English Div 4 and 5: You told each other scary stories; some had been published, some were local stories passed by word of mouth, and others were personal experiences with spooky noises and all things Halloween.
Global Simulation: Meet and Greet in costume. You were served food at a banquet for Mars mission candidates and played ice breaker bingo to meet your possible shuttle-mates. Then you played a game of capture the UFO outside. (For those of you wondering what this accomplished: you got to know other grade 8's who will be transitioning to grade 9 and the random class formation of high school with you)
Today's word is skeletal.
Math: Mrs. B used musical notes and recipes to play around with fractions. What a great idea? You were given two hand outs to complete in class.
S.S. Div 3 and 4: You worked on your Viking Boats.
English: Div 4 and 5: You read "The Monkey's Paw" as a reader's theatre. Your Lord of the Flies alternate ending is due in rough draft on Wednesday, November 1st. If you are typing it, share it to gbridal@sd62learns.org. If you are writing it, be prepared to re write the good copy.
Tuesday, October 31st come dressed as your Mars Mission character.
Friday, November 3rd is Commonwealth Swim Field Trip Day (permission forms are due in by Wednesday)
Academic Notes: English Div 4 and 5: Mrs Bertucci, our student teacher, has some fun lessons planned around Halloween this week. She will also be teaching students how to effectively peer/self proofread and edit their written work, an important skill to develop for the future.
S.S. Div 3 and 4: You will be building the Viking Longships that you designed and testing them. Will they be able to float? Can they withstand low wind? Can they withstand high wind? (aka Mrs Bridal's Hairdryer)
Math Div 4: Mrs Bertucci will continue to work on your numeracy skills around fractions. The brain has a hard time realizing these little bits because it is used to thinking in whole numbers. All the activities that you have been doing in class have been to break this habit. ;-)
For Science and French check Mrs Abell's awesome blog!
Here is to a great week....hopefully a better Monday than this little dude.
English Div 4 and 5: You had a chance to work on your story endings in class; a full block was allotted to writing or typing your first draft. You are to finish that draft by Wednesday. Share the document with Mrs Bridal at gbridal@sd62learns.org. You were assigned a role in the spooky Reader's Theatre performance.
S.S. Div 3: Our inquiry question is: How do we know what is important to study in history? Is the Viking civilization worth studying? I would argue that their superior nautical technology, the Longship, proves that these were a formidable human group. So, to explore their technology you completed a worksheet overview of Viking longships. Then, you were to brainstorm and craft a design for your own group's Viking boat constructed out of: 7 small popsicle sticks, 1 large popsicle stick, 2 finger lengths of duck tape, 2 sticks of hot glue, two straws, a lump of molding clay, and a section of cardstock paper. We will build your designs on Monday. You can find this engineering challenge on the bottom of the Unit 2 page on the SS link.
English Div 4 and 5: You were given a grammar or conventions review; you went over basic sentence structure and some punctuation uses. Then, you were given time to write the rough draft of your ending for your story.
S.S. Div 3: You learned about Viking longships and you began building your Viking boats in teams.
Math Div 4: You have been adding fractions in preparation for multiplying them.
English Div 5: You discussed Chapter 8 what happened on a literal and symbolic level. Then, Mrs B. assigned the book project: an alternate ending. One of the main themes of this book is exploring what it means to be civilized so your ending should echo this. Given the timing, the change in class composition, and both Mrs Bs' enthusiasm around the dystopian/sci fi theme we can attach to the Mars mission, we are wrapping up our adventure in the classics.That being said, you can choose to finish the book during literacy.
Math Div 4: You reviewed how to find greatest common denominators to solve addition and subtraction questions with fractions. Your homework is increasing your fluency with multiplication facts by either using a deck of cards to drill your facts or playing games on sites like multiplication.com. By grade 8, we expect fluency; anything less, will set you back.
English Div 4. You finished Chapter 7. Then, Mrs B. assigned the book project: an alternate ending. One of the main themes of this book is exploring what it means to be civilized so your ending should echo this. We will not be reading the rest of the book in class given the time constrainst and both Mrs Bs' enthusiasm around the dystopian/sci fi theme we can attach to the Mars mission. We are wrapping up our adventure in the classics. That being said, you can choose to finish the book during literacy.
Math Div 4: You played a Fractions war game where you had to value one fraction against another. It sparked a lot of great discussion about values and fractions.
S.S. Div 3 and 4: You presented your projects to the class.
