What is great research?

Hello Everyone!

Okay, so I have been checking in with students about their animal project research and their independent projects, and we had a discussion today about what makes great research.

Great researchers don’t just take one set of questions, answer them with brief bullet points, and then say, “I am done!”

They also don’t ask, “How many lines of research do I need?” This shows greater focus on getting something done instead of just finding out information!

Great researchers don’t go into a research project without a good question. Not having a question means you fall into the abyss of the never-ending Internet without a compass for direction and focus!

Great researchers don’t have messy notes without sources, because what if you need to remember something later, or prove that something you are saying about your topic is true?

So, what do great researchers do? They….

  • choose a topic of great interest to them! You have been given choice, but with choice comes responsibility. Choose something you are passionate about!
  • are curious! If you are not curious about your topic and ask lots of questions, then your research won’t have any detail or depth.
  • ask one question at a time, seek the answer, and document! That is why I suggested making your notes with a question, followed by information and a response, and then the resources you used to find the answer. Otherwise, you may be less focused and go all over the place with your research.
  • ask more questions than the teacher has given! Don’t just stop after you answer the key criteria. What questions do you have now? And then take some more notes on your new questions!
  • are never really “done”! They keep going and show perseverance to become an expert on their topic. That means asking better and deeper questions. Use our wonderings wall prompts as a way to shape more complex questions, too.

Obviously, in school, we have the constraints of time and schedules, which may keep us from becoming the ultimate expert. But, we can try! It is hard to give a specific number of lines of notes to give your research notes a quantity, but a project ideally has 4-5 pages of notes, not just one with brief bullet points, if it shows evidence of extending your thinking.

Great job listening today about how we can improve our research. See my next post about deadlines for the next little bit!

Ms. D

Unit Update May 6th!

Hello Everyone!

Here is an update on what is going on in class with our unit THE NATURE CONNECTION! Please also see my Twitter feed for daily updates, as well as everyone’s e-port entries (there are four so far to look at).

SOCIALS AND SCIENCE:

After our visit to the UBC Biodiversity Museum, we followed up with conversation about biodiversity, the natural resources found in Canada, and the great variety of organisms that can be found in our backyards here in British Columbia. To further support our inquiry and questions about the amazing ecosystems of our province, each student began doing an art/research project on an animal from B.C. I encouraged everyone to choose rare animals from not often discussed parts of our taxonomy chart, just to make it interesting for all of us!

We read the book Weird Friends to discuss relationships between organisms, as an example of the interconnection we can find in nature. We talked about symbiotic relationships, mutualism, parasitism, and commensualism. Students were given a challenge handout with descriptions of animal relationships and then had to guess which type of connection the organisms have. We are going over these tomorrow and I will ask everyone to turn it in. And this is great prep for our walk through the forest at the watershed, as there are loads of lichens and fungi living in partnership with the forest.

We analyzed “What is science?” together and compared/contrasted indigenous traditional knowledge with western science. We talked about the meaning of worldview and how one’s worldview can shape how one sees the world. We have watched several great videos to understand indigenous cultures of Canada, as well as how people are working together, combining traditional indigenous knowledge and principles of learning with the methods, questions, and data collecting of western science, to protect our environment. We learned about clam gardens, why beavers are important to estuaries, and how indigenous scientists are working collaboratively to protect the Great Bear Rainforest. We are also reading My Elders Tell Me to better understand how important survival and ecological knowledge is passed down between elders and youth in aboriginal cultures. Thank you everyone for your thoughtful discussions as we open our idea of what science truly is!

Ms. D has asked some questions from our unit on the e-portfolios, and there have also been some assignments such as 2 informational zines, the handout on Bio Blitz and taxonomy, the handout on abiotic/biotic life, the biodiversity of BC handouts, and the Mensa taxonomy handout. Along with your contributions to discussions, your journal, and your animal project, these things allow me to see how you are understanding key concepts.

Language Arts:

We are continuing to read The Skeleton Tree and I am looking at your Readminder bookmarks as you read to see how you are writing down questions, key ideas, new vocabulary, and other interesting facts. Earlier this month I introduced the idea of asking deeper questions as you read using QAR Questioning Technique. This involves asking 4 types of questions:

  1. Ones that are right there in the text, where the answer is stated in the text.
  2. Ones that are think and search, where the answer is stated in the text but you have to combine pieces of information to fully answer the question.
  3. Ones that involve author and me, where the author gives clues that are combined with what you know to figure out the answer, and 
  4. On my own questions, where knowledge of the text is needed but the answer comes from your own head and thoughts!

