Reading Buddy Storybook Gifts

For the past few weeks, the grade 8s have been writing, illustrating and assembling storybooks to give to their reading buddy in Mrs. Finney's Grade 2/3 class.

In their literacy groups, the students have been deconstructing storybooks, performing writing activities, examining text features of narratives and watching movies to "map" the elements of a narrative.

On Friday, December 21st, the grade 8s read their storybooks to their buddies and gave them the copies as gifts just before the holiday break.

Way to go Grade 8s!

"Hands on" Math Problem Solving

We have been working on the Patterning & Algebra strand of Math for the past few weeks.

Students have been using math manipulatives such as colour tiles, cuisinare rods and tangrams to build patterns (using concrete materials) and infer/extend the patterns for the next terms or the general (nth) term.

We have been sharing our results and observations using a BANSHO style of presentation. Students present their chart paper observations and describe their results as a group. After this, chart papers are grouped to show the level of understanding and strategies used to solve the problem. From the groupings of observations, the "next steps" are determined so we know where future lessons (and focus) should be.

Global Citizens in the Making

Over the past few weeks, Mr. Finney's and Mrs. Soutar's grade 8 classes have been participating in a Geography Debate. The topic focused on whether Canada should increase its foreign aid level to African countries OR whether it should stay the same (or even be decreased).

The two teams for the debate were guided and directed by a student leader and carried out research on the topic as well as creating "rich" questions for the other team. The debate lasted 2 geography periods and showed that our Orchard Park students are not only "in tune" with global social issues - they are, in some cases, passionate and critical of their role in these matters.

As part of the population characteristics and demographics unit in Grade 8 Human Geography, students also demonstrated curriculum skills in Media, Drama, Persuasive Writing. Learning skills focused on included; cooperation, independent and group work, initiative, conflict resolution, goal setting and leadership.

After awarding each team their group mark and crowning "the winner," students completed a "self-reflection" activity where they identified strengths, next steps and set goals for future debate activities. Congratulations to all the grade 8 students who showed their interest and skills in researching and debating such a globally-significant issue.