The Learners of Division 16

Ms K Shellard and Ms A Clouston - Grade 1/2 Class

Category: Arts Education

Student Assessment of the Core Competencies – Personal Identity

March 15, 2024 / / 0 Comments

The students of Div. 15 and Div. 16 have been working on describing themselves using the Personal and Social Core Competencies. This is being completed by the students as part of the second term report card.

The Personal and Social competency is the set of abilities that relate to students’ identity in the world, both as individuals and as members of their community and society. Personal and Social competency encompasses what students need to thrive as individuals, to understand and care about themselves and others, and to find and achieve their purposes in the world.

The Personal and Social Core Competency has three interrelated sub-competencies:

Personal Awareness and Responsibility

Personal Awareness and Responsibility involves understanding the connections between personal and social behaviour and well-being; it encourages people to make constructive and ethical decisions and act on them.

Positive Personal and Cultural Identity

Positive Personal and Cultural Identity involves the awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the factors that contribute to a healthy sense of oneself; it includes knowledge of one’s family background, heritage(s), language(s), beliefs, and perspectives in a pluralistic society.

Social Awareness and Responsibility

Social Awareness and Responsibility involves the awareness, understanding, and appreciation of connections among people, including between people and the natural environment. Social Awareness and Responsibility focuses on interacting with others and the natural world in respectful and caring ways.

First, we shared the story called More Than Words (linked below). Then, we all brainstormed “I can” statements as a group. After that, the students chose the three “I can” statements that best reflected themselves. Once the students wrote their three statements, we then began working on representations of ourselves using “people” cut-outs, special paper, construction paper, felt, ribbon and other supplies. The students were asked to create how they see themselves on their paper cut-outs. Please discuss the Core Competency “I can” statements with your child and how they chose to represent themselves in their cut-out(s). Your child’s “I can” statements will be coming home after Spring Break, as they are being displayed outside our classroom. We are keeping the “people cut-outs” to display in the gym for our Autism Awareness Month assembly and will send them home later in April. Thank you for your support with your child’s learning. Enjoy your Spring Break!

Pink Shirt Day (and Week!)

March 1, 2024 / / 1 Comment

This week we have been learning about Pink Shirt Day including this year’s theme: “All Kinds of Kindness”. Here we our in our sea of pink! For the past two weeks we have been reading books that focus on the concepts of love and kindness. Some of the titles we have shared are: Love, by Matt de la Peña, Big Wolf and Little Wolf, by Nadine Brun-Cosme and Olivier Tallec (my favourite book), In My Heart: A Book of Feelings, by Jo Witek and Christine Roussey, The Stray Dog by Marc Simont and A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker.

On Tuesday, Ms Papapanagiotou read us a book that was perfect for Pink Shirt Day called They’re So Flamboyant, by Michael Genhart and Tony Neal. I am attaching the link so that you can read and discuss it with your child. After we read the book, we designed our own personal flamingos and how we would want to look if we were a flamboyant flamingo. We then worked on writing about whether the students have ever had someone make a judgement about them or someone they know, or whether they have stood up for someone instead. This activity allowed us to reflect on the concept of kindness and what it means to be an inclusive and responsible member in our school community. We were able to connect with one another by sharing our own experiences and discussing what it looks like to stand up for others. I have attached a picture of Div. 16’s flamboyant flamingos on our bulletin board.

On Wednesday, we had a zoom meeting with the author Monique Gray Smith, a Cree writer who lives in Victoria and has written many children’s books. She shared two of her stories for Pink Shirt Day. The first was called, You Hold Me Up and the second was called, When We Are Kind. She talked about the importance of showing others kindness every day of the year. She taught us a word in Cree: tawaw, which means: welcome, there is room for you here! Words to live by! I am attaching a copy of her book You Hold Me Up to share at home.

On Thursday, we heard the true story about how Pink Shirt Day started in Nova Scotia. We then read the story called Pink Is For Boys, by Robb Pearlman and Eda Kaban. Below is the link for this story as well. Please share it at home as a family, to increase understanding of what we have been learning here at school. 

I’m also attaching a picture of us watching the zoom author visit.

  

 

Big Ideas:

  • Creative expression develops our unique identity and voice (Art).
  • Healthy communities recognize and respect the diversity of individuals (Social Studies).

