Calgary Science School Animation
One of our talented grade 7 students recently created this animation about learning at the Calgary Science School in his animation elective.
Student Insights into the Educational Potential of the Flipped Classroom
David Scott and Jason Publack ~ Grade 9 Humanities
Over the last few years there has been increasing talk within educational circles around the potential of the flipped classroom to enhance learning. Historically, and this is confirmed by a great deal of research, classrooms have been places where students spend a great deal of their time listening to teachers talk. Whether teachers are lecturing or explaining a particular concept, this has meant students have relatively limited class time to apply the concepts or ideas they learn from the lecture and must therefore do this at home for homework. This has meant that during the most difficult part of the learning process when they might need aid and support, they are left to their own resources when they are having difficulties or need extra help.
Over the last few years there has been increasing talk within educational circles around the potential of the flipped classroom to enhance learning. Historically, and this is confirmed by a great deal of research, classrooms have been places where students spend a great deal of their time listening to teachers talk. Whether teachers are lecturing or explaining a particular concept, this has meant students have relatively limited class time to apply the concepts or ideas they learn from the lecture and must therefore do this at home for homework. This has meant that during the most difficult part of the learning process when they might need aid and support, they are left to their own resources when they are having difficulties or need extra help.
Cross Authority Teacher Planning Institutes
We started the school year looking for new ways to collaborate beyond the walls of our building. We investigated the opportunity with the Rocky View School Division. Acknowledging that collaboration is more than linking people through curriculum, Darrell Lonsberry, and Dan McWilliam met with Josh Hill from RVSD and identified 3 stages or levels of collaboration for a Cross Authority AISI project. As described by Ivy Waite, "Collaboration is more than just sharing ideas, but the process of working together to achieve a common goal. True collaboration is a process in which two or more people co-conceive, design, execute and reflect upon teaching and learning.
It is this process that ensures our students are engaged in meaningful, authentic, engaging, inquiry based learning."Inquiry in PE
Student Teachers Josh Stanley and Matthew Maccagno with Tammy Berry and Dean Schmeichel ~Physical Education grade 4-9
What could an inquiry unit in PE look like? At CSS, we challenged all 600 students from grade 4 to grade 9 to explore the question, “To what extent does training affect performance?” Each student was given the opportunity to choose a sport or activity that they were interested in, and then create a plan to improve a specific skill in that sport or activity. How the students chose to use their time over the course of the unit was entirely up to them. They had access to all the resources that CSS has for physical activity.
The rubric was created collaboratively between teachers and all the students in the school over the first two days of the unit.
Here’s what it looked like daily while students were working on their individual project:
What could an inquiry unit in PE look like? At CSS, we challenged all 600 students from grade 4 to grade 9 to explore the question, “To what extent does training affect performance?” Each student was given the opportunity to choose a sport or activity that they were interested in, and then create a plan to improve a specific skill in that sport or activity. How the students chose to use their time over the course of the unit was entirely up to them. They had access to all the resources that CSS has for physical activity.
The rubric was created collaboratively between teachers and all the students in the school over the first two days of the unit.
Here’s what it looked like daily while students were working on their individual project:
On Light, Shadows and Experience
Deirdre Bailey and Jenna Callaghan
We began a recent investigation into Light and Shadows in Grade 4 by posing the question “What is Light?” to our students. Before beginning the conversation, we reminded students that the world is not nearly as concrete or easily-understood as over-simplified statements of "fact" might often imply. We talked about how scientists are by nature inquisitive, always open to possibility and a reinvention of old ideas. We suggested that throughout our inquiry, they too might have the potential to share a completely new perspective, contribute to making new discoveries and either support or disprove current thoughts. With two of us in the classroom, we were able to capture some of our students’ opening ideas about 'Light' and have embedded them below.
We began a recent investigation into Light and Shadows in Grade 4 by posing the question “What is Light?” to our students. Before beginning the conversation, we reminded students that the world is not nearly as concrete or easily-understood as over-simplified statements of "fact" might often imply. We talked about how scientists are by nature inquisitive, always open to possibility and a reinvention of old ideas. We suggested that throughout our inquiry, they too might have the potential to share a completely new perspective, contribute to making new discoveries and either support or disprove current thoughts. With two of us in the classroom, we were able to capture some of our students’ opening ideas about 'Light' and have embedded them below.
