After our introduction to the periodic table of elements, we got to dig a bit deeper to learn more about specific properties of an elements (such as state, colour, etc.) Then we got to use these properties to create superheroes with personality! One student chose copper and discovered that copper has high electrical conductivity. That student gave their superhero the power to zap! We then got to use a tool on the web http://www.heromachine.com to design the physical appearance to suit the personality. Loads of fun and very engaging for kids. We’ve not all finished the assignment, so we’ll share what we created in January.
Over the past few weeks we’ve been exploring mental health and have discovered that there are a lot of myths out there about the nature of mental illness. We learned about stigma and how it spreads fear and misinformation, even though approximately 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness at some point in their lives (Canadian Institute of Health Research). That’s a lot! To build our awareness, we’ll be learning more about different resources available to support those with mental illness.
We’ve been busy celebrating our learning in student-led conferences over the past few weeks It’s been a perfect opportunity to empower students to take ownership of his or her learning by articulating their strengths and challenges and to collaboratively set goals for term two. Students also shared what we’ve been working on in class and how we have used peer and self-assessment to improve our learning. Although several students were nervous beforehand, most found the conferences rewarding and motivating…and are looking forward to sharing their learning at the end of term two.
Check out the fun we had in class in the last day before our winter break: