It is so great to be back learning in-person!
This week we will be catching up on assessments for many of the concepts we learned during online learning:
Particle Theory (presentation on Wednesday)
the Treaty of Utrecht (test on Wednesday)
poetry (due on Tuesday)
operations with integers, measures of central tendency (mean, median & mode), histograms and probability (test on Thursday)
Valentine's Day Injustice Project letters (due on Tuesday Feb. 16)
We researched the history of Valentine's Day and learned that Valentine was beheaded by Emperor Claudius during the Roman Empire because he was standing up against injustice. After learning that the roots of Valentine's Day are in standing up against injustice, we discussed all the sources of injustice in the world. Within a few minutes, we had a list of 24 injustices. Everything from racism, animal abuse and gender discrimination to hunger, homelessness and poverty.
Our next step was to learn how to write an excellent protest letter. We learned that you not only need to define the problem, but that you need to have a specific, realistic solution to the problem.
We are in the process of writing and editing our letters before we determine who to send them to.
Will L's letter about bullying is attached here.
Today, in honour of Valentine's Day, we wrote thank you cards to people at Dewitt who deserve to be thanked, but often go unnoticed.
We learned that a good thank you note starts with a description of what we want to say thank you for, Then, the next paragraph is an explanation of what that means to us. Finally, we end with another thank you.
It was heart-warming to read the lovely thank you cards that students wrote for teachers, custodians, Mr. Acaster and Mrs. Shaw.
The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program is launching a new program called Try a Trade. OYAP is a high school program that allows students to try a huge variety of apprenticeship-based careers in skilled trades. Try a Trade is an opportunity for grade 7 and 8 students to explore skilled trades with a fun activity they can do at home. Students can pick 1 of 5 different trades and they will receive a box with the tools and materials needed to complete activities related to that trade. Students will do the activities at home, at their own pace and when they are finished, they are encouraged to send in a picture of their work for a chance to win prizes. When they are finished, they will be able to keep the projects and tools.
To register for this amazing opportunity, go to http://www.dsbn.org/tryatrade
We know that our brains are more likely to remember things that we "see, say and do". So today, students prepared presentations to explain the 6 points of the Particle Theory.
May, Brianna, William and Matthew had a really clever way of demonstrating that each pure substance has its own kind of particle, different from particles of other pure substances.
It was so inspiring to hear students read their own original poems. Here are a couple. The poem "Navigation Lights" to the right is by Abbie. The one below about hope is by Kamron.
Today we are building "stock" propeller cars powered by elastics. Once we test drive them and make observations, we will make modifications to make them travel farther and straighter.
In art, we are working on using our perspective drawing skills to draw a snowman. This is a work in progress!