Kid snippets Thor
Friday, November 29, 2013
Do something
What to see what you can do to make a difference? See what other teens are doing around the world to make a difference ... Go to: http://www.dosomething.org/
Worth checking out!
Do something
What to see what you can do to make a difference? See what other teens are doing around the world to make a difference ... Go to: http://www.dosomething.org/
Worth checking out!
Remember your Outdoor Ed forms
Remember your outdoor Ed forms Grade 8 as well as the $25!! You also need to start planning what warm outdoor clothes you plan on wearing on the trip. Organize this in advance so there is less last minute panic.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
The Power of Knowledge
Ever complain about going to school? Ever feel like you just don't feel like going because there are other things you would rather do?
Today's lesson will explore the power of knowledge and how an education is essential in changing the lives of kids around the world.
We're going to watch a video from the series, The New Heroes, "The Power of Knowledge"
Here is a link to the video questions to go with the video...
Making a Difference Questions
Today's lesson will explore the power of knowledge and how an education is essential in changing the lives of kids around the world.
We're going to watch a video from the series, The New Heroes, "The Power of Knowledge"
Here is a link to the video questions to go with the video...
Making a Difference Questions
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Overdue Assignments
Just a reminder that Term One Reportcards go out on Tuesday. Students were told they could email any overdue assignments or contact me with questions this weekend. My email address is:
j.stewart-mitchell@rcsd.ca
j.stewart-mitchell@rcsd.ca
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Peace Pledge Voice Recording Rubric
Great work today Grade 8 on troubleshooting and recording your Peace Pledges and linking them on Kidblog. Here is a link to the basic rubric I will use for assessing your work...
Peace Pledge Rubric
Peace Pledge Rubric
Can't Wait for the Movie, Catching Fire?? Me too!
Monday, November 18, 2013
CHILD LABOUR MONOLOGUE REMINDERS
Grade 8's do not rush this assignment. It is to be at least 3 paragraphs. However for a quality introduction and conclusion maybe 5 paragraphs. Read through the whole assignment sheet I gave you, or check out previous blog posts on this assignment.
After you research and brainstorm your web, your outline for your draft might look like this. However you can organize your ideas in other ways. This is just a framework to give you an idea of how to organize the monologue...
REMINDERS
Be sure to REVIEW ALL THE QUESTIONS I gave you on the assignment. This means do not rush, as this is an assignment you need to research, get an informed opinion of what it's like to be a child labourer, then write from their perspective. You are going to be the voice of those kids who have no voice.
What kids of things do you need to include? For example, You need to explore exactly what you eat, where you sleep... Go through ALL THE QUESTIONS from the assignment and ANSWER THEM IN THE MONOLOGUE. Be sure to fully explore the details of what it's like to be a child labourer. Paint your audience a picture of your life!! Get the audience to think and care!
THE FRAMEWORK
The framework for your Child Labour Monologue could be as follows...
Paragraph #1 – Who you are, age, where you live… your family (what do you know about them?)
Paragraph #2 – How you ended up being a child labourer, how long have you been a labourer, what has life been like for you up to this point.
Paragraph #3 - A day in your life - from morning to night...
Paragraph #4 – Your hopes, dreams for the future. What does your future look like with no education?
Paragraph #5 – Closing… What would you say if you were a child labourer in closing? How would you capture the "hearts and minds" of your audience and get them to care? Use language that creates an emotional response in your audience... This means ask your audience questions, add repetition for effect...
THE PRESENTATION Finally, find a picture on line that you think could represent your child labourer. See Tag galaxy.com and type in “child labor” and “poverty”. Then choose a picture, save it in your pictures and upload to kidblog.
EXTENSION... Consider adding more visuals to help your audience connect with your Monologue. Remember the overall objective is to tell the story of a child labourer and get your audience to care about the issue.
What can you add to your post to get your audience to care?
REMINDER TO HAND IN
** YOU WILL HAND IN YOUR RESEARCH, the TWO COLUMN GRAPHIC ORGANIZER (be sure to cite your sources!!) I Will expect to see about 2 of these.
After you research and brainstorm your web, your outline for your draft might look like this. However you can organize your ideas in other ways. This is just a framework to give you an idea of how to organize the monologue...
REMINDERS
Be sure to REVIEW ALL THE QUESTIONS I gave you on the assignment. This means do not rush, as this is an assignment you need to research, get an informed opinion of what it's like to be a child labourer, then write from their perspective. You are going to be the voice of those kids who have no voice.
