Term 1 Overview
Term 1 Overview
English Language Arts
This term, students were engaged in activities that helped develop their reading, writing, and speaking skills. In reading, students read the novel Freak the Mighty and participated in various activities that demonstrated their comprehension of the text. For example, they compared the themes in the novel to a colour, symbol, and image, and answered comprehension questions. In writing, students wrote in their daily language review books as a way to increase their knowledge of sentence structure, organization, word choice, punctuation, and spelling. They also learned about the five part essay, topic sentences, appealing introductions, and satisfying conclusions. In speaking, students had to use good voice projection, expression, hand gestures, and eye contact while recording their space green screen projects and while presenting assignments to their peers.
Mathematics
This term, students were engaged in activities that helped to develop their mathematical calculations and estimations. Grade five and six students began the year by reviewing basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division strategies. Students also learned about number patterns and how to recognize and extend increasing and decreasing patterns. Furthermore, they also learned how to describe pattern rules with the help of tables and arrays. Finally, students explored place value of whole numbers to the millions. Perhaps the most valuable skill learned in this unit was understanding how to round to a nearest place value up to the billions.
Social Studies
This term, students engaged in activities that helped them understand our municipal, provincial, and federal government systems. Furthermore, they explored the various forms of government and gained an appreciation for the way democracies empower citizens to govern themselves and choose their own leaders. The students enjoyed our digital field trip to the various government buildings and monuments in Ottawa using Google Maps and street view. During this unit, students also learned about the Canadian Constitution and Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We had many passionate and powerful discussions regarding all Canadians’ right to be treated equally regardless of their religious beliefs, age, gender, sexual orientation, and race.
Science
This term, students were engaged in activities relating to space, the planets in our solar system, comets, meteors, and what makes space so extreme for humans. In pairs, students studied one planet and researched information about its size, distance from the sun, rotation, composition, and much more. Then they were able to create a digital book that displayed this information in an attractive and creative format. Students also embedded a green screen video and informative comic into their book as a way to make it more interactive.
French (Mrs. Ruberg)
In French the class has been studying an adaptation of The Three Little Pigs, using the story as a starting point for speaking, reading, and understanding the French language.
Career Education
This term, students participated in activities that helped them explore their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, students created a selfie art and writing project that focused on telling others what they like to do, what they are good at, and what their hobbies are. Students also learned project management techniques, such as taking an idea creating a plan, putting it into action, and reflecting on the process once finished. Students were then able to apply these techniques to projects in other subject areas.
Arts Education
This term, students have participated in various fine arts activities. In visual arts, students learned various techniques to draw self portraits and used chalk pastels to draw a Halloween pumpkin. Students also participated in a fine arts rotation where they either experienced music, visual arts, or textiles. In the visual arts rotation, students learned about the colour wheel and mixing colours as well as different watercolor techniques. They also did a clay project creating a pumpkin ornament and worked with pastels to create a seasons picture. In music, students learned how to use various techniques for playing guitar. They focused on learning basic chords, strumming patterns, and playing in unison with others. They also had a chance to play simple arrangements on the metallophone as an accompaniment to the guitar. In textiles, students learned basic sewing techniques and sewed a frog stuffie.
Physical and Health Education
This term, students engaged in activities that helped them enhance their personal fitness. In the gym, students learned various volleyball skills and techniques, like passing, volleying, serving, court position, and the rules of the game. Students also participated in a floor hockey unit where they learned how to hold a stick properly, use leverage to do a wrist shot, use lead passes to pass to a moving target, and play forward and defensive positions.
Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies
This term, students participated in activities relating to robotics, computer programming, and drafting techniques. Students used the sphero robots as a tool for learning how to block code step-by-step instructions for a particular outcome. For instance, students wrote code to make their sphero robot go through a maze and even orbit like a particular planet. Students also created numerous technical prototype sketches that showed their design ideas for a Mars rover. They later used these prototype sketches to guide them when building a real model of their rover.