We are also working away on poetry. Students already found examples of alliteration, assonance, consonance, repetition, metaphor, simile, limerick, quatrain, onomatopoeia, personification, and rhyme, and recorded these in their journals after viewing a huge selection of poetry books from our District library. Through the book Rip the Page we used a crossing of our five senses to create amazing phrases about nature and combine them into a group poem. I published it on Twitter, but look for a full version on a blog post soon. Great work, everyone! I was so impressed with our poetry!

Finally, we are working on our speaking skills through poetry recitation. How can we make our speech more interesting and engaging through the use of the speaking toolbox? Our toolbox includes emphasis, pace, tone, inflection, eye contact, facial expressions, volume, pauses, repetition, and gestures. Pick a poem to present! Next week we will present them in class. No need to memorize. Poem only needs to be between 8-16 lines.

Our end goal for the poetry unit is to create a nature art piece related to nature poetry. I look forward to your creativity!

MATH:

We collected pine cones on our walks and watched a great video about all the Fibonacci spirals you can find in pine cones, veggies, and flowers. This is a series of three videos exploring math in nature, and I look forward to doing more as the month progresses.

Students are also doing nature related math around geometry and other curriculum areas of mathematics through Animal Math and Planet Earth Math, as well as several other book resources such as This Is Not A Math Book. As everyone is in a different place with regards to math understandings, I am asking students to check in with me individually as I teach mini lessons to them as needed. Key to our understandings this unit: area, perimeter, types of shapes, types of angles, how to measure an angle, venn diagrams, and measurement. We are also practicing roman numerals, charts and graphs, division, decimals, fractions, and other areas directly from the curriculum. I can see more practice is needed in terms of division, so we will see more of that in activities to come!

APPLIED DESIGN AND MATH:

What would your own natural space look like if you could design one? Using the space to the side of the portable, what kind of natural space could you design? Students began brainstorming ideas about how we could incorporate calming, natural elements that are great for our mental health into the open space outside of the portable. We will be making 3D models of this space and will apply math such as area, perimeter, and measurement to our creation of a scale model. 

INDEPENDENT PROJECT:

Students have answered some questions on their e-port about questions they have and what they have found out so far. We have a large variety of books available for research. Thirty minutes of research a night is the guideline! This week we need to decide what kind of primary research we will do, as well as how we will present our project. A reminder that we are one month away from presentation!

Okay, enough for tonight! More updates to come. Thank you for visiting the blog!

Ms. D

Life Hunt Project — Animalia in B.C.

Okay, new project!

We want to learn something new about animals that can be found in B.C. I am challenging you to look for animals you don’t know ANYTHING about. Do something new! Look on our taxonomy chart at the phylums under ANIMALIA. What kinds of cool organisms could you do?

We will not do fungi and plants yet, though. More on that as we get going to the watershed, okay?

Want to do a search of B.C. animals? The B.C. Government maintains a great, searchable list. You can specify whether you want to find animals, plants, or ecosystems. Check out the list here. You can tell it if you want to see endangered, red list, blue list, endemic, native, or other species. I think it would be interesting to do something that is ENDEMIC to B.C. Don’t know what that means? Look it up, as we discussed it in class!

Once you have decided on an animal, tell me. I would like each person to do something different. Some people signed up for one today on the board. Don’t worry, there are lots of possibilities!

Then, you will need to research the following about the animal:

  • Common and Latin names
  • Taxonomy Chart
  • Habitat and Ecosystem where you would find it — describe it and give location
  • Food Chain for the organism
  • Adaptations
  • Interesting Facts, including how the animal may have been used or represented in First Nations stories
  • Pictures of the animal

After you have research, then we will be using the art of Sue Coccia as an inspiration and creating animal art of our own. You will find out the general shape outline of your organism and fill a page with it. Inside the shape you will place other images that communicate the information you have found above about the organism. I have samples of Sue’s art in class, you can search up images of her art online, and there are more here.

