Current+Unit+of+Inquiry

Our previous Unit of Inquiry was about Who We Are **.** We looked at the concepts of **perspective** and **responsibility** through the lens of shakers and movers of the world. Our unit title is "It's All Their Fault!"

Our central idea was: "Change is created through action and helps to shape our world."

Go to the Page Called "Student Pages" to the left to see examples of students' protest songs lyrics.

Final Assessment: Create a Protest Song Started on Feb. 1 Performance and Project Folder due on February 16!

Rubric: [|Protest Song Rubric.docx]

Calendar of Checkpoints: [|Protest Song Checkpoint Calendar.doc]

Making a Change in Our School January 27 Brainstorm ========================================

 After analyzing the results from the survey of the school, students chose to focus on the goal of changing the chairs in our school to more comfortable, quiet ones. Students brainstormed using de Bono's Thinking Hats about changing the chairs in our school.

Yellow : They would be more comfortable and quiet. They would not disturb others in class. Relaxing leads to better learning. The SRC has some money. **Black**: If chairs are too comfortable, students could get distracted. They could be heavier or harder to move. They may not be comfortable enough. They could be poor quality or not last long. Buying new chairs is expensive! White: What is the price? What is a reasonable price? Who will donate money? We know almost everyone agrees strongly from the survey. What chairs are good for your health? What is a good size for children. They need to fit the tables. What campuses will be involved? <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Red : We will feel happy with new chairs. We will feel excited to make a change. We will feel disappointed if we cannot make the change, or if people don't like the new chairs. Some students would feel happy if there was an adjustable handle. Students feel jealous of the teachers' chairs. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Green : Ideas for ideal chairs: bean bags, go karts, jet packs, remote controls. Chairs with storage at the bottom would be nice. We could paint or decorate the chairs in art class. They could have name labels. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Blue : We need to get enough money, research chairs and prices, count the number of chairs we need, ask students what kind of chairs they want, ask for donations from parents, businesses, friends or the Foundation, find catalogs or websites for buying chairs, ask Mr. Thompson about it, vote for the best chair, have a fundraiser like selling used books or handmade items.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">The students enjoyed creating a survey for the rest of the students and teachers at the Zielinskiego Campus. Here is a link to their survey ([|Grade 5 Survey for School.docx]) to discover what changes should be made at our own school.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 160%;"><span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 80%;">Children's Rights Reflections January 23 ===========================================

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">A) Imagine that your country has been invaded and taken over by a country and its people: a country that forbids the use of any other language or culture than its own. What things would you have to give up or do in secret?

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">//"I would feel very angry that all of my stuff was taken away. I would feel sad that I can't celebrate Easter, Christmas or my birthday. I would have to speak in a different language and be scared because maybe my parents will be taken away to a different place."//

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">//"I will feel like sad and angry. We have to make our own secret to make us stronger. We have to give up our hometown."//

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">B) List all the things you feel that children need in order to live happy and healthy lives.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">//"Parents, education, books, school, food, fun, clean, family, knowledge, water, privacy, freedom, home, protection, clothes, strength, games, life, things for studying and playing"//

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">C) Imagine you could only have 3 out of these rights from this list from Unicef. Which would you choose and why? <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">1. The right to equality, regardless of race, colour, sex, religion, national or social origin. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> //"To be protected is important because then you will feel happy because somebody cares about you."// <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">2. The right to develop physically and mentally in a healthy manner. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">3. The right to a name and nationality. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> //"We get to go to other places."// <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">4. The right to adequate nutrition, housing and medical services. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">5. The right to special care, if handicapped. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> //"Nick Vujicic wouldn't be who he is."// <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">6. The right to love, understanding and protection. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">7. The right to free education, to play and recreation. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> //"When they can't play they will get stress."// <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;"> //"They also need education. If they don't then they can't learn, also math, reading, writing or to think."// <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">8. The rigth to be among the first to receive relief in times of disaster. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">9. The right to protection against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">10. The right to be brought up in a spirit of tolerance, peace and universal brotherhood.

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<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Personal Timelines Started on January 11

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Students have created personal timelines on our classroom wall that shows events that they think changed the world they live in. As we learn about more people, events and scientific inventions and discoveries that have changed our world, they are continually adding more examples to their timelines.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 160%;">

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">A few of the protest songs we listened to and discussed (protesting about child hunger, war, women's rights, civil rights) : media type="youtube" key="JuMlHdxiIZ8?rel=0" height="236" width="310"media type="youtube" key="bmj7KlIut1w?rel=0" height="240" width="300" media type="youtube" key="z0XAI-PFQcA?rel=0" height="242" width="318"media type="youtube" key="AgcTvoWjZJU?rel=0" height="244" width="314"

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">If you wish to continue the discussions at home, here are some photos and clips that show some of the topics that have come up so far.

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media type="youtube" key="FSijU52XJ7w?rel=0" height="287" width="379"