English Language Arts
This term, students were engaged in activities that helped develop their reading, writing, and speaking skills. In reading, students read the novel Freak the Mighty and participated in various activities that demonstrated their comprehension of the text. For example, they compared the themes in the novel to a colour, symbol, and image, and answered comprehension questions. In writing, students wrote in their daily language review books as a way to increase their knowledge of sentence structure, organization, word choice, punctuation, and spelling. They also learned about the five part essay, topic sentences, appealing introductions, and satisfying conclusions. In speaking, students had to use good voice projection, expression, hand gestures, and eye contact while recording their space green screen projects and while presenting assignments to their peers.
Mathematics
This term, students were engaged in activities that helped to develop their mathematical calculations and estimations. Grade five and six students began the year by reviewing basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division strategies. Students also learned about number patterns and how to recognize and extend increasing and decreasing patterns. Furthermore, they also learned how to describe pattern rules with the help of tables and arrays. Finally, students explored place value of whole numbers to the millions. Perhaps the most valuable skill learned in this unit was understanding how to round to a nearest place value up to the billions.
Social Studies
This term, students engaged in activities that helped them understand our municipal, provincial, and federal government systems. Furthermore, they explored the various forms of government and gained an appreciation for the way democracies empower citizens to govern themselves and choose their own leaders. The students enjoyed our digital field trip to the various government buildings and monuments in Ottawa using Google Maps and street view. During this unit, students also learned about the Canadian Constitution and Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We had many passionate and powerful discussions regarding all Canadians’ right to be treated equally regardless of their religious beliefs, age, gender, sexual orientation, and race.
Science
This term, students were engaged in activities relating to space, the planets in our solar system, comets, meteors, and what makes space so extreme for humans. In pairs, students studied one planet and researched information about its size, distance from the sun, rotation, composition, and much more. Then they were able to create a digital book that displayed this information in an attractive and creative format. Students also embedded a green screen video and informative comic into their book as a way to make it more interactive.
French (Mrs. Ruberg)
In French the class has been studying an adaptation of The Three Little Pigs, using the story as a starting point for speaking, reading, and understanding the French language.
Career Education
This term, students participated in activities that helped them explore their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, students created a selfie art and writing project that focused on telling others what they like to do, what they are good at, and what their hobbies are. Students also learned project management techniques, such as taking an idea creating a plan, putting it into action, and reflecting on the process once finished. Students were then able to apply these techniques to projects in other subject areas.
Arts Education
This term, students have participated in various fine arts activities. In visual arts, students learned various techniques to draw self portraits and used chalk pastels to draw a Halloween pumpkin. Students also participated in a fine arts rotation where they either experienced music, visual arts, or textiles. In the visual arts rotation, students learned about the colour wheel and mixing colours as well as different watercolor techniques. They also did a clay project creating a pumpkin ornament and worked with pastels to create a seasons picture. In music, students learned how to use various techniques for playing guitar. They focused on learning basic chords, strumming patterns, and playing in unison with others. They also had a chance to play simple arrangements on the metallophone as an accompaniment to the guitar. In textiles, students learned basic sewing techniques and sewed a frog stuffie.
Physical and Health Education
This term, students engaged in activities that helped them enhance their personal fitness. In the gym, students learned various volleyball skills and techniques, like passing, volleying, serving, court position, and the rules of the game. Students also participated in a floor hockey unit where they learned how to hold a stick properly, use leverage to do a wrist shot, use lead passes to pass to a moving target, and play forward and defensive positions.
Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies
This term, students participated in activities relating to robotics, computer programming, and drafting techniques. Students used the sphero robots as a tool for learning how to block code step-by-step instructions for a particular outcome. For instance, students wrote code to make their sphero robot go through a maze and even orbit like a particular planet. Students also created numerous technical prototype sketches that showed their design ideas for a Mars rover. They later used these prototype sketches to guide them when building a real model of their rover.