Climate Change - is it really that bad? Let's ask Bill Nye!

Climate Change - is it really that bad? Let's ask Bill Nye! Today we will watch a short video that will kick off our new unit that takes a closer look at Climate Change. We will be working along with other teachers on our team to do a general study on Ecosystems around the world, how they have changed through history, the specific impacts in certain areas, and the change makers who are helping our planet. After our study on sustainability, we are ready to take a deeper look at what our earth looked like in the past, how it looks now and what we are headed for in the future.

 

Next, let's see what BrainPop has to say! (We can take the quiz too!)


After watching the videos, choose 2 of the following questions in your notebook.

 1) Why do you think some people deny climate change? How does that benefit them or the planet?

 or

 2) After our project on "Sustainability", have there been any lasting changes you've made? Do you feel like these changes can add up our does it just feel like "a drop in the bucket"?

 or

 3) What area of the world do you think is most affected by climate change? Are some areas more vulnerable than others?

 Be sure to COPY DOWN THE QUESTION so I know which one you are answering. We will share answers together in small groups and and as a whole class to being our learning!

Want to Travel the World from the Comfort of Your Home?

Want to tour the world from the comfort of your home? A great website to check out is Airpano. Here you can travel to the Sydney Opera House, The Colosseum in Rome and The Great Barrier Reef of the coast of Australia.

Recently students had to check out multiple locations around the world - you can read some highlights from their "travels" in the comment section below!

Comment-y-aller - Videos!!!

After many months of reading, writing and practicing using the play "Comment-y-aller" we have finally finished our plays! In the comments below, students have left links that will connect you to their projects.  We hope you enjoy them!

It's time for WAFFLES!

Today we will be making Belgian Waffles!! They are easy and delicious! First let's learn a few interesting facts about Belgium!


Quick Facts about Belgium

•  The official name of Belgium is the Kingdom of Belgium.
• Belgium shares a land border with 4 countries including France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. 
•  Belgium has a population of 10.5 million people (10,444,268) as of July 2013. Covering an area of just 30,528 km² (11,787 mi²), Belgium is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. 
•  French fries are believed to have been invented in Belgium not France. 
• Belgium is world-famous for waffles. There are 3 main types of Belgian waffles, the most common is Liege waffles which are eaten like a cookie, Brussels waffles are larger and lighter in color and eaten with toppings such as strawberries or ice cream, while galettes are thin, soft and usually eaten for breakfast with jam.

To begin, lets watch a quick demonstration! 

 


This recipe is very simple to follow because it uses a pancake batter as a base! Let's get started!

 Things to watch out for . . . .


 

We need to use butter EACH time to grease the iron so the waffles are crispy on the outside and can easily be removed.  Use ONLY a 3/4 cup each time.

Once your waffles are made, you can enjoy them with syrup, whip cream and berries!

Be sure to clean up your area once you are done so the next group can enjoy making waffles too!

Be sure to say thank you to all of the adults helping out today.

Random Acts of Kindness = Everyday Leadership

ELA - Grit Writing

https://retsdca-my.sharepoint.com/personal/lsteinhoff_retsd_mb_ca/_layouts/15/guestaccess.aspx?docid=1c8b7b0d4770c4adb87c6e698e46fda30&authkey=Ab3LpP1PBKErnV0bO6JGqe8&expiration=2018-04-22T19%3a50%3a22.000Z

Infographics - Hang on Tight!!!

Today we are going to dive into the world of infographics.  What is an infographic? Well, here's a few pictures of examples . . .

What do you think people use infographics for? How can they be beneficial? What are their limitations? How are infographics similar or different to graphic novels?

Today you are going to evaluate a few different sites that offer the ability to create interesting and engaging infographics.  There are tons and tons of websites and apps that offer this service but they often come with a limited amount of resources, graphics, capabilities within their free version.  Still, you may only need the tools that are in the free version, so then you are ok!  Also, they may want you to sign up with an email or a Facebook or Google account, which may mean you are signing up to be added to spam lists, newsletters, and advertisements either for the company itself or other companies they sell your information to.

With all of that in mind, let's take a look at a few possibilities we can use . . .

1) Piktochart

2) Infogram

3) Easelly **** This may be my favourite based on the amount of capabilities you get for free. 

4) One that you discover!

I also really like the app Pic Collage, which isn't fantastic for lots of text, but can be fun to spice up regular photos.  

Take some time to play around with these websites and see which one you'd like to use to create your Comparison Infographic you will be creating regarding your life here in Canada verses if you lived in either Australia, Asia or Africa.

If all of this seems too complicated, or if you just like working with something more familiar, you can use the ideas from the sites above, and head over to Word, Powerpoint or Publisher and create an infographic there. 

Learning how to share information with others is an incredibly important skill. It allows you to make and share personal connections to the world around you. It allows you to voice your opinion, inform specific or general audiences, persuade others to think from other perspectives and the list goes on.

I am REALLY looking forward to what you can come up with! Be sure to reference the Writing Checklist in the classroom (and on this blog) to be sure you have all the info you need.

Good luck and happy creating!