We hosted a fantastic Greek Day learning celebration today! I think everyone really outdid themselves on their projects, they were incredibly creative and I could tell that many of the students in our school, at every grade level, had a lot of fun while you taught them all about Greece. Some of the creative projects included a movie theatre, Sparta vs. Greece chess game, a beautiful book on the gods and goddesses, building Greek architecture using Lego, and interactive stations such as writing your name in Greek, Kahoot quizzes, building your own pottery, and goddess colouring sheets.
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This week we learned all about Ancient Greek mythology and the Greek Gods and Goddesses! We created these "trading" cards to show what we had learned. Our success criteria was that we create 4-6 cards each, that we include interesting and accurate information on each card, that our photo or drawing suits the god, and that effort, quality, and creativity is evident in our work. This was a really fun and creative project. I quite enjoyed seeing what each student came up with, including the beautiful drawings, the hilarious celebrity match ups, and the incredibly unique Hermes mailbox, with clay figures included! Bravo!
Learning Intentions: I can demonstrate an understanding of the origins, core beliefs, narratives, practices, and influences of religions. This week Chantrell Creek hosted a Celebration of Learning, and invited the community into the school to come and see what all the classes were working on. One of our items that was on display throughout the hallways was a project we did with our little buddies called 'The Best Part of Me'. Modelled after Wendy Ewald's book of the same title, each student chose what they thought was the best part of themselves and wrote a short caption (based on the success criteria) that would accompany a photo of that part. I love how this display turned out as the black and white photos are really striking! Learning Intentions: I can use descriptive vocabulary to describe a part of myself, including at least one simile or metaphor, staying on topic, focusing on one body part, and including multiple reasons why I chose that body part. As we are now well underway in our Greek unit, we have a few items up on display in our room, such as the Greek flag, our vocabulary wall, many many books on Greece, student created Ancient Greek timelines, and these beautiful maps of Greece also created by us! Learning Intentions: I can use various types of graphs, tables, timelines, and maps to obtain or communicate information.
During the afternoon, we celebrated with a mock ancient Greek trial (Learning Intention: I can describe aspects of current Canadian laws and government structures that have evolved from ancient civilizations.) and we watched our class' version of The Iliad. The Iliad is an ancient Greek epic poem by Homer, the first and greatest of epic poets.. in fact, he is the author of the first known literature of all of Europe! Learning Intention: I can create artistic works collaboratively using ideas inspired by imagination, inquiry, and experimentation. To wrap up our busy busy week, we spent Friday afternoon at the brand new Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre. The students had so much fun diving off the high boards, slipping down the water slide, or relaxing in the lazy river. This facility is so beautiful and a lot of fun was had!
Learning Intentions: Daily participation in different types of physical activity influences our physical literacy and personal health and fitness goals. We continued our learning celebrations with a field trip to Science World! Learning Intentions: I can demonstrate a sustained curiosity about a scientific topic or problem. I can identify influences and contributions of ancient societies to present-day culture. I can conduct investigations into properties of matter and measure substances and solutions according to pH. When we first arrived, we had free choice time to explore the galleries, such as the Sara Stern Gallery, where we could crawl through a real beaver lodge, sniff out the aromatic scent of cedar, sink our fingers into a bear's furry coat, listen to the buzz of bees, play out a tune on a stone lithophone, and stand beneath a towering T. rex. Another fun gallery was the Eureka! Gallery, where we could launch a parachute, capture our shadows and move ourselves with a giant propeller as we experimented with water, light, sound and motion among the colourful and lively exhibits. After our free time, we went up to watch 'Mysteries of Egypt' on the largest OMNIMAX dome screen in the world! At an incredible 5 storeys high and 27 metres in diameter (can't escape the math either!) we felt like we were right in the middle of the action. Mysteries of Egypt is about a grandfather explaining the Egyptian archeological wonders to his inquisitive granddaughter. Gorgeously composed shots linger over the pyramids, the Sphinx, temples and the Nile. Re-enactments of events, such as the building of the pyramids, the burial of King Tut, and the 1922 opening of his tomb spark went hand in hand with what we had learned all throughout term 2. This was a spectacular way to wrap up our Egypt unit! But our day wasn't even close to done yet. We then went to the lab for our Chemistry workshop! Chemistry is all about atoms—but atoms are too small to see. Chemists use the observable properties of substances to deduce their atomic structure. In this workshop, we used indicator chemicals that distinguish acids from bases, carried out safe chemical reactions, and looked for signs of chemical and phase change. This hands-on discovery encourages students to try new things and ask "What would happen if...?" It really brought out the curious scientists in all of us!
This term we learned A LOT about Egypt, both Ancient and Modern times. It all began with the geography of Egypt and the Nile river. We learned about farming practices and the economy, including Khan el-Khalili, a modern open air market. We learned about modern transportation, and how the ancient Egyptian built the pyramids, and we even went to the S.T.E.A.M. Lab to try and reproduce the pyramids ourselves. We compared and contrasted their education with ours, and we learned about the ancient hieroglyphics and created our own personal cartouches writing our names in clay, which were later spray painted gold. We learned about the ancient Egyptian's gods and created poems inspired by them, and we also learned about the modern religion of Islam. We learned about mummification and the complex process that was. We learned about some of the major pharoahs of the ancient times, the social classes, and the recent political uprisings and riots.
