The Grade 7 class has been learning about sustainable building for the last month. They have been working on a cross-curricular project in Math and Social Studies focusing on researching, designing, and creating a budget for a tiny home.

By engaging in real-world problems, students have begun to understand the relevancy of learning, while developing essential life skills such as creativity, collaboration, experimentation, research, and perseverance.  

Click here to learn more about the Tiny House Project.

Students were invited to tour Algonquin College and learn about their sustainable building programs. Our class learned about the various efforts that Algonquin College takes to build sustainably and reduce its Carbon footprint. Students took a tour of the college campus and had the opportunity to learn about ethical building practices.

Algonquin Colleges’ Green Roof – our prime visible manifestation of sustainability

“At close to 4,000 m2 the Green Roof on the ACCE building is one of our prime visible manifestations of sustainability that sets this building apart and gives it its striking, iconic presence. It consists of sedum drought-resistant plants that grow in a sand medium, requiring little maintenance or irrigation once established, and it is part of a high-performance building envelope, achieving an R-50 insulating value. This growing vegetation also absorbs and controls rainwater runoff, which creates less strain on the building’s storm sewer drainage systems” (ACCE Program).

 

Students will display their final project in a blog post on their blogfolios. Look out for their super sustainable showcase!

Tiny House Blog Post Requirements

Students have been practicing their cartography skills as we review longitude and latitude. As we prepare for our quiz on January 17th, students should review their Social Studies Slideshow (slides 21-34).

Each student should be able to adequately label and provide the correct location for the following terms:

• Equator
• Prime Meridian
• Tropic of Cancer
• Tropic of Capricorn
• Northern Hemisphere
• Southern Hemisphere
• Eastern Hemisphere
• Western Hemisphere

Students can use the following online activities to prepare for their quiz:

• Latitude and Longitude Game • ABCya!
• Latitudes and Longitudes – Map Quiz Game
• International Pizza Delivery – Online Game 
• Online Longitude and Latitude Battleship

This quiz will also include our notes on international trade. 

As we continued our discussion of Canadian identity, students spent time this week reviewing a map of Canada. It is essential that our students have an understanding of where each province and territory is located in the country in order to comprehend essential components of history. Students will study their map of Canada to ensure they can adequately identify the provinces, territories, and capital cities. We will have a quiz on this content on Friday, November 10th, 2023. They should spend time reviewing their map each night.

Students will need to be able to label a map with the following information:

• Names of the provinces/territories
• Names of the capital cities
• Hudson’s Bay

They may also use the following websites to quiz themselves:

• Canada: Provinces and Territories 
• Canada: Province Capitals – Map Quiz Game

Last week we watched the film IMAX Over Canada. This documentary showcased the vast amount of nature and diversity that Canada has to offer. Diversity is defined by Merriam-Webster as the condition of being composed of different elements or qualities.

Students are being asked to use the observations they recorded as they watched the film to expand upon the question: What makes Canada a diverse nation? 

Check out these sentence starters to help you get started:

• Natural features in _____ is different to _______ because  (add features such as mountains, grassland, or rivers)
• In Quebec, people speak ______ and in the rest of Canada they speak ______
• The major cities in this province are _______
• The climate in ______ is different from _______ because
• In _____, the people have fishing jobs
• In_______, the people have ______ jobs
• In ______, the people have foresting jobs

The assignment directions and the example can be found here: Canada a Diverse Nation

This past week we have discussed various patterns and trends related to populations around the world. We examined the importance of life expectancy rates along with the difference between developed nations and developing nations. Students are now completing a Human Population Webquest. This webquest focuses on exploring how human populations have changed throughout our global history.

Click here to access the Human Population Webquest Assignment!

Take a look at some of the graphics we discussed in class:

Here is our Grade 8 Geography Slideshow. This is a living document that will be updated regularly.

Last week we began our first geography unit. We examined a case study that focused on the infringement of indigenous rights in Brazil. Our class has discussed the importance of studying geography along with the various components of the geographic inquiry process. We will now shift gears and dive into the topic of landforms. Students will uncover the various physical features that shape the world as we know it.

The following slideshow will be used to access our daily notes and do nows:

 This is a live document that will be updated regularly!

Students spent time today reading and discussing various landform types.

Click here to see the Landforms Guided Reading Assignment

Last week we began our first unit in Grade 6 Social Studies. Our first unit will involve the analysis of differing Canadian identities. Students will explore the diverse cultures, landscapes, and symbols of the various provinces and territories. Furthermore, students will uncover the difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation.

The following slideshow will be used to access our daily notes and do nows:

This is a live document that will be updated regularly. Students also have access to this page on their Grade 6 Social Studies Notes/Do Nows Google Docs (in their Social Studies folder).

We spent time in class discussing the historical research process. These are the essential steps that historians utilize when conducting research and analysis.

Step 1: Choose a research topic and locate sources of information that will help you answer your research question(s). (Think: Government websites, University websites, Books, Journals, Articles, etc.)

Step 2: Evaluate your sources. Make sure the sources provide accurate information. Sources are considered reliable when people who are, “experts in the field”, write them. These are sources you can trust. People who are not considered, “experts in the field”, write unreliable sources. These are sources you cannot trust.

Step 3: Take notes. When reading from sources, write down any key information that will help answer your research question(s). Avoid copying straight from the text; instead, write the ideas in your own words. Remember to include source information such as the book title, author, and page number in your notes.

Step 4: Make objective conclusions. After conducting research, review your notes and summarize what you learned into sentences. Ensure you present your findings in an objective way (i.e., without misrepresenting the truth).

Step 5: Cite your sources. By citing your sources you are giving the original author credit for the work they did. This helps to prevent plagiarism. Citing sources can also help your readers locate further reading on the topic. 

Our first assignment deals with students creating an infographic about a national symbol. Students will be asked to utilize the historical research process. The assignment instructions, graphic organizer, rubric, and example can all be found in the link below!

Click here to learn more about the Canadian Symbols Infographic Assignment

It was great to see some of the Grade 8 parents yesterday for our Back to School Night session. If you were unable to attend or would like to review the slideshow, please see the presentation below.

Additionally, here is the link for the Grade 8 Homework Board. 

It was great to see some of the Grade 7 parents yesterday for our Back to School Night session. If you were unable to attend or would like to review the slideshow, please see the presentation below.

Additionally, here is the link for the Grade 7 Homework Board.