Blog Archives

FRIDAY: 3D SNOWFLAKES WITH OUR BUDDIES

11/29/2013

Today, we enjoyed art with our buddy class. The students paired up with their little buddies from Mrs. Nowotny/Scott's class and learned how to make 3D snowflakes! If you get motivated at home, click here to review how to make one! In Social Studies, we learned about who to distinguish the difference between the reliability of different sources found online. The students learned about the 'C.R.A.A.P. TEST'. This tests the currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose of an online source of information. The students Also learned about the 'TREE OCTOPUS' and watched a short documentary about it. Is this organism real?

1.) MATH 6/7:

You learned how to do a new type of mathematical transformation today! All of you were able to easily understand how to do rotations using your plastic sheets! Click here if you need to review this concept.
Complete 2 'ROTATIONS' worksheets if you have not completed them yet. Don't forget to use your plastic piece to rotate your shapes.
If you have any questions, post them here.

3.) POST A RESPONSE #1: (SOCIAL STUDIES 6/7)

Find out more about your heritage!
Possible sources of information include your mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, internet, encyclopedia, wikipedia, etc.
Interview at least one person you know and tell your classmates about something new you learned from them about your heritage!

4.) POST A RESPONSE: (ART)

Complete colouring your scanned image of your Roy Lichtenstein Pop Art using Pixlr, Picmonkey, Photoshop, or any other digital editing tools you have available from your home.
Once you have completed colouring your image using your digital tools, be sure to post it to this Google Presentation so you can share it with your classmates over the weekend!
Feel free to comment and give feedback to your peers using the 'COMMENT' function on the Google presentation!
If you have any questions or need any help with your digital art, post your comments/questions here.

VIDEO LINKS / LINKS:
How to make 3D Paper Snowflakes
Transformations - Mathematical Rotations

Thursday: What is Culture?

11/28/2013

Today, the students were full of energy during our lesson on 'What is culture?' We decided to mix up our brainstorming session by having each of the students come up in small groups to put one of their ideas on our culture web. Needless to say, the students enjoyed this activity and had bundles to share! Every single student participated on the whiteboard and in the class discussion. The students were using their background knowledge to make connections in order to support their ideas on what culture is. Mrs. Proctor and I could feel the energy in the classroom and the learning that occurred was simply awesome!

1.) POST A RESPONSE #1 (ART):

Improve your post a response from yesterday.
Click here to read the criteria from yesterday.
Be sure to update your image on the presentation that was posted yesterday. Post your revised image next to your new one.

2.) POST A RESPONSE #2 (SOCIAL STUDIES):

Do some investigative research and ask your parents/family/friends/research online about your culture.
What country is your family originally from?
What languages can you speak or do members of your family speak?
What is an example of a traditional delicacy (food) of your culture? What does it taste like? What is it made out of?
Describe your culture's culture's clothing? What is unique about it? What does it look like?
Describe a famous monument in your culture's country?
Describe a tradition/celebration in your family's culture?

VIDEO LINK:
Combing Pictures on Pixlr Video #2 (The speaker is a little difficult to understand but you can easily figure out what to do from watching the video)

WEDNESDAY: Graphic Art / Digital Art

11/27/2013

How did Maven get on to of the Eiffel Tower?

Today, we stepped deeper into the world of digital art! The students learned how to edit and manipulate images using the magic wand, lasso, paint bucket, and layering tools. The students were given a task to complete and many of them were able to create some unique images using www.pixlr.com. Click here to see a few of the images that were created. Through active learning, the students explored and tested out the different functions that each tool had to offer. I can't wait to see what they create over the next few weeks!

1.) SCIENCE 6/7: (if you haven't completed your work yet)

Complete reading and taking notes with your messy thinking on your booklets.
Be sure to pay attention to the reading strategies we have been learning in class. (IE Setting a purpose, background knowledge, connections, inferring, determining what's important, getting the big idea, etc.)
Complete the assigned worksheet.

4.) POST A RESPONSE:

You must watch this video as you do your work. It will make the assignment much easier because you will be able to pause it and rewind it if you still don't understand how to do it.
Your task today is to combine an image of yourself with an image that you find online of a location you have never been to. However, the location must relate to your culture, background, ethnicity, heritage, etc. For example, my image would be related to Korean or Japanese culture.
Feel free to ask your parents a little bit more about your family's culture and where your family comes from in order to give you some ideas.
Post a brief message here about what you know or found out about where your family is from.
Post any questions you have about tonight's assignment here and hopefully one of your classmates will be able to help you out.
Post your image and code name onto this shared Google Presentation. Remember, if it doesn't allow you to post onto this shared document, it is because you haven't signed into your account yet.