Grade 5 Electricity Collaboration
Kathryn Desrochers ~ Grade 5 Math/Science Student Teacher University of Lethbridge
Just before spring break, our grade 5 students (and teachers) had an opportunity to learn from an expert. Emily Marasco is a University of Calgary student working on her Graduate Degree in Electrical
Engineering. As part of her Master’s research, Emily has gone around to various schools conducting a set of electricity modules for project based learning. This turned out to be a wonderful partnership, in which Emily could conduct her research with 100 willing students and our school community benefited from her expertise, enthusiasm and hands on approach.
All of the modules were well thought out and aimed at building understanding of concepts related to electricity through hands on exploration. Emily used STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Math with a focus on helping students understand what Engineers really do. Students were engaged in various learning experiences with curricular links extending beyond science and into technology, art and social studies and language arts.
Just before spring break, our grade 5 students (and teachers) had an opportunity to learn from an expert. Emily Marasco is a University of Calgary student working on her Graduate Degree in ElectricalEngineering. As part of her Master’s research, Emily has gone around to various schools conducting a set of electricity modules for project based learning. This turned out to be a wonderful partnership, in which Emily could conduct her research with 100 willing students and our school community benefited from her expertise, enthusiasm and hands on approach.
All of the modules were well thought out and aimed at building understanding of concepts related to electricity through hands on exploration. Emily used STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Math with a focus on helping students understand what Engineers really do. Students were engaged in various learning experiences with curricular links extending beyond science and into technology, art and social studies and language arts.
Family Artifact Inquiry- Grade 7
Rick Fawcett and Jared McKenzie~ Grade 7 Humanities.
This project was designed as a way to share the personal connection the students have to Canadian history and to engage them in the process of curating a historical narrative of their own family's history.
This project was designed as a way to share the personal connection the students have to Canadian history and to engage them in the process of curating a historical narrative of their own family's history.
Student Teaching: Mentorship and Collaboration - A Video Reflection
Jenna Callaghan and Deirdre Bailey
Deirdre
Working with a student teacher these past few months has been an exciting and rewarding experience. From our first meeting, it was evident that Jenna and I shared a similar pedagogical philosophy; with a strong focus on reflection and discipline-based inquiry. Jenna’s early ideas and questions were guided by an honest vulnerability that allowed for a number of frank conversations around assessment, engagement and lesson design in an inquiry based classroom. My understanding of collaboration - developed and deepened through a powerful team-teaching relationship with Amy Park - had led to a familiarity with how professional collaborative relationships might evolve and I was excited to incorporate my prior understanding and experiences.
Deirdre
Grade 5 Wild Weather Inquiry
This question was inspired through question brainstorming
with students at the beginning of the Grade 5 weather unit as well as a National
Geographic article I read in the fall.
Supporting Questions (student generated)
A. Has your "event" gotten
worse over the years?
B. Why does this "event" happen? (Consider the weather science)
C. Where does this "event" happen? Only in one place in the world or in multiple places?
D. What time of year does your event usually happen? Has this changed over time?
How as this event affected the people/animals that live there?
E. Has your "event" impacted the economy?
F. How have humans adapted to changes in this "event".
B. Why does this "event" happen? (Consider the weather science)
C. Where does this "event" happen? Only in one place in the world or in multiple places?
D. What time of year does your event usually happen? Has this changed over time?
How as this event affected the people/animals that live there?
E. Has your "event" impacted the economy?
F. How have humans adapted to changes in this "event".
Pi Discoveries with Grade 4
Heather Melville ~Grade 4 Math/Science
What is Pi? Why are we celebrating Pi Day? Didn’t you spell
Pi wrong Mrs. Melville?
March 14th turned into deep mathematical
discussions for the 4.3 and 4.4 students. Rather than thinking the concept of
Pi was too difficult for the students to comprehend, we explored what knowledge
we already had and applied it to a new idea. Our math class began with a read
aloud book titled; “Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi” by Cindy Neuschwander.
We discussed the character names and what they were mathematically (radius,
diameter, circumference, geometry and symmetry). The students loved to interact providing the sound effects for the story.
