Mad Minutes: Practice Reminder

Please take the time this week to practice for our Mad Minutes this Friday. Students be given 1 minute for each section to answer as many addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts which is a total of 4 minutes. We will continue to use the same facts below for every Mad Minute. We will be challenged to beat our previous record. 

Please see the links below to help you practice your Division Facts. We will be watching is video and playing this game in class on Thursday.

What is Division?
https://www.youtube.com/user/mathantics/search?query=division  

Division Practice Game:
Divide and Conquer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti58wdHJ8pA 

Week 27

We had a joyful, warm and delightful week!

In Read to Self we had to make a reading goal based on teacher feedback and choose an area of fluency to work on. We will be working on this goal during Read to Self and Silent Reading for the next 2 weeks and will document progress at the end of 2 weeks.

We started analyzing paragraphs using the THIEVES strategy. First we had to read through the paragraph. Then we had to find the main idea and build off the main idea to find the supporting ideas. When determining our main idea we had to choose a sentence that had specific details. When finding our supporting details we had to relate the sentences to the main idea. This will become an option during Work on Writing and an activity we can practice when we are finished our work. 

In Science we explored the website Ed Heads and learned about simple machines. On the website, we have been scanning a virtual home for simple machines. For example in the bedroom we discovered a secret compartment which contained a ship. We learned that the ship's bow is a wedge and the propellor is an inclined plane. 

We had the chance to use a weigh scale to measure the force need to pick up items vs. the force needed to drag items across an inclined plane. 

In Social Studies we have been working on our Settler advertisements. First we researched the pros and cons of coming to Alberta. Then we planned a rough copy of our advertisements which needed at least 6 reasons to come to Alberta, a title and an eye-catching slogan. Lastly we plotted this information onto our final copy. 

In math we started two new games called Jeopardy and Bingo. During our games many students got pretty competitive and used their brains to calculate multiplication facts.

Passion Project!

This week, Gurpreet presented her Passion Project on Red Tailed Foxes. We learned that they can live in dens or old trees. Thank you for sharing!

Our spelling pattern next week: 

Focus: If a singular word ends in x, ss, sh or ch, you usually add es to make it mean more than one.  

fox + es = foxes 

axes 

bosses 

shoes 

kisses 

waxes 

foxes 

splashes 

ashes 

crashes 

matches 

sandwiches 

toothbrushes 

eyelashes 

sashes 

ditches 

flashes 

churches 

clashes 

Have a great weekend!

Reminders: 

• Mad Minutes: Next week we will be having our first Mad Minutes. Please take the time this weekend and next week to practice for our Mad Minutes next Friday. Students be given 1 minute for each section to answer as many addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts. We will continue to use the same facts below for every Mad Minute. We will be challenged to beat our previous record. 

Week 26

We had an awesome, magnificent and warm week. 

In Science we have been continuing to build our simple machine parks. Some of us have started filming our videos and uploaded them onto IRIS. We added a description for our videos. 

In Social Studies we have been working on our come to Alberta advertisement posters. First we created a plan with a title, slogan and six reasons of why settlers should come to Alberta. Then we made a good copy using our plan.

In Math we reviewed our check-in quiz this week. To help us prepare for the quiz, we practiced solving word problems using the CUBES strategy. On the quiz we had to choose a subtraction and addition strategy that we were most efficient at using to solve the problems. We had to explain why we used this strategy. 

We have been working extra hard to show our families what we are capable of in our learning! We did a role play with peer(s) to prepare for what we are going to say to our families during student-led conferences. We will be sharing our progress and process in the work we doing in school.

Please have a wonderful SPRING BREAK!!!

Reminders:

• Student Led conferences are on Thursday, March 21 and Friday, March 22. Conference bookings can be make through the PHS website.
• Spring Break is from March 22nd to March 31st. School will resume on Monday, April 1st.

Week 25

This week we had a wild, amazing and marvelous week. 

In Science, we have been building our Simple Machines park. Based on our plan and our criteria, we are in the process of continuing to gather materials, build using our tools and continually revising our plan to match our playground equipment. 

In Social Studies, we have been reading our textbook to learn about the settlers and how they first came to Alberta. We have been using a chart to organize the pros and cons describing the positive experiences and the struggles that settlers faced when coming to and living in Alberta. 

• A pro was that settlers could purchase a colonist car to travel with. The colonist car were versatile in that you could transport your personal belongings and then make room for sleeping. 
• A con was that they had to share 1 bunk and 1 meal when traveling to Canada by ship. Once they arrived on the East coast of Canada, settlers had to take a long ride to Alberta by train. This took around 8 days. 

In Math, we had our practice check-in quiz on Wednesday and then our actual check-in quiz on Thursday for addition and subtraction strategies.

In Language Arts, we have been working on revising our Cat/Rat Perspective using peer and teacher feedback. Some of us are printing our final copies.

This week, we also had a drama performance by grade 10 students from Diefenbaker Highschool. Their performance was hilarious, hysterical and amusing.

Reminders:

• Student Led conferences are on Thursday, March 21 and Friday, March 22. Conference bookings can be make through the PHS website.
• Miss Kreze will begin Music tests starting next week. Please have your child practice the material provided.
• We will not be having Daily 5 next week due the shorter week.
• Spring Break is from March 22nd to March 31st. School will resume on Monday, April 1st.

• We will be constructing playground parks for our simple machine unit, so please continue collecting items to use for the project such as, popsicle sticks, cardboard, straws, bottle caps, string, cardstock, pipecleaner, rubber bands, plastic lids/containers, tinfoil, thimbles, buttons, toothpicks, sticky tack, etc. If you have a glue gun and/or Lego people that you are willing to bring in that would be very much appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

Week 24

In Science, we started the week with our field study. On our field study we went outside and tested the playground equipment. To document our observations we...

• named the equipment (ex. slides, monkey bars, climbing rock ramp, seesaw, spinning seat, spinning banana)
• identified the motion (friction, gravity, push, pull)
• observed the speed (increasing, decreasing)
• named the type of simple machine (inclined plane, wheel and axle, lever)
• drew a diagram and identified the different parts 

In Math, we reviewed the C.U.B.E.S. strategy to help us solve word problems. 
C - Circle the key numbers
U - Underline the question
B - Box the math words
E - Equation with an equals sign
S - Solve and check

In Social Studies, we have been researching the pros and cons about coming to Alberta as a newcomer. From our research we found out that Newcomers were offered 160 acres of free land with a registration fee of $10, however, they were required to build a house, prepare farmland and live on the land for 3 years. This would be a pro because you get 160 acres for $10, but would be a con because there are a lot of conditions like having to prepare the farmland.

We have been using peer feedback to edit the initial draft of our Rat or Cat Perspective writing. We had to read our peer feedback and determine if it was effective or ineffective feedback to use. Effective feedback is when the reader gives specific feedback by providing evidence/examples from our writing. Ineffective feedback is when the reader gives non-specific feedback, such "You did good!, I like your work!, You included voice!". 

Our spelling pattern next week: 
The vowel pairs ai and ay make the /ā/ sound you hear in waist and fray. Diphthongs are different from vowel pairs in that the 2 vowels blend together to make one sound. The diphthongs oi and oy make the /ōi/ sound you hear in voices 

Some examples include:

voices

sprain

noises

disloyal

employ

waist

destroyed

fray

broiling

swaying

displays

praised

disappoint

railroad

royalty

appointed

crayon

boiling

soybean

spoiled

Reminders:

• We will be constructing playground parks for our simple machine unit, so please continue collecting items to use for the project such as, popsicle sticks, cardboard, straws, bottle caps, string, cardstock, pipecleaner, rubber bands, plastic lids/containers, tinfoil, thimbles, buttons, toothpicks, sticky tack, etc. 
• If you have a glue gun and/or Lego people that you are willing to bring in that would be very much appreciated. 

Week 23

We had a terrific, busy and stellar week.

In Math, we learned a new subtraction strategy called "Shift It". This strategy doesn't work with every subtraction equation. It only works with equations where you can add or subtract to both numbers in your equation and it makes them friendly. A friendly number is a number that ends in a 5 or 0. To build our efficiency we played a "Shift It race" with a partner.

