Human Impact

We are staring off our science learning this year by exploring Human Impact. This relates to parts of the Waste in Our World unit (Grade 4), Plants unit (Grade 4), Wetlands unit (Grade 5) and Weather unit (Grade 5).  

We played a game that shows the human impact on the animal population. We pretended to be deer in a habitat (a pyloned area) and collect food (pieces of uncooked pasta). If we found enough food (5-10 pieces) in a year (60 sec), then we survived and had an offspring (a baby). If not, we died and moved out of the playing field. Here were some statistics that show how the population changed over time:

Collecting food!

In Year 4, we experimented to see what would happen to the deer population if humans moved in and took over some of their habitat by building a neighbourhood. We reduced the playing area and removed some of the food. Many deer weren't able to find enough food. We also talked about how humans may cut off access to different habitats and leave deer travelling through our neighbourhoods to find other food sources. 

Here were some student reflections from the experiment: 

"If there was more space, there would be more deer that would survive." ~ AM
"If we go in their territory, they won't have as much of a chance of surviving." ~ Olivia
"When we harmed the habitat of the deer, their food decreased and the deer didn't survive." ~ Alice
"The game was basically showing how when humans take over an area, the deer may need to walk many kilometers to reach enough food." ~ Charlie
"We played a game that showed that we shouldn't build in the middle of habitats because there won't be enough food." ~ KG
"What used to be one habitat is now smaller habitat areas."
"We could fix that problem by trying to find out where deer mostly are in forests and not build over their habitat. If the deer try to walk a long way to find enough food, if they can't find food in enough time, they might die. ~ AZ

Homework: Prepare for Geometry Quiz

Students, this is a reminder that you have a Geometry Quiz on Monday, September 19. You are encouraged to read through the quiz expectations below and ask Ms Elder any questions that you have. 

We have been practicing in class for the last two weeks, so you've had lots of time to prepare.

Grade 4's, be ready to: 

• Identify lines of symmetry
• Draw lines of symmetry
• Complete the other half of symmetrical shapes
• Identify shapes that are similar
• Identify shapes that are congruent
• Explain the difference between similar and congruency

Here is the review video that we watched in class about similar and congruent (click here). 

Grade 5's, be ready to: 

• Identify sets of parallel and perpendicular lines within in shapes
• Identify horizontal, vertical, and intersecting lines
• Draw examples of parallel, perpendicular, horizontal, vertical, and intersecting lines

Geometry Centres

For the past two weeks, we have been exploring geometry in Math. This week, Ms Elder created centres for us to visit, each with a different geometry focus. 

At the carpet, we practiced making 3-D figures using magnablocks, such as a cube, rectangular prism, square-based pyramid, triangular-based pyramid, triangular prism, and hexagonal prism. When the tiles are lying on the floor, it is called a net. 

At another centre, we got to build our own 3-D figures using paper nets by cutting and gluing. We could choose between making a triangular prism or a rectangular prism. 

At a third centre, we had to match 2D nets with their 3D figures. Then, we had to use the magnablocks to test different net shapes to see if they would make a cube. We recorded our answers as a "yes" or "no." 

With Ms Elder, we reviewed the words edges, vertices, and faces. Grade 4's counted the number of each on different figures like a cube, rectangular-based pyramid, etc. Grade 5's explored whether these figures have perpendicular and parallel edges. 

We each decorated a puzzle piece in the first week of school with things that we love. We used these to teach the class about us. At the last centre, we worked together to try to put the puzzle together. It is really tricky! We know it will make a circle but we have not completed it yet. 

"We are doing this to learn about Geometry: shapes and lines. It was really fun to do the centres!" ~ KG

"I enjoyed when we were on the carpet and we had to make the 3D figures with the magnablocks." ~ AA

"I liked how we got to make a puzzle with puzzle pieces." ~ AZ

HOMEWORK due Sept 16: What Is Art?

Hi Everyone,

This is a reminder that you have homework due Friday, September 16 that relates to Chasing Vermeer. Details are below: 

1. Take a picture of something you consider to be art. 
2. Upload the photo to the assignment in the Google Classroom. Turn In the assignment.
3. Be prepared to explain to the class why you think this object is art. You can write your reason down, if you'd like, to help you remember. 
4. If you're able to, please tell us who made it, what it's made out of, and/or its name.