Notes need to be taken just like we would take independent project notes. You need to record resources as you go along. You may use online or book resources. There are many in our classroom you can look at!

Criteria for success? Show you understand the terms we have been talking about in class when referring to ecosystems, biomes, etc. by using them in your research and then including information in your drawings. Ensure you have included information from all the bullet points above. Be able to explain each image you include in your art, using researched information. We will make a formal rubric in class together.

By the way, if you are stuck on the drawing part, you can also print pictures and use their outline — ask me in class.

I look forward to finding out cool facts about the amazing animals that are found on our coast and that make up the important biodiversity of our world. Maybe you will find inspiration at UBC during our field trip!

MACC Update from Ms. D on April 18th!

Hello Everyone!

So, we have had a great three weeks since Spring Break ended!

We have been doing a lot of talking about biodiversity!

If you missed it today, here are two videos you need to see about biodiversity:

What Does Biodiversity Do for Us?

and

Why is Biodiversity So Important?

Here’s a quick summary of some of the great work we have been doing!:

  • We have a LOAD of great books in the classroom to read about biodiversity, biomes, ecosystems, fossils, evolution, animals, birds, and nature! Thank you to the District Library for adding to our collection. Check them out!
  • We learned all about taxonomy and have spent time classifying or grouping animals, making careful observations, and talking about animal or plant characteristics and adaptations!
  • We have been doing the walking curriculum, looking at our surrounding flora and fauna, practicing careful observation, and getting great exercise and fresh air outdoors!
  • We have learned that our playground has blackberry bushes newly seeded behind the portable, small plants called plantains that can be used for medicine, roly polys or wood bugs (that are crustaceans, not bugs), parsley, brown ants, and more. We look forward to continuing our efforts to map the flora and fauna here, as we talk about mapping this unit!
  • We went through almost 100 poetry books and anthologies to seek different literary devices and poetry structure, such as alliteration, assonance, consonance, repetition, metaphor, simile, quatrain, and more.
  • We played a card game called PHYLO that helps us to learn about our local B.C. biodiversity, and we are working on a tough venn diagram puzzle about taxonomy. Some of those puzzles are hard and open to some debate! 
  • We discussed shapes we found in nature and talked about characteristics of 3D shapes. We built shapes out of bristol board, identified angle types, and learned to use protractors to measure angles in our classroom. 
  • We are doing math challenges from Area Mazes, using our understanding of how to find area to determine missing numbers in the puzzles! The lower number puzzles are fairly easy, but only one person has figured out puzzle #97. Keep trying!
  • And we are applying grade level math curriculum to Animal Math, which is a set of problems designed to illustrate math we would use in talking about the animal world (area, perimeter, charts, graphs, financial literacy, coordinates, triangles, algebraic expressions, and variables. 
  • And we are reading The Skeleton Tree by Iain Lawrence, practicing making careful connections, recording new vocabulary, and asking questions as we read, as we strengthen our reading comprehension skills. It is fun reading as a whole group so we can stop and ask questions about this exciting tale of survival on the Alaskan/B.C. coast.

I am looking forward to our field trip to the UBC Biodiversity Museum and Pacific Museum of Earth Science on Tuesday, April 23rd.

Also coming up are a visit to the GVRD Lower Seymour Watershed on May 8th, as well as a visit to our classroom from the O.W.L. rescue organization on May 9th. We will get to see an owl and a hawk up close! FYI, there will be a fee of $8 associated with the visit, with a notice to follow directly after on May 9th, and the money goes toward the upkeep and care of rescue birds at their organization.

We will continue our WALK 30 and Walking Curriculum Challenge through May 10th! Keep counting those minutes at home!

Also, everyone needs to go to the public library for their independent project! I am collecting books in the classroom for most of you. Many thanks to Ms. Ho, our school librarian, for helping us to gather resources from secondary schools and other elementary libraries, and to the District Library for resources, too! All of those books stay in the classroom. Go the library and talk to your local research librarian to ask for help finding even more information. Regular time for research will be given during the week.

More on Twitter, so please do check for daily pictures and updates there!

Stay tuned for the next blog post on our animal project!

Ms. D

Independent Project Process!

Hello Everyone!

As we continue with our unit called The Nature Connection, we will also be working on our independent research project. 

