Mrs. Scott's class - Solar System

Here are some websites to use to research information for your Solar System Powerpoint slideshow.

Kids Astronomy

Planets For Kids

The Solar System

The Dwarf Planets

Criteria

Your slideshow must have:

- a title slide and an ending slide

- slides for the Sun and all 8 "Classical" planets

- a slide for the dwarf planets

- a title for each slide

- at least one picture and one fact on each slide


You may also add extra details added to make your slideshow special and interesting.

Animoto - Divisions 3 & 4

Animoto project - Grade 4-5

The process for this project is basically the same as for your earlier Powerpoint project.

1. Choose a topic that interests you.

2. Use World Book Online, Wikipedia, etc. to research facts about your topic. These should not be facts that you already know. You need to do your own research to find new information.

Grade 4 - at least 7 facts

Grade 5 - at least 10 facts

3. Write these facts in Microsoft Word. 

4. Find effective, interesting images that go well with your facts to use in your movie - use LARGE images - drag these images into your pictures folder (or right-click and choose "Save As...")

5. Create an Animoto movie about your topic using your facts and images. Use the different tools such as "highlight" to make your movie more interesting.  Use any theme you wish.

6. Edit your movie for spelling, caps and punctuation.

Have fun!

Div. 1 - Powerpoint - Country Project

Your next project is to create a detailed and thorough Powerpoint presentation about a country of your choice. Your task is to educate your audience about the country--assume they know little to nothing about it. 

Your Powerpoint presentation must be well-organized, well-presented and well-researched. This project will take time, effort and focus. Use every minute of your Computer Lab time wisely. 

You need to include at least one slide on each of the following categories and facts relating to your country:

History of the country name
- when the country was established with its current name
- names that the country has had in the past (ie. Sri Lanka was called Ceylon until 1972)
- why was that name chosen?

Geography
- size of the country in square km
- capital city
- largest city
- longest river
- highest mountain

Current Population

Official Language(s) 
- examples of how to say "Hello" in each language

Culture 
-  examples of food, architecture, sports, music, fashion, etc
- things that are unique to your country

Currency 
- what kind of money do they use? Did they recently use a different currency (especially in Europe)?

Demonym 
(ie. If you are from Canada, you are Canadian -- you may use that sentence format)

Government
- title of the head(s) of government (ie. Prime Minister, President, etc.)
- name of current head of government (ie. Stephen Harper)

Famous people from the country (from any time in history)
- what did they do that is important or memorable? Give some details.

Flora (plants) and fauna (wildlife) that are unique to your country (ie. kangaroos and eucalyptus trees in Australia)

Interesting Facts
- research your country and find at least 5 interesting facts about it

Possible audio samples
- national anthem
- examples of words and phrases in language(s) spoken in that country (ie. how to say “hello”)

- sounds of animals that are unique to the country

National Anthem MIDI site
National Anthem mp3's - make sure you choose the mp3 version or the file will not play in Powerpoint

General Criteria
A well-made and well-organized slideshow requires the following elements: 

• A main title slide at the front of the slideshow
• Titles for each slide that deals with these categories. Population, Largest City
• Each idea in each slide should have at least a sentence description and a picture (which can be taken from the Internet). 
• You MUST avoid "Walls of Text" - present info in small chunks and animate them to appear in logical sequence
• Have some "voice" - jazz it up and make it sound like you!
• Must be well-edited for spelling, caps, punctuation.
• Don't do only the most basic job! Make it special - see what the program can do!

Marking is on a 4 3 2 1 scale. Each of the above elements will get a mark out of 4. You will also receive an overall mark for the project. 

4 = Outstanding 3 = Good  2 = OK  1 = Needs Improvement

Work hard and do a great job! :-)

Div. 2 - iMovie Presentation on an Issue or Problem

Your next project is to create a detailed and thorough iMovie presentation about an important "issue" or problem that faces our community or our world. The issue to be studied is your choice. Your task is to learn and educate your audience about the issue--assume they know little to nothing about it. 

Your iMovie presentation must be well-organized, well-presented and well-researched. 

This project will take time, effort and focus. Use every minute of your Computer Lab time wisely. 

