Our Rube Goldberg Film Festival is Tuesday!!!
I am really looking forward to seeing your machines and film documentation.
Please make sure you have your film in a format that is ready to show. The best way would be to put your movie file in your google drive and share it with me.

Now that book clubs are finished, you quotle is due next Friday.
Show me your understanding of the book through your careful choices of quotes and your presentation (placement on the page and how you write it) of the quotes.

Genius Hour
Our Genus Hour Fair is April 18th.
Here is the assessment rubric :

Knowledge and Understanding Demonstration of expertise in your subject Explain your “journey” or process Challenges and successes

Thinking Planning skills Generating ideas Gathering information Focusing research Organizing information

Communication Expression and organization of ideas and information Oral, written, and visual Communication for different audiences and purposes

Application Apply literacy knowledge and skills to your project Research Synthesizing Summarizing Critical thinking

Today we began to learn the story of Chanie Wenjack through the following article:

http://www.macleans.ca/society/the-lonely-death-of-chanie-wenjack/

We responded to the article through the following questions. If you did not finish - this is due tomorrow.
1. Summarize the article in 5 sentences or less.
2. Who's point of view is included? Are there any missing voices?
3. Can you connect this article to other reading we have done?

Math
Major assessment of algebra and integers tomorrow.
Today we spent time preparing for this.

Here is the final work we did on the painted cube:

Today we started our aquatic plants for the wetlands from seed.

In 8-10 days we will (hopefully) have some that have germinated. Fingers crossed!

Many, many thanks to Dana and Hailey from the Lake Simcoe Regional Conservation Authority.

This morning we had a great discussion about the March for Our Lives.
Our main focus was the power young people have - if you choose to use it.
Prove yourself to be a person that people, of all ages, will listen to.

We also had a work period for upcoming assignments and projects.
We started off with a discussion about setting priorities and choosing to do what we SHOULD do - not necessarily what we WANT to do.

Math
Today we continued work on the painted cube problem.

Exciting news!
Tomorrow the Lake Simcoe Regional Conservation Authority will be returning to help us start some aquatic plants that we will be growing for the wetlands. This is a program that was made possible through a WWF Canada Go Wild Grant that we received.

Monologues and article assignments were handed back today.

Tomorrow
- I want to discuss the March for our Lives. In preparation, what can you find out about it?
- You will also get a work period for Rube Goldberg, Genius Hour, book clubs, etc... decide what is you first priority? What will you work on first?

Book Clubs
Our last meetings will be on Thursday. Each person should have completed the book by then. This is your last opportunity to show your understanding of the book through your conversation with others in your book club. Your final assignment - your "quotle" is due Friday April 6th.

Math
Major assessment on Thursday!
We also started the "Painted Cube" challenge today.

Please tell the folks at home about it.
We will continue tomorrow.
Here is some of what we did:
(LOVE the conjecture!)

Reminders:

• Please sign up for our trip to the Young People's Theatre on School Cash Online 
• Rube Goldberg Film Festival is April 3rd
• Genius Hour Fair is April 18th
• Math Algebra/Integers assessment March 29th
• Music playing test (scale + choice piece) April 3rd

In honour of Earth Hour tomorrow, we taught our nature buddies some great "old fashioned" games that don't require any electricity. You can switch off and still play hopscotch, foursquare, jumpsies... the possibilities are endless.

Book Clubs
Next book club meeting is on Monday.
Here are the agreed upon reading assignments:
- Red Wolf - to page 186
- Stranger at Home - to page 92
- Seepeetza - to page 100
- No Time - to page 152

Math
We will be discussing the following problems tomorrow.
Please have a complete answer for them.

Marcus, Sally and Sammy decided to share 20 sweets. Marcus took 8 sweets and Sally took three times as many as Sammy. How many sweets did Sammy receive?

Carol is y years old and her daughter is 25 years younger.

Find Carol’s present age if the sum of their ages in 6 years’ time is 75 years.

Back Art

Talk to your families about these images.

What did you learn about yourself?

This morning I read Encounter.



We talked about perspectives and point of view.
I followed up the story with an article to be read and a cartoon.
Please make sure you have answered the following questions - to be collected tomorrow.
1. Briefly summarize the article.
2. What connections can you make with Encounter, and other reading we have done?
3. What do you think about Adam Nordwall's actions?
4. What is the message of the cartoon?
5. How does the cartoonist get this message across?

Reminders

• Math - please complete the Youcubed day nine homework
• Next book club meeting is this Thursday
• Rube Goldberg Film festival is on Tuesday April 3rd
• Our Genius Hour fair is on Wednesday April 18th

Please check past blog posts for expectations and success criteria.

Welcome Back!

We are right back in the swing of things.

Field Trip!

I have planned a great day on April 27th. We will be attending a show at Young People's Theatre called Risky Phil. We will then stay downtown for lunch together. Please sign up for the field trip on School Cash Online as soon as possible. 