This project is about choice and passion. The topic you research needs to be important to you. You need to care about it! You need to be curious! You need to have lots of questions! If you don’t, then don’t do your topic. Each of you chose a topic before break, but if you have changed it, you need to tell me by the end of this week.

We will present our projects to parents, administrators, teachers, and some Suncrest classes on June 13th, Thursday, in our classroom, from 12-2:30 PM. 

Here are the steps and criteria:

  1. Narrow down your topic with a “search term” brainstorm.
  2. Ask beginning questions to start your research, in the form and function categories.
  3. Take notes as you research, using the format Ms. D provides in class. Notes can be taken by hand in your journal or on the iPad/laptop; however, notes are not cut and paste from websites. Please use your own words to summarize information. Notes will need to be turned in one week before presentation day.
  4. Record any resource you use. Ms. D will provide a handout on how to record all types of resources. You can also use Easy Bib as a tool for creating a bibliography. A final, typed, alphabetical bibliography needs to be turned in one week before presentation day.
  5. Please use a variety of secondary resources. You need to use at least one encyclopaedia (World Book online provided on our library website or use physical books in our library research section — Ms. Ho can make copies of pages as needed), at least 3 books (we have ordered some from high school libraries, but you will need to go to the public library), and a variety of reliable websites. We will talk about this in class.
  6. Please use at least one primary resource. A primary resource can include: an experiment you design and document with pictures and notes, an interview with an expert, a visit to a location or a specific experience to learn about your topic with pictures and notes, a survey of a larger group of people about your topic (not just our class), or the creation of an invention with documentation of the design process. There are many options and we can talk about this in class.
  7. As you find information, begin to ask more complicated questions and write them in your notes. Use our inquiry wonderings wall as a guide for your questions. If you feel you are done, you probably haven’t asked enough questions. All of your topics would take years to research if you kept asking questions! Go deep!
  8. Choose a way to present your information. This isn’t a science fair where a trifold is required with specific pieces of writing, etc. You choose how to present. When we go to see your information, you need something we can look at, something we can interact with or do, and some original writing we can read about your topic. You can do a trifold or poster for the background if you want, but there are other ways! Try a model, handout zines, do an experiment set up, write a magazine, create a cartoon, make a slideshow, create a game to learn about your topic, make amazing artwork, write a mini skit, do a puppet show on film, etc. Plan and decide what you want to do before the end of April, but I would love to see your creative thinking.
  9. Document the process of your project on your e-port. So we can share in your process, occasionally I will ask you to share some of the research, notes, pictures, or thoughts from your project.
  10. Assessment: After you present to the public, you will include thoughts about your independent project in your final reflections for report card. Your parents will also comment on your independent project process, as will Ms. D. We will create a general rubric of success together as a class to help with this. 

Okay, there we go! I look forward to seeing your research! If you have questions, please do ask!

Ms. D

NATURE CHALLENGE for April and May!

Want to win a game to play with your friends? Please join in our nature challenge!

During the months of April and May, please visit the many parks and natural spaces found in our local area. If you need maps of where these are, you can find them online or in our classroom!

Take pictures of yourself in the natural environment. Make a Google Slideshow of your pictures. The person with the most locations by the end of May wins!

Here are the rules:

  • Pictures must be from this year.
  • Pictures need to include some identifying feature or sign behind you. You or some other item such as your hand or a personal sign need to be in the picture as proof you were there.
  • One picture per location.
  • Local parks, other school playgrounds, green belts, beaches, pond areas, pathways, hike trails, lakes, rivers, soccer fields, or any place you can play outside, etc. all count!
  • Extra 5 points for the bonus locations as described in class. As I discuss them, I will add them to this post.

Main prize to be awarded to only one person. However, smaller prizes for everyone who participates and provides me with a slideshow. I hope you all spend a lot of time outdoors over the next three months!

Ms. D

 

New Unit: The Nature Connection!

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

Overview Term Two: Great Work Division 5!

Hello Everyone!

As we participate in learning conferences this week, here’s a quick review of the many things we have done during term two!

To tie the many big ideas from our curriculum together into a larger, enduring understanding, we studied subject areas through the lens of universal, conceptual themes.

In late December, we focused on the concepts PERSPECTIVE and PROBLEM SOLVING in our unit SOLVING THE CONUNDRUM. 