VIDEO LINKS / GAME LINKS:
Combining Images on Pixlr

TUESDAY: Soapstone Sculptures Are Coming Alive

11/26/2013

Today, the students had a great deal of time to work on their soapstone sculptures. They were all elated to see how their sculptures have taken shape. Many students were kind and gave me constructive feedback on how I could improve my sculpture. The students continue working with different mediums in art. They are also currently working with the digital medium and creating a pixelated version of their Roy Lichtenstein Onomatopoeia art.

2.) Math 6/7:

Quiz on Translations (Slides) and Reflections (Flips) tomorrow
Click here to review Translations
Click here to review Reflections
Click here for another video on Reflections (REVIEW)

4.) POST A RESPONSE:

Watch this video and leave some words of encouragement and compliments for your classmates, friends, teachers, and family!
I know you are all very happy about tonight's post a response! This gives you more time to study for your math quiz! Be sure to watch the review videos I posted!

VIDEO LINKS / GAME LINKS:

MONDAY: Graphic Art - Pencils to Pixels

11/25/2013

Today, students started exploring the digital world of art! The digital medium is highly engaging for the students and everybody was left wanting to learn more after class was over! The students recently created images by hand (pencil) and coloured them. It is now time to learn about graphic art and design and the students will be taking their original images (uncoloured) and reinforcing the 21st Century Skill of Creativity by manipulating their drawings using the digital medium. This will require a lot of learning with respect to the different tools available to them. They will be using tools such as the magic wand, paintbrush, pencil, anti-aliasing, gradient tools, etc. The students will use the skills they learn in this unit in different subject areas throughout the year.

1.) LA 6/7:

Complete all pages in your 'Alice Munro Wins a Nobel Prize' article.
If you have any questions about inferencing, be sure to post your questions here and your classmates can help you out! (Obviously I will post as well!)

2.) Science 6/7:

Complete graphic organizer if you didn't complete it in class today.

3.) POST A RESPONSE:

Today, you learned some basic graphic editing skills using www.pixlr.com.
Watch this tutorial on how to use the magic wand tool
Visit www.pixlr.com and use the photo editor to upload an image of yourself, and give yourself a moustache to help support 'MOVEMBER'! Feel free to make other edits to your image. There will be a prize for the most creative image!
Save your image to your computer at home when you have finished editing it.
Upload/Save the image to your Google Drive so you can share it with the class tomorrow.
FINALLY......post step by step instructions on how you went about editing your image. Please use this format:

Step 1: Go to www.pixlr.com
Step 2: Click on Photo Editor
Step 3: etc....

VIDEO LINKS / LINKS:

Free Graphic Editor - www.pixlr.com
Free Graphic - www.picmonkey.com
Pixlr tutorial on how to use the magic wand tool

FRIDAY: The Timeline for the 'TIMELINES' is Coming to an End!

11/22/2013

Today, the timeline for the 'TIMELINES' will lapse on Monday! Everyone is nearly finished and now for the best part! Students, If you guessed self-assessments, you are 100% correct! Your assignment over the weekend is to complete your self-assessment, jot down some notes on what you will change on your timeline, make a brief reflection on your criteria sheet, and finally put the final touches on your projects! I am looking forward to seeing the final products on Monday! I can't wait to see all of them! WOOT! WOOT! (picture to be updated)

1.) SOCIAL STUDIES:

Complete your self-assessment
Jot down some notes on what you will change
Make the changes or add what you forgot to add
Write a short reflection on your criteria sheet (page 3)

2.) POST A RESPONSE
a.) Watch this National Geographic Video and in 3-5 concise sentences, explain what the 'BIG IDEA'
is. You can use some of the strategies that you learned in Language Arts to figure out what to
write.
b.) If your parents were to drive you to school, why might this hurt the environment?
c.) What choice might lessen your impact on the environment?

VIDEO / GAME LINKS:
National Geographic - The Human Footprint
Game - TO be updated

THURSDAY: STUDENT SELF-ASSESSMENTS

11/21/2013

Today, the students were able to make progress on their timelines. They worked hard and started putting together their projects according to the criteria that was given. They have all completed their self-assessments for their personal life events and are currently working on assessing their researched world event sentences. Parents and students, watch this 5 minute video on Student Self-Assessment and ask your child how it has helped them learn.

