Curriculum Connection -- Science

Ever wonder just why your teacher assigns the kinds of tasks you do in class? Well, what I have been learning in MY school this year is that student learning in all of Ontario is regulated by a set of documents produced by the Ministry of Education, known as the curriculum. These documents set out a series of standards and expectations by which ALL Ontario students are expected to be judged, ensuring a common curriculum for everyone in the province! Neat huh?

So what kind of expectations do these documents set out? What sort of ways can they be taught? And how do your teachers know if you have learned what was expected of you? Well, those are some BIG questions - but it may be a lot easier and more fun than you'd expect! Let's take a look for ourselves..

Subject: Science
Strand: Earth and Space Systems - The Earth's Crust
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of Grade 7, students will:
5.1. Demonstrate an understanding of the composition of the earth's crust, and describe how changes in the earth's crust result from both internal and external processes.

I'm sure you've been told that the best way to handle science material is with the 'hands on' approach - but how can you look at something as HUGE as the composition of the earth without the help of some serious scientists? By using the internet, of course! When you browse the Smithsonian website devoted to The Dynamic Earth, you essentially have the information of hundreds of scientific studies at your fingertips. Choose the multimedia option and surf your way to the 'Plate Techtonics and Volcanoes' section for hours of exploring! This site presents all its information with colourful graphs, maps and charts, as well as some very exciting videos and interactive features. I definitely suggest trying the 'Build a Volcano' activity in the 'Volcanoes and Hot Spots' section - there is nothing cooler than watching a volcano erupt (except for maybe knowing WHY it's happening!)

So what are you waiting for? Check it out!

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Curriculum Connection -- Language Arts

Ever wonder just why your teacher assigns the kinds of tasks you do in class? Well, what I have been learning in MY school this year is that student learning in all of Ontario is regulated by a set of documents produced by the Ministry of Education, known as the curriculum. These documents set out a series of standards and expectations by which ALL Ontario students are expected to be judged, ensuring a common curriculum for everyone in the province! Neat huh?

So what kind of expectations do these documents set out? What sort of ways can they be taught? And how do your teachers know if you have learned what was expected of you? Well, those are some BIG questions - but it may be a lot easier and more fun than you'd expect! Let's take a look for ourselves..

Subject: Language Arts
Strand: Writing - Using Knowledge of Form and Style in Writing
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of Grade 7, students will:
2.1 Write complex texts of different lengths using a wide range of forms

Complex texts of different lengths? And in a wide range of forms? Sounds a little scary! But when you think of all the different kinds of writing you do over the school year, from small pieces like poetry to big projects like an essay or speech, this kind of expectation isn't that unrealistic. Your teacher will help you to develop the skills you need to use for every form in class lessons, and with resources like the internet, there are a lot of ways you can practice on your own... For example, Writing With Writers is website created by Scholastic that allows you to take a personal writer's workshop on any number of literary forms. Options include biography, descriptive writing, mystery, folktales, poetry, and even book reports! My personal favourite is the workshop on myths with children's author Jane Yolen as your writing mentor. And the best part? At the end of the writing process, you have the oppourtunity to publish your work online for other students to read!

So what are you waiting for? Check it out!

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Curriculum Connection -- Mathematics

Ever wonder just why your teacher assigns the kinds of tasks you do in class? Well, what I have been learning in MY school this year is that student learning in all of Ontario is regulated by a set of documents produced by the Ministry of Education, known as the curriculum. These documents set out a series of standards and expectations by which ALL Ontario students are expected to be judged, ensuring a common curriculum for everyone in the province! Neat huh?

So what kind of expectations do these documents set out? What sort of ways can they be taught? And how do your teachers know if you have learned what was expected of you? Well, those are some BIG questions - but it may be a lot easier and more fun than you'd expect! Let's take a look for ourselves..

Subject: Mathematics
Strand: Data Management and Probability
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of Grade 7, students will:
5.1. Collect and organize categorical, discrete, or continuous primary data and secondary data and display the data using charts and graphs, including relative frequency tables and circle graphs.

Wow - collecting an organizing data into frequency tables? How on earth do you do that? Well, I have a secret to tell you guys... it's not as hard as you think! Especially if practicing is fun, and it can be if you practice with Data Picking game on the BBC Education website. Separated into three levels, this game has you survey students in Class 8H and record the data they give you in a frequency chart. When the chart is completed correctly, you will be given a series of graphs to choose from - which one matches your data? Choose correctly and you can advance to the next level.. you even win a printable prize!

