Category: Assignment Info

Hello Everyone!

Happy New Year! Over the next four Wednesdays, you will receive class time to prepare a TED talk to present to the class.

We have already done some brainstorming, and Ms. D will be checking in with each student about their topic.

Now, here are the next steps:

1.  Draft five paragraphs for your speech in your journal.
2.  Paragraph one:  Introduce your passion. Start with a hook to get us interested that is NOT a question (because most people do — try something different.) Give a short anecdote about why you are going to talk about this. Use enthusiastic, persuasive language hook us into also being passionate about your interests! Don’t forget to use an intro and concluding sentence.
3.  Paragraph two:  What is the first reason this is your passion? Explain and give specific examples that back up this reason. Don’t forget to use an intro and concluding sentence.
4.  Paragraph three:  What is the second reason this is your passion? Explain and give specific examples that back up this reason. Don’t forget to use an intro and concluding sentence.
5.  Paragraph four:  What is the third reason this is your passion? Explain and give specific examples that back up this reason. Don’t forget to use an intro and concluding sentence.
6.  Paragraph five: Sum up all of the reasons in different words. Tell a short anecdote or set of facts that help us remember your topic and speech. End with a strong concluding sentence. What you say last is most often what your audience will remember the most.
7.  After drafting, type up a rough copy of these paragraphs. Size 12 Arial Font. Make sure to save it with the title of the project, your name, and the date in the file name. This way Ms. D can tell what it is.
8.  Give your speech a title (without the word passion in it — make it interesting and catchy!) Label the document with your name where we can see it if the speech is printed. Example “Photography is Perspective” by Ms. DeTerra
9.  Edit VERY carefully, looking at criteria. Read it out loud to be sure you caught any errors.
10.  Have a peer edit it carefully and discuss it with you.
11.  Make edits and prepare a final version.
12.  Send to Ms. D by sharing the file.
13.  Practice speech and present on February 1st, Thursday or February 2nd, Friday.

Proficiency Criteria:

1. Five full paragraphs with indents, transition words and phrases, complete sentences, intro and concluding sentences, and 5-8 sentences each.
2.  Descriptive and varied vocabulary. Use more interesting words and don’t be afraid to use a dictionary to get some ideas.
3.  Editing! No run-on sentences, capital letters in correct places, punctuation, etc.
4.  You describe your passion and give specific, interesting reasons why it is something you care about and why other people should care about it, too!
5.  Your speech begins with an engaging hook that is not a question, such that we become interested in listening to your speech.
6.  Your last paragraph has a strong ending, so we get the key message from you as you finish.
7.  Your sentences have some persuasive, enthusiastic language to convince us why this is an area of passion.
8.  You present your speech smoothly and with eye contact, showing you practiced at home and/or with partners in class. It doesn’t have to be memorized, but it needs to be well practiced so you are not reading from a sheet of paper.
9.  You present your speech using adequate volume, so people in the back of the classroom can hear.
10.  You present your speech with an appropriate pace and use pauses between important thoughts. You are not going too slow, but you are also not speaking so fast we can’t understand all of your thoughts.
11.  You present your speech with enthusiasm and energy, so we can tell you care about this topic!
12.  You present your speech with enunciation, making sure each word is pronounced fully, and that you use your teeth, lips, tongue, and full mouth to say the words.
13.  You use appropriate body language when presenting, not moving around too much, standing up straight, using only a few gestures to emphasize points.
14.  You work on this project IN CLASS and do the writing independently. Do not work on this project completely at home. In this way, Ms. D or Mr. H can answer questions and can see you are able to do peer editing and manage your time appropriately during open-project times.

We will do some practicing in class around speech techniques prior to presentation day!

I look forward to hearing about your passions!

Ms. D

Hello!

As part of our French studies, students will do a mini poster on a French-speaking country of their choice.

First Step: Research

In their journals, students need to find out:

1.  Where is the country?
2.  How big is the country and how many people live there?
3.  What is the country like? What is the topography  or land like? Major rivers, mountains, forests, deserts? Are they next to any major bodies of water?
4.  Which countries border this country?
5.  How did this country come to speak French? (history)
6.  What kinds of foods does this country eat? Any French ones?
7.  What kinds of resources does this country produce or sell?
8.  Are there any traditions this country is known for? Festivals?
9.  What are some of the major cities in the country?
10.  Any other interesting facts about this country you could share?