What kids of things do you need to include? For example, You need to explore exactly what you eat, where you sleep... Go through ALL THE QUESTIONS from the assignment and ANSWER THEM IN THE MONOLOGUE. Be sure to fully explore the details of what it's like to be a child labourer. Paint your audience a picture of your life!! Get the audience to think and care!
THE FRAMEWORK
The framework for your Child Labour Monologue could be as follows...
Paragraph #1 – Who you are, age, where you live… your family (what do you know about them?)
Paragraph #2 – How you ended up being a child labourer, how long have you been a labourer, what has life been like for you up to this point.
Paragraph #3 - A day in your life - from morning to night...
Paragraph #4 – Your hopes, dreams for the future. What does your future look like with no education?
Paragraph #5 – Closing… What would you say if you were a child labourer in closing? How would you capture the "hearts and minds" of your audience and get them to care? Use language that creates an emotional response in your audience... This means ask your audience questions, add repetition for effect...
THE PRESENTATION Finally, find a picture on line that you think could represent your child labourer. See Tag galaxy.com and type in “child labor” and “poverty”. Then choose a picture, save it in your pictures and upload to kidblog.
EXTENSION... Consider adding more visuals to help your audience connect with your Monologue. Remember the overall objective is to tell the story of a child labourer and get your audience to care about the issue.
What can you add to your post to get your audience to care?
REMINDER TO HAND IN
** YOU WILL HAND IN YOUR RESEARCH, the TWO COLUMN GRAPHIC ORGANIZER (be sure to cite your sources!!) I Will expect to see about 2 of these.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Song about Iqbal and child labour
Friday, November 15, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Child Labourer Assignment
EXAMINING THE ISSUE OF CHILD LABOUR...
http://www.freethechildren.com/getinvolved/youth/issues/index.php?type=childlabour&gclid=CPuDqrmUgKUCFSMd5wodo0Dggw
Check out the Teacher Tube video created by a student on child labourer activist, Iqbal Masih (click on the link below)
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=227&title=Iqbal_Masih
Videos on Iqbal
You've read the story of Iqbal Masih and watched videos that examine his life. He is a person who showed everyone around the world that slavery still exists today - and it reveals itself in the form of child labour.
Points to Ponder...
How could the story about Iqbal cause people to take action and do something? What kind of action do you think could be taken?
Child Labour Monologue Assignment - Time to get creative with your writing!!
Now it's your turn.... You are going to find an image of a child labourer from one of the websites below (or scroll to the bottom of this blog), and brainstorm key ideas for a key message that the child in the photo might give in a 30 second - 1 minute monologue (this is about 3/4 - 1 page double spaced typed writing).
But wait! Before you can write your monologue, you need to get informed!!
*** CHILD LABOUR ASSIGNMENT - Click on the link to access the Google Doc, "Two Column Graphic Organizer"
Websites for child labour:
Here is a selection of pre-selected websites on child labour for you to evaluate and perhaps use for your research on life of child labourers from around the world. Some sites are better than others, and most are from well known International and National organizations on child labour. Read through at least 6-8 of the sites. Scan text features such as graphs, pictures, multi-media (slideshows, videos and podcasts) and get a sense of the issue. Then choose 1 or 2 and complete a Two Column Graphic Organizer for research for your Child Labour Monologue Assignment.
The Sites...
What is child labour
http://www.ilo.org/ipec/facts/lang--en/index.htm
I want to be president
http://iloblog.org/2013/11/14/i-want-to-be-president-malawis-little-voices-against-child-labour/#more-660
ILO's Slideshow - "Dreaming of Freedom"
http://www.ilo.org//legacy/english/wdacl/2013/en/bit-maket/index.html
* This is a really good slideshow that explains what child labour is with excellent information to provide you with background knowledge
International Labour Organization
http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/child-labour/lang--en/index.htm
International Labour Organization - Child Labour Stories
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---declaration/documents/publication/wcms_decl_fs_44_en.pdf
Think Quest - Child Labour Stories from Around the World
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01908/1024/lifestory_nadeem.htm
Good Weave - Child Labour Stories for children who have worked in the carpet factories
http://www.goodweave.org/about/children_stories
Canadian Labour Congress
http://www.canadianlabour.ca/news-room/publications/facts-child-labour
Fair Trade Canada
http://fairtrade.ca/en/news-views/news/tackling-child-labour-chocolate-industry
Free the Children
http://www.freethechildren.com/getinvolved/geteducated/childlabour.htm
Free the Children - Child Labour Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWDcz0sfh4I
Canadian Coalition on the Rights of the Child
http://rightsofchildren.ca/resources
Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation
http://earthbeat.sk.ca
Globe and Mail - "Is there less child labour?"
