Hello Everyone!
We have had a great first week back after break, and we are already doing our walking curriculum challenges, discussing biodiversity, getting outdoors, and talking about the concept of connection in nature. We have jumped right in to some great critical thinking about the natural world around us!
Unit Four Focus Statement:
Human beings impact and rely upon the balance of nature’s interdependent systems.
Concepts:
Connection (main focus), as well as Systems and Patterns.
An inquiry into:
- Our relationship with nature (mental health, survival, needs, recreation)
- Biomes, biodiversity, and interdependence within ecosystems
- How human interaction with the environment can affect the balance of systems
- Earth’s water supply
- How the moon, sun, weather, and tides affect our lives
- The role of questioning, exploration, close observation, and documentation in science
- The definition of science and the role of indigenous knowledge.
- How we express our connection to nature through poetry and art
- Geometry and patterns in nature
- French conversation continued and weather expressions
Activities and learning to look forward to:
- Field trips to the UBC Biodiversity Museum, the Pacific Museum of Earth at UBC, and our Lower Seymour Watershed
- Daily participation in The Walking Curriculum for April/May, honing our critical thinking, observation, documentation, and questioning skills.
- Daily participation in The Walk 30 Burnaby/New West Walking Challenge starting April 8th, with emphasis on how walking is good for physical and mental health.
- Dragon Boating May 22, 29, and June 5 at Burnaby Lake
- Discussions around area, perimeter, volume, geometric shapes and patterns found in nature, Fibonacci, and other areas of math curriculum such as division and measurement
- Research on a specific endangered animal in our environment, understanding its classification, why it is endangered, and producing an art project to display information found.
- Walking to Everett Crowley Park to look at native BC plants used by indigenous peoples for healing and food, along with producing drawings, research, and a canvas picture with acrylics of one specific BC native plant.
- Discussions about the water cycle, water health, the harm plastics are doing to our waters, ocean acidification, using a variety of games, an ocean pH lab, and interactive challenges.
- Class reading and analysis of the book The Skeleton Tree, a story of survival, as well as discussion on survival techniques in nature, such as how to use a compass, how to find edible food, etc.
- Close observation of fossils and beginning discussion around evolution. We will be looking at fossils at the UBC Pacific Museum of Earth.
And much more! Please continue to watch the blog and Twitter for more information on what our class is doing. We will begin e-port entries next week!
Ms. D