Again, assume that your audience knows little to nothing about the issue you are presenting. You must educate your audience. To do so you must present the issue clearly.

Remember: you MUST avoid "Walls of Text" – instead, present info in small chunks in a logical sequence.

Use images throughout your movie to illustrate your information.

You can also use other elements such as video clips, audio, etc. to add to your movie.

The following is a series of questions that can provide a structure for your movie. You don’t necessarily need to follow this structure exactly as shown, as long as you address all of these areas in some way.

Questions that you must address in your presentation

What is the issue or problem that you are studying?

Describe the problem in detail. Use many slides to show the seriousness of the issue you are presenting.

What are the effects of the problem? Think about who or what this problem impacts – people, animals, wildlife, the atmosphere, or probably more than one of these!

What makes the problem persist (keep going)? Why can’t it just be stopped easily?

What are some possible solutions?

Who are some of the people or organizations working to solve this problem? What do they do?

What would you do to try to help solve this problem?

Your final thoughts on the issue you have chosen.

Criteria

A well-made and well-organized movie requires the following elements: 

• A main title section at the front of the movie and a concluding section
• Titles for each section of the movie (ie. Possible Solutions, What Are Some Possible Solutions?)
• Use text, images and audio
• Must address the questions shown above
• Must make clear logical sense and show why the issue is important
• Jazz it up and make it visually interesting, and sound like you!
• Must be well-edited for spelling, caps, punctuation.
• Don't do only the most basic job! Make it special - see what the program can do!

Marking is on a 4 3 2 1 scale. Each of the above elements will get a mark out of 4. You will also receive an overall mark for the project.


SAMPLE PROJECTS FOR LAPTOP INQUIRY PROJECT:

These projects make extensive use of video, which you will not probably not be able to do for this project, but will certainly be encouraged to use for the main Inquiry project with Mr. Hein.  

Observe how an effective movie is put together
- pose questions
- include the audience 
- choose information wisely
- use text / images / audio / video to good effect
- propose solutions
- demonstrate a point of view - have an opinion
- not too long, not too short, but tell the full story

Sample Projects

Mrs. Novy - Composting

Mrs. Novy has assigned some research for you to do on composting.

This is the main website: Worm Factory

Here are some basic questions you should research. Most info is under the Products and How-to menus. Remember to write notes in your own words.

Questions to Answer
What is vermicomposting?
Why is vermicomposting a good thing to do?
What are important considerations for where to locate your composter?
What are the different kinds of worms you can use?
How are they different from each other?
How many worms do you probably need?
What should you feed the worms? What should you NOT feed them?
How do worms get their nutrition?

You can also add any other information that you wish.

Divs.3/4 - Finished?

Uncross the Lines

Connect 4

Math Match

Dance Mat Typing

Div. 1 - Table #2 - Major bodies of water

Your assignment is to create a table in MS Word, then research certain facts and statistics about some of the major bodies of water around the world. You will use your tables to record these facts. 

Here is a website to assist you in your research. You  may also generally use Google, Wikipedia, etc.

World Atlas

Interactive World Map

It might also be helpful to google a large world map so you can easily see which countries and continents border each ocean.

Show your finished table to Mr. W before printing.

Sample Table

Marking Criteria

• –     header with name(s), date and centered title
• –     table properly drawn
• –     spelling
• –     headings for columns, bolded
• –     information complete and ACCURATE
• –     found a way to go beyond a 3

4 – Beyond the criteria

-       outstanding work, went beyond expectations, creative, thoughtful, excellent effort, care, more into it, never give up, detailed, A

3 – Fully met the criteria

- good work, met expectations, no missing elements or criteria, good job, B

2 – Met the criteria

– not as much care, work better next time, could have done

better, not much effort, not enough, not much to it, basic, sloppy, C/C+

1 – Did not meet the criteria

– didn’t follow the criteria, opposite of never give up – gave up possibly didn’t listen to the expectations, nothing to it, poor job, rushed it, no effort, 

