Word Work

Here are the 12 class words to study for Monday:

controlling                  excellent                    dependence
residence                   preference                 equipped

preferred                    kidnapped                 appearing

equipment                  excel                          rebellion

Rainbows for Maranda

This afternoon some students spent time creating "Rainbows for Maranda".  Maranda is a 10-year-old girl in Regina who is suffering from an undiagnosed illness.  She happens to love rainbows!  So, joining in with thousands who have already sent rainbows with hopes of brightening Maranda's day, we painted and colored rainbows!

Quizlet

You can follow this link to practice for your Breadwinner test!  Or, follow the invitation I sent to your iGo account so that you can join our class site on Quizlet.  I love this new tool for studying and reviewing!

Tagxedo

Here is the link to Tagxedo.

Malala Yousafzai

In connection to our study of the novel, The Breadwinner, today we discussed the recent attack on 14-year-old activist Malala Yousafzai in Pakistan.  Here is a message and link from Amnesty International:

"The bravest Pakistani schoolgirl of them all!

You can send a special message of support to Malala here: http://bit.ly/TTTXM9

Today, on the first ever International Day of the Girl, we want to highlight Malala Yousafzai, also known as “the girl on the schoolbus”. She was brutally targeted by the Tehreek-e-Taliban as she had spoken out for the right for girls to receive an education. 

As she was on her way to school, a gunman opened fire on her bus, deliberately targeting Malala. In spite of being shot in the head, she survived the attack. 

As the world now watches the slow progress of a young girl who was brave enough to refuse to bow to the sinister threats of the Taliban, hundreds of thousands of schoolgirls in Pakistan watch in thrall as their future and their desires to go to school stand in the balance. Malala’s words can give them strength:

“I have rights. I have the right of education. I have the right to play. I have the right to sing. I have the right to talk. I have the right to go to market. I have the right to speak up.”

What an inspiration."

Inspiring Invertebrates Assignment

Task:

• Using online resources and books to help you complete the chart for the assignment:
  "Inspiring Invertebrates". The four groups of invertebrates are sponges, molluscs, worms, and arthropods.  For each group, state characteristics, then choose one living thing and dig in with some questions about that invertebrate.  Before you start your research, ask one questions about that invertebrate.  As you complete your research, try to answer the question, and add two new facts you discover along the way.
• "Inspiring Invertebrates" Assignment
• Resources:
• All invertebrate:
•  http://glencoe.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0328600529/303856/chap13.pd 

• Molluscs:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mollusca
• http://animals.about.com/od/molluscs/p/molluscs.htm
• http://canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/species/molluscs/index.htm 

• Sponges:
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponge
• http://www.biology4kids.com/files/invert_sponges.htm
  

Don't Give Up

Our Monday morning routine in Grade always involves sharing highlights of our weekends, and then discussing a selected "Quote of the Week".  Today was a little different because rather than discussing someone else's quote, we wrote our own.  To inspire our quotes, we watched a clip from the movie "Facing the Giants".  The clip is above, and here is a blog posting, "Don't Quit" on the clip that I think is worth reading- a little inspiration for the start of your week!  The blog author is my older brother, Steve McMillan.


Here are three sample quotes that students wrote after viewing the clip:

“Always put forth your best effort until you have nothing left.  Never give up.”  

                                                           -Sarah

“When things get hard, you get stronger to learn.”

                - Emily 

“You never know what you can do until you push yourself beyond your limits.”

                                                           -Kyle