How We Express Ourselves: Curriculum Letter

Dear Parents,

Our last Unit of Inquiry (UOI) has been in the making for some time now.  This unit revolves around time in nature and the impacts it has on one’s self expression and discovery of ideas, feelings, beliefs and values.   This unit falls under the transdisciplinary theme: How We Express Ourselves. Our central idea reads as follows: Self expression and discovery are enhanced through time in nature.

We are inquiring into the following:

1. How nature affects us
2. Time in nature leads to happier, healthier and more creative human beings
3. Self expression in nature

The PYP Transdisciplinary skills that are of particular focus this UOI are thinking skills, self-management skills and communication skills. The PYP Attitudes that will be highlighted in this UOI are: appreciation, curiosity and creativity.

We have been tuning into this UOI over the past weeks through dedicated and purposeful experiences in nature.  Our Yurt project and ‘Wednesday’s with Gordon’ have exposed the class to different experiences one can reasonably expect to have in the outdoors.  The idea of attaining a state of flow while strimming, or noticing a sense of wonder or awe in building a tiny shelter and fire in the middle of a forest are experiences we can now point to as we explore how these events make us feel, why it makes us feel certain ways and what this means to us as we grow older in a world shaped by man made boxes(think: TV’s, fridges, cubicles, rooms, houses, etc).  Reflection will be a fundamental part of this UOI as many of the experiences we have in store are simply lived and then thought about afterward.   A planned one week camping trip gives our learning a purpose as we will get a chance to knowingly identify these experiences, as opposed to our experiences to this point, which to the kids anyway, were simply fun.   There is a great deal of science and research on this topic, and we will explore TED’s and articles so that the class sees the connections between the science that says time in nature is fundamental to our self expression, discovery and purpose (not to mention well being).

In Math this UOI, the Grade 7 group is currently exploring probabilities as they apply to chance events. This topic involves the use of fractions, decimals and percentages. They will be assessed with an in-class assignment. Next, we will be introducing algebra by exploring one-step linear equations that have integer values and solving for ‘’x’’. This will be the final unit of Math 7.  The Grade 8 group will be completing Math 8 with a unit on pre-algebra. They will be graphing linear equations, and solving for ‘’x’’ in equations that have positive or negative integers, decimals or fractions.

In Science this UOI, we will continue a Chemistry exploration with an individual project on a Chemical Compound. We will do an activity on the Superheroes of the soil, exploring creatures that aid in decomposition of organic matter.  We will be observing examples during the camping trip. If time permits, we will explore the issue of bias in science reporting.

In French, we will be continue to practice reading, writing and speaking sentences that use the following verb tenses: présent, imparfait, passé composé and futur proche.  Independent vocabulary studies on a topic of choice are ongoing. Most students are currently writing a narrative based on a topical dictionary they have created.

In Language Arts the five strands of listening, speaking, reading, writing and viewing & presenting are integrated, taught and reinforced in all areas of inquiry throughout the day.  In this UOI, narrative is our text type. We will be exploring and writing narrative poetry primarily. Our reading program in the classroom will revolve around two last novels.  The first is FableHaven, a book that a majority of the class has lobbied for.  We are already a quarter of the way into this novel.   The second is a book called The One and Only Ivan which fits well with our Unit.  FableHaven will see the class engage in both comprehension and open ended questions at the end of each chapter, while we will finish the year with Literature circle groups to discuss The One and Only Ivan.

In the art room this unit we will look at the art of Georgia O’Keeffe and Emily Carr, two artists who were greatly inspired by nature. We will keep our sketch books handy for plenty of drawing and sketching outdoors. students will also have an opportunity to create gyotaku (fish prints) hopefully this time on location from our own catch. (With assistance again from Marine Biologist and avid fisherman Kyle Hicks )

In addition to fish printing we will explore botanical printing with a visit to Ms. Rachel’s studio and gardens.

I hope this letter has clarified some of the curriculum we will cover.

One last point…In regards to our camping trip, please save the dates of June 12-16.  I’ve had lots of help in trying to find an appropriate destination, that includes the experiences that I am looking for.  I was very much hoping the Cape Chignecto Trail would be a possibility, but for various reasons (logistics mostly) it has been eliminated.  A couple of organizations (YMCA, Brigadoon) that offer packages have also been eliminated.  The Graves family has kindly offered use of their land which is still a possibility as is a week at Keji.  I’m heading there this weekend to scope out the possibilities and do some risk assessing and pricing.  I hope to have more details for you within a week’s time.

Thanks for Reading,

James