Fourth graders have spent the week focusing on their chosen research topics on Alberta's history. Students chose topics from Ranching and The Stampede to The Blackfoot Way of Life and Frank Slide. Guiding questions were co-constructed with each class on Monday morning to ensure that students had a voice in what facts and findings would be the most important and interesting. With the use of websites, texts and encyclopedias, students have been successful in researching their topic and many are moving on to writing out their research in more of a story format.
From here, students will begin crafting the chorus of their folk songs by whittling down the information and employing descriptive word choice and imagery. Our folk song artists (John E Buckle and Tanner James) will be joining our classes on Tuesday and Friday of the upcoming week to help pen the initial drafts of choruses and verses.
Attached below is a link to the first video in a series documenting our inquiry process surrounding out folks song unit, "Making Alberta's History Sing". We have been planning and executing our lessons based on a inquiry cycle of learning. The first step of the cycle is "Tuning In" which we have done with our Glenbow Museum Visit. We are now in the "Finding out" stage of the inquiry cycle. An image of this inquiry cycle is also posted below.
http://calgaryscienceschool.blogspot.ca/2014/04/grade-4-folk-song-unit-making-albertas.html#more
*Students have been encouraged to finish the jot notes for guiding questions over the weekend if they have not already done so* From here, students will begin crafting the chorus of their folk songs by whittling down the information and employing descriptive word choice and imagery. Our folk song artists (John E Buckle and Tanner James) will be joining our classes on Tuesday and Friday of the upcoming week to help pen the initial drafts of choruses and verses.
Attached below is a link to the first video in a series documenting our inquiry process surrounding out folks song unit, "Making Alberta's History Sing". We have been planning and executing our lessons based on a inquiry cycle of learning. The first step of the cycle is "Tuning In" which we have done with our Glenbow Museum Visit. We are now in the "Finding out" stage of the inquiry cycle. An image of this inquiry cycle is also posted below.
http://calgaryscienceschool.blogspot.ca/2014/04/grade-4-folk-song-unit-making-albertas.html#more
Southern Alberta History Tour Parent Night & Booklets
Thank you to everyone who was able to come to our information session on wednesday night for our 2014 Southern Alberta History Tour. For anyone who had prior commitments, you can find our powerpoint presentation under our "links and important docs" tab. You can also access the student booklets and volunteer packages that are due back Wednesday, May 7th. Parent volunteers will be contacted by Friday, May 9th.