March 31st Learning Plan

Welcome to our first week of on-line learning. Thank you to all our families for being patient as we learn how to use new platforms and how to best communicate with our families. We know there will be hic-ups along the way.

We would like to begin by explaining our thought process in how we will move forward. This may change as we learn how to infuse technology and understand our student's needs in this new learning environment.

Each Friday we will post a blog, similar to this one, where we share our learning intentions. Most tasks will be connected to the larger learning intention with smaller learning intentions embedded in the task. We will provide a possible schedule of when each task could take place to help in organizing yourself and your family. As mandated by Alberta Learning, we will focus primarily on literacy and numeracy, however being a Science alternative program we value the importance of integrating a Scientific perspective on the tasks we assign. We strongly recommend the activities with *'s as those activities are directly connected to the learning intentions and program of studies. The additional activities do not have to be completed, but are encouraged and supplied as an extension.   

We are slowly setting up a platform called google classroom where all the assignments can be found. In the meantime, students are encouraged to either use a notebook to record everything, or create a google doc which can be shared with their teacher at a later date. Do not worry if you don't know how to do this . . . we are all learning! 

Week 1: What do the habitats of animals in our community look like?  

Learning Intentions: Students will recognize that animals require different habitats to meet their basic needs 

Possible schedule: This is only a suggested guide. Please organize how you feel it fits best with your family.  

Reading* – Most of our students have started their day by reading. This was either individual or partner reading. We encourage you to continue to block some time each day to read alongside your child. This is not included in the hour of instruction we will be providing.  

Provocation*(This explore activity will set your child up for success the rest of the week. Most of the following tasks will refer back to this in one form or another.) 

Learning Intention:  Students will demonstrate awareness that animals require different habitats in order to meet their basic needs of food, water, shelter and space. 

1. Find a place outside, sit for 10 – 15 minutes observing the nature around you. This can be your doorstep, your backyard or maybe a community walk with family.  
2. Record evidence of animals in that area.  
3. Pick one animal you saw and reflect on where that animals habitat may be, what does the habitat look like, what survival adaptations might that animal need at this point in the year?    
4. Record your observations through pictures, labels, sentences.  
5. Share your observations with a parent/caregiver/sibling.  

Inquiry* 

Learning Intention:  Students will ask topic-appropriate questions to identify information needs; use text features, such as titles, pictures, headings, labels, diagrams and dictionary guide words, to access information;  locate answers to questions and extract appropriate and significant information from oral, print and other media texts 

1. Choose one of the animals you saw when you sat outside or went for walk.  
2. Generate questions you have about that animal.  
3. Organize your questions in a way you can record answers. Think about what we used in class such as a grid with each question at the top, or a web or a list.  
4. Fill in as much information as you can through  
   - Conversations with parents  
   - Observations  
   - Assumptions/predictions  
   - Internet (if available)  
5.  If you can, share your mini research in google docs.  

Letter to the Teacher* This task will be expected every Friday. Students currently either write a TWAS or a Science home journal to parents. We are now asking them to write to the teachers.   

1. Using a medium of your choice, such as email, journal, google doc, video, write a letter to your classroom teacher answering some of the following questions. Save your work in a google folder.   
   - May include a picture, video  
   - How did you play this week?  
   - How did you experiment this week?   
   - What is one new learning from this week?   
   - What are new wonders?  
   - What questions do you have for me?   

Daily Math* As we learn how to use this technology, we will be providing videos and specific tasks connected to the curricular topics we have not taught yet this year. For now we thought students could review their strategies of multiplication and division. Students in grade three need to know basic facts up to 5 x 5 and their counter divisor.  

Teach another person a strategy to solve a multiplication and division fact.  

• Arrays 
• Groups of 
• Hundreds chart 
• Skip counting 
• Line (Ms. G's class) 
• Repeated addition/subtraction 
• Multiplication Chart 

Play a Math Game 

• Multiplication war 
• Multiplication snap 
• Multiplication squares 

Daily Writing* We envision this daily task as a more reflective task. Again this can be done in a journal or on google docs. If you are able to share it, we can then respond to the students especially if questions are posed or supports are needed. In this task students should be mindful of spelling, punctuation and sentence structure. Many of the students know what it means to edit their work.  

1. Create a daily writing journal. If possible create a new doc in your google docs. Title it _____'s Daily Writing. Each day write 10 -15 sentences using the following questions as your guideline.  
   - What was the highlight of your day? (does not need to be tied to learning)  
   - What are you still working on?   
   - What new questions are on your mind?  
   - What supports do you need from me?   

Additional Extension Activities 

Art/Explore 

#1 - Using any materials you have available (ie. recyclables, lego, sticks, nature items) recreate a habitat for an animal you observed outside.   

•  Consider the need for food, water, shelter  
• Take a picture of your habitat. Write a mini paragraph describe the key characteristics of your habitat.  

#2 - Build your animal out of any materials of your choice (maker items, play dough, clay, tin foil, recycled materials, snow)  

- Take a picture 

#3 Using a medium of your choice represent a realistic image of your animal 

Please email me if you have any questions with the above activities. 

Denean