Why BLOG?!

Good-day Parents and Students,

The purpose of this page is to provide you and your family with any additional information you may need throughout this school year! This blog involves professional learning content that I have compiled for you and your families, in order to thrive in my class! With the expansion of technology, blogging is a great way to communicate and provide extra help to those who may be more passive about learning. Some of my activities encourage students and parents to research, provide information on and even publish posts on their experience and knowledge.

The main reasons why I use this blog is:

• To share information and class news with parents, family and caregivers.
• To provide students with a way to access assignments, homework, resources and information about their class online.
• For global collaboration and authentic audience.
• To inspire and motivate students.

The benefits of my class blogging include:

• Blogging opens up the possibilities of audience in new ways. When students are writing or publishing for an audience other the teacher, it impacts how they view what they doing and the intrinsic motivation they have.
• Students love seeing their work on the Internet and adore getting comments from people. It motivates them to write as it gives them an audience that is real.  The blog opens up a whole new world of people who can offer encouragement and feedback.
• The blogging experience forces the students to do more reflection on their learning and allows them to showcase products they have produced with online tools.
•  Blogging provides an authentic educational experience, where what they write is not only seen and commented on by their teacher, but by their peers and the “public.” For most students, it’s a bit of extra motivation knowing their peers will see their work.
• There is an authentic audience – a global audience – one that is willing to connect, share, challenge, discuss and communicate with classes. This audience can provide further information, opinions, suggest resources, seek answers to questions and so on which pushes blogging further.
• Blogging develops a learning network. Exercise books etc need not be pushed and crumpled in school lockers only to be placed in the rubbish bins at the end of the school year, but student work is out there for their school lives.

And of course to connect to all the curriculum expectations and requirements we will need to accomplish throughout this school year!

I WANT YOU TO ALL SUCCEED & I WILL DO ALL I CAN TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL

SEE YOU ALL IN CLASS! =)

Ms. Ward

Game Learning! Who Knew! – CLICK HERE!

STUDENTS OF ALL INTERESTS AND AGES!

I HAVE FOUND YOU A WEBSITE THAT IS FUN AAAANNNNDDDD EDUCATIONAL..

Please thank me later!

ENJOY!

Ms. Ward

Math Math and More Math?

Hello my smart students!

Here is this weeks balanced math activities! Please see me ASAP if you forgot your group #!

Math Journal

Explain what the ‘equals’ (=) means within an equation.

Use clear language and a diagram to prove your answer.

Create three examples that demonstrate your thinking.

Can the numbers be moved around the equations?

Word Problem

Tien has 76 felt markers.

Some are at school and 27 are at home.

How many are at school?

Show your understanding.

Write the equation as it is stated.

Re-write it in as many other equations as possible.

 Mental Math

 Answer the question on the sheet provided.

You may work together on this.

 Math Game

 Step 1:   Place the number cards face down

Step 2: On your turn, take 3 cards. Make a 2-digit number out of the cards (you choose which ones).

Step 3: Start with the 2-digit number you created and put this on the right side of your equation. Use the 1-digit leftover and create the left side of your equation so it can be said to be true.

Step 4: Find your answer on the number line. The colour tells your score. Record your score.

5 for red

3 for blue

1 for black

Step 5: Return your cards. Mix up the cards.

Step 6: Next person’s turn.

Continue playing until someone reaches 25 points.

Seat Work 

Day 1: Pg. 37 and 43

Day 2: Pg. 46 and 47

Day 3: Pg. 48 and 49

Day 4: Pg. 156 and 157 and 158

Day 5: Pg. 159 and161

 

Rocks & Minerals ROM Field Trip!

Hello students and parents!

Be sure to check your folders as there is lots of information about the ROM field trip coming up next month! Here is a description of the trip in case it was misplaced! Be sure to contact me for the permission form if it was lost!

The Rocks and Minerals excursion will be held at the Royal Ontario Museum. The museum is located at 100 Queens Park in downtown Toronto, Ontario. The galleries and exhibits are designed for exploration and discovery of treasures from all around the Earth and space. This particular field trip will focus on the observation and interaction with various rocks and minerals that the world has to offer. The ROM is a great place for children of all ages to learn through hands-on activities and interactive programs. The educational program consists of over 4.5 billion years of historical collections and reflects many components of the standards found in the Ontario curriculum.