Our unit focus statement was: Problem solving involves careful observation, critical thinking, and consideration of multiple perspectives.

What are the skills you need to solve a problem?

We began our unit with cooperative games and challenges, both in the classroom and during gym, to explore the variety of curricular and core competencies required to solve a problem. Our main focus was on critical thinking, but we also used communication, creative-thinking, and personal-awareness skills. 

One of our favourites was playing the game Forbidden Island, which is unique because everyone has to work as a team, rather than against one another, to get the treasures and escape from the island before it sinks into the water! Everyone did a great job playing together, using communication and critical-thinking skills!

 

We were also challenged to “code” a partner during basketball practice in gym! The partner pretended to be a robot that needed explicit instructions for every step needed to make a successful basket. It was hard to make your robot cooperate!

Other problem-solving activities included: Guess That Word!, Blanket Flip Challenge, Communicate Your Shape, Ball Keep Away, Ozobot Path Challenge, and more.

After finishing challenges, we reflected as a group on the skills needed to be successful, such as active listening with partners, careful consideration of instructions and perspectives, self-regulation, and the ability to stay calm when you don’t know the answer right away or something unexpected happens. We also reported on the types of skills we were using in our e-portfolios.

 

What skills do you need to solve a crime?
Math and Science in Problem Solving!


Oh no! A crime happened in Division 5! Ms. D’s precious rocks were stolen! Well, not really, but we set up a pretty fantastic practice crime scene, practicing our observation, communication, thinking, and technology skills to carefully document a crime scene!

We also had to use our math skills, because accurate measurement is required to document where items are located within a crime scene space.

So, we gathered evidence, took notes, and carefully measured each of the marked evidence locations from two reference points in the room. Then we did a myriad of other lab experiments to practice being forensics investigators just like on CSI. We even had the B.C. Coroner’s Office Team come and visit to tell us about their work! We completed hands-on labs about fingerprints, dental impressions, measuring bones to determine someone’s height, analyzing bullet holes in windows, and watching for physical and chemical properties to identify substances and fabrics left at the scene.

      

We practiced our CSI Math skills in You Do the Math Solve a Crime, using math knowledge about coordinates, graphing, area, adding and subtracting decimals, fractions, word problems, and more to do some of the same math a CSI agent would do!

CSI is all about solving problems, and we discussed strategies used to solve word problems. Using Word Problems in Literature by Denise Gaskins, we applied Singapore visual diagram strategies to break down information visually, so it could be more easily understood. We enjoyed solving problems from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings! We also worked collaboratively on math challenges to get out alive in Perilous Math Problems! Great work, Division 5, we escaped! Whew!

Writing a Mystery!

We put our CSI knowledge to work and wrote fantastic mystery stories! First, we analyzed mystery stories we already knew and watched Scooby Doo to identify the parts of a typical mystery such as the suspects, the victim, the clues, the red herring, the alibi, and more. We also learned how to use proper punctuation in dialogue, because no story is complete without some interesting characters and conversations. Everyone did a great job producing creative stories, and we edited them carefully after receiving teacher feedback. Next step is to share them with one another!

Applied Design, Art, and Maker Problem Solving!

Leading up to the holiday, we put our problem-solving skills to the test, finding ways to make creative, unique ornaments and holiday gifts through a variety of mixed media and new materials. Everyone learned how to do wool felting, creating amazing pictures to share with our community. Thank you Division 5 for also taking the time to share your skills by teaching our younger buddies how to make ornaments, as well.

We continued to focus on the elements and principles of art, and one of our problem-solving challenges involved making a picture, thinking about how line, shape, and colour communicate specific messages or a story. We looked at the book Picture This! for inspiration. Thank you everyone for your creative work!

 

Small problem or big problem?
Social-Emotional Learning & Social Studies

We explored the difference between small problems and big problems in our everyday lives. We discussed how to identify a problem and strategies for solving minor conflicts amongst peers. I appreciated how students contributed to our lesson on “Words that Hurt” as we categorized language we had heard on the playground or in our community as either playful talk between friends or very hurtful words.

We made a commitment to become more aware of how words can hurt, even if the person who said them didn’t mean to hurt anyone. This was part of learning perspective.