Presentations will take place the week of September 19. They will be super casual and super short.

In class today, we discussed "What is Art?". Here are some ideas we came up with: 

"Art is everything."

"Most art there is only one of it, like the Mona Lisa."

"Statues, scientific, medieval, music, video, and abstract art."

"Something that we made through our thoughts, names, picture books, people, paint, glass and colours." 

"Art is a kind of thing like craft, dance, painting, and anything." 

"Art is anything made by an artist." 

"Books, painting, Minecraft, people, music, pictures, mountains, life, sky." 

"Anything that takes effort. Anything that has dimensions." 

Symmetrical Name Tags

In Math, we are practicing symmetry (Grade 4's) and types of lines like, horizontal, vertical, perpendicular, and parallel (Grade 5's) as a part of our Geometry unit.  

Ms Elder gave us a name tag art challenge to practice these math skills. 

We had to use a mira to reflect and trace our names so that it was symmetrical.

Grade 5's had even more of a challenge where somewhere in their name, there has to be a set of perpendicular lines, parallel lines, a horizontal, and a vertical line.

"I liked using the mira. It was really interesting how it worked." ~ SG

"I like how it was hard to trace it because it was off the paper." ~ OV

"I loved how it was challenging." ~ AZ

"I liked how if you looked at something through the mira that was red already, it doesn't look like it was there. It disappeared." ~ KN

This activity also connects with a feeling of belonging. It has helped us learn each others' names and gives us a sense of space in the classroom with our name tags on our desks. 

Marshmallow Challenge

Can you find the 4 different tower the designs?

Today, we participated in the Marshmallow Challenge! Ms Elder gave each group 1 m of tape, 1 m of string, 20 pieces of spaghetti and a mini marshmallow. We had 15 minutes to try to build the tallest tower that supports a mini marshmallow on top. Here are some pics of our designs...it was cool that every design was different!

Ms Elder congratulated us on being the calmest class that she's ever had complete this challenge! Also, 5 out of 6 teams had a standing tower at the end of 15 minutes. Here's how we felt after 15 minutes of building: 

"Making the X base made it unstable." ~ KB

"We were having trouble when we were making the legs stick to the table but we made it in the end." ~AZ

"If we had good cooperation, we got to get a marshmallow!" ~ LM

"It was hard because the spaghetti kept breaking." ~ KN

"We made a tipi shape and that held up the best because of its wide base." ~ SG

"Making a sturdy base first, made it a lot easier because it helped lean the pillar against it." ~ AA

"It was a big problem to just stick it on the table. Once, I took a big piece of tape to get it to stick." ~ KG

"My group was having trouble with making it. At first we tried a tipi but then I built a pillar and we built off of it." ~ SL

We watched a video (click here) on the Marshmallow Challenge. 

In this Ted Talk, he suggests to: 

• Focus on building something, even if it's short, rather than focusing on winning (being the tallest)
• Good communication with your partners
• Made prototypes and tested!
• Get building right away, test, and improve
• Consider everyone as equal and work as a team, rather than wasting time trying to become a leader

Ms Elder gave us new materials and we had the chance to re-build. Every team had a standing tower!

At the end, we completed a reflection in our Visual Journals. 

Self-Portrait Collages

Yesterday, Ms Elder read to us the book, The Dot by Peter Reynolds. It is about art being lots of different things, and if you try, you can make something better than you think. Also, one small thing can make a big difference. 

Then, Ms Elder had us make self portraits by ripping magazine pieces. The tinier the piece, the better it looks! We needed to use the space on the page to make a big head. That way, the viewer focuses on the face, not the background. It was challenging because we couldn't use scissors. 

If you're not good at drawing, it doesn't matter. You can feel successful with this style of artwork because you don't need to draw. 

This connects to our work in Math because we are studying Geometry and lines of symmetry. We talked about how this is abstract art, so it probably won't be symmetrical, even though a face is usually a symmetrical object.

"I learned a new style of art called collage." ~ SG

"I learned that if it doesn't look good, you can still thank yourself because you tried." ~ KN

"It was really challenging but it didn't make it impossible. You could still do it." ~ KB

Today's blog was written by: SG, NS, OV, KB, DV, AC, AR, KN