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Math + Art – Yarn

Division 5 created art based on the work of Nike Savvas, an Australian contemporary artist. She creates large-scale installations that explore transformations of space through colour, light, movement, and optical effects. Her pieces involve mathematical patterning and 3D objects. Each student created a set of eight plans. Each plan had a mathematical pattern based on the numbers 0 – 15, arranged around a circle. Students carefully chose colour schemes to complement and enhance their patterns.

As you can see below, students achieved varying levels of rhythm and harmony in their creations, depending on adherence to and execution of their planned patterns.

It Was a Wheelie Great Week!

This week Division 5 has been learning lots about the simple machine called “wheel and axle.” On Wednesday we went to Rollerland at the PNE to learn some new skills on rollerskates. We learned how to safely fall, and how to move ourselves forwards and backwards on the rollerskates. There were many falls, but most people managed to keep getting back up and trying again. All that perseverance led to lots of growth throughout our session–I was very proud of our students!

 

On Monday and Thursday we participated in HUB Cycling workshops on how to enjoy our bikes safely in the community. We went over safety checks for the bike (ABC) and helmet (2V2). Students learned about right of way, hand signals, and some rules of the road. When we got on the bikes on Thursday, students were able to practice what they were learning on “mini-roads” on our school field.

 

It was a “wheelie” busy week!

(okay, I’ll stop now with the “wheel” pun now…)

 

Digital Compositions

Students have been learning how to find and manipulate images using various settings in Microsoft Word.

They were tasked with creating a composition using 5-6ish images that would represent who they are. They have learned about copyright and creative commons images, how to insert pictures from within Word (using “Online Images,” “Icons,” and uploading from Files), and how to find copyright-safe images using Pixabay. (However, I have a suspicion that they are still developing their understanding of copyright based on some of the images they’ve included!) Students also learned the difference between a regular image and a vector, and students can now create their own vector using the Remove BG website. We focused on how layering images can create a cohesive composition, in addition to manipulating image size, crop, and rotation.

Below is our “digital bulletin board.” Please click on the thumbnail to see the larger size.

 

Greenwashing

As part of our media literacy studies, and in preparation for Earth Day next week, students in Division 5 have been discussing the concept of “greenwashing.”

We examined some political cartoons and advertisements to analyze their messages. We discussed the commentary of the cartoons–reading “between the lines” about the environmental impacts of our society and corporations. The ads were especially interesting to analyze, and students were keen on identifying the different greenwashing strategies used to persuade potential customers to purchase a product or service.

How is greenwashing being used in these ads?

Here are some good tips for spotting greenwashing (from The Sustainable Agency)

Maker Mondays

Most Mondays students have a chance to explore a variety of hands-on ADST (Applied Design Skills and Technologies) activities. Students work together using critical and creative thinking in their problem solving, and strengthening interpersonal skills through communication. They are always very proud of their creations and eager to share! They’ve been asking me to do a post highlighting what they’ve been working on, so I will be adding to the gallery below as I take more photos. Keep checking back!

Some of the activities include:

  • Textiles – knitting, crochet
  • Strings and Beads – friendship bracelets
  • Keva Blocks
  • Card Structures
  • Lego
  • Pattern Blocks
  • Turing Tumble (a physical “computer”)
  • Snap Circuits
  • Paper Cutting
  • Sculpting
  • Geoboards

 

Building Consensus

Working in groups is a significant part of learning and decision making, in school and many career fields. This requires us to be active listeners and contributors in order to build understanding and work towards a common goal. On our first day back from Spring Break, it was time for a desk change. We’ve tried various arrangements throughout the year so far, but this time the students decided on how the desks should be organized.

As a large group, we brainstormed the various arrangements they’ve experienced in the past, and discussed the possible design constraints (shape and size of the room, number of desks, etc). Then students broke into small groups, where each group used tiles to design a possible layout. They had to discuss and negotiate different possibilities before having to reach a consensus on which design they thought best suited our classroom. They recorded their designs on large paper and outlined pros and cons for their design, considering issues around use of space, mobility, and “chatter.” Groups presented their ideas to the whole class, and then students voted.

In the end, groups had varying degrees of success in terms of their ability to reach consensus and to express their ideas clearly. Interestingly, the layout that received the most votes was rows of pairs! I wasn’t sure if we would be able to fit them all with space for mobility as well, but it worked pretty out (with my own edit of two groups of three). Overall, we were successful as a class in creating our new arrangement.

Our final decision on an arrangement: rows of pairs.

Self-Portraits

Division 5 created a two different portraits this term.

The first was a “half ‘n’ half” portrait where one side was part of a lesson in proportionate sketching, and on the other side, students used symbolism to represent who they are and what they like. After reading What Are Your Words? students added descriptive words to their portraits.

The second self-portrait was inspired by the art of Chuck Close. Students chose poses to represent themselves in a photo, then used weaving, drawing, shading, and painting to finish the portraits. Students used pencil crayon and pen to add texture to their face, hair, and clothing. The background includes alternating patterns, with attention to complementary warm and cool colours.

What Is An Ally?

Our discussions around Pink Shirt Day have centred around what it means to be an ally, and the differences between upstanding and bystanding. Words and actions have power that impact the lives of others in the short and long term. Every day we make powerful choices about how we can use our words and actions to help or harm.

The picture book, A Day With No Words, introduces readers to a boy with autism who uses a tablet to communicate with others. Even though we communicate in different ways, it’s important to acknowledge and include everyone, and to honour our unique traits.

We also watched  video (unfortunately yes, it’s a Burger King ad) about how people respond to bullying.

The next video is a bit nuanced and requires a bit more of a stretch from students–what do you notice about the characters’ voices? What is this video communicating about the long-term impact of our words and actions?

And how does this connect to the demonstration and discussion around this piece of paper?

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