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/giving/is-there-less-child-labour-around-the-world/article4179461/
National Consumers League - Biggest Child Labour Stories of 2011
http://www.nclnet.org/worker-rights/82-child-labor/609-biggest-child-labor-stories-of-2011
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime - Child Labour Stories
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2013/June/world-day-against-child-labour-_-two-stories-of-hope.html
BBC World Service
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/childrensrights/childrenofconflict/work.shtml
Unicef
http://www.unicef.org/protection/index_childlabour.html
Unicef Podcasts - Child Labour
http://www.unicef.org/videoaudio/video_49996.html
Unicef Radio - Podcasts of Child Labour Narratives
http://teachunicef.org/explore/topic/child-labor
Unicef - Back on Track Podcasts
http://www.educationandtransition.org/resources/podcast-84-let-us-learn-everywhere-–-towards-equality-in-education/
Kids and Needs
http://www.kidsandneeds.org/child-labor
Eco India
http://www.ecoindia.com/views/labour.html
Impact Limited Case Studies
http://www.impacttlimited.com/case-studies/
Worlds Children Prize
http://worldschildrensprize.org/globalclassroom/page.html#75&panel1-4
This link may not work as it's for a database. The password to access databases is rcsd
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13886263
A poem for child labours... listen to this podcast
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4864221
What is a monologue? It is a speech given by one person directly to an audience. It is personal and expresses a person's thoughts, feelings and personality.
USING THE RESEARCH TO WRITE AN INFORMED AND AUTHENTIC MONOLOGUE
Now that you have done a little research, you can explore that research and combine it with your own ideas of what it means to be a child labourer...When brainstorming... What other supporting details would you use to support the main message? Use the paragraph diagram (see your notes) to organize your ideas and write a draft.
After drafting, you will then share your draft with another student PAIR.
Revise your draft using the following questions:
1) Who is your monologue about?
2) What do they do as a labourer?
3) What is their life like? (Describe in detail your life as a child labourer. When do you start your day? What do you eat? What is your job like? When does your day end? What do you do for fun? Where is your family? Why did you become a child labourer?)
4) What is your hope? What are your dreams?
Revise your draft based on the feedback receive.
Finally, edit your draft for mechanical errors... and write a good copy. You will be adding a copy of your Child Labour Monologue on Kidblog.org - You will also be presenting your monologue for the class. If you are willing to try, you could record yourself with www.vocaroo.com or blabberize http://blabberize.com and then embed the recording into your blog on kidblog.org.
Part II. Child Labour Button Campaign...
You are going to create a slogan that will motivate people to take action against child labour. The primary purpose is to create awareness of this global problem.
This button must be attention getting... therefore it must be coloured in pencil crayon. Letter or writing must not only be neat, but be attention grabbing, so either outline your words in black marker or type them! The diameter of the button must be at least 10 -12 cm's - yes this will be a big button. (Diameter is the distance across a circle through the middle, from edge to edge).
Due dates:
Child Labour Monogue
brainstorm: Monday, November 18
draft #1: end of class Tuesday
revisions (self and partner): Wednesday, November 19
Good copy (after editing): discuss
Post your monologue in written form on Kidblog.org by ... discuss
Child Labour Campaign button, due: discuss
CHILD LABOUR IMAGES - YOU CAN USE THESE TO HELP CREATE YOUR MONOLOGUE...
Go to www.taggalaxy.com and check out images on child labour via Flickr. There may be an image which might inspire you. To cite the source, just source: www.taggalaxy.com.
When you choose your key words for Tag Galaxy, try child labor (American spelling on labor)
GETTING STARTED WRITING... OR REVISING YOUR MONOLOGUE...
How did you start your monologue? "My name is ____ and I am a child labourer..." What are some other ways you can start? What are some ways that you can "hook" you audience with an engaging lead?
Read the information below on interesting leads in writing... Note that the information is about Expository Writing, but how can you apply this to your narrative piece?
Leads in Expository Writing
What's the most boring way you could begin a research report about the human brain? A rattlesnake? The United States Constitution? We all know.
. . . In the report I will tell you about. . . "
Now that we know that, let's experiment with difference places to start.
. . . In the report I will tell you about. . . "
Now that we know that, let's experiment with difference places to start.
• Start with a Snapshot. When you paint a picture, you draw the reader in . Notice the difference between these two leads to a report about ice-skating.
