Well, I don't know about you, but after so many days off I was sure glad to get back to work. We began the day with some reading while I (with help from some of the students) packed up the gear that was drying after the first snowshoe trip. We did quite well, but are missing one sleeping bag stuff sack. If anyone finds one in their gear at home please return it to school (we will have to pay for any missing equipment).
Next, I reviewed some of the ideas from last week's lesson on the Canadian parliamentary system. Some members of the class did quite well remembering key vocabulary terms such as: member of parliament, Senate, House of Commons, responsible government and representative government. Today I introduced the idea of elections. I enjoyed today's discussion as it was very free flowing and included ideas such as positive and negative campaigning, and balanced vs. deficit budgets. We also talked about majority vs. minority governments and how stability in a government helps the economy (and how instability hurts it). My hope is that if any families discuss the upcoming provincial election, our students will be familiar with some of the terminology that is used.After recess we read for ten minutes and then transitioned to math. In Math 7 we did a hands-on lesson to understand the relationship between the diameter of a circle and its circumference. Ultimately we learned that diameter multiplied by pi (3.14) will give us the circumference (or, that the circumference of a circle divided by pi will give us the diameter). We had only enough time to start the problem set, so there is no math homework.
After lunch we had a one-hour lesson/discussion with Ainsley, our sexual health educator. The lesson focused mostly on the physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty. For the most part, the class handled what can be a somewhat embarrassing topic with good self control. We did debrief afterwords, however, to find ways to conduct ourselves even better in two weeks when she returns.
We spent the last 30 minutes working independently on our science inquiry projects. Many students are now at the "practicing the presentation" stage. Parents are encouraged to act as a critical audience and to ensure that the presentations answer lots of "so what" questions.
Tomorrow is art/movie making with Joanna, so please bring your materials.
Many students still have not brought in $35 for the snowshoe trip; please try to remember that (please call me to discuss any concerns around payment).
Below are photos of unclaimed clothing left at the cabin: if you recognize any pieces, please let me know and I will mount a rescue mission on Thursday.
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| The boxers have already been claimed. I can't imagine why a 12-year-old boy would not claim his underwear in front of his friends and four GIRLS! |
In addition to these, I have a pair of dark blue socks in the classroom.
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