September 30, 2011

Grade 7 Social Studies

Students began building background knowledge on Confederation in Canada.  We will continue to explore this topic on Monday to get a basic understanding of this topic.

Grade 8 Social Studies

We explored a primary source today and applied critical thinking skills in analyzing.  We will continue with this on Monday.  We will also begin our Renaissance unit on Monday.

Grade 8 Health

Students were assigned their groups based on their area of interest for study skills.  On Monday students will meet with their group members to collaborate on their presentation and begin the planning phase of the inquiry model.

Please remember to send in Thanksgiving food donations if you can spare anything.  The box in the classroom is very bare right now.

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend!

September 29, 2011

Thanksgiving Food Bank

We continue to collect food donations for the food box in our room.  Any non-perishable items would greatly be appreciated!

DPA Forms

There are still 8 students who have not returned their DPA forms.  Remember to bring them in ASAP so we can get out there and enjoy these beautiful fall days with a variety of activities!

Social Studies 8

Students are working on their final assignment for the introduction to worldviews.  They are to complete the handout that accompanies page 13 in their textbook.  We will be discussing in class tomorrow and students will be handing in for marks.  The unit test for the introduction will be on Tuesday.

Social Studies 7

We completed going over our example of the inquiry model today.  We began looking at our first inquiry project for Unit 1.  Students have identified the following questions to answer in order to build the necessary background knowledge for the inquiry:

1. What is Confederation?
2. Who are the different Aboriginal groups involved in events leading to confederation?
3. What are the events leading to confederation?
4. What are the social and economic structures of the Aboriginal societies.
5. How did the structures of the Aboriginal societies affect decision making in that society? (i.e. roles, consensus building, etc.)

Students will begin working toward finding the answers to these questions over the next several classes.

Health

Students chose to use this as a study/homework block.  We will begin the inquiry unit tomorrow.

September 28, 2011

I missed updating posts on Monday and Tuesday due to my absence.  Students in both Grade 7 and Grade 8 Social Studies were working on their current events packages.  They will continue to have the first ten minutes of class to work on these packages, which are due next week.

Grade 7 Social Studies

The grade seven students were gone in the morning to Wagner Bog (which I joined them for).  We had a wonderful morning in this beautiful fall weather.  Wagner Bog is beautiful!  Students did a great job conducting their observations and completing their data collections.

Grade 8 Religion

Students read today for the beginning of class.  We then watched Father Catfish and discussed "Good Old Darth Vader".  The discussion was about confession and admitting our mistakes, which can be hard to do. 

September 23, 2011

Grade 8 Religion

We continued our discussion activity for our first unit.  Students continued to consider "expectations" and answered the following questions:

• What do you expect from parents, teachers, friends, God?
• What do (parents, teachers, friends, God) expect of you?
• What do you expect of yourself?

Students came up with great answers for all of these that would make you proud!

We then discussed the following questions and will continue during next class:

• What are expectations?
• How do they arise?
• Are all expectations realistic?  Explain.

A great discussion for the dinner table!

Grade 7 Social Studies

Students finished watching the video The Challenges of Change. 

Terry Fox Run

Thank you to all students who participated in the run and brought in donations.  Our class raised $228.  It is great to see so many students support their community and the good cause.  Without support, cancer research would not be able to make the advances it does.  As we discussed in classs, cancer is something that touches most of our lives at one time or another.

Thanksgiving Food Boxes

We have a box in our classroom to collect food to provide others with a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.  If you have any non-perishable items to donate, please send them in.  We are looking for canned goods, such as vegetables and fruits, and well as boxed foods, such as mashed potatoes, rice and pastas.  Also, any desert items, like pie filling or cake mixes would also be wonderful. 

September 22, 2001

Social Studies 8

We corrected the current events package today.  We covered several topics:

• Overview: Alberta
• 9/11: Ten Years Later
• Somalia Drought and Climate Change
• Oh Canada
• Species Invasion Across the Northwest Passage

Social Studies 7

We finished going through the Inquiry Model today.  We have now begun an example so students can see how an inquiry project would fit into the model.  We are planning a hypothetical Pizza Party in 7A and a hypothetical trip to Montreal in 7C.  We will continue with this on Tuesday.  Monday will be a new current events article.

Homeroom

We finished watching the Terry Fox video in preparation for our Terry Fox Run tomorrow.  Please send in any donations and dress for the weather!

September 21, 2011

Social Studies 7

We began reviewing the Inquiry Model today.  This is to prepare us for our first inquiry project as we begin our study of the First Nations.  We covered Planning, Retrieving, and Processing today.  We will continue with Creating, Sharing and Evaluating tomorrow.  We will follow this with an example from students' own lives.