Boring
Ice-skating is my favorite sport.
Better
It's ten degrees below zero and the river is frozen a foot thick. It makes snapping sounds like the limbs of trees cracking. A long figure glides along the
black ice, moving toward the city. The only sound is the scraping of each blade as it bites into the river. That's me doing my favorite sport, ice-skating.
• Start with an important observation. Don't start in the general. Put your most surprising or important observation into you opening.
General
The human brain is a complex and amazing organ.
Better
Seeing stars, it dreams of eternity. Hearing birds, it makes music. Smelling flowers, it is enraptured. Touching tools, it transforms the earth. But
deprived of these sensory experiences, the human brain withers and dies. (Inside the Brain --- Ronald Kotulak)
• Start with a strongly stated question your readers might have. In some ways all writing is about trying to answer our best questions. A strong
question is one we all want to know the answer to.
question is one we all want to know the answer to.
Weakly-stated
In this paper I will attempt to answer the question why history is important.
Better
What's the point of studying history? Who cares what happened long ago? After all, aren't the people in history books dead?
• Put your connection with the subject in the lead. Why are you attracted to the subject? Do you have a personal reason for writing about this
subject? What specific memories of the subject come to mind?
subject? What specific memories of the subject come to mind?
General
The problem of longitude was one of the greatest scientific challenges of its day.
Better
Once on a Wednesday excursion when I was a little girl, my father bought me a beaded wire ball that I loved. At a touch, I could collapse the toy into
a flat coil between my palms, or pop it open to make a hollow sphere. Rounded out it resembled a tiny Earth, because its hinged wires traced the same pattern
intersecting circles that I had seen on the globe in my school room -- the thin black lines of latitude and longitude. (Longitude --- Dava Sobel)
• Flaunt your favorite bit of research in the lead. Start with the facts that made you smile, laugh, go "ahaaa" or just plain grossed you out.
General
Did you ever wonder why God created flies?
Better
Though we've been killing them for years now, I have never tested the folklore that with a little cream and sugar, flies taste very much like black
raspberries.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Presentations and Field Trips
We are fortunate to have a few activities coming up for the grade 8 students...
November 28th - Presentation from Jeff Richards
We are quite lucky to have been selected as a school for a presentation from Mr. Richards! He will wow us with his talents as a Mentalist...
Thursday, November 21st - O'Neil Health and Wellness Day
We were fortunate to be invited to O'Neil's Health and Wellness Fair. This means students will see exhibits and presentations all related to issues that affect teens today.
The Agenda...
10:30 Bus picks up the Grade 8's to go to O'Neil
10:45 Wellness Exhibits - Tour the Health and Wellness Fair
11:15 Red Cross Presentation on Dating Abuse
11:30 Uncle Adams (Rapper) presentation
12:15-12:30 Bus picks up Grade 8's and they return to St. Francis
November 28th - Presentation from Jeff Richards
We are quite lucky to have been selected as a school for a presentation from Mr. Richards! He will wow us with his talents as a Mentalist...
Thursday, November 21st - O'Neil Health and Wellness Day
We were fortunate to be invited to O'Neil's Health and Wellness Fair. This means students will see exhibits and presentations all related to issues that affect teens today.
The Agenda...
10:30 Bus picks up the Grade 8's to go to O'Neil
10:45 Wellness Exhibits - Tour the Health and Wellness Fair
11:15 Red Cross Presentation on Dating Abuse
11:30 Uncle Adams (Rapper) presentation
12:15-12:30 Bus picks up Grade 8's and they return to St. Francis
Monday, November 11, 2013
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Digital Discussion and Sharing in Today's Lesson
DIGITAL DISCUSSIONS
Ever share some ideas in class and you forget what you said? Ever find a great picture or video and can't find it later when you need it? Ever want to show someone something interesting you discovered on-line and you just want to quickly post it? Well we're going to share some of our reactions to what we are learning in a digital way...
Today's Lesson Discussion will be an opportunity to share and record...
*What you know,
*What you've learned so far, and
*What you still wonder...
as we discuss Peace Day, Remembrance Day and Child Labour...
How are all these concepts connected?
In the next couple days, you will share with your peers in an informal digital setting your thoughts and connections using a "digital wall" at padlet.com.
Our discussion today will be digitally hosted at:
http://padlet.com/wall/stewiespeaceday
Click on the link and go to our digital discussion board.
More information for using Padlet - see this video.
For future discussions and collaboration, we are going to try another site... Edmodo.