Genius Hour

Today I met with each person and we discussed the blogs. I gave feedback on how to improve your blog postings. Please make sure you are posting a minimum of once a week. 

Math

Due tomorrow. 

For the following pattern please create:

1. an input/output (x/y) chart

2. an equation

3. proof of your equation

4. graph of the x/y co-ordinates

Book Clubs

Today we had our second book club meeting. It is really important that you keep up to date with your reading for book club - don't get behind! Also, make sure that you complete a new graphic organizer for each club meeting. 

Next book club meeting is this Thursday

Red Wolf - up to page 141

No Time... up to page 118

Stranger at Home - up to page 66

Seepeetza - up to page 75

Here is a sample of the "quotle" that you are collecting quotes for.

You will be making one of these once you finish the book.

 

We had a great winter walk with our nature buddies. Its nice to be "kids" again at the park.

Who else was at the park?

Have a wonderful March Break!!!

Take some time to enjoy the outdoors and also to cheer on our Canadian Paralympic team!

What an awesome day! Rather than winding down, I have been trying over the last couple of days to re-energize our class heading into the March Break. I think this has paid off!

We had a fantastic knowledge building circle in history where many connections have been made between what was happening in 1713 and what has happened in other times in history - even now. This conversation is far from over - well done!

Math - we continue with yesterday's pattern problem. Some really great conjecture, but no definite answers. That's not only ok - but great!!!

We also had a  great morning of Breakout EDU - digital style!

Rube Goldberg Challenge
Today we looked at sample designs and talked about the strengths of the designs and what needed improvements. Remember - your initial designs are due before the March break.

Book Clubs
We had our first book club meetings and then we reviewed how we can improve our contributions to the meetings. Two main ways you can be successful in upcoming book clubs:
1. Make sure you have read your agreed upon portion of the book.
2. Make sure you have filled out your organizer ahead of time so you come to the club with things to say.
Next book club meeting is the Monday after the break.
Here are the agreed upon assignments:
Red Wolf- pages 46-95
No Time to Say Goodbye - pages 37 - 68
A Stranger at Home - pages 23-49
My Name is Seepeetza - pages 27-51

Math
Today we re-watched this video on positive the math messages we need to be thinking of as we approach difficult math challenges - or any math challenge really.

With this in mind, we approached the pattern below and we will continue with it tomorrow.

History
1. pages 30 -37 -  "check in" pg 37 #1,2
2. pages 38 -43 -  "check in" pg 43 #1,3
Due - Thursday

Our Genius Hour "Fair" will be on Wednesday April 18th.
This will be when you share you project with others.

Book clubs are meeting tomorrow.
Please make sure that your reading is up to date and that you have your graphic organizer filled out.

Rube Goldberg designs are due Friday.
How can these sample designs be improved upon? What are they missing?

Trupp Monologue
Monologues are due tomorrow. You will perform and hand in your good copy.

Math
Checkpoints were returned today.
We discussed the questions and how we can improve on our work.

Young People's Theatre
Please sign up on School Cash Online for our trip to YPT on April 27th.
I have to confirm ticket numbers a month ahead of time.

Genius Hour
As we talked about today, you need to remember that there are three parts to your genius hour:
1. Research something
2. Make something
3. Present your project at our Genius Hour fair (date TBA this week).
You need to be blogging about the process the whole time.
Blog:
- minimum one blog post per week
- talk about things that inspired the project
- edit for SPG (spelling, grammar, and punctuation)
- include pictures and/or video
- explanations of what you are learning
- your progress
    - what you've gotten done
    - what you are planning to do
    - your roadblocks or setbacks - how did you deal with them?

What do you do with a chance?
What are you doing with the chances that you are given?
What is your attitude going to be as we move forward in grade seven?
Will you take the chances and opportunities given to you?

A chilly but wonderful morning in the wetlands.
What a perfect time to make tea!
It will be interesting to see how different our wetland teas look in the spring.
Winter wetland teas included:
- Blue Tea
- Cedar Cider on ice
- Jumpy Tea
- Pretty Tea
- Albert Einstein's Tea
- Forest Tea
- Calm Cooper Tea

We are starting to notice tracks all the time now!

Welcome Back!

On Friday April 27th, the intermediate division will be going to Young People's Theatre to see the play Risky Phil as part of our drama program. We need to confirm our ticket numbers one month before the show date, so I am asking families to please sign up early. It is open on School Cash Online now.

Reminders:

• Portraits for Fatty Legs are due tomorrow
• Monologues are to be performed and handed in on Tuesday (be sure to check the rubrics)
• Rube Goldberg Challenge - Design is due next Friday (March 9th) 
• Next book club meeting is on Wednesday March 7th. You are responsible for the reading and completing your graphic organizer before the book club meets.

Math

Today we talked about seeing an equation as a balanced scale.

Show your families the website we worked on and challenge them!

There is no need to sign in or create an account - just play!

https://solveme.edc.org/Mobiles.html