Social Studies 8

We reviewed critical thinking in the context of social studies, which is really about being able to be aware of our own worldview when we look at historical events.  We examined how the Inquiry Model is part of the Social Studies textbook for both grade 7 and 8.  Finally, we began looking at primary sources.  Tomorrow we will correct current events and continue looking at primary sources.

Primary documents

View more presentations from kscheidy

Homeroom

Students watched a video about Terry Fox in preparation for Friday's Terry Fox Run.  Please remember to bring in permission forms and any donations.

September 20, 2011

Social Studies 8

We completed reviewing the formula for looking at pictures (pictures > words > questions) and shared the questions we developed for the photographs on page 7 of the textbook.  We then classified the questions as either a point of view, perspective or worldview question.  Students seem to developing a good understanding of these terms.

We then explored employment standards for youth today as compared to 100 years ago.  We discussed how worldview changes over time and how it is represented in changes in our laws.  Tomorrow we will be exploring critical thinking as related to the social studies program.

Social Studies 7

In 7C we corrected the Jack Layton current events and discussed political cartoons.  In 7A, students viewed a video on the Challenge of Change.  This is a great video which demonstrates how peoples' reactions in the light of hardship can help them overcome obstacles.  I have asked students to consider the perspectives of the explorers and their reactions in light of the hardships they endured.

Magazine Fundraiser Assembly

We kicked off our Magazine Fundraiser today with an assembly for the last block and a half of the day.  This is a huge fundraiser for our school.  Please support if you can!  There are great magazines for a very good price.

September 19, 2011

Social Studies 7

7A corrected Jack Layton current events today.  We discussed the editorial cartoon and the techniques editorial cartoonists use.  Again, we will be looking into these techniques throughout the year.

7C was a away on a field trip this afternoon, so we will be correcting current events tomorrow.

Social Studies 8


Students were introduced to the formula for exploring pictures:

Pictures > Words > Questions

They then practiced the technique with pictures on page 7 of their textbook.  Students recorded their questions and then categorized the questions into one of three categories: point of view, perspective or worldview.  Often more than one category can be used depending on how the question is interpreted. 

Religion 8

Students read, prepared their agendas, watched Father Catfish's homily "Deserves Got Nothing to Do With It" and prayed at the end of the day.  We then discussed the questions following the homily.

September 16, 2011

Social Studies 7

Today we finished analyzing our first primary source.  Students were able to gain insights about the relationship between the First Nations and Samuel Hearne, an European explorer, by looking for evidence in a page from Samuel Hearne's journal regarding his journey from "Prince of Wales's Fort in Hudson's Bay to The Northern Ocean" (London, 1795).  Students practiced making inferences from the evidence they found in the entry from November, 1769.

Social Studies 8

We continued to work through the seven elements of the worldview icon.  Students presented several examples for each element to establish what the Canadian (Western) worldview is.  The purpose of this activity was twofold.  Firstly, students further developed their understanding of what a worldview is.  Secondly, students began to define the current Western worldview, which we will be referring to throughout the year.

Homeroom

Students were given a homework block at the end of the day.  Unfortunately, I was unable to update the homework on the blog before I left school today, so students will have to rely on their own agendas (which we continue to do daily at the beginning of homeroom block).  However, for social, students have current events due on Wednesday.

Have a great weekend!

September 15, 2011

Grade 7 Social Studies

Today we worked on a current event article.  Students are to leave tracks of their thinking as they read (use symbols and words to reveal the connections they make as they read through the article).  The political cartoon is an activity to guide them through understanding the techniques the artist uses when creating the cartoon.  A political cartoon is a great primary source.  We will be discussing this more in class.

Grade 8 Social Studies

Students were given a current event package to work through this week.  We will be correct the current events beginning Wednesday next week.

Health

Today was a Daily Physical Activity (DPA).  Students read for the first part of class.  The new student planners were delivered today, so students transferred over items from their old planner (which we are returning to the distributor). 

September 14, 2011

Facebook in the Classroom

I have set up two homework classrooms on Facebook.  It is not a requirement of the course for a student to have Facebook.  However, if students do have a Facebook account, they can request to join the Scheideman Social 7 or Scheideman Social 8.  It is an extension of the classroom, and I have gone through the proper usage and expectations with the students.  I see everything that is posted and who posted it.  This site is meant purely for a place to seek assistance for homework or content being covered in class, a place to collaborate with others or a place to post questions. 

Grade 7 Social Studies

We began analyzing our primary source today.  Students used cue cards with exploration prompts to guide their analysis, similar to how a historian would look at the document.  Tomorrow we will be working on a current events piece, and then Friday we will return to the analysis of the document.

Grade 8 Social Studies

We continued our exploration and development of our understanding of the seven worldview icons.  Students are now working to create a framework for what the Canadian or Western Worldview would look like using those seven elements.  Tomorrow we will be working on current events, and then on Friday we will return to the exploration of the seven elements of worldview in the Western Worldview context.