1.) SOCIAL STUDIES:

Timelines are due tomorrow.
You will have time in class tomorrow ONLY to cut,

border, and paste your World Events. Remember, they must
include the link of where you obtained your information from.

Your World Event Sentences must be in tables for tomorrow.

Go through your Timeline checklist to ensure you have included everything. If not, put a check in the 'OOPS' column and make the necessary edits/revisions.

2.) POST A RESPONSE:

You have spent much time on learning how to assess your own sentences.
In your opinion, what are THREE points that you need to consider in the future when you are writing your sentences/paragraphs?
Be sure to be really specific in your response.

VIDEO LINKS:
Parents/Students please watch this video on Student Self-Assessment

WEDNEDAY: Synthesizing and Evaluating

11/20/2013

Today, students continued building on their reading strategies and started to see the connections that exist between each one they have learned about. After Mrs. Jensen and modelled how to annotate a piece of poetry with 'MESSY THINKING' and how to move the information over to a graphic organizer, the students were given a poem and completed the same task while focusing on synthesizing and evaluating strategies.

1.) SOCIAL STUDIES:

Complete your 12-13 typed out World Event sentences (1-3 concise sentences)

Do not choose random events. Look up things like natural disasters (typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, wars, peace, new presidents, prime ministers, famous deaths, etc)
You must have these stored on your Google Drives for tomorrow as you will get the bulk of your projects finished tomorrow afternoon.

2.) MATH 6/7:

Be sure you know how to do translations (slides) and reflections (flips). Watch both of these videos to review the two concepts. Video 1 Reflections (Flips) Video 2 Translations (Slides)
Finish your corrections (Slides/Flips) for yesterday's worksheet.

VIDEO/GAME LINKS:
Khan Academy on Reflections (Flips)
Khan Academy on Translations (Slides)

TUESDAY: REFLECTIONS

11/19/2013

Today, the students continued working on mathematical transformations! They not only worked on translations (moving shapes left, right, up, and down), but they also worked on reflections using red mirras and reflecting shapes over lines of reflection. For homework they have to name the translations and draw reflections. If you need some extra review, feel free to click here to watch/review how reflections work. Once you have completed everything, click here to play a really fun TRANSFORMATIONS game!

1.) SOCIALS:

Research 12-13 significant world events that occurred for each year on your timeline. It is totally acceptable to ask your parents for ideas. If they give you a great idea, do some research and find a reliable source/link to a news article or information.
Be sure to copy and paste the link underneath your sentence.

2.) MATH 6/7:

STEP 1: Watch this video with your parents.
STEP 2: Complete both sides of your math worksheet on Slides (Translations) and Flips (Rotations).
STEP 3: Play this Transformations Game

3.) POST A RESPONSE:

Why do you think we use learning intentions at school?
Why do you think we use criteria to help us learn?
How does feedback help you learn?
Why do you think we write learning reflections on our websites?

VIDEO AND GAME LINKS:
Transformations Game
Khan Academy Video on REFLECTIONS (EXCELLENT REVIEW VIDEO)

MONDAY: SELF-ASSESSMENTS

11/18/2013

Today, students worked on self-assessments of their timeline sentences. Students identified parts of their sentences that needed improvement and they also wrote down what they did to revise their sentences. I was impressed with their ability to articulate what they needed to do to improve on their existing work. The students are learning how to own their learning.

1.) SOCIALS:

Continue researching a significant world event for your timeline for each year.
Be sure to have all your photos at school tomorrow. Most of you will start cutting/pasting.

2.) MATH 6/7:

Complete your 'REFLECTIONS' worksheet. #1-6
See what score you can reach on Tetris. Practice your mathematical transformations! Post your score here!
Play this super galactic game on Mathematical Transformations if you're looking for a challenge! It is so fun!

VIDEO LINKS:
Tetris High Score

Friday: My Apologies

11/17/2013

Boys and girls I apologize for this error but it appears as though Friday's post a response, that many of you had already worked on, has disappeared. I will try to figure out what the problem was. In any case, you have no HW for tomorrow other than your 12-13 detailed sentences.

THURSDAY: TRANSLATIONS

11/14/2013

Today, students continued practicing identifying and plotting points on a grid. In addition to this, they learned how to move them according to any given ordered pair. Most students were able to understand that an ordered pair like (-2, 4) meant they had to move a point 2 units to the left and 4 units up. In addition to this they were able to understand an ordered pair like (4, -4) indicated they had to move a point 4 units to the right and 4 units down. They learned that the entire process of translating an image from start to finish takes time. As long as the students used their quadrant windows and worked carefully, they were able to complete the task.