So what are you waiting for? Check it out!

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Curriculum Connection -- Social Studies

Ever wonder just why your teacher assigns the kinds of tasks you do in class? Well, what I have been learning in MY school this year is that student learning in all of Ontario is regulated by a set of documents produced by the Ministry of Education, known as the curriculum. These documents set out a series of standards and expectations by which ALL Ontario students are expected to be judged, ensuring a common curriculum for everyone in the province! Neat huh?

So what kind of expectations do these documents set out? What sort of ways can they be taught? And how do your teachers know if you have learned what was expected of you? Well, those are some BIG questions - but it may be a lot easier and more fun than you'd expect! Let's take a look for ourselves..

Subject: Language Arts
Strand: History - New France
OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of Grade 7, students will:
1.3. Identify and explain similarities and differences in the goals and interests of various groups in New France, including French settlers, First Nation peoples, and both French and English fur traders.

Sounds like alot of material to cover, doesn't it? And it's true that sometimes your history textbook can get a little boring... so why not try exploring the same material in a different way? Take a look at 1759, a part of the Virtual Museum of Canada which explores New France through the lens of the French Indian War. As you surf through the site, you will be able to experience the seige of Quebec and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham from the perspective of a French soldier, British soldier, Canadian militiaman and Amerindian. This is an interactive and exciting website that presents information through the use of dramatic videos, soundclips and a variety of multimedia activities - nothing boring here!

So what are you waiting for? Check it out!

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

Three great sites!

Ever find yourself online with some extra time on your hands, but no new sites to browse? If so, why not take a look around some of my favourite places online?

Number One: The Canadian Encyclopedia
This is an excellent resource to find information on all things Canadian. The home page provides you with a search toolbar, links to the Canadian Encyclopedia of Music and Macleans Magazine, facts about "This Day In Canadian History" and even and Explore section full of games, quizzes and other interactive resources.

Number Two: The Yuckiest Site on the Internet
I'm not kidding folks -- there really is such a site! And on it, you will find all kinds of neat facts about some of the grossest things you wish you never knew. I suggest you check out "A Day In The Life Of Ralph Roach" over at Roach World, or maybe take the time to play some of the Yucky Games -- Toxic Waste is definitely my favourite!

Number Three: ZOOM!
Maybe you have seen this great PBS TV show yourself, or maybe you have not, but either way the website is definitely worth a visit! Any activity that is done on the show is archived online in the "Activities from the show" section - here you can find recipies, science experiments, arts and craft, games and plays, all with simple step by step instructions for you to follow. If you are a fan of the show, you can also read Cast Biographies and check out behind the scenes photos. Hours of fun, both online and off! *Literary Moment* -- Check out "Today's Pageturner" to find out about books that other kids your age have read and enjoyed!

Check out this great resource!

Ever have a day where you just can not remember how to spell a word?
How about a time when you come across a word which you do not know the meaning of?
If either of these things have ever happened to you, (and they have happened to me many times!) then I suggest you check out Dictionary.com.

Dictionary.com is a great resource for all things Language Arts. Spelling problem? Just type in the way you *think* the word is spelt, and if you have spelt it wrong, the site will bring up a list of words you may have been trying to spell, allowing you to select the correct one. If you have spelt it right, however, the site will automatically bring you to the dictionary definition of the word - yay for information technology!

Or what if you are trying to write a story and just can not think of another way to say what you want to say? Just click the Thesaurus tab on the top righthand side of the screen and type in the word you are using - the site will then provide you with a list of synonyms separated according to each possible meaning of the word you chose. Neat!

Welcome welcome welcome!

Hello everyone! Welcome to Miss B's Road To Learning!

The purpose of this site is to function as an online edublog, talking about my experiences as a student teacher in a Grade 7 classroom. What is an edublog, you might be asking? Well, according to Wikipedia, an edublog is "a blog (web log) written by someone with a stake in education..." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edublog). I will be using this blog during my time in your class as a way to communicate with you all, as well as to provide you with resources and online links to websites I find useful.

Hopefully you are here because you are interested:
* in who I am...
* in how I ended up in your classroom this year...
* in what being a student teacher is all about...
* in ways to make learning fun!

I may be in your classroom this year as a teacher, but I am also learning -- just like you! I hope we can share this journey together... Feel free to explore this edublog in your free time: read about my experiences, check out any resources you find interesting and don't forget to leave me a comment -- I would love to hear what you are thinking too!

See you on the road to learning..

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com