A collection of moments from our Grade 7 learning community
Would you ever want to travel through space? Scientists think that there are thousands, if not millions, of possible planets to visit! Known as ‘exoplanets’, these are planets outside of our solar system. Some of them might even be viable options to have life on them!
For Monday, please fill in your green sheet about which of the top 10 strangest exoplanets you would want to ‘vacation’ on. I’ve attached the file above and linked the video below:
We know that making a good first impression is important. But what if the person we’re meeting isn’t really a person… at least not in the way we know! Our class has been discussing the different theories around exoplanets in the universe, and if there could be intelligent life out there. If there are ‘aliens’, would we want them to know about Earth?
We looked at some examples from the ‘Golden Record’, a message that was sent into space in the 1970s. On this record, there were images, sounds, and words that scientists thought would be a good ‘introduction’ to life on Earth.
Do you think it is a good idea to try to contact ‘aliens’? Why or why not? Check out the video below for more information!
What do you know about opera? While many people might have a snap judgement of this musical genre, singing opera actually requires a lot of expertise, training, and physical strength! Opera singers routinely have to use their lung capacity, posture, tongue placement, and vibrato to project their voices throughout an entire theatre (without a microphone)!
If you want to learn a little more about opera, check out the videos below (VOLLUME WARNING!):
To our Grade 7s (and the parents and guardians of our Grade 7s),
Just a reminder that tomorrow, representatives from Burnaby North will be meeting with us at school. These school counselors will be providing us with information about course selection and answering some questions we might have about Grade 8!
After the seminar, students will be sent home with 2 forms: a course selection form and a medical information form. These forms must be returned to me (Ms. Ward) by February 17.
While I am looking forward to the excitement of planning for Grade 8, it makes me very aware that our time together is limited… let’s make the most of our last few months at Lochdale!
Best,
Ms. Ward
Our class is investigating what humanity might look like in the future as part of our exploration of utopias/dystopias. We discussed how some people think that Mars may be the future home of humans if Earth is no longer a sustainable, habitable environment. For us to live on Mars, we would need to prepare for many harsh realities including: no breathable atmosphere, extreme climate, travel concerns, food and water, etc.
Click on the link above for our PowerPoint, and watch the video below for some basic facts about our potential new home:
Did you know January 30th is ‘Draw a Dinosaur Day’? Our class learned about different representations of the T.Rex and how they have changed throughout time. ‘Paleoartists’ (artists and scientists who are responsible for creating 2D or 3D representations of dinosaurs) do the best they can with the information they are given from fossils. We discussed how our understanding of dinosaurs has changed over time. Please feel free to click the link above for more information!
Our class is investigating the significance of photography! We know there are many types of photography (ex: wildlife photography, portraits, telescopic photography, food photography) that all serve different purposes. We discussed how we can use our observations to make inferences about what is happening in the photograph! Check out the PowerPoint (linked above) to test your own observation skills!
Watch the video above to see an ‘underwater dog photographer’ in action!
Last week, Ms. Cummings (our Indigenous Learning and Resource Teacher) began discussing land stewardship with our class. We discussed how humans can have positive and negative influences on our environment, and learned about how Indigenous communities have served as stewards and protectors of land since time immemorial.
In the video above, the N’we Jinan Artists, from the Tsleil-Waututh nation, sing about their hopes, commitments, and concerns to protecting their ancestral territories.
Some discussion questions for at home:
Black Excellence_ Katherine Johnson and Jesse Owens
We know that acknowledging and amplifying stories of Black Excellence goes beyond one day or one month, so we are continuing to learn about influential people in Black history. Today, our class read short biographies about Jesse Owens and Katherine Johnson. Both Owens and Johnson overcame prejudice through perseverance and excellence. Please feel free to click the link above to read the biographies, and watch the videos below!
Video below: A short documentary about the importance of Katherine Johnson to the NASA program
Video below: historical footage of Jesse Owens competing in the Berlin Olympics (TW: this footage was taken in Germany during the Nazi regime and, while not graphic, does include brief footage of fascist symbols)
On January 15th, our class celebrated Black Excellence Day! Black Excellence Day is observed as a day to “rejoice Black history and learn about Black stories, Black art… and a day to stand in solidarity”. For more information about Black Excellence Day, feel free to see the website linked here: https://blackexcellenceday.ca/
We began our explorations through celebrating and learning about influential activists, politicians, musicians, scientists, authours, athletes, influencers, etc. from both the past and present. So far, we have read short biographies about Stevie Wonder, Serena Williams, and Harriet Tubman. Please click the link below to if you would like to read a brief summary:
Black Excellence_ Stevie Wonder and Serena Williams and Harriet Tubman
Video(s) below: Stevie Wonder’s performance of “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours
Oprah and TSN’s farewell to Serena Williams
The song “Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo, written for the biographical film Harriet about the life of Harriet Tubman