Mrs. Novy - Table #1 - MS Word

Marking Criteria

–     header with name(s), date and centered title

–     table properly drawn – 2x8

–     spelling

–     headings for columns, bolded

–     information complete

–     found a way to go beyond a 3

4 – Beyond the criteria

-       outstanding work, went beyond expectations, creative, thoughtful, excellent effort, care, more into it, never give up, detailed, A

3 – Fully met the criteria

- good work, met expectations, no missing elements or criteria, good job, B

2 – Met the criteria

– not as much care, work better next time, could have done

better, not much effort, not enough, not much to it, basic, sloppy, C/C+

1 – Did not meet the criteria

– didn’t follow the criteria, opposite of never give up – gave up possibly didn’t listen to the expectations, nothing to it, poor job, rushed it, no effort, 

Mr. Hein - Personal Inventory table samples

Blank table

Mr. W's table

KINDERGARTEN

Hello KINDERGARTEN students and parents! 
Here are some of the sites we have used this year!

STARFALL

MAKE-A-FLAKE

THIS IS SAND

Build Your Wild Self

Mac Help Videos

MS Word 2004/2008/2011 - How do I find MS Word on my computer?

MS Word 2004/2008 - I don't have my toolbars!

MS Word 2004/2008 - How do I make a header for my name and the date?

How do I find MS Word on my computer?

Safari - How do I bookmark a website?

Guitar - Gr. 6/7

To learn to play songs on the guitar when you are just beginning, one of the best things to do is to google something like "easy guitar songs", "beginner guitar songs" or "3 chord guitar songs".

Here are some resources to use as well:

Ultimate Guitar - enormous database of lyrics and chords of almost any song - be sure to pick the version that uses CHORDS, not TAB, and has a good **** rating with a high number.

Online guitar tuner - Use this online guitar tuner to tune up at home.

Interactive Fretboard - online fretboard to explore and learn chords. Good for both beginner and more experienced players.

Chord-C - excellent site that shows you different ways to play the same chord (this is called chord voicings). More advanced students can use this site to challenge themselves by learning different chord voicings.

E-Chords - another good database for song lyrics and chords.

Online Guitar Fretboard - notes ring out so you can hear multiple notes playing together. Good for studying chord formations and notes on the fretboard.

How To Hold A Guitar Pick - start out with good habits.

Song Chords

I Gotta Feeling

Leaving On A Jet Plane

She Will Be Loved

U Smile

Just The Way You Are (transpose down 2 half steps)

Research Sites

World Book Online
Name: whonnock
Password: sd42

Simple English Wikipedia
Wikipedia articles written in elementary-level language.

BC Encyclopedia
Name: whonnock
Password: sd42

Canadian Online Encyclopedia

Mac Keyboard accents 
How to type different accented letters, symbols and other characters on a Mac keyboard

French Accents on Mac Keyboard

Interactive World Map

Basic Powerpoint skills

Reveal formatting pallete
Reveal toolbars - standard and drawing - use VIEW menu
Choose different background designs
Create a text box
Type inside a text box
Change text font, font size, font colour using Formatting Pallette
Align text (centre, left, right) using Formatting Pallette
Rotate a text box
Delete a text box
Add new slide in 2 different ways - double click and the "+slide" button
Create a title using Wordart
Adjust Wordart title size, etc..
Add a picture from Clip Art
Add a picture a file (ie. a picture from the Internet - must be appropriate, obviously!)

More challenging...
Animate the different items using the “Animation” option in the FP
Make everything appear in a certain order

If you are stuck.....remember....
- be patient and keep trying -- look around the menus
- ask a nearby person - quietly
- the HELP menu is also your friend!!

Don't be afraid to try new things!

Terry Fox Run

Click here for the map of Terry's journey and some of his diary entries.

PRIMARY

Hello PRIMARY students and parents!

Here are some of the sites we have used this year!

THIS IS SAND

DANCE MAT TYPING

MAKE-A-FLAKE

BuiLD YouR WiLD SeLF

WORDLE

MATH MATCH

CONNECT 4

ANIMATE

STORYBIRD

SPACE PUZZLES

STARFALL 

TANGRAMS

DREEZLE

SCRIBBLER

ABCYA

UNCROSS THE LINES







Halloween Concentration