What does good research look like?

Hello Everyone!

Thank you for your great work today on Stop Motion videos and the Solar Cookers! Our classroom looks clean at the end of the day, so thank you for your work cleaning up after our fun, messy projects.

Tonight, in preparation for our final project for the unit, we are doing some research on a human rights issue of choice. You only have to look at one website or article tonight and take some notes. Here is a short description of what we are looking for:

  • Choose one issue around human rights (everyone has done this already)
  • Narrow it down by looking at a specific country where the human rights issue is happening (you can use Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International websites to get started like we did today)
  • Look for ways someone is taking ACTION to solve the human rights problem. (Invention, Innovation, Campaign like we talked about in class)
  • Take notes for research
  • Create a stop motion video to share what you learned

What makes good research? We went over these things today in class and will keep learning about them all year to improve our research. 

  • Write down your name and date on your notes
  • When you search, focus on websites that end in .org (organization, usually non-profit), .edu (education site), .gov (government site), or a reputable source.
  • Avoid wikipedia for research projects. It is better for quick answers.
  • Avoid .com sites, as they are usually trying to sell you something.
  • Use websites that from 2011 or later (no more than five years old)
  • Avoid websites where you have to look up meanings of words every five seconds. If you don’t understand the article, get a different website!
  • Search for issues with key words:  “child labour issues Zimbabwe kids” — the kids part will help tell Google to look for kid-friendly sources.
  • If the website looks too mature for you, then it probably IS! Don’t use it.
  • Record the website name where you found the information
  • Try to find the date the article/website was published AND who wrote the article you are reading. Sometimes you can find this information under the menu title ABOUT US, or CONTACT INFO. Sometimes it is right under the article title. Other times it is at the bottom of the article, so scroll down.
  • Use point form to take notes
  • Write down key ideas so you will remember them for your project.
  • If you are using an online tool to do notes, like EverNote or Google Docs, know that cutting and pasting is NOT taking notes. You can still cut and paste, but notes are in your own words.

Stuck? Ask Ms. D tomorrow when we continue our research! 

Have a good night!

 

Caribou Math Tests – October 19 & 20

Hello Everyone,

The Caribou Math Contest will be held on October 19 and 20, and we will all be participating for the first one, as it is free. Please start practicing tests at the Caribou Link.

Ms. D will be signing you up and getting codes for our participation, so all you need to do before October 19th is practice online. We will talk more about it tomorrow. These tests are math extensions and because there is a fee involved for some students, the tests are not part of your math marks.

I will be asking you if you want to compete at your grade level or a higher grade level, which needs to be decided by end of week. Only the grade four level is free all year, though, so if you choose a higher level, the first contest is free and then you pay $15 as a flat fee for the rest of the year’s contests. It may be a good idea to go online and try different level practice tests to get a sense of how hard they are. If you found last year easy, you may want to challenge yourself at a different level!

Thank you,

Ms. D

Update October 11th!

Hello Everyone,

REMINDERS:
–Read about human rights (like you were this afternoon for research).
–No photo day on Thursday (postponed until October 20th.)
–If you make comments on the blog, use your new username/email given today!

Today we read more about human rights and action. Many of us shared the articles we brought in using the blog. Please see our comments and articles on this page. I encourage you all to read some of the articles your peers brought in.

Several of you found articles about inventions, talking about inventing things that have helped people improve their quality of life. By improving quality of life, we also help improve overall human rights.

This afternoon, you had a chance to begin doing some research. Choose a country and begin to see what kinds of human rights problems are out there on the Amnesty International web page, or at Human Rights Watch World Report. Or, if you like, choose a particular issue, such as child labour, and research it further. Tomorrow, I will give more time in class. This is your opportunity to choose an area of further research that is of interest to YOU.

Thank you for your great work on our Banyan Tree art! We discussed colour theory, including complementary and analogous colours. If you didn’t finish, that is okay, we will have more time again. Quality art is more important than rushing things, and I think the art will make a beautiful addition to our room.

We will have two more sessions of karate focusing on self defence, just like today, as part of our PE program this week. Thank you for your participation in this program!

I hope you have a great evening. Come ready to work tomorrow, as we have lots to do!

Ms. D

Week of October 10th – Projects & Timetable

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Please see our MACC Grade 4/5 Timetable 2016:

  • The timetable is subject to change. Areas in grey are committed. Everything else is subject to change, which is the nature of MACC and school schedules.
  • Music is on Monday 9:40-10:30, and on Thursday 10:45-11:35.
  • Library is on Thursday 11:35-12:00. Book exchange is also available immediately after lunch Monday-Thursday; however, check with Ms. D first.
  • GYM is Tuesday and Friday from 10:45-11:30. We also have an open gym time on Wednesday from 11:30 – 12:00, which we may use in the gym or outside.