Step Two:  Find the French

You will label what you can for your poster in French. Find them online.

1.  Names of oceans and bordering countries? Do in French.
2.  Name of your country and its cities. Do in French.
3.  Names of mountain ranges and bodies of water in the country, in French.
4.  Items the country is known for – food, festivals, etc. find what you can in French.
5.  Single vocabulary words are fine. No sentences needed.

Step Three: Plan the Poster

Using their drawing books, students need to make a sketch of what the poster will be like.

1. The poster needs to be filled with a map outline of the country, surrounded by any oceans or other countries that border it.
2.  The countries and oceans bordering the country can be labeled with a single name in French and coloured.
3.  The country for the poster needs to have more detail – so if my country is France, it will be in the middle of the poster with mountains, rivers, cities on it, coloured, and labeled in French.
4.  Around the map will be blank space left for facts, words, and mini pictures that represent the research the student found, and they will be labeled in French and coloured.
5. Labels need to be fine lined.

Criteria:

1.  Show research in journal for the project, and include information in all the categories given above.
2.  Labeled correctly in French as per directions.
3.  Coloured, neat, and easy to read. Aesthetic and well-planned. Spaced out nicely so we can read everything. Use a ruler.
4.  Fine line words.

Due Date:  End of January

Hello Everyone,

New e-port! Please use your journal and our discussions in class to answer these questions.

Title:  Creativity

Questions:

What do you think creativity is?

Are people just naturally creative, or can creativity be taught? Please explain your answer with supporting detail.

What kinds of characteristics might you have if you had stronger creative-thinking skills?

What is an alternative uses test?

What does being creative feel like? For example, how did you feel when we were being creative with playdoh or with the Lego?

Why do you think human beings are made to be creative?

Why does daydreaming or allowing your mind to wander help us be creative?

What is the type of thinking you probably have if you are being creative?

Who is responsible for making sure you are not bored?

Why could being bored be a good thing sometimes?

This is an easy e-port just to do a quick reflection on your HIVE Art project from class.

TITLE:  HIVE Art

Question:

In a paragraph, please explain the sections of your HIVE art. You were asked to represent eight things you believe help you to thrive as a person, providing you with strength. Please tell me what they were and why? One sentence per section of the HIVE is required, so minimum 8 sentences. You may do more if you wish, but do not have any more than 16 total sentences, please.

**Please make sure to include a clear photo of your HIVE art project.

Hello Everyone!

We have been talking together about germs and pathogens, and what we can do to keep the body healthy!

To further explore this area, with a partner, students will create a PowerPoint presentation together.

First, do some research on a disease of their choice. Research is due by Tuesday, November 7th. Here are the guidelines for choosing and researching a disease:

• It needs to be a common communicable or non-communicable disease. We are not doing disorders or conditions.
• Your choice needs to be approved by Ms. D before starting research.
• The disease needs to be one that you would be more likely to get due to personal choices (nutrition, hygiene, exercise, etc.) so you can talk about how not to get the disease by making healthy choices we have discussed in class.
• Please look on the Articles of Interest on the blog for website suggestions, or use legitimate websites per our discussion in class.
• If you can’t understand an online article, and it has vocabulary words you can’t understand on your own, then use a different article at your reading level.
• If you have questions about whether a website is safe, please ask Ms. D.
• Keep notes in your journal using our note taking chart method.
• No formal bibliography is needed for this presentation, but I would like you to record where you found your notes in your journal.

What do you need to find out about the disease? Each of these things can be one slide in your PowerPoint presentation, for 10 slides maximum and total PowerPoint due November 14th, Tuesday:

• Slide 1 — Introduction: Name of the Disease, and your name as author
• Slide 2 — What is it? Does it have more than one name?
• Slide 3 — How long have we known about this disease? Who discovered it?
• Slide 4 — What causes it? Is there a specific virus, bacteria, or pathogen that is involved? What does the pathogen look like under the microscope if one is involved?
• Slide 5 — What are the symptoms of the disease? How would I know I have it? What tests would have to be done to find out?
• Slide 6 — Who usually has the disease?
• Slide 7 — What treatments or cure are there for this disease?
• Slide 8 — How can I prevent getting this disease? What specific lifestyle or personal choices will help?
• Slide 9 — Summary Slide, 5 key points or takeaways you want everyone to remember.
• Slide 10 — Concluding Slide, “Are there any questions?”