To celebrate all that we had learned, we hosted an Egypt Day for our school. In groups, we create projects/stations with a focus on being informative, creative, entertaining, interactive, and fun! We dressed up in costume and educated our younger peers and parents on everything Egypt! It was a fabulous day! Learning Intentions:
I can deliver a formal presentation on a selected inquiry using two or more forms of representation. I can compare Canadian society with the society of another country. I can compare Canada's economy, technology, and quality of life with those in a selected country. I can identify influences and contributions of ancient societies to present-day cultures. I can use various types of maps to obtain or communicate information. I can analyze social roles within one or more ancient civilizations. I can assess ways technological innovations enabled ancient peoples to develop their cultures. I can create meaningful visual representations demonstrating the narratives and influences of ancient religions. For our first term, the grade 7s have been learning about Early Man, while the grade 6s have been learning about Kenya and comparing it with Canadian society. For our end of term project, the students created a presentation based on these topics. The criteria was very open, allowing these to be student directed projects. The criteria, created together as a class, included that the projects be informative, creative, and engaging. We celebrated our successes and shared our learning with our parents and the rest of the school. It was a spectacular day and many people told me how impressed they were with all of the projects... each project was unique and fun! I am so proud of all of you! Learning Intentions: I can compile a body of information from a range of sources. I can deliver a formal presentation on a selected inquiry using two or more forms of representation. Throughout the term the grade 7s have been busy learning about archaeology, excavations, fossils, creation stories, stone tools, the habitats of the ancient people, and the theory of the evolution of man. Throughout the term the grade 6s have been learning about life in Kenya by going on a "safari" with our friend Whycliffe, exploring photos and videos, and learning traditional songs. Mrs. Kilbride also shared her personal experiences in Kenya with us, it was really exciting! WOW, I can't believe it's already October! Time sure flies when you're having fun! Thank you everyone for returning your consent forms so quickly!! You are all awesome! Please take the time to explore, fill out the Parent and Student info forms, and check out what's going on with Division 2! Science Both grades have been learning about Earth Sciences, with a focus on organisms and ecosystems. We are so blessed to be living in this beautiful environment and took the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. We explored the local organisms and ecosystem, making what we are learning in class more tangible. I can't wait until we go to Burns Bog later this month to further strengthen our connections! Learning Intentions: I can make observations aimed at identifying their own questions about the natural world. Social Studies The grade 7s have begun their Early Man unit, starting with learning about archaeology. We created our own excavation sites and buried artifacts for eachother to dig up. We learned we had to be patient and take special note on coordinates and depth in order to give us more accurate clues on how old these "ancient artifacts" were. Meanwhile, the grade 6s have been going on a "virtual safari" to Kenya (where the Lion King takes place!) and had the opportunity to listen to our very own Ms. Kilbride's stories and photos of her journeys there. How lucky is that!? Fun fact: The oldest stone tools and first humanoid fossils have been discovered in Kenya! I wonder what other connections the 6s and 7s will make with eachother... I can't wait until we all share our final projects at the end of the term. Learning Intentions: I can use Social Studies inquiry processes and skills to ask questions, gather, interpret, and analyze ideas; and communicate findings and decisions. Language Arts We have been concentrating on writing mini stories with a focus on connecting to our readers. We have learned that one of the purposes of writing is communication and that authors write in order to connect with their readers. We have been focusing on using more detail and voice in our pieces, and experimenting with similes to keep our readers interested. The students have been enjoying the student lounge during our writing sessions, and we played relaxing instrumental music to help keep us focused. When the nurse visited us this morning, she commented on how lovely it was! We think so too! Learning Intentions: I can use writing and design processes to plan, develop, and create engaging and meaningful literary and informational texts for a variety of purposes and audiences. We have been hired into our team jobs and have been busy deciding how we will work together to keep our classroom community running smoothly while giving us independence and a sense of responsibility. I saw some great leadership from the Health and Wellness Committee today during P.E. They ran our stretches, set up our equipment, and taught us a really fun new game! I have also noticed how nice and organized the class is becoming, a special thank you to our Sanitation Commissioners for re-educating us on our new recycling program, and to everyone for remembering to change into your indoor shoes. Learning Intentions: I can contribute to group activities that make my classroom, school, community, or natural world a better place. Terry Fox Run Unfortunately, I was at a workshop at the Surrey Teachers' Office and had to miss out on the Terry Fox Run. I was super disappointed as I believe this is an amazing cause and one I would have liked to support in person. Cancer is too rampant these days and seems to have touched many of us in one way or another. I truly believe that one of you could discover the cure for this nasty disease one day if that's what you want to do. THANK YOU to the extremely talented Caroline Vasica for taking these amazing shots during the event! Learning Intentions: I can identify how my actions and the actions of others affect my community and the natural environment and can work to make positive change. |
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June 2016
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