This week we will begin projects. Some important information for everyone:

  • Projects rubrics will be posted on the blog. Please go over criteria at home.
  • When a mark is given, I send rubrics home. Parents, please sign and return.
  • Sometimes, key project criteria are listed in the middle at the C+ or “Meeting Expectations” level, while the other areas are blank. We will brainstorm together in class what the other areas look like.
  • Students evaluate themselves first, then I provide the final mark.
  • Project work happens IN CLASS. At home, students can come up with ideas, do research, and gather materials; however, the main work needs to be at school.
  • Parents, please talk to your children about projects, give advice, help them stay on track, and/or help find materials, but do not do any of the work for them.
  • Students, part of the mark includes your work process at school. So, please work on projects at school so I can see this.

I look forward to our project work this week on solar cookers (and writing a science lab), researching human rights, and making a mini stop-motion video to teach someone something! More on this tomorrow. Have a great night!

Ms. D

Happy Friday! Taking Action! Update October 7th

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

Agenda/Reminders:
Please look for an article or example of taking “ACTION” (newspaper, online, magazine, brochure, etc.) and bring it on Tuesday. You can also respond to this post if you found a link online and want to share it with everyone.

Look at ideas for solar cookers! We will be building a small one in class. Bring a roll of foil and styrofoam from home for cooker insulation if you have any.

Individual photo day is next Thursday, October 13th. No school on Monday, October 10th!

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Another great cartoon from ASAP Science!

 

What we did today:

We began the day by giving time to read a few more articles from the blog on human rights. The class had some great questions that we discussed together. Then, we went to the unit board and put up some blue stickies to help students see how everything they have been studying fell under our unit focus statement Open-mindedness and innovative thinking create change in the world. By putting all of this up on the board, we realized just how much we have covered in only a month!

To round out the unit, we will now focus on ACTION! We talked about the United Nations’ Global Goals, and how every person can be part of helping with these goals. See this video provided by the UN’s World’s Largest Lesson Initiative. We read several stories of children from around the world who have created change. This weekend, look for an example of change and share it with us here on the blog or on Tuesday in class.

For GYM today, we focused on the unit and combined math, science, and physical activity! Students learned how to determine force, that force is measured in Newtons, the meaning of acceleration, and how to measure work/power. We went outside and raced up the stairs on the intermediate playground to figure out how many watts of power each of us can produce! On Tuesday, we will finish our math calculations. If you want to learn more, please see Math is Fun: Force and Math is Fun: Energy and Work. If you like the problems we did in class for extra challenge, more of them are located at the bottom of each web page. Some other challenge programs are located at the Physics Classroom: Power.

For Science today, we talked about Solar Energy and making a Solar Cooker! I have boxes everyone can use to make a mini cooker, and all we need is more aluminum foil and styrofoam, if you can look at home for any extra you have. We watched Bill Nye How Stuff Works: Solar Energy and discussed how sunlight rays reflect (angle in = angle out) on a flat surface and a parabola. We talked about how solar cookers rely on a focus point based on the angle the rays reflect. Check out Math is Fun: Reflection and Math is Fun: Refraction for more interesting physics and math on this if you want to take it further! Here is the video on making a solar cooker we watched in class, too.

We ended the day with Balloon Car Racing! Congratulations to those who had successful cars! Kudos to those whose cars were aesthetic, as well! Everyone had some time for free choice afterwards, and some students continued experimenting with Stop Motion. Overall, it was a good Friday!

Hope you have a restful weekend and a great turkey day!

Ms. D

Great Field Trip Today! And Change to Office Hours

Great Field Trip Today!
  • Thank you to Max’s, Naomi’s, and Michael’s moms for coming with us on our trip to MOA! We appreciate your help!!
  • We enjoyed the program on the potlatch and then had an opportunity to see the rest of the museum.
  • Tomorrow we will debrief together and continue our work finishing this unit on human rights and action. I am looking forward to our projects!
Change — No Office Hours on Tuesdays:
  • In order to better accommodate changes in my afternoon schedule and to ensure time to talk with everyone, I will no longer be having open office hours on Tuesdays. Please make an appointment to see me if it is something longer than a quick question. I am also always on email and will respond as soon as possible. Thank you in advance for your understanding!
Assignments, Agendas, Blog, etc.:
  • Please note the blog is not the daily agenda. There are times I do not update daily. Students are responsible for writing down homework/reminders in their agendas, which I write on the board and discuss at the end of each day.
  • Please check your child’s agenda daily. I found several students leaving agendas in the cloakroom, so I am going to be checking more carefully if the agendas are signed.
  • The blog is a great tool for knowing what we are doing in class for our large units, and I recommend you check it and comment on it, please!
  • If your child is doing something at home that is not on their agenda list, please ask them, “Do you have to do this for the next day?”
  • If your child is unable to do an assignment, please encourage them to talk with me about what their plan is for getting it done. Better to communicate than not do it. Better late than never.
  • Students received back assignments they turned in, except for Tuning In. They received Checks from my quick marking system on this, as explained in my beginning of year handout.
  • Assignments are stored in their blue binders. Students can take them home, but they MUST return back with them to school.
  • We have project work coming up and a specific criteria sheet will be provided for marks. They will be bringing this home for signature soon.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions or if there is something I can help clarify.
Thank you!
Ms. D

October 5th Update, Wednesday

Hello Everyone,

Agenda:
MOA Field Trip Tomorrow, please arrive at 8:50 AM on time, bagged lunch/snack
WOW Letter D Words due on Friday
No LIBRARY due to field trip
Balloon Car Race Friday
Have you turned in your green karate form?