We will use PowerPoint to do this project and to Present:

For many grade fours, this is a new presentation method, and your goal is to learn how to create a slide with a picture, title, and bullet points. We will practice in class.

For grade fives who were with me last year, the focus this year is to make your slideshows more aesthetic and effective. We will focus on how to use fonts, colours, pictures, and organization to make them more effective!

We will then present our PowerPoints to the class using a short script. Script and presentations due November 16th.

Here are the evaluation criteria for this assignment:

• Please do 10 slides for your presentation as described above.
• Share the responsibility with your partner.
• Each of you can do either the intro or the last slide.
• Split up the other 8 slides between you.
• One person creates the PowerPoint and then shares between you on One Drive.
• Don’t edit any slide that isn’t your own to do. If you have input on your partner’s slides, make sure you talk to them first.
• Use one of the set themes in PowerPoint for all of your slides.
• Make sure the font you use for titles and bullet points is an appropriate size for presentation AND stays the same type for all slides.
• Use bullets and shortened phrases to present information, not paragraphs. Do not use too much text.
• Put a picture on each slide. Pictures need to be related to what you are talking about, not silly pictures, smiley faces, or cartoons.
• Do not use pictures that have copyright marks on them. If you don’t know how to tell, you can ask Ms. D.
• Do not use emojis. At all.
• Avoid using really bright colours such as red, yellow, or bright blue for text.
• Keep text in dark, easy to read colours.
• Don’t use a black, red, or orange background, as this can be hard to look at.
• Don’t have a last slide that says, “Bye!” or “Thank you for watching!” It can say “Are there any questions?” and have a picture related to your presentation.
• Make a script for your PowerPoint with what you would like to say for each slide. Don’t just repeat your bullet points. Add information here.
• Limit your whole presentation to 5 minutes or less.
• Practice in front of someone. It does not need to be memorized, but it does need to be well practiced.

I look forward to seeing your presentations! 

**Reminder: Everything asked here comes from your own thinking, notes in your journal, or items in your binder. Use those as your tools. It is a great opportunity to review what we have done!

Due:  Nov 1st, Wednesday (extra days because of Halloween!)

Title:  Systems Unit Check In

Questions:

What is the Universal Systems Model?

Give an example of one system you know other than the human body and talk about how it fits with the Universal Systems Model.

You eat a bowl of cheerios. Tell me the cheerios’ journey through your body in your own words to show me you know how digestion works.

Why is it important to the body to drink enough water, based on what we have discussed in class (not an answer from the internet)?

What is Go, Slow, Whoa? Name a food in each category.

What are 5 things you might look for or avoid as you choose food for your body systems and why?

What are the measures of central tendency?

Why do we collect data?

What can too much stress do to the body?

What do you do to reduce your stress?

What does exercise like yoga do for the body systems?

Why do we need sleep?

Why do we need to use soap to wash our hands?

Hello Everyone,

Here is our first e-port assignment. Remember our discussion in class and the example I showed you:

• Please use full sentences to answer questions,
• Include a small picture,
• Include a title,
• Cut and paste the questions from here into your entry so your parents and I can see what you are answering,
• Don’t write a novel but provide enough detail to answer the questions,
• Never cut and paste from the Internet,
• Do it yourself, not with parent help to type and write,
• Use a dictionary to look up words if needed (online or paper dictionary),
• Save as you go so you don’t lose your work, and
• Have it done after one week from the time it is assigned. Use class time as much as possible for this, but you can work on it in the 30-40 minute time limit at home.