English Div 5: You read Chapter 8 of Lord of the Flies, a difficult chapter. Mrs B will be discussing this chapter and talking about the final project tomorrow. Mrs B and Mrs Bridal were speaking after school and they really want to get into the Global Simulation, so they came up with some ways to do that which Mrs B will introduce tomorrow.
English Div 4: You read Chapter 7 of Lord of the Flies. Mrs B will be discussing this chapter and talking about the final project tomorrow. Mrs B and Mrs Bridal were speaking after school and they really want to get into the Global Simulation, so they came up with some ways to do that which Mrs B will introduce tomorrow.
Global Simulation: The passengers met to establish their connections with other characters on the mission. Mrs Abell created a sociogram to represent related groups (by job, by interest, by relationship). We will meet on Wednesday, Literacy to follow up.
Tickets will be on sale for the Halloween Dance (October 26th 6:30 to 8:30). Tickets are $5.
There will be a field trip notice going home tomorrow. We are going to Commonwealth Pool at the end of Halloween Week, November 3rd.
Academic Notes:
This week we will be writing our own interim reports. These reports focus on work habits rather than grades, but the two are very closely related.
S.S.: We will be taking a couple of blocks to view students' personal history projects. Then by week's end we will be doing a Viking STEM activity to launch us into our next inquiry.
English: Mrs B will be working with you this week. We are into the most difficult part of Lord of the Flies. Mrs B intends to read these chapters to you in a circle. Your job will be to listen and interpret what is happening; discussions will focus on human behaviour. What can we learn from this book? Grade 7s will be engaged in activities around their book series which connect with Lord of the Flies' survival theme. Both grades will have a choice of final projects to do related to their books.
Math: Fractions are the topic this week. A reminder that Khan Academy provides free, measured practice for all Math skills. You can download it on your phone, if you have one, or pull it up on your home computer.
Here are Mrs Abell's subject notes:
Science - we have come to the end of our safety unit and students will be given a couple of activities to help them review for their quiz on Thursday. They are to review:
WHMIS symbols and titles
instances in the lab or during an experiment where the student has to understand the safety equipment needed for precautionary measures
procedures in the lab (ex. what to wear, what to do before, during and after an experiment or in the case of an emergency)
I strongly encourage students to also make their summary/study notes to help prepare for the quiz. I will also be collecting interactive notebooks on Thursday, after the quiz, to be evaluated for organization and completion.
FSL - last week we worked with personal pronouns and I introduced the concept of a family of verbs called -er verbs. We took notes together and students were given a practice sheet to complete for Monday. We will go over the sheet and we will practice this concept some more. I will be that horrific teacher and test the students....on Halloween, October 31 (sorry, couldn't find another time in the schedule :0/ )
Global Simulation: This week you will be meeting and greeting the other characters who are hoping to be on the Space AB flight to Mars. Why are we doing this? It is a fun way to flex your creative and critical thinking skills not to mention exercising your social graces. :-)
If you were away, view this video detailing how you will be flying to Mars in our Global Simulation. See me for your role and application form.
Here are the last two day's summaries:
Tuesday:
English Div 5: You worked on symbolism and Lord of the Flies. Read on the literal level, this book is just about a bunch of boys who go wild on an island. Read at the symbolic level, it is much, much more. Mrs. B really appreciated how engaged you were in the lesson especially given she was being assessed by her supervisor. Grade 7s you progressed through the book.
Math Div 4: You wrote an assessment on Pythagorus' Theorem. Then, you were given a variety of fractions to place on a number line on the floor outside our classroom. We could see that some of you know the value of fractions and that some of you are still learning to value them. After that, you reviewed the definition of a fraction along with vocabulary associated with them.
Social Studies Presentations Div 3, 4 We watched some personal histories from our class and others. I emailed students yesterday to remind them that this is a major term mark.
Wednesday:
English Div 5: Such an amazing follow up discussion about the symbolism in this classic. I recorded what you said while Mrs B taught. I was very impressed at the depths of your thought.
Global Simulation: You were given roles in a Global Simulation where you are flying to Mars on the first Space AB flight. The year is 2024. After you were given your roles, you were asked to fill out an application building up the character you were given. This required some creativity and a knowledge of world geography as many of you are from around the world.
We watched a couple of great presentations of family histories. A love story about Gypsies and a memorable accomplishment tied to Cops for Cancer.