The reason the ROM was chosen for this particular unit is so the children will experience a hands-on lab, where they can physically interact with over fifty specimens of rocks and minerals, as well as enjoy the entertainment of experts who will explain the various important details with the students. We will also take a tour through the exceptional galleries of dazzling gems, ancient fossils, and rocks and minerals in order to allow students to experience the riches of the earth. The children will then have the opportunity to eat lunch in the restaurant and roam the ROM with their groups and parent volunteers throughout the afternoon Discovery Period. This specific exhibit has been chosen to be the main component of the Rocks and Minerals Unit, as the children will have attained basic knowledge in order to get the most out of this experience.The overall goal is to identify and assess different uses and needs for rocks and minerals through the topics of: science, technology, math and engineering.

Ontario Curriculum Expectations For This Unit Are As Follows:

Science Expectations
1. Relating Science and Technology to the Environment
1.1 Assess the social and environmental costs and benefits of using objects in the built environment that are made from rocks and minerals.
1.2 Analyze the impact on society and the environment of extracting and refining rocks and minerals for human use, taking different perspectives into account.
2. Developing Investigation Skills
2.2 Use a variety of tests to identify the physical properties of minerals (e.g., hardness [scratch test], colour [streak test], magnetism).
2.3 Use a variety of criteria (e.g., colour, texture, luster) to classify common rocks and minerals according to their characteristics.
2.4 Use scientific inquiry/research skills to investigate how rocks and minerals are used, recycled, and disposed of in everyday life.
2.5 Use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including hardness, colour, luster, and texture, in oral and written communication.
2.6 Use a variety of forms (e.g., oral, written, graphic, multimedia) to communicate with different audiences and for a variety of purposes(e.g., use a graphic organizer to show how rocks and minerals are used in daily life on their brochure).
3. Understanding Basic Concepts
3.1 Describe the difference between rocks (composed of two or more minerals) and minerals (composed of the same substance throughout), and explain how these differences determine how they are used.
3.2 Describe the properties (e.g., colour, luster, streak, transparency, hardness) that are used to identify minerals.
Math Expectations
Measurement
• Determine, through investigation, the relationship between grams and kilograms.
• Select and justify the most appropriate standard unit to measure mass (i.e., milligram, gram, kilogram) and the most appropriate standard unit to measure the capacity of a container (i.e., milliliter, liter)
• Compare and order a collection of objects, using standard units of mass (i.e., gram, kilogram)
Language Expectations
Oral Communication
1. Listen to Understand Purpose
1.1 Identify purposes for listening in a variety of situations, formal and informal, and set goals related to specific listening tasks.
Active Listening Strategies
1.2 Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate listening behaviour by adapting active listening strategies to suit a variety of situations, including work in groups.
Demonstrating Understanding
1.3 Demonstrate an understanding of the information and ideas in a variety of oral texts by summarizing important ideas and citing important details.
Extending Understanding
1.6 Extend understanding of oral texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights; to other texts, including print and visual texts; and to the world around them.
2. Speaking to Communicate
Purpose
2.1 Identify a variety of purposes for speaking.
2.2 Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate speaking behaviour in a variety of situations; including paired sharing and small- and large-group discussions.
Writing
1. Developing and Organizing Content
1.1 Identify the topic, purpose, and audience for a variety of writing forms.
Developing ideas
1.2 Generate ideas about a potential topic using a variety of strategies and resources.
Research
1.3 Gather information to support ideas for writing using a variety of strategies and oral, print, and electronic sources.
Classifying Ideas
1.4 Sort and classify ideas and information for their writing in a variety of ways.
Review
1.6 Determine whether the ideas and information they have gathered are relevant and adequate for the purpose, and do more research if necessary.

Learning Goals
• Students will learn the basic facts of rocks and minerals.
• Students will learn the physical characteristics of various rocks and minerals.
• Students will learn the different uses of various rocks and minerals in our everyday lives.
• Students will learn the impacts that specific rocks and minerals have on technologies, the environment and the world at large.

Integral Components of the Excursion:
• Students will need to write down key points of their general observations throughout the trip.
• Research is to be conducted on the chosen rock or mineral of each group.
• Findings of their research are to be recorded on their worksheet so that they have enough information to complete their brochure.

 

It’s About Time!

 

Hey all, this is the activity we did in class today! Please feel free to expand on this knowledge and/or do it at home!   Do an experiment that plays with amounts of time: o    I.e. What sorts of actions can we do with our bodies that take only a second? o    I.e. Predict how many times we can do this task in a minute? – Try using an egg timer, and other actions etc. –          Looking a little closer at the analog clock we will physically investigate how many seconds are in a minute and how many minutes are in an hour with some short examples. –          Prior knowledge of digital clocks will be briefly reviewed and connected to the analog clock format. o    I.e. The digital clock is a square vs. the analog clock is a circle. o    I.e. On the digital clock, the first number is the hour and the 2nd numbers are the minutes. o    I.e. On the analog clock, the little hand shows the hours, and the long hand shows the minutes. –          Make connections to specific times that tasks and transitions are performed at: o    I.e. Need to know what time school starts, soccer practice, dinner etc. –          Begin activity by communicating the purpose of time and how important it is to know as we get older. The teacher will then explain and show an example of the clock activity we will get to manipulate and learn about the numbers in time and their meanings!