Grade 8 Health

Students submitted their questions for our first Health inquiry project.  They are in the first phase of the inquiry model, the planning phase.  Students will continue planning tomorrow.

September 13, 2011

Grade 8 Social Studies

We began looking and the Worldview Elements: geography, time, beliefs, society, values, economy, and knowledge.  Students will be watching a video, if they haven't already, defining the difference between point of view, perspective and worldvies.  As well, the video gives some examples of these concepts as related to the Worldview Elements.  Tomorrow we will be working in groups to further develop our understanding of the seven elements.

Grade 7 Social Studies

Students looked at a second historical thinking concept today: primary source evidence.  We discussed sources which are considered to be primary and why they are considered primary sources. 

Primary documents

View more presentations from kscheidy

Tomorrow we will practice analyzing a primary source document by collecting evidence as we read it.  They will analyze document content, the purpose of the document, the author/speaker/creator, historical context, types of document, and the recipient (audience/listener).

Grade 8 Health

Students are exploring the topic of studying.  They are developing projects to become aware of different styles of learning and the various ways to study and complete homework.  Students are to design three questions about the topic and submit at the beginning of tomorrow's class.  Check out the brainstorming web if you need to review the concept we are working with.

Brainstorming Web

Remember, the questions are to be open-ended.  We will work on refining the questions to ensure they are not too narrow or broad.  As well, this is your research topic, so make sure it is one you are interested in and one that is relevant for you as a student and life-long learner.

September 12, 2011

Grade 8 Social Studies

We began with some lessons on group work, as our first group activity is next up.  Students will be working in groups to explore the seven elements of worldview.  We reviewed "Turn and Talk", "Home Court Advantage", and left off with "Creating Group Ground Rules".

Grade 7 Social Studies

We finally corrected our current events from last week on Distracted Driving Regulations and Cell Phone Usage.  We also reviewed the expectations of behavior when marking class assignments.  We focused on "Be Considerate of Others".  We want to create an environment that allows students to risk giving answers that are incorrect so we can all learn from both the correct answers and the incorrect ones.  We agreed that none of us know everything (myself included!) and mistakes are expected in my room.   Students will begin looking at primary sources tomorrow.

Grade 8 Religion

We began talking about forgiveness and reviewed the Creed in regards to forgiveness.  Tomorrow we will be starting our first health unit, Study Skills.  Please bring research journals for this class.

Sept 8, 2011

Sorry in the delay in getting this site going.  September is always a busy time of the year.  Hopefully I will get a chance to meet some of the parents of my students at the open house BBQ this evening (from 5-7 p.m.).

Social Studies (Grade 7 and 8)

To date, we have covered similar items in both the Grade 7 and Grade 8 Social Studies.  I have been teaching some historical thinking concepts which are relevant at any grade level.  Students have been introduced to the difference between an event and a narrative.  Ask them if they can tell you the difference!

As well, we discussed and defined the terms "past", "history" and "historical thinking".  Students were introduced to the six historical thinking concepts; historical perspectives, cause& consequence, continuity and change, ethical dimensions of history, primary source evidence, and historical significance. 

The first historical concept we covered in class was historical significance.  In order for something to be considered historically significant, it must meet three criteria; durability (changes last a long time), quantity (affected many people) and profundidity (the effects are great).  This is how we determing what and whose stories to tell.  Try this with any current event to predict whether it will be considered historically significant in the future.

Inquiry Model

 I am also introducing the Inquiry Model to students at this point.  I absolutely love the Inquiry Model and have withnessed great student success with it.  It is a model we will be using often in all subject areas and with all grades.  There are links to help parents support the model at home which I will include in my resources list on the blog.  As I mentioned, September is a busy month and I am building this blog/online classroom as I go.  I will be adding other 21st Century tools to assist students throughout the year.

Religion

Students have looked at the over-view for the year and the first unit.  The year is really tied to The Creeds.  An over-view of the year is in the prezi below. 

We are beginning with a unit titled "We believe in the Holy Spirit".  Students will identify and evaluate expectations that affect their behavior.  We will explore this first theme over then next week.

Students have also been introduce to Father Catfish.  We watched his homily from past Sunday, as well as his weekly rant which was on "Is it wrong to play Call of Duty?"  It comes down to some guidelines and balance.

We have not started health yet, but will be in the next week.  Students will be attempting their first inquiry which will involve the topic of Study Habits. 



Historical Thinking

Social Studies classes are more than teaching historical facts or current events.  One of the thinking strategies we try to develop in students is Historical Thinking.  This is a way to view the past more like a historian would; it is a way to remove ourselves from our current worldviews and evaluate the event within the context of the era.  There are six historical thinking concepts which develop the historical thinking.  These are; historical perspectives, cause and consequence, continuity and change, ethical dimensions of history, and historical significance.

I have included a link to the Historical Thinking benchmark site.  This will give a good description of the concept.