Ms. Watt's Class

Tuesday
Read through the 2 page article on Totem Pole Colours. Which colours and their meaning relate to your animal? Using only the colours listed on the chart, colour in your totem pole animal using markers or pencil crayons. You may also use brown in some spaces to represent the uncoloured cedar of the totem pole.
After you’re done colouring, please cut out your totem pole animal.

Thursday
Our last step will be writing 3 sentences about your animal using the the Totem Pole Writing template.
I am a __ because a __ is __.
e.g. I am a beaver because a beaver is a builder and family and home are very important to them.
I ____. (What do you do that is similar to your animal?)
e.g. I love building things at home with my LEGO set and magnetic blocks. I also love to be with my family during special occasions like holidays and birthdays.
I used __ because ____.
I used green because it symbolizes the earth and tress that a beaver uses to build its dam. I also used blue because it symbolizes the water of the lakes and rivers that the beaver builds its dam in. I left parts of the beaver brown to represent the colour of its fur.
Complete your good copy using the sentence frame HERE.

When working carefully through this activity for 20-30 minutes a day on Tuesday and Thursday, it should take you 2 or 3 days to complete it thoughtfully. If you are finished early, please feel free to create an animal to represent a family member. Take a picture of both your animal and the writing and email it to me!

This week we’ll be working on a totem pole animal that represents ourselves.
Totem Poles tell the story of the person who made them.
Every animal carved into a pole and the colour chosen have a different and very important meaning.
Tuesday
Let’s start by reading through a two page article on Totem Poles.
Afterwards, answer questions on the article TOTEM POLES.

While thinking about what animal has similar characteristics as you, read about 6 different animals that were commonly used in Totems Pole HERE (Totem Pole Symbols pdf).
What animal are you like? Are you powerful like a bear? A builder like a beaver? A leader like an eagle? A trickster like a wolf?
Or, if you don’t connect with one of these 6 animals, which animal are you like? Are you jumpy and like swimming like a frog? Are you shy like a turtle? Are you loyal and like playing like a dog? Are you independent and watchful like a cat? Are you gentle, kind and caring like a deer? Are you intelligent and a risk taker like an eagle?

Thursday
There are 5 pages of examples of different animals to look through for design ideas before starting.
Using an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper, draw a large head of your animal (some animals may need the whole body). It is important to fill as much of the page as possible.
Totem pole art uses lines around lines and shapes inside any empty space (but not too many!).
When finished drawing, there should be large spaces, of different shape and size, to be filled in with colour.
~ to be continued next week ~

Starting this week, I’ll be providing a STEM activity as an option on Wednesday (or any day!) instead of IXL. You’re more than welcome to continue with IXL, but these activities may be a fun challenge to complete alone or with your family. I’ll try to provide activities with materials that you have around the house or are easily accessible.

This week, we’re starting with the Tower Building Challenge!
Click HERE to see more visuals about STEM.

We are living through history right now. Over the next week I’ll be asking you to continue to take some time each day to carefully and thoughtfully fill out a page about life during this very different time in your lives. I’ve really enjoyed reading the pages that you have been sending and I encourage you to keep up the great work! 4 more pages and then your parents will be asked to complete the last page on Friday. I’ll continue to post the pages here each day.
Time Capsule 1&2
Time Capsule 3
Time Capsule 4
Time Capsule 5
Time Capsule 6
Time Capsule 7
Time Capsule 8
Time Capsule 9
Time Capsule 10
Time Capsule 11

May Kindness Calendar

Keep up the great work on IXL Division 8! 
This week’s work can be found under LEARNING – GRADE 2 MATH.
If you’re feeling really successful, please give yourself more of a challenge and head back to Grade 3 skills afterwards, but I’d like you to practice your subtraction with regrouping first.
Lastly, an apology. The primary teachers have realized that the IXL diagnostics can go on and on…and on and on… I apologize if there was any frustration. One of the hiccups that happens when not in the classroom with the kids. I hope no one was put off and is still enjoying some challenge on the website!