–          The students will apply their understanding of counting methods, addition, time intervals through the use of visual manipulatives and examples. –          Students will be ‘racing against the clock’ in order to calculate specific times on a large scale clock made out of connecting cube sets. The children will be able to visualize and measure the numbers on large chart paper in order to comprehend the numbers on an analog clock. Groups will experiment with connecting cubes and presenting twelve intervals of five in order to complete the amount of minutes in an hour. –          In groups of 4 the children will get 60 connecting cubes per group; each individual will get 15 cubes the same colour to be put in sets of 5 (3 sets of 5 each). Each group member will have different colours in order to show a pattern on the clock (4 different colours per group). –          Each group will then gather their sets of connected cubes into a patterned circle on chart paper with spaces in between the groups, so that they can write the numbers in. The students can tape the groups down if necessary. –          Students will write the 12 group(s of 5) numbers on the inner layer of the circle, starting with 12 then 1, 2, 3, etc. –          Through investigation, students will count individual blocks and write the calculated number between each set of 5 on the outer layer of the circle (starting with 60 then 5,10,15,20 etc.). o    If children begin with 1/5 rationalise by slightly turning the clock so that 12/60 are at the top. Explain that the number 12 is considered to be the middle of the day and the middle of the night so its place on the clock needs to be at the top for a starting point and a full cycle. –          Once the clock example is completed, the children will each experiment with a long hand and short hand to display specific times of the day when tasks are done. –          The teachers can scaffold learning by initiating thinking questions and promoting higher order thinking that can be related to realistic situations: o    I.e. What time do we eat breakfast, come to school, have lunch, go to sleep etc. o    I.e. Show me the time 3:10, 7:30 & 2:45 etc. o    I.e. Show me your favourite time of the day/night. Why? –          Follow-up (day 2) activity will be making their own craft clock that shows both minutes and hours to refer to as well as a ‘digital to analog’ worksheet that displays a digital clock and an empty analog clock for the children to draw the hands in the proper position. The Intended Student Outcomes For This Lesson Are As Follows: Math Expectations: Attributes, Units, and Measurement Sense: – Tell and write time to the quarter-hour, using demonstration digital and analogue clocks. Patterns and Relationships: – Identify, describe, and create, through investigation, growing patterns and shrinking patterns involving addition and subtraction, with and without the use of calculators. – Create a repeating pattern by combining two attributes. Language Expectations: Oral Communication: 1.1 Identify purposes for listening in a variety of situations, formal and informal, and set personal goals for listening, initially with support and direction. The learning goal of this lesson is for students to learn and identify components of time including the short and long hand of the clock as well as what the numbers symbolize. The concept of telling time contributes to various cognitive skills such as identifying elapsed time, ability to count by large numbers, abstract ideas of how much time passes, specific times of day when activities happen as well as a better understanding of gauging and estimating situations. Children will learn through a hands-on approach how patterns and relationships play an integral role in time and everything surrounding us. Students will also work and interact together in order to learn through a constructivist approach.

 

Afternoon Mathlings,

Today there were some difficulties with the math activities – here are some applications that you can download on your ipads/iphones at home for practice:

Click Here for the 12 math apps

Surviving Language Class!

 Hi Grade 5’s,

here is the handout lesson and the things I am looking for in your assignments:

 

SURVIVAL KIT

 

          We all strive to survive in our worlds and we use many items to help us on our way. The characters in our stories are survivors as well but, as with all of us, they could use some help in their struggle.   Choose one of the characters from your literature study and develop a survival kit that could have helped them on their quest, or could help them in the future.

          Each person will choose 8 items for their survival kit and will provide a brief write-up about each choice explaining, using evidence from the text, how and why their item will be useful. All of the selections will be placed into a box which will be decorated as a “Survival Kit” for the character of your choice. Students will present their kits to the class in a creative manner.