First Peoples Principles of Learning: Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors

Curricular Competencies: Explore personal experience, community, and culture through arts activities

Content:

  • Elements of design – line, shape, texture, colour
  • Personal and collective responsibility associated with creating, experiencing, or sharing in a safe learning environment

Core Competency: Social Awareness and Responsibility

  • I can build relationships and be a thoughtful and supportive friend. I can identify ways my actions and the actions of others affect my community.

Black History Month

February 9, 2024 / / 1 Comment

Alma Woodsey Thomas art for Black History Month

Over the past two weeks we have been learning about the black artist from the USA named Alma Woodsey Thomas. We read two books about her and watched a video that described how she designed her art. Most of her art was based on what she saw in nature. The students chose what they wanted to represent in their art and then chose the colours that did this. For instance, some of them wanted to represent the sea, while others wanted to represent flowers. Ask your child what they were trying to convey in their art. Also, ask them about the famous place that one of Alma Thomas’ art was displayed.

Big Idea: Inquiry through the arts creates opportunities for risk taking

First Peoples Principles of Learning:

  • Learning takes patience and time (very true for this art project, as it took great focus and time)

Curricular Competencies:

  • Explore elements, processes, materials, technologies, tools, and techniques of the arts
  • Develop processes and technical skills in a variety of art forms to refine artistic abilities

Content:

  • elements of design: line, shape, texture, colour, form
  • principles of design: pattern, repetition, rhythm, contrast

Core Competency: Creative Thinking

  • Creative growth requires patience, readiness to take risks, and willingness to try new approaches

Learning involved:

  • Students learned the significance of designing their art and then carefully colouring each shape to make their design

A Party in the Pear Tree

January 9, 2024 / / 1 Comment

We were excited to present our afternoon and evening performances of our Winter Concert called A Party in the Pear Tree.  The students worked hard to learn their group songs, the two songs we performed with Ms Sokugawa’s class and all the actions. They did a beautiful job up on the stage for their performances and were all so enthusiastic! We hope you were all able to enjoy the show! Well done Div. 16!

The Grinch

December 1, 2023 / / 0 Comments

December is here! The Grinch Art Activity:

For this art lesson we did a step by step directed drawing of the Grinch. We learned how to draw all of the parts together. The students particularly loved his huge grin! The next day, we coloured our Grinch using a new medium, oil pastels, as they have such an intense hue. We talked about the colours to use for the Grinch and how to fully fill in all of the sections (we had to take breaks, as our hands got tired – students had to press hard with the pastels.) The students were all proud of their own Grinch and they look awesome together. It’s amazing how one lesson can produce 18 different Grinches! We will read the story next week.

Big Idea: Inquiry through the arts creates opportunities for risk taking

First Peoples Principles of Learning:

  • Learning takes time and patience

Curricular Competencies:

  • Explore elements, processes, materials, movements, technologies, tools, and techniques of the arts
  • Develop processes and technical skills in a variety of art forms to refine artistic abilities

Content:

  • elements of design: line, shape, texture, colour, form

Core Competency: Creative Thinking

  • Creative growth requires patience, readiness to take risks, and willingness to try new approaches

Learning involved:

  • Students learned the significance of following step-by-step instructions, including learning to draw each section of the Grinch
  • Students learned how to outline their Grinch with a sharpie
  • Students chose their shade of green and coloured the Grinch carefully by fully filling in each section
  • Students will respond in writing to what they would do to make the Grinch grin

Peace Is…

November 9, 2023 / / 1 Comment

This week, students participated in a “Peace Is” art project. As a class community, we engaged in a meaningful discussion about what peace means to us and when we feel peaceful. We also read a story called Why We Remember, which was written by some students in Manitoba. Colour by colour, I taught the students how to do the background of the art using chalk pastel. Using the side of a piece of chalk, we pushed the colours up onto our paper in sections. We then blended them together in an upwards motion using our fingers. The goal was to make the earth and the sky. This was the messy part of the art project and the kids loved it! We then put what brings us peace on our doves, and drew poppies to put onto our art. In the process, we learned that art takes time and patience. Isn’t their art stunning?

Big Idea: People connect to the hearts and minds of others in a variety of places and times through the arts 

First Peoples Principles of Learning:

  • Learning involves time and patience

Curricular Competencies:

  • Explore elements, processes, materials, movements, technologies, tools, and techniques of the arts
  • Create artistic works collaboratively using ideas inspired by imagination, inquiry, experimentation, and purposeful play

Core Competencies:

Positive Personal and Cultural Identity:

  • I am aware of different aspects of myself. I can identity people, places, and things that are important to me.