Math: You played Fractionary to review basic fractions and have some fun with Mrs Bertucci.
Math Div 4: You worked two practice sheets exploring how to solve for missing sides in right triangles using Pythagorus' Theorem. Also, you had to determine whether a triangle had a right angle based on its side lengths.
Social Studies Div 3 and 4: You had a work block for your Personal History Project.Some of you have left this to the last moment. We call this procrastination and I don't recommend it.
English Div 5: Grade 8s finished Chapter 6 and answered two questions. Grade 7s were to finish the first book in the Island series and submit their facebook pages via google docs.
English Div 4: Grade 8s finished Chapter 6 and answered two questions to be handed in at the end of class.
Today's word is: procrastination ...late assignments = no effort roll
Spirit Week this week: Tomorrow is PJ day, my favourite.
Tuesday is Journey colours day (wear black and red plus any Journey wear you have)
Wednesday is Twin Day (come dressed as a friend or group of friends)
Thursday is Sports Day (come dressed in your uniform/ favourite team jersey to celebrate your favourite sports)
Academic Goals this Week:
English: Mrs B., our student teacher, will continue reading, "Lord of the Flies". You should have read to Chapter 7. If you are away, the pdf and audio text is available on the course link.
Math: You will continue to apply Pythagorus' Theorem with Mrs. B. So this week will be all about right triangles.
S.S.: The Personal History Projects are due on Tuesday. Students will be provided with time in class to work on the finishing touches tomorrow. Presentations will be held on Tuesday afternoon.
Science - this week we will finish up with precautionary knowledge needed to be safe in the science class. You will be required to look into family cupboards to find information included on products at home on Monday. We will finish up with a quiz on the three series of notes we have gone over in class next Monday. You should review a little bit each night to remember the "common sense" rules and the icons that are used for WHMIS, lab safety and home hazardous product labels as well as the information surrounding them.
FSL - I asked you to review personal pronouns over the weekend. We will build up what was learned last week by learning about -er verbs (a family of verbs that are identified by ending in -er). Notes will be taken in class and some exercises will be given for practice.
Math Div 4: You reviewed squares and square roots. You did a page of Pythagorus Right Triangle work.
S.S. Div 3: You reviewed primary and secondary source evidence through the lens of Viking finds. You reviewed the rubric for your Personal History assignment. You will be given in class time to work on this on Monday. The due date for your division in October 18th (Wed) because of scheduling.
Div 4 Personal History Project due on October 17th (Tuesday PM)
English Div 5: You did a character analysis and discussion today. Grade 8s focused on the LotF and Grade 7's The Island characters.
Today's summaries:
(Mrs B., our student teacher, is teaching English and Math until the last week of November as a part of her practicum)
English 8, Div 4 and 5: You were given Chapter 5 to read and annotate. You were given three questions to focus your reading:
English 7: You were given time to read a couple of chapters of your novel, Shipwrecked. Then, you were given time on the chrome books to develop your leader/character facebook pages.
Math Div 4: You were read a story about Pythagorus. Then, you were asked to use Pythagorus' proof on a selection of right angle triangles. You have a POP quiz tomorrow on squares and square roots...not so POP...I have been telling you about it here. Are you listening? ;-)
S.S. Div 3: You got your tests back and some time to improve your marks if you needed. Many of you did exceptionally well on this test. For the lesson, you were given Viking evidence and asked to complete a form detailing what the primary source artifacts told you about the Vikings and what questions they raised. At times, when we are piecing together evidence there are more questions than answers.
Personal History Projects will be presented on Tuesday, October 19th in Mr Sulzen's room.
Today's word is under this cool gif:
Triangle :-)
This was what was sent in an email to families in my classes:
We have a student teacher, Ms B, who will be teaching Math, English, and Foods to my classes as a part of her PDP practicum. She is a mother of 4 and a reading enthusiast. I will continue to teach my S.S. classes.
English Div 4 and 5: Ms B will be continuing with our Lord of the Flies Grade 8 Book Study (Grade 7s will continue to read the Island series as a contrasting study).
Math Div 4: Ms B will be continuing to explore squares and square roots as they apply to Pythagorus. You have a POP quiz on Tuesday to make sure that you can see the relationships between area models, square numbers, and square root.
