Just a reminder that tonight is Willowdale`s Curriculum Night! Hoping to see many of you at 7:00 pm tonight!
Here is our week at a glance:
ENGLISH - Poetry
Here is a list of the poems the students have written so far in their Writer`s Notebook:
1. I remember, I forget (tapping into memories)
2. Biography Poem (tapping into juicy descriptive language and explaining thoughts and ideas)
3. Someday Poem (tapping into hopes and dreams)
4. Free Verse (using their heart map, write thoughts, ideas and emotions about something meaningful)
HOMEWORK: Each student was given their own At-Home Writer`s Notebook today. Please keep this at home for your child to write in.
Reading - students should be reading for approximately half and hour each day.
MATH - Students have started working on Patterning. We are beginning with a review (what we know) and will be building on knowledge and skills to push our Mathematical Thinking. Students are grouped for Math.
HOMEWORK: It is extremely important for our students to develop proficiency in basic Mathematical computations. Please continue to memorize multiplication facts (to 12x12)....and division (144/12).
SOCIAL STUDIES (Grade 6) - Using the Canadian Reader program, we will be exploring Current Canadian events and issues. This links very well to our Guided Reading program, and we will be learning and strengthening Reading Strategies to help improve understanding and build vocabulary.
The first focus is using Text Features to get a better understanding of what the text is about so Students learn to focus on important information when reading. The first article is CHAT to the Future.
HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY (Grades 7 and 8) - Using the What in the World program, we will be exploring current events and issues around the world. While the content will be similar, the Grade 7's and 8's will focus on different text features and complete similar, but grade and IEP appropriate work. This links very well to our Guided Reading program, and we will be learning and strengthening Reading Strategies to help improve understanding and build vocabulary.
The first focus is using information from the article, The Northern Gateway Pipeline - One Step Closer, to identify reasons for and against this important debate. The students used information from the text and their own ideas to complete a t-chart for and against the pipeline. Then, they picked which side they agreed with most and wrote a COMPLETE 5-sentence paragraph to express their thoughts and ideas in a clear and organized way.
We have also taken a few moments to investigate the current Referendum in Scotland. We have related this event to discussion in Canada over several years of those in Quebec who want Sovereignty. The students demonstrated some knowledge and were able to make some connections between these events.
HOMEWORK: Every post for Social Studies / History and Geography Homework will be the same: please sit down and watch the news with your child.
*Discuss current events so that students become more aware of what his happening around the world - both good and bad.
*Use an Atlas (either hardcopy or online) to locate "Where in the World" the news is happening.
*Have a thoughful discussion so that students begin to understand the perspectives of all involved. We become more accepting and tolerant of others when we understand both sides. We don't have to agree, but they need to learn to see things with their "PERSPECTACLES".
