-by Dave Bennett and Katie Haigh As part of our Waste in Our World exploration, grade 4s have been tasked with taking something of little or no value and creating something usable that serves a purpose. The overarching question was “how does your creation give an item a better purpose?” Throughout this challenge, students have… Continue reading Upcycle That! Grade 4 Waste in Our World
-by Greg Neil, Grade 7 Math/Science Teacher In the Spring of 2014, I was looking for an engaging question that would connect to the Grade 7 Science Unit Ecosystems and Interactions. At the time, I was hearing a lot in the news about the Northern Gateway Pipeline and I had just secured a grant from… Continue reading An Inquiry into the Northern Gateway Pipeline
Our grade 4 and 7 classes are collaborating this year in the Classroom Energy Diet Challenge. The students have been assembled into small combined teams where each takes up the different challenges. Our grade 7 students have taken up these leadership roles, and below is a blog post written by a grade 4 and 7 pair. They could earn up… Continue reading Energy Diet- A student post
Deirdre Bailey (Connect Charter), Jason Lindsay (Calgary Arts Academy) and David Manning (Westmount Charter) “Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature.” … Continue reading Professional Networking Day for Outdoor Education teachers
Candice Shaw The Grade 4 and 7 Math and Science teams were fortunate enough to attend the Calgary Science School/Rocky View Schools Cross Authority STEM planning days in April. During these days, we were able to brainstorm, collaborate, and “flush out” a cross-grade collaborative unit. Both Grade 4 and 7 Science have units on Plants… Continue reading Grade 4/7 Plants Collaborative Project
Greg Neil ~ Grade 6 Math/Science I signed up for the Environmental Planning Institute in order to have the opportunity to collaborate with teachers from other schools. After five years of teaching at the Calgary Science School, I craved the opportunity to see what was happening in other classrooms and how other teachers approached inquiry-based… Continue reading CSS/RVSD Collaborative Planning
Stakeholders in the Leave it to Beavers project met recently to reflect on fall visits and to plan ahead for spring and beyond.Rachelle Haddock from the Miistakis Institute summarized the fall program including the great news that a few ‘nuisance’ beaver were located and trapped to be introduced to the reservoir. http://www.rockies.ca/blog/?p=697 New Resident to Goodwin… Continue reading Leave it to Beavers Project Update
Does the Weaselhead Natural Area produce enough oxygen to sustain Calgarians? Greg Neil~ Grade 6 Math and Science Our grade 6 students investigated this question in their Math/Science classes this year. The question was developed as part of a brainstorming session with students. This inquiry required the use of numerous mathematical skills, introduced students to… Continue reading Trees and Forests Inquiry Grade 6
Amy Park and Deirdre Bailey Earlier this year we had a pretty cool opportunity to connect with Mount Royal University professor Dr. David Bird to co-present on Plant Growth and Changes for the Calgary Science Network. We were most eager for an opportunity to ask Dr. Bird what one one thing he wished his university students… Continue reading Inquiring into Plant Growth and Changes in Grade 4
Parent Guest Blogger Denise Kitagawa Click here to visit “Out and About with the GeoKs” Our first visit to the Cross Conservation Area Pine Creek watershed was back in June. Against a backdrop of tall, green grass and leafy trees, a multitude of insects, toads and birds blessed us with natural “music” over the course of… Continue reading Bringing Beavers Back to the Cross Conservation Area – Site Visit #2
