Perspectives and Influences. Class review/links and homework

I accidentally posted this on the wrong blog yesterday afternoon. Sorry for any inconvenience caused by the delay. 

Hello 9s,

Today you worked with art images and noted what you saw there.
You noted that some things seemed apparent initially and others could be understood/seen with help/practice/discussion/looking again and again.

When asked what influenced what you saw and how you interpreted what you saw you told us:

• your past experiences informed you.
• your position in the room influenced you.
• your vocabulary effected you.
• Your culture, philosophy, spirituality, gender identity/ies, education inform our view/s.

Finally, you received a worksheet on the story 'The Friday Everything Changed'. We read aloud and we discussed the story's beginning regarding the setting and the characters. 

For homework due next class Oct. 1/18:

1. Finish reading The Friday Everything Changed by Anne Hart
2. Fill out the chart (rough draft) (homework check) noting:
• who is/are the character/s? (Character/s)
• What do they want?(Their interest/perspective)
• What influences how they see things (What effects their view?)
• What can they do? (What might be their position?)
• 
  
3. Please review page 3 of your notes package on ‘point of view.’

We will continue looking at this story and at notions around how our perspectives and how others’ perspectives are formed and communicated. What are/can be the effects of such perspectives/perceptions?

I am very much enjoying working with, and getting to know you all.

Ms. S

Paragraphing practice/review

Hello English 9,

Due today: your topic sentence for the paragraph you are creating on the topic of digital citizenship.
 In preparation we looked at this video: Please recall that the abbreviations used are for informal situations, but not for most class work.
Your topic sentence ought to include:
• a full sentence (subject and verb ...) that declares what your paragraph's message will be
• 2 or 3 supporting points to indicate the intention of the upcoming paragraph
These may (or may not) be drawn from the examples provided in the article, 'Be a Good Digital Citizen'.This is the link we looked at. Scroll down for the text.
Topic sentence example:
 My dog is the best dog ever; he is smart, loving and he even does chores!
Here we see a declaration that I will prove in my paragraph; "My dog is the best." The way I intend to prove it is to show you how 1. smart 2. loving and 3. chore-doing he is.
• I will give you credit for your best attempt at this sentence, provide feedback and then you will write the rest of the paragraph in class.
Due next classTuesday Sept. 25th: is your outline. You will use this outline to write your in class paragraph. This is a homework weighted assignment.
In class write of the full paragraph will occur Tuesday Sept. 25th.  You may use your brief outlines and I will return your topic sentences before you begin. This ought to take around 30 minutes.
Click here for a short video lesson of paragraphing.
Outline for a basic paragraph:
NOTE: This outline serves only as a guide.  You may wish to include more or fewer than three supporting details.

Topic Sentence: _________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Supporting Detail: ________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________    
Facts, details, examples, and explanations:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Supporting Detail: ________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________    
Facts, details, examples, and explanations:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Supporting Detail: ________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Facts, details, examples, and explanations:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Concluding Sentence: ____________________________________________________

Best of luck!
Ms. S

Getting Organized for High School Life

Hello 9s,

Homework due Sept.19: 
Complete the calendar detailing ‘Jerome’s assignment’ plans. We broke the assignment into tasks and you are to place them on the calendar provided. You will recieve a homework mark/check for your efforts. Be logical and realistic in your planning according to how you think you’d actually organize for such a project.

Today, we began discussing ways to give order to the work and play you hope to build into your life this school year.  We discussed ways to be more calm, organized and thereby, hopefully, more successful in your endeavours. The topics covered included the following:

• The 2 binder system (one for your day 1 classes and the other for your day 2 classes) This is not a mandatory system, but many find it helpful.
• Binder dividers. Label them and use them to keep your work in your various classes separate from one another. This will help you access items more readily for class or for studying.
• Dating and labelling our sheets with your name a block.
• Posting your class schedule both at home and at school for reference.

We next practiced a little with using our student agenda books.

• Please bring these with you to all classes. 
• Check them before you leave for the day to ensure you pack your binder with all necessary items before you head home.
• Have a set time each evening when you review what is due/written in your agenda. Setting a habit around this will save you headaches later. PLEASE check the agenda earlier in the evening to avoid late nights and disappointments.
• Some of us (myself included) may do well to set additional alarms on our phones as reminders of either new habits (like homework time) or important due dates. 

We reviewed a few aspects of agenda use:

• Using abbreviations to save space.
• Using both the daily and month at a glance calendars.
• Using symbols/coloured pencils/hilighters to indicate important dates.
• How to break a larger project into smaller more manageable parts to be completed over a series of days. (This is what you are doing for homework.)

I am enjoying working together with you all. Have a terrific day tomorrow!

Ms. S

What to expect this week

Hello 9s,

I hope this first week at school went well for you. Please remember that it is natural, when engaging in new things, to feel some nervousness, to have doubts, and to make mistakes. You are not alone. Just know that there is a lot of help for you here at U Hill.

This week:

• Photo day A block Tuesday.
• We will work on developing some organizational strategies that may help you in English and in all of your classes. Tuesday Sept. 11/18

• Thursday Sept. 13/18  Go to your first block for attendance. Your teacher will escort you to the ULC (Upper Learning Commons/library) or to the LLC (Lower Learning Commons). Here we are doing C.A.T testing. This is a diagnostic test to give us some awareness of your literacy and numeracy skills. Results from this test aid us in tailoring our support and instruction to you as individuals and as a community. The test does not affect your grades.