Crowd Sourcing Fourth Graders
by Deirdre Bailey
Cross-posted on Savouring the Ish
I've got a novel on iPads in the grade four classroom waiting to be written. Lots of discoveries, ideas, struggles and triumphs. I just need to find the time to document it all properly. This brief gem, however, is too awesome not to share.
Earlier this year, our teaching team's excited discovery of the Edmodo app as an excellent resource for collecting and organizing student work digitally and providing an avenue for ongoing feedback was stinted by the limitation of only being able to upload images or links from the iPads. Our optimism was recently renewed by updates to the iWork apps which made it possible to upload pages, numbers and keynote documents directly to Edmodo. The latest struggle has been with how we might be able to have students download iWork templates we post to Edmodo and open them using the associated app. It seemed that the only way to open a doc from Edmodo was as a preview and frankly, I was beginning to think it wasn't possible any other way.
Nevertheless, while driving home from the mountains yesterday I posted a sample template for students to track their mousetrap car results to Edmodo via the numbers app with the comment "let me know if any of you figure out how to open this document as a numbers template!" Honestly, I didn't expect much. This morning I woke up to 17 replies...
Cross-posted on Savouring the Ish
I've got a novel on iPads in the grade four classroom waiting to be written. Lots of discoveries, ideas, struggles and triumphs. I just need to find the time to document it all properly. This brief gem, however, is too awesome not to share.
Earlier this year, our teaching team's excited discovery of the Edmodo app as an excellent resource for collecting and organizing student work digitally and providing an avenue for ongoing feedback was stinted by the limitation of only being able to upload images or links from the iPads. Our optimism was recently renewed by updates to the iWork apps which made it possible to upload pages, numbers and keynote documents directly to Edmodo. The latest struggle has been with how we might be able to have students download iWork templates we post to Edmodo and open them using the associated app. It seemed that the only way to open a doc from Edmodo was as a preview and frankly, I was beginning to think it wasn't possible any other way.
Nevertheless, while driving home from the mountains yesterday I posted a sample template for students to track their mousetrap car results to Edmodo via the numbers app with the comment "let me know if any of you figure out how to open this document as a numbers template!" Honestly, I didn't expect much. This morning I woke up to 17 replies...
Team Teaching - Our Vision
Jaime Groeller & Ivy Waite
In August 2012, at the beginning of our second year teaching together, Ivy and I took the plunge and started “team teaching.” We had seen a successful example just down the stairs from us (Park/Bailey) and modeled much of our initial approach on those ideas. Furthermore, we had been doing a lot of co-planning and co-implementing already during our first year together, 2011-2012, and wanted to fully integrate our practices and our classrooms for the 2012-2013 school year.
In August 2012, at the beginning of our second year teaching together, Ivy and I took the plunge and started “team teaching.” We had seen a successful example just down the stairs from us (Park/Bailey) and modeled much of our initial approach on those ideas. Furthermore, we had been doing a lot of co-planning and co-implementing already during our first year together, 2011-2012, and wanted to fully integrate our practices and our classrooms for the 2012-2013 school year.
The Team!
Alternative Methods of Multiplication
Candice Shaw- Grade 7 Math and Science
In Grade 7, simple mathematical operations are not often a focus of instruction. If they are, it is in relation to operations with decimal numbers. Extending addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division processes to decimal numbers does not seem like a difficult task to the math savvy person, but we came upon some roadblocks when covering this topic.
In Grade 7, simple mathematical operations are not often a focus of instruction. If they are, it is in relation to operations with decimal numbers. Extending addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division processes to decimal numbers does not seem like a difficult task to the math savvy person, but we came upon some roadblocks when covering this topic.
Grade 5 Weather Wise With a Storm Chaser
Kathryn Desrochers~ Grade 5 Math and Science Student Teacher
University of Lethbridge
On Friday February 8, 2013 all four grade 5
classes had the opportunity to Skype with George Kourounis. George is a storm
chaser, most well known for his TV Series “Angry Planet” in which he chronicles
his adventures chasing storms and exploring the globe. He has also done
extensive work with The Weather Network, most recently filming controlled
avalanches in the Kootenay Pass.