This led to a larger exploration of the history of discrimination in Canada. Students participated in discussions about human rights and ethics. They investigated the history of residential schools, Japanese internment in World War 2, the Komagata Maru incident, and the Chinese head tax. Thank you everyone for the research and paragraphs you wrote on your e-portfolios. 

To help us understand reconciliation, we visited the “City Beyond the City” exhibit at the Museum of Vancouver, which explains the history of the Musqueam and their village on what is now the Fraser River in South Vancouver. We learned their history, and we practiced being museum curators, categorizing and displaying important belongings to tell the story of the Musqueam. 

We also enjoyed being outside, completing a scavenger hunt to learn more about Vancouver’s history through sculptures by the waterfront!

    

We incorporated social-emotional learning frequently into our discussions, talking about how to apply problem-solving methods to situations at school, how to care for our community, how to see another person’s perspective, and the emotions and needs that drive behaviour so we can better understand why people do the things they do! We took a survey to understand our own needs, did some problem-solving brainstorms around conflicts, and took time to use the RULER coloured quadrant method to talk about our emotions. We will keep having these conversations throughout the year.

 

I loved how the class created their own version of the ABCs of Life, or How to Be Happy, using art skills to draw illustrations for the advice they wanted to share on how to be happier!.

 


FINALLY, we made efforts to solve our own problems!

Students chose problems in their lives, classroom, school, or community they wanted to solve. The emphasis was on following a problem-solving process and picking a method to solve the problem — INNOVATE, INVENT, or CAMPAIGN — based on the UN Global Goals Initiative.

They needed to identify a problem, find out the perspectives on the problem through conversation and research, brainstorm solutions, weigh the pros and cons of each solution, pick a solution, make a detailed plan, and try to implement it. I am proud of the many things Division 5 tried to take on during this project! While some groups have finished their solution, others are still working on the implementation, because their ideas were more complicated or involved. We look forward to each of you finishing your plan before end of year! 

_____________

In late January, we changed our focus to the concept of POWER in the unit COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY!

Our unit focus statement: Being an educated citizen requires reflection and critical thinking about how we communicate and receive information.

What is media and how can we gain personal POWER by being educated about it?


We reviewed a variety of media local newspapers to see how their construction, content, advertisements, audience, and reading level were different. We discussed what it means to be media literate, started taking greater notice of how much time we were spending with media, and discovered how it is present everywhere in our lives.

We compared the outside appearance of cereal packages, looking at how companies market products to children with bright colours, cool characters, games, and other gimmicks!

We looked at media advertisements to see what kinds of gimmicks were being used to make us want to buy products. We played games on the Canadian Media Literacy 101 website together to practice recognizing gimmicks in both print ads and commercials.

We became more aware of how to search for information online, avoiding commercial websites and looking for reliable sources not full of advertisements or false information. We discussed digital citizenship, learning how online games and social media collect personal information about us while we are having fun online! We played the game Data Defenders to practice NOT giving our information away, keeping our identities safe.

We had a visit from Scott Hinde, a contractor for Global TV, who is a technical director for events like Variety Telethons, Olympics curling events, hockey games, and more. We learned a lot about subliminal advertising and became more knowledgeable of how commercial products are present everywhere in media, not just in commercials!

 

How do we communicate our learning? Why is being able to communicate your ideas well important in all fields? Focus on communication skills!

We played several games to focus on communication skills, such as ordering fractions or decimals collaboratively on a clothesline, playing the game telephone, or doing drama games in gym such as “Guess Who is the Leader!” We reviewed active listening skills, and we talked about what makes a great “radio announcer” voice with clear tone, enunciation, volume, and enthusiasm. We practiced real radio scripts so we could get a taste of being announcers ourselves!

We communicated our ideas in a poster about our learning around math conjectures, and we campaigned using posters and PowerPoint presentations to help solve problems. Then, we reflected on our e-ports about our presentation skills.

Using the scientific method or procedure to communicate and document our science experiments and explorations!

We did three different experiments, focused on chemical reactions and seed germination, to practice using the scientific method accurately. We took careful observations as we made new substances like limestone out of baking soda and calcium carbonate! And we designed experiments to test the ideal conditions for seed germination. This was great practice, as many of us may want to use a science experiment as part of our term three independent project.