Enjoy your weekend. See you Tuesday everyone.

Thanks,

Ms. S

Welcome to English 9

Teacher: Ms. Tish Silvers

Email: asilvers@vsb.bc.ca

Welcome, this blog is our collective 'home base'. Here, will be gathered content that will review and extend your learning. As well, it will communicate expectations and timing. Please access this blog daily, setting up a bookmark on your phone is a good idea but I recommend you employ the full web format found at the bottom of your phone screen when accessing the blog.

This blog is where you will find:

• Important dates: Assignment deadlines,quiz, test presentation dates and cursory reviews of class discussion/topics
• Resource page: links that relate to the day/unit/discussions from within the class.
• Independent study links: When you want to focus for improvement beyond the homework or when you have been encouraged to review, there are some links here for you. Curated but not created by Ms. S.
• Course outline: This is an overview of the course including marks allotment and expectations.

I am very much looking forward to working with you all this year; with that in mind I offer the following:

Please hear in this quote, gender inclusive language. Hear also "She" and "Her" and "We" throughout as we consider "master[y] in the art of living."

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind an his body, his education ad his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both."

L.P. Jacks

Communicating Student learning! Final Draft Due June 19

Dear 9s,

Congratulations on all your hard work, growth and achievements this year. You have cause to be proud.

Now is a very good time to reflect on the work/play/learning you have done this year both in classes and outside of classes. We have begun working together on this reflection which you will formalize in class June. 15 and June 19th. The final draft is Due June 19th in class.

This is your chance to consider the challenges and triumphs you've experienced and to express them in light of the Core Competencies. (See notes/links below)

You have taken home a drafting paper, it is formatted inviting you to:

1. Articulate your ability/Competency in a specific area (examples provided in links below)
2. Provide an example or examples of you doing/demonstrating that competency this year.  

For example, Communication:

1. "I can be a leader and am supportive of others."
2. "In my working group, I began a chat group and a shared Google doc. where we pool/share our ideas. When disagreements occurred, as they sometimes do in working groups, I calmly moderated our discussion so we could come to a compromise.

Video overview Core Competencies

We will use both June 15/19 to work on these,but please feel free to work on these at home and bring in your efforts. It is yours after all. These reflections will be attached to your final report card.

Thanks,

Ms. S

COMMUNICATION –THINKING - PERSONAL & SOCIAL

Communication: Communication is when students exchange information, experiences and ideas to help them learn more. Communication is how we express our thoughts, feelings ideas and opinions. Students need to understand and use digital media to communicate.

Thinking: Thinking is taking concepts and content and changing into new understanding.

Creative Thinking: Thinking in an original or new way and creating new ideas or concepts that matter to others.

Critical Thinking:  Critical thinking is analyzing, drawing conclusions and making judgments about information (Metacognitive awareness is being aware how you think and learn. “Thinking about thinking”)

Personal and Social: Students understand their identity as individuals and members of society.

         Positive Personal and Cultural Identity: Awareness of who you are including heritage and beliefs, contributing to a healthy sense of self.

         Personal Awareness and Responsibility: Skills to help students stay healthy like setting goals, regulating emotions, respecting themselves and others and managing stress.

Social Responsibility: Students ability to make a difference and contribute to family, community, society and the environment. Also, to be able to resolve problems peacefully and empathize with others creating healthy relationships.

Overview of revised curriculum and Core Competencies


Expressing Competency in Communication- some examples

CreativeThinkingCompetency- examples
CriticalThinkingCompetency - examples

Positive personal and cultural Identity Competency - examples
Personal Awareness and Responsibility Competency- examples
SocialResponsibilityCompetency-examples

Some review of concepts from last day/Science project aims/please see last post too.

Hello 9s,

You have been working well on refining your research questions as you delve deeper into your research.

• We have reviewed your citations for this research.
• You have worked on paraphrasing/summary to make the research your own/avoid plagiarism.
•  You have begun to prepare/plan/ask questions regarding how best to represent your research.
• What follows here are some additional resources for representing data depending upon what it is you are trying to express.

Also, some of you asked to see the aims/rubric of the Science project. Ms. K has sent me the following as well as a requirement that you not use a power point for your project. One exception may be if you want to represent something that needs movement/sound together with your poster/
tri-fold presentation.

Remember that you may include 3 D items (books, models, demonstrations) as part of your visual explanations of your research.

Sustainability Project – Checklist

o Do you have a well-written research question?

o Do you have at least four reliable sources? Did you print a list of links/sources you used?

o Did you make sure not to just copy and paste?

o Are your findings relevant to your research question?

o Did you use reliable research methods to conduct your research?

o Does your conclusion thoroughly answer your research question?

o Did you share the tasks evenly among group members? Did you use class work time productively?

o When presenting, were your voices loud enough for everyone to hear? Do your visuals represent your findings? Was your presentation between 5-10 minutes?

Next class, you will be expected to speak with some confidence about your research and to answer questions about it.

Some links on how to make your posters visually pleasing:
Practical concerns vid.
Research poster structural advice- visuals!


Reminder Your works cited are due June 11.
This is a big weekend for you re: this project. I wish you all the best as you complete your projects.
Ms.S