Today we had a great mini-debate about the pros and cons of the Site C Dam, and I was very impressed with the way students were thinking and debating the issues! We also discussed how human rights are affected by quality of life and made a list together of what affects quality of life in different countries, such as wealth, access to clean water, pollution, transportation, education, and more. We read stories of children from around the world and evaluated their quality of life. Most everyone finished these two evaluations in class and turned them in to the INBOX. If you did not get them done, you will have some time on Friday morning.

We also experimented with Stop Motion Video today! We will be using this tool on our project for the unit. Here are the steps we will follow for doing our unit end project. We are not quite done with the unit and still have more learning to do about solar energy, inventions, and action, but we will be working up to our end project slowly, and I hope it will be fun!:

  • Experiment with Stop Motion (done today)
  • Make a mini Stop Motion instructional video on something we feel we are an expert at (such as “I am an expert at how to make origami”) Criteria and a rubric will be provided for this, as it will be marked.
  • Do research on a human rights issue of choice and ways people are taking action to address it with ideas or inventions
  • Present the research in a creative stop motion video

I hope everyone enjoys the field trip tomorrow as we learn more about potlatch, given we have been talking about First Nations and their rights in the context of human rights throughout the world.

Have a great night!

Ms. D

Monday, October 3rd Update: Question Formulation Technique!

Hello Everyone!

Today we began with the Question Formulation Technique. Some of you may remember this from last year, and it is a set of steps to help students develop great questions. We started by brainstorming around the topic of our unit, keeping these rules in mind:

  • Write down anything that comes to mind
  • Try to write things doing in a question format
  • Don’t judge anyone’s questions — no great, fantastic, good question, or bad question, etc.
  • Write down as many questions as you can

Then, we went through the questions and reviewed them to see if they were really in a question format. We fixed any that needed adjustment with a who, what, why, where, when, how, etc.

Our next discussion was over the meaning of open and closed questions. Open questions take further research, are deeper, require multiple resources, and do not have an easy yes/no answer. Closed questions are “googleable”, have a right answer, and are quick to answer with one resource. Everyone labeled their questions with an “O” or a “C” for open and closed. They then chose one question to change between open and closed, closed to open. We discussed what kind of investigations need open or closed questions, too. How will you know which kind of question to ask? When is each kind useful?

Finally, we each wrote a question to add to our wonderings board about the unit, using the “jar of inquiry” approach. We look forward to explaining this more as we develop our understanding of how to ask deeper questions!

TONIGHT: 

Please finish reading information from the Articles of Interest page, under the section on Human Rights, the articles available on the Site C Dam. Tomorrow we will have discussions to answer these questions:

  • Where is the Site C Dam located exactly? (You need to be able to find it on a map)
  • Why is Amnesty International upset about the Site C Dam? (Do you know what Amnesty International is?)
  • Why are First Nations groups upset about the Site C Dam?  (Bonus: Which group of First Nations peoples are living in that area?)

TUNING IN articles are due tomorrow (Tuesday.)

YPC and Field Trip Payments are overdue; please get them in as soon as possible.

Field Trip Thursday Please see my previous post about the field trip.

Balloon Racers: I hope you made some progress on this today, and if you need a bit more time, I can give it to you tomorrow. You are allowed to work on it at home, too, but only if you want to.

Math: We are continuing with the next pages, but I did not assign them for homework.

WOW Letter D: Words for letter D are on the board. Due Friday due to field trip.

Museum of Anthropology Trip Thursday, October 6th

Just a reminder that we will be at the Museum of Anthropology October 6th, Thursday. I am looking forward to the program we will attend, which will involve learning more about the potlatch tradition. We will also have the opportunity to see the rest of the museum after lunch. Students need to bring a disposable lunch, snack, and water bottle for their visit. Given space on the bus, no large backpacks are allowed, so please limit what you bring or use a simple string bag to hold items.

***Please do not bring a camera and/or valuables. Ms. D will take photos during our time there, as will other parent volunteers. Thank you!

One of the exhibits we can see is called:

LAWRENCE PAUL YUXWELUPTUN: UNCEDED TERRITORIES

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun is an artist who uses abstract painting and sculpture to communicate about emotions and issues surrounding land and First Nations groups in British Columbia. Please see the MOA’s web link to learn more about him and watch the video at the bottom.

POTLATCH

Read about First Nations Background here so you are better prepared for our program. We have spent time talking about many of these things in class, and will revisit them this week before our trip. There is also a map of First Nations in BC you can look at that contains the traditional names of groups mentioned in the museum.

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