This week the students were busy creating their 3D models of a landform in Alberta. They also continued to refine their research strategies as they tried to isolate facts about at least 3 of these landforms. The landforms they researched were:
Rocky Mountains Foothills Hoodoos Rivers and Streams Oil Wells Forests Prairies Students can continue their research at home on these landforms. Finding specific facts will be really important. Can you name a few specific mountains or rivers? Do you know interesting facts about them? By find these we will continue to evolve our research skills.
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On Monday students wrote their test on natural resources. All tests have been handed back to be signed and returned to school by a guardian. On Tuesday, students continued to learn about Alberta's National Parks. They were posed with the question: "should a new community be created in Banff?" We discussed the pros and cons of building new communities as well as the importance of National Parks. On Wednesday, students presented their viewpoint to the class. I could tell some students really practiced and listened to feedback as their presentation skills improved! Rubrics will be sent home today, Friday, November 24.
On Wednesday and Thursday we moved on to discussing 6 important landforms in Alberta and one man-made feature that dominates Alberta's landscape. These landforms are: hoodoos, rivers and lakes, the Rocky Mountains, Foothills, forests and prairies. The man-made item was an oil well or oil donkeys that can be seen in many places throughout Alberta. Students were shown pictures and had to try and identify each group of pictures and determine what they all had in common. They then made groups of 3 or 4 and worked on a plan to create a 3D model of one of the landforms. Students will begin building their landform on Monday and each group member needs to bring in specific supplies. I encouraged students to bring in found or recycled objects from home, like they did for their "Waste in our World" project, and not go out and buy things. The school will provide materials like: paint, paint brushes, glue, scissors, tape, very small amounts of plastercine and other small odds and ends. Below are some plans I am excited to see what the kids can create! Banff’s Future: What Will We Decide?
Banff National Park is the oldest National Park in Canada. Real estate developers want Banff’s status as a National Park to be removed so that they may create new communities. Then more people would be able to enjoy the beauty of the area. Many people, however, are concerned about the effects these new communities will have on the environment. A series of public town hall meetings have been planned in various communities across Alberta. Albertans have been invited to share their opinions about this issue at these meetings. You have decided to take a stand and prepare a presentation. Your Presentation should:
It was a short week but students continued to work hard. Both classes presented their first persuasive writing piece to the class on fracking. All students have received their rubric, please ensure you sign and return it to school. We moved on to discussing National Parks. Canada has 42 National Parks, 5 of which are in Alberta. Wood Buffalo, Elk Island, Banff, Jasper and Waterton have unique and varied features and are located throughout the province. Grade 4's did some writing on their understanding of the parks as well as their importance. Next week, they will write their second persuasive writing piece in relation to their learning about National Parks.
Remember that on Monday, November 20, students have a quiz on natural resources. They study guide was sent home on Monday, November 13 but can also be found below.
Mr. Baker and I are looking forward to meeting you at Parent Teacher Interviews and hope that you enjoy your long weekend! On Monday and Tuesday we continued to discuss Alberta's natural resources. Students watched a Bill Nye video on "Rivers and Stream" and did some journal writing on the video. Students are still working on building their stamina for writing by continuing to try and write at least 10 sentences each time. We also talked about the oil boom and the discovery of oil in Leduc in 1947. I showed a simplified process of how we get oil out of the ground and the alternative we used before oil and gas. On Wednesday and Thursday we began an assignment on fracking. We watched videos that explained the fracking process as well as the pros and cons of fracking. Students asked lots of questions related to fracking. We created a pros and cons list of fracking. The students were then asked to write a paragraph on their viewpoint about fracking. They needed to chose a position and support their viewpoint in a detailed paragraph that used facts and reasons from what we have learned. On Monday, each Grade 4 will read their argument to the class. They do not need to hand in a good copy of their written piece.
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AuthorMrs. Moldovan has been teaching for 9 years. She has taught Grade 4 for the past 6 years at Nose Creek! Archives
June 2018
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