Gr. 4V Social Studies: Celebrating Our Past: What Matters Most About My Alberta

Celebrating Our Past: What Matters Most About My Alberta

Our country is approaching a milestone this year – its 150^th birthday. Many parts of Canada, including Alberta, have contributed to making our country the great one that it is today. So far in our examination of Alberta this year, we have focused on a variety of things which have been key in the growth of our province.  Recently, the students were challenged to brainstorm, select, explore and examine what places, geography, events, people or stories from Alberta’s past have contributed to our development and are most worth preserving for our future generations. Part of the task included:

·       selecting a place, geography, event, individual or stories that was important during the history of our province

·       sharing information about its place in the history and how it contributed to the development of our province

·       explaining why it is worth preserving for future generations.

 

 

The students had the choice of creating Visual Presentation, Newspaper Article, Information Brochure, Google Slide, Prezi or Power-Point Presentation, Photo Essay or Pic Collage that highlights the required information explored with each topic selected and examined.

The following are examples of some of the student work that was created.

 

 

Easter Reflection & Blessing

The following Easter poem written by Helen Steiner Rice that has been appreciated by people from all walks of life. The beauty of spring merged with the grace of God makes this poem a delightful one to read. Reading this beautiful composition will take you closer to the real essence of the poem and allow you to experience the true grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Easter Reflections”

With OUR EYES we see
The beauty of Easter
As the earth awakens once more.

With OUR EARS we hear
The birds sing sweetly
To tell us spring again is here.

With OUR HANDS we pick
The golden daffodils
And the fragrant hyacinths.

But only with OUR HEARTS
Can we feel the MIRACLE of GOD'S LOVE
Which redeems all men.

And only with OUR SOUL
Can we make our 'pilgrimage to God'
And inherit His Easter Gift of ETERNAL LIFE.`

Easter is the central event in the life of the Church. The events that happened that first Easter continue to be the power, hope, and peace within our lives. It is my hope that the content of this message will help you celebrate the victory that is the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wishing you and your family a very blessed Easter season!

Gr. 4V Religion: “The Parables of Jesus” Project

In conjunction with the previous unit in Religion, the students in 4V explored the various parables told by Jesus.

 

A parable is a story about a familiar subject to teach an important moral lesson. Jesus' parables are short stories that teach a moral or spiritual lesson by an analogy or similarity. Some aspect of an unfamiliar concept, such as the kingdom of God, was compared to something from everyday life that could easily be understood. Jesus was the master of teaching in parables. His parables often have an unexpected twist or surprise ending that catches the reader's attention. They are also cleverly designed to draw listeners into new ways of thinking, new attitudes and new ways of acting and teach some very important lessons to the audience.  

After selecting and reading the parable as written in the Gospel, the students’ task was to create a “Parables of Jesus” poster incorporating images about the key elements from the parable that was selected and read about in the Bible passage.

The following are examples of some of the student work that was created.

 

 

 

 

Science 4V: “Simple Machines Poster Project”

In Science class, we have been recently exploring the various concepts related to the the unit on Simple Machines. Simple machines make work easier for us by allowing us to push or pull over increased distances. The six main types of simple machines include:

 

Lever Wheel and Axle Pulley

Inclined Plane Wedge Screw

After doing research based on readings from their notebooks, power point presentations and internet links, the students’ task was to select a simple machine to research and create a detailed visual that highlights its key information. For example, in creating their posters, the students were to ensure that it consists of a large title and at least three images that accurately depict the simple machine assigned to them.  Attention was to be paid to show good examples of how the machine is used.

 

The following are examples of some of the student work that was created.

 

 

 

Gr. 4V Social Studies: Critical Challenge - “Alberta’s First Nations”

During this Critical Challenge, we explored Alberta’s First Nations’ groups. Specifically, we examined where Alberta’s First Nations’ groups lived, their relationship with the land and how it shaped various aspects of their culture. Students had the opportunity of choosing from the following First Nations groups:

Dene Tha’	Plains Cree
Dunne-Za	Tsuu T’ina
Woodland Cree	Siksika
Dene Suline	Piikani
Nakoda	Kainai

After doing research based on readings from the text and internet links, the students’ task was select one of the First Nations’ groups mentioned above to explore the following aspects:

Where did this First Nation group live in Alberta?

• What was the land like?
• How did the land and its environment shape their culture relative to the following considerations?

Ø traditional food
Ø traditional clothing
Ø art, music & dance
Ø spiritual celebrations

 The students had the choice of creating Poster, Newspaper Article, Information Brochure, Power-Point Presentation, Prezi or Pic Collage that highlights the required information explored with each First Nations group. The following are examples of some of the student work that was created.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gr. 4V Religion: “My Big Rocks“ Project

 

Last month the students were exploring the broad concept regarding “Big Rocks” during one of their units in Religion.  To each of us, the “Big Rocks” mean something different, but at the core, the big rocks are those things in your life which are most important... The question for them to consider meant for each student to explore what the big rocks are in their lives.  This entails one keeping in mind the Covey ideal of “putting the first things first”!

Individually, each student had the option of creating a poster or Google Slide presentation complete with a variety of imagery and illustrations which depict what their “Big Rocks” are. They began by brainstorming a list of at least 5 to 10 key things, people and values in their lives. The next task was to incorporate these items into the design of the project. The following is a picture of the bulletin board as well as examples of some of the student work that was created.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 



 

 

CTF Interest Group: Art – Painting / Collage

The students on my CTF interest group during the last session created mixed-media collages on canvas board based on a theme of their choice. In the time allotted, students had opportunities to experiment, create and showcase their knowledge and skill in this art style. 

 

The art projects created by the students were basically a collage of shapes, images and text (words & phrases) glued to 9” X 12” canvas boards.  The background was painted or consisted of a collage of tissue paper glued to the surface. The selection of the images, cutouts, shapes and colour choice of the background was dependent upon the individual’s personality or preference. 

 

Below are some pictures of some of the students’ work that was created.