Genius Hour NOW ON!

We know that to be an expert on anything you need time spent investigating and exploring what excites you. We also know that in school students don't always have the time to really explore what they are passionate about... what they would do if they could do ANYTHING...

ENTER Genius Hour.

We launched our Genius Hour projects this week providing time for the students to explore ANYTHING they wanted, in order to start building some of those skills and ideas that they will need for the future. We want them to become experts in an area that they love.

It was incredible today, at the end of Genius Hour, that students were initiating their own conversations about learning. We are calling this our #DidYouKnow time. Time spent celebrating what is possible when students drive learning forward.

So go ahead... ask your child what they learned today.

Spoken Word

This week in literacy, we flexing our dramatic muscles as we investigate spoken word poetry! Above is a brainstorm of what we are thinking so far!

WELCOME TO OUR BLOG... AGAIN:)

WONDER?

Student Leadership

Furthering WONDER...

Today we began exploring what reading materials inspire us to WONDER. We are beginning our class online magazine through flipboard to collect our ideas, videos, articles, and anything else that is inspiring to our class.

View my Flipboard Magazine.

Sept. 11

MATH

Go Voicethread (www.voicethread.com) work on the Wondering About Math Thread.

As you look at the picture, where can you SEE math. What questions come to mind as you think about the math that is involved in the details of the picture? Record your questions on VT.

When finished, answer the following questions:

1. How much time have you spent on the first days of school in your life?
2. How much time did you spend playing this summer?

SCIENCE

Using only dried spaghetti, and a piece tape, construct a free standing tower that can hold the marshmallow.

Record what happens during the experiment on your sheet provided.

GEOGRAPHY

Company Assignment! Due monday:) Get done as much as you can today.

LITERACY

1. WONDER BOOK - Finish the assignment we started yesterday. Using the article I gave them, they should find the important information and “collect” it, or “steal” it to be put in their WONDER books. Organize the info as you feel is best… or fits with your style.

2. After finished with the article, research and read more information on the topic in the article. Using the SEARCH criteria that we went over on Wednesday, find another source of information and add the information to what you already have in your books.

3. Record the website information from in your books.

4. Answer the following questions based on what you“stole” from each article. Answer the questions in your books.

1. What new thoughts do you have about the topic?
2. If you were to tell someone about this issue, write what you would tell them?
3. Is the way you organized the information working? Would you do anything different next time?

WONDER?

Today we are looking at what it means to WONDER about something. Wonder is the basis for why we learn, or try things because we are curious about something. This year we are going to jump into blogging very shortly. Our blog (8voices.ca) is a place where STEP TWO (see above) happens. We share with others our thoughts and wonderings.

Check out Austen Kleon's amazing blog HERE. He has been an inspiration for much of this work.

WELCOME BACK

Welcome back from your summer everyone! Really looking forward to a great year. This is our classroom blog (which I know you have all seen).  Check here for homework reminders and to catch up on daily learning.

This year communication will look a bit different from last year. We added the intermediate website last year macgintermediate.weebly.com), where everything is a one-stop-shop for teacher's blogs, calendars, and transitional information for grade 9. This year we are also adding Google Classroom!

Stay tuned for more info about Google Classroom, but in the meantime the video below gives a bit more info





Check back to all of our digital spaces often, as they are meant to keep you linked to what we will be learning this year... and yes, you can share everything with your parents :)