In Science, we used computers to research information about 3 out of the 6 simple machines, which include levers, wheels and axles, and inclined planes. We conducted research to help us understand the background knowledge needed for our simple machines park project. In a lever, the parts are the fulcrum and the straight bar. In a wheel and axle, the parts are the wheel and axle. In an incline plane, the one part is the slanted surface.

In Social Studies, we finished our New Roots of Alberta and shared our research with the class. We learned that people from Europe (British, Scottish, French) and the East Coast of Canada came to Alberta to trade goods for animals furs, such as mink, marten, muskrat and most of all for beaver fur. We also learned that the voyageurs helped transport fur to Alberta by traveling on canoe. The Metis invented the York boat and Red River carts to help with travel issues.

We also had an assembly for Pink Shirt day to stand up against bullying! Here are some pictures:

Passion Project!

This week, Alex presented his Passion Project on American Ninja Warrior. We learned that in order to be successful as a competitor, you need to train all year. Typically rock climbers, gymnasts, pole vaulters, and free runners do well in this type of competition. 

Our spelling pattern next week: 
Be careful when spelling words with the /ô/ sound that you hear in fault and dawn. The vowel digraphs au and aw make the /ô/ sound, and they sound alike. 

Some examples include:

claws

fault

causing

dawn

straw

drawings

launch

sauce

jaw

haunt

yawn

fawns

awkward

gnaw

audience

scrawl

fraud

gaunt

restaurant

shawl

Reminders:

Simple Machines Project: 

• Materials: We will be constructing playground parks for our simple machine unit, so please continue collecting items to use for the project such as, popsicle sticks, cardboard, straws, bottle caps, string, cardstock, pipecleaner, rubber bands, plastic lids/containers, tinfoil, thimbles, buttons, toothpicks, putty, etc. 
• Field Study:Please pack knit gloves (gloves you can use a pencil with) next week as we will be taking notes outside.

Friday, March 1st: No school tomorrow, March 1st 

Week 22

This week we had a great, ultimate and amazing week.

In Science, created a Simple Machines concept map to prepare for our Simple Machines Park Project. We will be learning about the different simple machines. We will need to start collecting the following materials to build simple machine models (don't worry about decorating):

• cardboard
• tinfoil
• paper towel rolls
• thin/thick drinking straws
• assorted wooden pieces
• thimbles 
• bottle caps
• buttons
• pipe cleaners
• thin/thick popsicles sticks 
• skewers
• toothpicks
• key rings
• clay
• wax sticks
• yarn
• hot glue gun / hot glue sticks

In Social Studies, we continued working in our research groups. We have been learning about New Roots of Alberta and using our textbook to find more information. For example, we learned more about Father Albert Lacombe. He was a Catholic priest who came to the West in 1852 to live in Alberta. He helped the missionaries speak with the Cree by creating a Cree dictionary. He also built hospitals, schools and played a big role in encouraging people to move to the West. 

In Math, we learned a addition strategy called "Give and Take". When using this strategy, we need to add a number to make it one of our numbers friendly, and then need to subtract the same amount from the other number or total. 

Example: 
155+256=
(add 5 to 155) 
(subtract 5 from 256)
160+251= 411

We finished working with Cathy Beveridge. We finished our 4 frame plan perspective writing. Some students shared parts from their descriptive writing.

Our spelling pattern next week: 

The letters ie and ei can be vowel pairs or digraphs. They are vowel pairs in pies and seize, brief and sleigh.

Use this rhyme to spell words with ie and ei:
I before EExcept after COr when sounded as A

Some examples include:
dried
fields
brief
relief
shriek
weigh
believe
sleigh
receive
eighteen
seize
neighbours
receipt
amplifies
chiefly
freighter
deceive
perceive
pies
diet

Reminders:

• Simple Machine Project: We will be constructing parks for our simple machine unit, so please start collecting items (at home) to use for the project. Please see the list above.

• Human Sexuality Unit: Please return your forms for our Human Sexuality unit ASAP.

• Pink Shirt Day: Pink Shirt Day is on February 27th

• No School: There is no school next week on Friday, March 1st. 

Have a fabulous weekend!