Join Edmodo... It's a collaborative space for sharing...
"A free and safe way for students and teachers to connect
and collaborate."
To get to our private class page, go to our class address...
edmo.do/j/cwnbmo
The code you need to register is: qos44d
More on edmodo??
https://www.edmodo.com/about
Ever share some ideas in class and you forget what you said? Ever find a great picture or video and can't find it later when you need it? Ever want to show someone something interesting you discovered on-line and you just want to quickly post it? Well we're going to share some of our reactions to what we are learning in a digital way...
Today's Lesson Discussion will be an opportunity to share and record...
*What you know,
*What you've learned so far, and
*What you still wonder...
as we discuss Peace Day, Remembrance Day and Child Labour...
How are all these concepts connected?
In the next couple days, you will share with your peers in an informal digital setting your thoughts and connections using a "digital wall" at padlet.com.
Our discussion today will be digitally hosted at:
http://padlet.com/wall/stewiespeaceday
Click on the link and go to our digital discussion board.
More information for using Padlet - see this video.
For future discussions and collaboration, we are going to try another site... Edmodo.
Join Edmodo... It's a collaborative space for sharing...
"A free and safe way for students and teachers to connect
and collaborate."
To get to our private class page, go to our class address...
edmo.do/j/cwnbmo
The code you need to register is: qos44d
More on edmodo??
https://www.edmodo.com/about
Composing Quality Blogs & Comments
Kidblog Rubric
Evaluating and Assessing Blogs
Here's a link to a student and teacher Blogging Evaluation Checklist, which I think is particularly good....
And here is a graphic for my Blogging Rubric...
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Peace one day and French
Be sure to complete all video questions for the peace one day assignment. In addition to this, students are expected to have the brainstorm for their peace pledge completed and a start on their rough draft.
French... In the next couple days we will be working hard on writing sentences with J'aime, J'aime beaucoup, and Je n'aime pas... This will be applied to posters all about students - likes and dislikes. Students will complete posters and present their information in a brief oral presentation. This will be completed in the next two weeks.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Get Ready to Record your Pledge for Peace
Pledges for Peace Podcast Tips for Speaking...
Here are some tips for getting ready to record your Pledges for Peace via vocaroo. Essentially you are preparing a podcast to embed in your kidblog. (we will discuss further in class).
Here are the tips for effective speaking...
Here are some tips for getting ready to record your Pledges for Peace via vocaroo. Essentially you are preparing a podcast to embed in your kidblog. (we will discuss further in class).
Here are the tips for effective speaking...
The 4 ‘C’s
While you may be the one speaking, speaking isn't really about you. It is about your audience. The 4 Cs will help you get in the mindset to give a great presentation or a podcast.
While you may be the one speaking, speaking isn't really about you. It is about your audience. The 4 Cs will help you get in the mindset to give a great presentation or a podcast.
-
Content - What is my message? Get this clear in your mind before you create your
presentation or podcast.
-
Consideration - Who is my audience and what is important to them?
-
Confidence - What confidence tips will help me give a good performance?
-
Contribution - How will my "mini-speech" help to inspire others?The 5 ‘P’s make a awesome tip to remind us how to use our voice
Here is the simple rubric that will be used to assessed your PEACE PLEDGE.-
Projection – Make sure you are easily heard, but not so loud that your audience is blasted by your voice when it's recorded.
-
Pace – Keep a steady pace to make sure you don’t exhaust your audience. You may
like to vary the pace to keep it interesting, for example slowing down to build tension,
speeding up to increase excitement.
-
Pitch – Vary your pitch to keep your voice interesting to listen to.
-
Pronunciation – Make sure all your words are clear. (Practice, practice, practice to help with pronunciation!)
-
Pause – Don’t be afraid of a moment of silence. Pausing will give time for your ideasto sink in.The following is a way to plan for writing your podcast "mini speech"... or your Pledge for Peace...
Tips:
Topic and Time
Choose something that you are interested in.
How long do you have to talk for? (About 2 minutes)
AudienceWho will be listening to your podcast?
Subject and purposeWhat is the aim of your podcast? - to persuade, inform, entertain, etc.
Brainstorm ideas, jot- note them down.
Note personal stories you can add to make it more interesting.
Research
Should you research? This means not just internet, newspapers, magazines, library, family friends etc. How can you make your podcast all the more meaningful??
-
Projection – Make sure you are easily heard, but not so loud that your audience is blasted by your voice when it's recorded.
Friday, November 1, 2013
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