          Marks will be given out based on creativity, originality, depth of understanding, oral presentation, and overall presentation.   Get creative and think about your selections.   What would be the most useful items to the character based on what you have learned from the text, what you know about the world around you, and what you know about the world at large?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Survival Kit Teacher Name: Student Name:     ________________________________________

 

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Oral Presentation	Presentation was very engaging, informative and appropriate for the audience.	Presentation was mostly engaging, informative, and appropriate for the audience.	Presentation was somewhat engaging, informative and appropriate for the audience.	Presentation was not engaging, informative or appropriate for the audience.
Item Selection	Items in the Survival Kit fully demonstrate an understanding of the novel’s “Big Idea” and clearly show world, text, and self connections.	Items in the Survival Kit demonstrate an understanding of the novel’s “Big Idea” and show world, text, and self connections.	Items in the Survival Kit somewhat demonstrate an understanding of the novel’s “Big Idea” and hardly show world, text, and self connections.	Items in the Survival Kit hardly demonstrate an understanding of the novel’s “Big Idea” and fail to show world, text, and self connections.
Writing	At least one full descriptive paragraph was provided for each item in a clear and concise manner.	One descriptive paragraph was provided for each item in a clear and concise manner.	Less than one paragraph was provided for each item in a choppy and uncertain format.	Little or no writing was provided and sentences were unclear as to their purpose.
Overall Presentation	Survival Kit was very eye catching, creative and organized.	Survival Kit was eye catching, creative and organized.	Survival Kit was somewhat eye catching, creative and organized.	Survival Kit was dull, lacked creativity and showed no signs of organization.

 

Life Science: The Human Body

Hi grade 5’s,

Be sure to bring in your worksheets fully labeled so that we can learn more about the skeletal system. Recall your journal questions:

–          How many bones are in the skeletal system? (1)

–          Do you think a baby has more or less bones than an adult and why? (2)

–          What is the role of the skeletal system for the human body? (3)

–          What foods and activities help our bones grow stronger? (4)

–          A question and answer response for: (4)

o   Simple vs. compound fracture

o   Sprains and Arthritis

–          Describe the difference between: (4)

o   Hinge Joint

o   Ball and Socket

o   Gliding Joint

o   Immoveable Joint

o   Pivot/Swivel Joint

Be sure to be safe! Our bodies are very important!

Ms. Ward

PARENTS: Understanding our Child’s Behaviour

Understanding our Child’s Behaviour

            Raising a child is no easy task and developing a positive and nurturing environment for our children is often easier said than done. Life is stressful, busy and we don’t always have the time that we need for our children. When we see their behaviour acting up we need to do our best to remain calm and not to overreact. As children grow up they are “trying out” behaviour to see how it feels and to learn the boundaries of life and of the people around them. If we want to raise children who are positive and resilient we have to understand their behaviour and to address the negative behaviour when it arises so that we may guide them toward more successful ends over the long term.

    The following chart gives examples of some common behaviour that is found in children, methods of recognizing what is wrong, and ways of addressing the behaviour once we know it is there.

 

Child’s Behaviour	The Way They Make Me Feel	Solution to the Behaviour
Attention Seeking	Annoyed	This behaviour is solved by ignoring the negative behaviour of the child and praising their positive behaviour, or the behaviour that we wish them to have.
Control Seeking	Angry	Children who are seeking control, or power, need to be given a choice between two options and the time to consider those options. For example: “You can begin cleaning your room by collecting up your dirty laundry or by making your bed.   I’ll give you a minute to make up your mind.” The child needs to approach a problem as if they decided to get there themselves, even if you have limited their scope of what their possible options are.
Control with Violence	Angry / Scared	This is usually a learned behaviour and requires the same treatment as a control-seeking child while developing strategies for coping with the violent outbursts.   Help the child find ways to separate themselves from a situation when they find that they are getting angry and to think, or breathe their way through the moment.
Withdrawn	The child seems to go unnoticed.	This child generally has a very low point of self-esteem and requires a lot of praise. Compliment them on everything from how they look to how they are doing any activity.   Praise and more praise.

 

Math is fun!

Hi grade 4’s,

Here is the music conversion money that we did last week in music class, be sure to count your dimes!

 

Also,

Today we worked on the alignment of grids and how to read co-ordinates on a grid chart.

I hope all of you have finished your final grids with rulers and titles.

As promised, I said I would post the ‘Mathletes Battleship’ instructions for you on here so you can play at home on your own battleship boards:

Instructions: Start by placing your ships anywhere on the bottom multiplication chart. Next, choose who goes first by flipping a coin. Then to start the game, whoever was chosen to go first, asks their opponent either a multiplication or division question. The answer will determine whether it is a hit or a miss. It’s a hit if the answer is where you have placed a ship. You can mark a hit with the pins provided on the board on the top. A miss is if the answer of the question is not where a ship is. You can mark your misses on a piece of paper. You win the game by sinking all of your opponent’s ships. You only need one hit to sink a ship.

HAVE FUN!

Ms.Ward