Creative Thinking:

  • Creative growth requires patience, readiness to take risks, and willingness to try new approaches

Content:

  • processes, materials, technologies, tools, and techniques to support arts activities

Learning involved:

  • Students learned that in a peaceful classroom, they can all create something beautiful 
  • Students learned the significance of following step-by-step instructions with careful considerations when engaging in art activities using mixed media

Halloween Directed Drawing and Measurement

November 5, 2023 / / 1 Comment

In Math, we are learning to measure objects using standard units. For this activity, we started with a directed drawing of Frankenstein. The students followed my step by step instructions on how to create him. We then outlined him, decided on our colours and coloured him. Once that was complete, we measured the different parts of Frankenstein using a cm ruler. Students were very helpful in assisting others with their accurate measuring. Don’t they look awesome? Ask your child their favourite part of their drawing.

Big Idea:

  • Inquiry through the arts creates opportunities for risk taking
  • Objects have attributes that can be measured and compared

First Peoples Principles of Learning:

  • Learning takes patience and time
  • Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational

Curricular Competencies:

  • Explore elements, processes, materials, technologies, tools, and techniques of the arts
  • Develop processes and technical skills in a variety of art forms to refine artistic abilities
  • Represent mathematical ideas in concrete, pictorial, and symbolic forms
  • Develop and use multiple strategies to engage in problem solving

Content:

  • Elements of design: line, shape, texture, colour, form
  • Principles of design: pattern, repetition, rhythm, contrast
  • Direct measurement with standard metric units

Core Competencies:

Communication – Collaborating

  • Profile 4: I can confidently interact and build relationships with other group members to further shared goals.

Creative Thinking

  • Creative growth requires patience, readiness to take risks, and willingness to try new approaches

Learning involved:

  • Students learned the significance of following step-by-step instructions
  • Students demonstrated increasingly sophisticated application and/or engagement of curricular content
  • Students experimented with the concept of accurately measuring using standard metric units
  • Students learned the importance of accurately recording information found on their data sheets

The Best Part of Me

November 1, 2023 / / 1 Comment

This cross-curricular activity (art and writing) was inspired by the book “The Best Part of Me” by Wendy Ewald. In this book, an award-winning photographer asked several children “What is the best part of you?”, and presents their answers in sometimes funny, sometimes moving ways. The author takes striking black-and-white photographs of each child.

In a similar manner, students chose and then sketched their “best” body part, using only a pencil and then a sharpie. In addition to the art activity, students then wrote about their best body part and why they like it so much.  I took photos of the part of them they like the best. Those black-and-white photos were printed and mounted with their pictures and writing.

Big Ideas: Creative expression develops our unique identity and voice.

First Peoples Principles of Learning: Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors.

Curricular Competencies:

  • Explore personal experience, community, and culture through arts activities
  • Demonstrate awareness of the role that story  plays in personal, family, and community identity
  • Engage actively as listeners, viewers, and readers, as appropriate, to develop understanding of self, identity, and community
  • Plan and create a variety of communication forms for different purposes and audiences

Content: Elements of design – line, shape, texture, colour

Please share The Best Part of Me again with your child and discuss their thinking:

We are thankful for…

October 6, 2023 / / 0 Comments

This week, the students completed a directed drawing of a turkey, following my instructions on the white board.  We brainstormed as a class all of the things we are thankful for. The students then chose the things they are most thankful for in their lives and put those words onto their turkey feathers. The students chose how to colour their turkeys and use a fine liner to make their words “pop”. We wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and an enjoyable (sunny) long weekend.

Big Idea: 

  • Inquiry through the arts creates opportunities for risk taking

First Peoples Principles of Learning:

  • Learning takes patience and time

Curricular Competencies:

  • Explore elements, processes, materials, technologies, tools, and techniques of the arts
  • Develop processes and technical skills in a variety of art forms to refine artistic abilities

Content:

  • elements of design: line, shape, texture, colour, form
  • principles of design: pattern, repetition, rhythm, contrast
  • exchange ideas and perspectives to build shared understanding
  • through listening and speaking, we connect with others and share our world

Core Competency: Creative Thinking

  • Creative growth requires patience, readiness to take risks, and willingness to try new approaches

Learning involved:

  • Students learned the significance of following step-by-step instructions
  • Students demonstrated increasingly sophisticated application and/or engagement of curricular content

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