Geography Curriculum Begins

Last week marked the beginning of the 2nd term and we started our Geography curriculum. The first unit of the grade 8 curriculum is Patterns in Human Geography. Students received text books last week and we have covered Chapter 1, on the historic settlement patterns which have developed in different parts of Canada. For example, settlements in Quebec grew along the St. Lawrence River in a linear pattern, whereas settlements in Ontario were more evenly scattered. This week we are examining the growth of cities around the world, which is covered in Chapter 3 of the textbook. Students will be mapping the world's cities with a population over 10 million people later this week.

New Cigarette Package Warning Labels

This week in Media Literacy we read and discussed an article about the new cigarette warning labels that have been developed by the Federal Government. We learned that 37,000 Canadians die each year of tobacco related illnesses. The new warning labels will take up 75% of the packaging and feature very graphic images and messages. One of these images is of a former model, Barb Tarbox on her deathbed. The caption beside the image says: "This is what dying of cancer looks like". Students have gone to the computer lab to view samples of the new warning labels and give their personal evaluation of whether or not they are effective. They have also been asked to suggest their own strategies to help people stop smoking.

Report Cards

February marks the beginning of the 2nd term and first term report cards go home with students this Wednesday. You will notice some differences in the new report card. Learning skills are on the front page of the report card, which reflects how important many teachers believe these skills are for student success. The focus of comments on the report card are on identifying some strengths, as well as giving suggestions for next steps your child can make for improvement. Please let me know if you wish to meet any of your child's teachers regarding their progress. We will be talking this week about goal setting for term 2. Please take the time to discuss your child's goals for the new term at home as well.

Short Story Pitch and Independent Reading

Students have been preparing and presenting a "pitch" of their short story this week. The idea is to give a presentation of the story that they wrote before Christmas to the publisher of a major pubishing company in the hope that it will be "published" in the class anthology. They have been encouraged to make their pitch persuasive and engaging and include an exerpt to spark our interest in reading the story.

We have started off reading for term 2 by choosing and reading independent novels. Students have been reading these novels in class for the past week and should read their novels each evening at home for at least 20 minutes. A bookmark assignment, based on the first half of their novel is due in class at the end of this week.

History Presentations

I apologize for the long delay in updating the blog. Since the holidays I have been consumed with evaluation and writing of first term report cards and 8-4 and 8-5 students have been very busy preparing and presenting their History projects. The presentations covered the final unit for History on the changes that faced Canada at the turn of the 20th Century.
Project topics included early homesteading on the praries, new inventions, the Winnipeg General Strike, the women's suffrage movement and the causes of World War 1, just to name a few. Above is a picture of Alexander Graham Bell speaking into his early version of the telephone. Students were to find three sources for their information and then put together an engaging lesson for the class on their topics. Many students included powerpoint presentations or engaging games and activities with their lessons. We are just wrapping up the presentations this week and will be starting our Geography curriculum next week.

Building the Canadian Pacific Railway

In History we have been learning about the building of the CPR, a railway which was built across the country and helped to secure and open up the Canadian West for settlement. We have learned about the many challenges in building the railway, including blasting through solid rock and spanning dangerous river valleys. Chinese workers were hired to work do some of the most dangerous jobs in building the British Columbia stretch of the line. They were lowered down cliff faces in baskets to set dynamite charges and many died. Many others survived the dangerous work and poor living conditions in the camps, to eventually settle in Canada and start businesses.

Our November Adventure!

Earlier this month students from 8-2, 8-4 and 8-5 spent two days and one night at the Macskimming Outdoor Education Centre. We had a great time cooking and preparing for the trip. The weather was lovely on the first day and we participated in lots of group building and cooperation activities designed to challenge us to come up with creative problem solving ideas. We had a yummy pasta dinner, apple crumble and a bonfire complete with ghost stories before the rain hit. The second day we did our best to find our way around using a compass and learned to start a fire in the rain. We arrived back at school damp but with lots of stories to share.