students each had an oral check-in. They will find out how they did on their check-in next week, and have a chance to upgrade. We will be moving on to learning about how to say different foods in the coming week.


Science

Students are using the scientific method to ask the question, “Where would the most likely spot to pick up a germ in the school be?” Each group chose 2 locations in the school to test, taking a Q-Tip to collect the sample and then spreading the sample on homemade petri dishes of agar agar, beef broth, and sugar. Students have been making daily observations with both pictures and words to document the changes. We will be looking carefully at our samples for colour, shape, and texture changes that would indicate whether the location had germs (bacteria, yeast, mold, fungi). We will collect our results as a class to determine which location has the greatest likelihood of germ pick up using probability, fractions, and percentages from our math discussions earlier in the term.


Art

Students made amazing poppy art through the use of emphasis, careful observation and drawing, charcoal, and acrylic techniques. They have taken pictures of their art and are reflecting on how they applied these techniques to create a beautiful final product. They are also finishing their HIVE art, and there will be reflections on the e-ports by Friday, November 15th, with explanations of what each of the personal hexagons mean.

Music and Other Upcoming Things!

Music for the rest of the time until break will be dedicated to the musical preparations, and many students are auditioning for speaking roles today and tomorrow at lunch. Those in the choir are meeting on Thursdays at lunch to also prepare for their role. As a class, we will be making art to help decorate the gym and provide the festive atmosphere for SNOW BIZ! Please submit your ticket orders by this Friday and mark the date of the performances on your calendars.

Holiday Preparations have been discussed during class meetings. The students wish to have a Secret Santa exchange, White Elephant gift game, and a class party. A committee has been formed to organize our party and everyone is welcome to join committee meetings advertised in class. All of these things will happen during our last week.

Away Early? You may miss important things like the musical, part of the next unit (as we will begin our next unit the week of Nov. 25th and be working on it until we go to break), and the holiday party. It is a good idea to tell us in advance you will be away. Report cards are not distributed until Dec. 20th, so if you leave early, please collect it from me in the new year when you return. Thank you!

Meetings for Assessment. A notice will go out this Friday to schedule a meeting for report card conferences, and it will include a parent questionnaire that will be included with the report card. Please begin to look through the e-portfolios so we can all reflect on how things went during term one.

Thank you and more to come soon!

Ms. D and Ms. B

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