Unfortunately we experienced some technical difficulties with the call, but George
quickly shifted gears from his planned presentation to an interactive, engaging
question and answer session. The students were brimming with questions and
asked things such as “What is the most severe weather you have ever been caught
in?”, “Were you on the East Coast for Hurricane Sandy?”, “Have you ever
experienced a tsunami?” and many, many more.
Grade 6 Dragon's Den Style Elective
What Can U-Create?
Chris Dittman
Ms. Pereverzoff’s grade 6/7 U-Create elective is all about students taking an idea and creating a product, service or app that can be taken to the marketplace. This term, students were presented with the Re-Useable Material Challenge. Essentially, students were asked to think outside the box and create and represent a product idea using specific, recycled materials. Taking recycled cardboard, string, glue, tape, paint and recycled paper, students had the opportunity to create a product or a representation or model of a product idea. The final product idea didn’t have to necessarily include the aforementioned materials.
Chris Dittman
Grade 8 Litspiration Blog Project
Ivy Waite & Jaime Groeller
Inspire our grade eight students to connect with literature using novels that they have chosen, and hold them accountable for this free-reading, while creating a community of readers.
The Challenge:
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Student Created Book Spine Poetry
|
The Plan: The Litspiration Blog
Project
Trimester
One Overview - Jump into Literature!
A. 3
Novels Read
B. 3
Reviews w/ 3 Peer Revision Forms completed
C. 1
Litspiration Challenge - free choice
D.
Project Reflection
Grade 9 Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Rick Mercer Rant Assignment
David Scott- Grade 9 Humanities
To gain a better appreciation of how The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is relevant to the lives of our grade 9 students, we asked our students to explore a court case where a Charter right or freedom was violated. The specific learning outcomes we sought to target in the Alberta Grade 9 Social Studies Program were as follows:
9.1.6 assess, critically, the impact of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the legislative process in Canada by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
Click here for an example of a Rick Mercer rant
David Scott- Grade 9 Humanities
To gain a better appreciation of how The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is relevant to the lives of our grade 9 students, we asked our students to explore a court case where a Charter right or freedom was violated. The specific learning outcomes we sought to target in the Alberta Grade 9 Social Studies Program were as follows:
9.1.6 assess, critically, the impact of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the legislative process in Canada by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
- In what ways has the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms fostered recognition of individual rights in Canada? (PADM, I)
- How does the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms support individuals in exercising their rights? (PADM, C, I)
Click here for an example of a Rick Mercer rant
Leave it to Beavers Project Update
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
Recently volunteers at the site have seen evidence that the beaver are indeed still present and are busy logging the nearby forest. A blind has been built near the reservoir with a webcam focused on the beavers' dam, but we haven't been able to see the images yet. A new website for the project, which will include the scientific data produced by the grade 7 and 8 students, will hopefully host the webcam images.
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| New Resident to Goodwin Pond by Rachelle Haddock |
Recently volunteers at the site have seen evidence that the beaver are indeed still present and are busy logging the nearby forest. A blind has been built near the reservoir with a webcam focused on the beavers' dam, but we haven't been able to see the images yet. A new website for the project, which will include the scientific data produced by the grade 7 and 8 students, will hopefully host the webcam images.
Science Fair Judges Needed!
There is no experience necessary and it is a lot of fun. This is an important CSS event as it provides a forum for students to showcase their understanding and passion for science. In addition, volunteers are inspired and amazed by the quality of work and the interest that students have in their selected topics.
Registration begins at 8 am on February 6th and judges will be finished around 12:30. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
If interested, please email Kevin Sonico at kevin.s@calgaryscienceschool.com. Thank you in advance for your continued support of this event.
Grade 7 Math Fair
Candice Shaw and Carolyn Armstrong~ Grade 7 Math/Science
On December 19 our grade 7 students hosted their Math Fair. Students were given the task of finding a challenging math problem that isn't easily solved at first glance and has possible extension activities. Students created their trifolds and activities to share with the rest of the school.
CSS Grade 7 Math Fair from Calgary Science School on Vimeo.
On December 19 our grade 7 students hosted their Math Fair. Students were given the task of finding a challenging math problem that isn't easily solved at first glance and has possible extension activities. Students created their trifolds and activities to share with the rest of the school.
CSS Grade 7 Math Fair from Calgary Science School on Vimeo.