We have had a great start to the new year in Division 6! Here is a quick peak into what we have been up to in the classroom. For individualized posts please refer to your child’s myBlueprint eportfolio.
Language Arts
Writing
We have started a poetry unit to cap off our lessons on Word Choice. We began with a piece called “The Best Part of Me”. This also tied in with the Positive Personal & Cultural Identity core competency. The students were asked to think of one of their body parts and why it was meaningful to them. The goal was to go beyond the obvious (ex. My eyes help me see) and really look at what you value and what makes you unique. The writing was very good and in some cases quite powerful. See some samples below.
The students were also introduced to two poetry formats. The first was a Cinquain poem and the second was a Diamante. Both poems have a distinct structure. Once all the poems are printed, they will be showcased in a bound Anthology they can keep for the future. I am really excited to see more of their poetry.
Reading
We launched a critical thinking reading unit using the book “Should There Be Zoos?” This is one of my favourite units to teach. The kids get very engaged in the readings and we have some amazing discussions based on the material. The book contains eight articles written by a grade four class with the help of the main author Tony Stead. Four of the articles are for zoos, and four of them are against. They each use persuasive writing to try and sway the readers to take their side. We use non-fiction reading strategies to read each article one at a time. The students have been practicing writing summaries on each one after the reading is complete. When we finish the entire book the students will answer the question by writing a persuasive essay!
Fine Arts
We used oil pastels a lot this month. The students created some excellent 3D bubbles to symbolize “floating into the New Year”. These were featured in a past post. We also created some fireworks to ring in the New Year. Fireworks are used in many countries to celebrate occasions. We decided to use oil pastels to draw a scene of our own. The kids used blending and smudging to create a reflection on the water below the fireworks. They turned out great!
Science
We are learning about sound. The kids have been all ears so far! We have completed two mystery science inquiry questions so far. Both involved some great hands-on experiments to help them understand and explore the concepts. They have looked at how sound travels and how we can “see” it. Ask your child if you can hear a scream in space and why!
Social Studies
We finished up our unit The Resourcefulness of the Inuit. We are now using a different resource and will begin learning about Aboriginal communities close to home. The chapter we are currently reading is titled “Where Cedars Meet the Sea”. We also completed a thematic art lesson where the students made Raven collages based on the book Raven: A Tricksters Tale from the Pacific Northwest.
ADST
One of our focuses in this area has been on coding. We use the code.org site and all students are signed up with accounts. They have been very keen so far. Each student has an individualized account and they progress through each course at their own pace. Coding takes patience, logical thinking and helps develop problem solving skills. At times the students are collaborative and share in the process. It has been great to see and guide them through.
The students have also started to use their Office 365 accounts. They were very patient during our first lesson! This was a huge step for some of them who hadn’t used technology much last year. They can now access their documents online using their student email address (student#@learn.vsb.bc.ca) and password. We have been typing our poetry using Microsoft Word. They were also introduced to some of the basics of Word. They will be very ready for grade five!
Many students also continue to practice their keyboarding skills using typing.com. I am impressed with their level of interest and work ethic. So many of them are choosing to type when they have finished their other work!
Health and Physical Education
We have been learning basketball 🏀 skills this term. We have worked on our fundamental dribbling, passing and shooting skills so far. With spot shooting they learned the acronym B.E.E.F to help them remember proper technique. Check out the dribbling and shooting form below!
Math
We are busy learning our multiplication tables. To supplement the JUMP math program I have been using some games and activities from Kim Sutton’s program. Below are some highlights of the musical 🎶 math drills. Random numbers are called out every 8 seconds on a variety of musical tracks. The students then record the answer. We focus on one number at a time. Students are also given “strategy time” after each form to fill in any blanks if needed.