S.S. Div 3 and 4: Students should have come home with questions about personal or family history around an Personal History Assignment. This sharing of family history is as important, if not more important, than texts written about the late and greats. The student have been given the task of telling a story about themselves or their family using both primary and secondary sources of information. There will be a showcase of these stories on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 17th. Presenting the story can be oral, visual or textual; some kids thrive in front of an audience, others would prefer to present in other ways. There is flexibility around format. At the very least, I am hoping this has sparked a conversation in your home about those stories that make us who we are. We are also beginning to look into the Vikings this week. Human migration and intermingling is a bigger concept that we will be tackling through this topic. It has extensions into what is going on currently in the world.
Please note that both Ms Abell and I are acting as teachers in charge while Ms S is away sick. This means that we will be away from the classroom periodically and a teacher teaching on call will be there in our place. We are on site and so can monitor the class, but will be in the office to support the staff there too.
Math: You completed and submitted your square towers. You did one page of exercises. There will be a pop quiz on Tuesday determining whether you can relate squares and square roots.
English Div 5: Grade 8s you read chapter 4 and we had a discussion about the theme.
Grade 7s you read up to chapter 4 and worked on your facebook page.
English Div 4: You read chapter 4 and annotated it.
Last block was a tutorial: You were to work on Math, English, and S.S. to clear your weekend. If you don't have the tower done, haven't got chapter 4 annotated, or finished detailing your 3 S.S. questions...you have homework. If you had all of that done in class, you are up to date.
Due Date Notice: Social Studies Personal History Due on Tuesday, Oct. 17th (Class time will be provided, but the finished products will be presented in their various forms on this date)
Math Div 4: Square Towers. You built them after music. We will use them to think about those numbers that are less than perfect (like Ms Bridal)
S.S. Div 3: You reviewed how to set up Cornell Notes. Then, you viewed a movie on Vikings. You were to answer the question: How do we know what we know about the Vikings? How do we decide what is important? I wonder if the Vikings could even imagine that we would be looking at what they left behind and thinking about how they lived.
English Div 5: Grade 8 You were to read Chapter 4 and to annotate evidence of the characters acting like "bullies" or being targets or the "victims of bullies". Grade 7s You were to read Chapters 3 and 4. Then, you were given Chrome Books to start a Facebook page for the "most likely" to lead.
English Div 5: Grade 8s: You read Chapter 3 and worked on a writing assignment. You will be given further time to work on this.
Grade 7s: You read up to Chapter 2, listed out your characters and 5 words describing those characters.
Math Div 4: You made Square Towers to visualize squares and square roots.
Social Studies Div 5: You were given time to think about your story and the project deadline was announced. October 19th.
English Div 4: You were given a writing assignment. We will work on it tomorrow. It is linked to the English site under Lord of the Flies Characters writing assignment.
Thanks to Mr. McKenzie for covering me while I worked as the Teacher in Charge today.
Welcome to Mrs Bertucci, our teacher.
Math Div 4: You were introduced to the idea of square roots. Mr McKenzie gave you a lesson on the concept using materials from the Math link and you were given a worksheet to practice working with the concept. tis a new idea for you; don't be surprised if you have to work harder because of that fact.
S.S. Div 3 and 4: You were given time to complete the Primary/Secondary Source Test and I will mark those tonight. You were also given time to work on the Personal History Project. Mr McKenzie gave out an article on new findings around Vikings; you were to read that and note the primary and secondary sources of information. History and our versions of it can change with new finds.
English Div 4 and 5: You were given a lesson on adjectives and word order. You had a practice set that you had to work on to practice placing the adjectives in order. Base lesson here is that you can use more than one adjective to describe a noun.
Ms Bertucci, a student teacher from the University of Victoria, will be joining our class for the next two months starting on Monday, October 2nd.
Wednesday is Cops for Cancer Fundraising Finale at EMCS Grade 8s will be bused to the high school to participate.
Subject Notes
English 8 Div 4 and Div 5: We will look into how to order strings of adjectives to describe people, places, and things. I am aiming to read Chapters 3 to 5 of LotF with you and you will be filling out a plot outline to summarize key story elements as we read them.
English 7 Div 5: We will review the same grammar as the 8s. You will be reading Chapters 4 to 6 of your books and you will be filling out a plot outline to summarize key story elements as you read.
Social Studies Div 3 and 4: We will look at the primary evidence that was left behind by the Vikings. You will be given time to work on your personal histories.
Math Div 4: After exploring perfect squares, we are now ready to look at square roots. There is a link to this unit on the Math Wiki.