TITLE:  Making Goals for Myself 2023-24

Questions:

1. What are your core competency goals this year? Pick two to talk about and give examples of what you want to work on and why. (communicating, collaborating, critical and reflective thinking, creative thinking, personal awareness and responsibility, positive personal and cultural identity, social awareness and responsibility)
2. What are your curricular competency goals this year?  Pick two to talk about and give examples of what you want to work on and why. (Researching, Presenting Information, Questioning, Analyzing, Planning, Problem Solving)
3.  What is a content area of the curriculum you would like to work on this year? Pick no more than two and explain what you want to work on and why.  (Math, Science, Socials, Language Arts, Physical and Health Education, Career Education, ADST, French, Fine Art, Music)

Division 5 students have been doing a great job investigating the human body through hands-on body stations, reading, watching videos, and class discussion. We have lots of great questions already about how the system of the body works!

We have been discussing the Universal Systems Model and how every system has an INPUT, PROCESS, OUTPUT, and FEEDBACK. We are identifying the many INPUTS our human body system needs to work correctly, such as sleep, exercise, good nutrition, and balance. We will continue these discussions over the next few weeks.

Part of taking care of the human body SYSTEM is making good decisions. We are talking about what we have control over in terms of personal choices that will help us grow, learn, and feel better each day. If you want to make a good decision, how do you do it? Maybe you have to consider the DATA, to find out if the input into the system is a good one. Or, perhaps you need to find out if a certain OUTPUT/OUTCOME is more likely based on your investigations. This is all connected to our math discussions about data and probability!

If you missed these recent videos shown in class, here you go!

Real Science Circulatory and Respiratory System

Ted Ed How Does the Heart Pump Blood

YouTube The Blood Flow Song

Ted Ed How the Digestive System Works

There are more in the Articles of Interest section of the blog and on Kidshealth.org.

Now, we will work on the Human Body Corporation!

In class we will work on practicing effective paragraphs, as well as why and how you would write a business letter. We will write samples together to prepare for doing our first project with a rubric — Human Body Corporation!

Each person will choose an organ to represent in the human body.

As a body organ, we will pretend you are an employee of the Human Body Corporation.

Due to recent cost increases, the Human Body Corporation needs to fire workers.  Uh oh! You might lose your job! You need to write a letter to the Human Body Corporation explaining why you are very important to the human body and should not be fired!

In your letter, you need to describe to the Corporation the following characteristics of your organ:

• Tell what the name of your organ is and where you are located
• Identify what systems of the body you work with
• Describe how you work with these systems
• List the other organs that work with you in your system
• Describe your main functions or jobs as a Human Body organ
• Tell the Corporation how you perform those functions or jobs
• Tell the Corporation why you are important and why they should not fire you
• Explain what might happen to the Human Body Corporation if they fired you

Do some further research on your organ. In your JOURNAL, make a new page called “Human Body Corporation Notes.” Write down a bullet point from the list above, and then take some notes in your own words from what you read online or in the books you can find in class.

Next step, you will draft your letter. You will need to use a proper BUSINESS LETTER format to write your letter.

Edit the letter carefully and then have a peer do an edit. Do not let the peer fix the mistakes – that is your job. I am looking for careful use of capitalization and punctuation, complete sentences, and sentences that have a variety of starts to them (instead of all I am this, or I do that.) Try to begin using conjunctions to connect ideas (and, but, however, or), and transition words and phrases (furthermore, next, in this case, etc.)

Then, finally, you will type a finished final draft to turn in to Ms. D, and you will read your letter to the Human Body Corporation (the rest of the class.)

Work on this project will mostly be done in class.

You may use the book or online resources in the classroom to find out information that supports your position AND include this evidence in your letter.

Remember, we showed you a business letter sample in class, and it had specific parts to include:

1.  Addresses and dates  (Make up the address — use something funny)
2.  An opening/greeting with a colon
3.  No indents
4.  A first paragraph introducing yourself, who you are, and what you are asking of the Human Body Corporation
5.  A second paragraph really pleading your case about why you are important. If you need two paragraphs for this, it is okay. Remember to avoid big blobs of text. The Human Body Corporation is busy and likes to read its information in quick, easy-to-digest parts.
6.  A final paragraph summing up what you have said and thanking the Human Body Corporation for being gracious about reading your letter.
7.  A closing (Respectfully, With respect, Sincerely)
8.  A signature

The Human Body Corporation looks forward to hearing your case!

Ms. D