A collection of moments from our Grade 7 learning community
Over the next few weeks, we will be examining mechanics, machines, inventions, and some physics! One of my favourite examples of these Scientific ideas in action is the Rube Goldberg machine… a machine that uses a series of complex reactions to do something simple! Check out this video above of a professional ‘useless’ machine builder!
Stay tuned for more information on our Scientific discoveries!
Taking fossil evidence and turning it into a ‘reconstruction’ (an estimate of what a living dinosaur might look like) is challenging work! Often, fossils are not fully complete and are missing lots of key pieces. Usually organs, skin, and feathers do not fossilize as easily as bones and teeth. Special artists try their best to use the ‘clues’ left by fossils to imagine what living, breathing dinosaur species would look like!
These ideas change over time, with more information and more fossils. Check out what Scientists used to think dinosaurs looked like below!
Above: an early sculpture of life-sized iguanodons in Crystal Palace Park.
Below: a more recent artist’s reconstruction of an iguanodon.
Who knows what we will learn about dinosaurs in the next 10, 50, or even 100 years!
Math
Today, your task is to not only be a mathematician but to also put on the hat of an interior designer!
An interior designer is a person who plans how furniture will be placed inside buildings. They also plan the colours, curtains, lighting, pictures, etc.
Today, your task is to redesign your bedroom! Stand in the door way of your room. Think about the most important pieces of furniture that you need to incorporate.
Ex. Bed, dresser, closet, night stand, etc.
Next, think about what other additions you might like to add to your room.
Ex. a chair swing, a cozy corner, etc.
Please create a draft of your room on a blank piece of paper. You will need this for our in person class tomorrow. Here are some pictures below to help inspire you. Happy designing!
The Coolest Dinosaur Discoveries in 2020
Hi, Scientists! Click the link above to see an article on some of the most interesting dinosaur discoveries that happened in 2020!
After reading the article, write some notes/ideas on the following questions:
Feel free to write down these ideas or e-mail them to Ms. Ward. Check out the video below for some more information on the mystery of what dinosaurs actually looked like!
Hi, writers! Today, your Extreme Writing task is to watch the video above, set your timer for 10 minutes, and write as much as you can about the topic(s) below. Good luck!
Math
Today, we will continue with our investigation into the world of measurement! Your task is to draw a self portrait or an animal of your choice on the grid paper provided. You should colour your work. When drawing, you will need to use the whole square or half of the square as this will make it easier to calculate. Your picture will look like a character from Minecraft. Please see the example posted below. If you are unable to print the graph paper, you can always create your drawing on a blank piece of paper.
Once you have made your drawing, you will need to count the number of squares that make up each and every side of your drawing. Please see the example. The side of each square on the graph paper is 1 cm. Understanding this will allow us to calculate the perimeter of your drawing.
Perimeter means the distance around an object.
Look back at your drawing and count up all the sides around your person or animal. In the example, you can see that after the number of edges are added up, the perimeter was 72 cm.
***Please ignore the section to calculate the area. We will come back to this later.
Dueling Dinos Article_ April 13th Science
Please click on the link to access an article about a very interesting fossil. This fossil seems to show 2 dinosaurs fighting to the death. Scientists are very excited to study this fossil, which has been ‘hidden’ for 14 years.
After reading the article, please brainstorm:
Please write these answers on a piece of paper, or e-mail your ideas to Ms. Ward.
Hello, writers! Today, you will have 10 minutes to write as much as you can about the topic(s) below. Please watch the video first, set your timer, and get writing!
Good luck, writers!
Picture above: one of the read-alouds from our meeting today, Animals Brag About Their Bottoms.
Thank you to everyone who was able to join us for our Zoom meeting today! Our Zoom meeting tomorrow will also be at 11:00 and will include a read-aloud (possibly a chapter from Out of My Mind or a different picture book) and a game/discussion.
Please don’t feel pressured to attend our Zoom meetings if you are not able to (they are optional). We are using Zoom as a tool to stay connected over the next 3 days, chat and check-in with each other, and to answer any questions about the online learning you might have.
Feel free to reach out to me via e-mail as well if you have any questions or want to submit your Extreme Writing or Math work!
I miss you all! I look forward to when we can safely return to our classroom!
-Ms. Ward
Recently, we have begun our new unit on measurement! Your task for today is to measure a variety of objects and see if you can find some that fit the following criteria. Remember to think about whether you are measuring in centimeters (cm) or millimeters (mm). Please use a ruler.
Please write down your results on a piece of paper to be handed in on Thursday. You can also email Ms. Ward and/or Ms. Ramen your answers as well.