     


How are numbers used to communicate ideas in media?

We analyzed news articles on a variety of topics to see how math, particularly graphs, fractions, decimals, and percentages, are used to communicate ideas. We talked about how to recognize a “tricky graph” that may have been manipulated to back up someone’s point of view. If you see numbers, does that mean the information you see is automatically FACT and not someone’s OPINION?

We did lots of great practice around fractions and decimals, playing Fraction Wars, Fraction Concentration, Fraction Capture, making clotheslines to order decimals and fractions, analyzing seed packages for seed germination rates, and more! 

   

Making conversation is an important reason to learn a foreign language!

Ms. D challenged everyone to actively learn basic conversation in French, and we used a variety of songs and French videos to help us practice. We wrote mini conversations with friends, and our next step is to venture out and talk to someone who speaks French in our community! Great work everyone!

Sculpture and Drama as Forms of Media

In gym, we explored how the body communicates so much beyond words through active drama lessons. We found “neutral” positions in our bodies, and then we gradually added layers of movement. We moved at different levels, high, medium, and low. We led with different parts of our bodies. We walked and moved in different kinds of lines like wavy, zig zag, and straight. Eventually, we made some very cool characters and created frozen museum statues, sharing a gallery of creatures with one another. Ms. B also taught us yoga, which allowed us to become more aware of our bodies and of another way to relax and be mindful.

We also explored shape and form through sculpture in art. We went over the history of sculpture and how it, too, is a form of media, communicating a message. Each person then created their own sculpture out of steel wire, masking tape, newspaper, and acrylic paint. It was a longer project, but the result is well worth it.

  

Making Suncrest News!

Finally, we are all working together to create a news broadcast. Each person is writing a news story, and our goal is to try and complete the actual broadcast for our student-led conferences. Stay tuned! If we need more time, we will let you know how we will post it for you to see.

MUSIC at Suncrest!

Ms. Fletcher has more on her blog, but I also wanted to applaud Division 5 on their beautiful music! Ms. Fletcher wrote:  “In class, students have been exploring elements of beat, rhythm, tempo, pitch, and form through playing music individually and collaboratively on Orff instruments and boomwhackers, and learning to read music notation and play the recorder. Students also learned dances and music for our Lunar New Year Celebration.”

Thank you students for being leaders, participating in our School Choir, serving as MCs, or dancing during assemblies. We appreciate the extra time you spent rehearsing during lunch times!


We did even more than all of this, but hopefully this gives everyone a clear picture of what we did. Please see our e-portfolios for more information. I will send everyone a Google link to additional photos from our term I am not able to post online. Thank you!

Self-Reflections: What makes a good self-assessment?

Hello Everyone,

Learning to assess your own work is very important. While it is great to get feedback from your peers and your teacher, the true superpower is being able to look critically and constructively at your work.

It doesn’t mean beating yourself up if you make a mistake! That isn’t helpful because it just makes you feel bad. Who is going to be able to do better next time when they feel bad?

But, it also doesn’t mean ignoring things you know you could do better for next time. You need to be honest with yourself. Being honest and critiquing your work doesn’t mean YOU are a bad person…..the work is separate from you as a person. You can always try to do better next time!

When I ask you to reflect using a rubric, I provide you with the basic criteria in the middle. If we were thinking of the proficiency scale you see on your report card, or on our class rubric, then generally getting all of the BASIC CRITERIA = APPLYING. You are fully able to do what I asked.

The “Evidence of WOW!” is EXTENDING, and it looks different for each person, because there are so many ways to demonstrate understandings or to show your skills beyond basic criteria. Not only can you apply the basic criteria, you are able to show sophisticated thinking about the project. Not only can you do what I asked, you are reaching beyond the understanding of the project and can probably teach someone else how to do the project!

The “Areas for Improvement” refers to DEVELOPING/EMERGING — and these are areas you want to work on for next time. If I say you are developing a skill, it is not a negative, it just means that is an area for your focus. You have many superpowers, strengths, and skills, and with some extra effort, this may become one of those new skills you gain from your learning and projects!

Let’s brainstorm together in class what kinds of things we would write on our self-assessments that belong in each column. That way, as we start to write our self-reflections for term two, we can all be thinking about these words in the same way.

Thank you,

Ms. D

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