LEARNING INTENTION: To be able to describe and translate an image on a grid.

1.) SOCIAL STUDIES: Create 1-3 concise sentences describing your 'DETAILED PERSONAL LIFE EVENT'! You must complete 12-13 of them for tomorrow.

2.) MATH 6/7:

Complete translation worksheets if you haven't already done so.
Review these videos: 1.) Transformations - Translations, Reflections, and Rotations 2.) Coordinate System

3.) POST A RESPONSE:

What did you learn in math about the process of translating an image?
What is easy?
What is challenging?
What did you do that helped you correctly 'TRANSLATE/SLIDE' an image to a new position?
Describe what you did for each question using the following format:

STEP 1: _________
STEP 2: _________
etc.....

VIDEO LINKS:
Transformations - Translations, Reflections, and Rotations
Coordinate System

WEDNESDAY: TIMELINES

11/13/2013

Today, the Gr. 6/7 students learned about transformations. More specifically, they learned about rotations, reflections, and translations. We created a class generated definition for each of them and had some practice identifying the different types of transformations. Every single student understood the 3 new concepts and so the learning intention was achieved! YEAH!!!! Watch this video to review what you learned!

LEARNING INTENTION: To understand and identify rotations, reflections, and translations of different shapes.

1.) MATH 6/7:

Quiz on the 4 quadrants tomorrow. Make sure you can label all parts of a cartesian plane!
Watch this video on transformations to prepare for tomorrow's math class.

2.) REGULAR POSTS: Some students have not posted over the last few days. Be sure to go back and complete your work. Remember.....it is report card time!

3.) SOCIAL STUDIES:

Do your best to bring all 12-13 of your photos to school tomorrow so you can start gluing them on to your timelines.
They should be about the size of a wallet photo, however, bring what you can find.
Feel free to resize them on your computer if you know how to do this.

2.) POST A RESPONSE:

In your own words, describe what you learned today about the following: rotations, reflections, and translations.

VIDEO LINKS:
Transformations - Translations, Reflections, and Rotations
Coordinate System

TUESDAY: Decomposers

11/12/2013

Today, students learned about the role decomposers play in our ecosystem. Decomposers break down matter and turn it into nutrients that living things need every day. They use the last of the energy in the food chain. Without decomposers, the soil/air/water would not have the nutrients that producers (plants) require in order to grow. Without producers we wouldn't have oxygen. So, without decomposers, herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores would in turn have no food to feed on. Would life be possible without decomposers?

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Photo retakes are tomorrow.

1.) SOCIAL STUDIES:

Collect and bring 12-13 pictures/images to school tomorrow so you can start working on your timeline.

2.) SCIENCE:

10 question quiz tomorrow on the ecological pyramid
Make sure you can explain why energy is lost at each level and how much energy is lost/gained.
What do organisms use energy for?
Why does each level of the pyramid not receive 100% of the energy from the previous level?

3.) POST A RESPONSE:

Today you learned about the role decomposers play in the ecosystem and answered a few questions about the role they play in our ecosystem. Answering the following terms and be sure to include these terms in your answer: biotic, abiotic, ecosystem, food web,
Salmon return from the ocean to their home streams to reproduce and die. Many people are sad when they see massive amounts of fish dying. The death of the salmon, however, helps to ensure the survival of the species.
What will detrivores such as gulls, eagles, and bears do to the dead salmon? Will they eat every last bit of the salmon or will some parts fall to the ground and into the water?
What will bacteria and fungi do to the salmon and what will happen to the energy stored in the leftovers of the dead salmon?
Will all of the nutrients stay in the streams/oceans? Where else might they go?

VIDEO LINKS:
Decomposer Song
Eagle Catching a salmon
Bears Eating Salmon
Bill Nye - Food Web

THURSDAY: Lest We Forget

11/9/2013

TO be updated.

2.) POST A RESPONSE #1: Watch the video that has been posted on today's post. Which literary element do you see over and over in the video? Think back to your Roy Litchenstein art - What do you call the 'SOUND' that you exaggerated?

3.) POST A RESPONSE #2: You covered 5 reading strategies last week. List all 5 and explain which ones help you the most to understand what you're reading. Provide examples and details.

VIDEO LINKS:
What Does the Fox Say?

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