Movie Time with Louis Riel

Rania in E7B found a website that has several links to different sources about Louis Riel, including a site with several videos.

He's a Poet and We Didn't Even Know It

Alma in E7B discovered that Louis Riel is a poet. Check it out on her blog or look at even more information.

Escape to Canada

This morning we saw an awesome assembly, bringing to life many elements of Black History/African Heritage. Inspired by that, Jessica in E7B was doing research on Harriet Tubman. She found a really neat online game where you experience what it would be like to be a slave escaping to freedom in Canada.

Be Creative! Be! Be! Creative!

Hello dollies,

I absolutely encourage and embrace any creativity you can bring to these assignments. This is a learning process for all of us (even me, your perfect teacher!) If you can figure out a better way to present your information, let me know. Helena and Sarah in E7/8 were in one of my classes last year and are a great dramatic duo. They will be working together to create their Louis Riel interview. They came to me with the request to incorporate their powers (what word did you use, girls? It was something better than that!) and made an arrangement that is fair and still showcases the things they've learned. Awesome. Another group is looking into getting their mark through a video of their interview. Just as awesome. Come and see me or leave me a comment with if you have creative ideas you'd like to try out. I'm happy for you to try new things, we just have to make a deal so that it's fair!

Just FYI, I felt I needed to offer you this because my brother Sam (who many of you will remember) was very upset about homework on the weekend. He was assigned a project in which he HAD TO use visual aids. He feels he works better without visual aids. He got stuck on that one requirement and had difficulty getting the content for his project completed. I learned a lesson from that. I always try to create assignments that I feel will be fun-teresting (fun+interesting) for you. Sometimes I get things wrong. Please, in a respectful way, tell me how you can reach a higher level of success - the options for creativity on your blog are ENDLESS!

I look forward to reading about and seeing all your juicy brain nuggets!

Mike is Blogging

Hello pals,

Our hardworking Co-op student, Dr. Prof. Mr. Mike, has started a blog. You should read it. He will be posting assignments for you. Don't worry, I'll link to him when he does. In the meantime, though, read his posts (he's very funny) and feel free to comment. He is also giving a great example to you of what you can do with your own blog. You may write on it at any time, not just when responding to assignments.

Go blog-crazy!

Live the Change - Bonus Assignment I

Hey buds,

I've been working with a group of five students to form a club in school. They are interested in making a change in the world, and living that change. They are considering a list of options for causes to support, both in fundraising and awareness raising. They have some wonderful ideas, and I wanted to throw a few into the mix as well.

If you are interested in doing a Bonus Assignment once you are done all your work, check out the websites below and think about some ways that students at Fielding (including you!) can contribute. You can write a comment here telling me that you've made a new post on your own blog. In your post. describe one or more of the causes I linked to and write about ways we can support them. Not only can this score you bonus marks, but we may use some of your fantastically creative ideas in our new (as yet unnamed) social consciousness club!

Canadian Kids Making a Difference

Help Lesotho - I travelled to Lesotho, a small country inside South Africa four years ago with an organization called Help Lesotho. Many students helped me to raise money and write letters for the children in this developing country. They do lots of wonderful things to help children.

SOS Children's Villages - When I was in Lesotho, I got to visit an amazing orphanage run by SOS Children's Villages. It is different than most orphanages, in that they build "families". Ten children live in a house together with a foster "mother" and grow up as brothers and sisters. There are several SOS Children's Villages around the world.

Kids Helping Kids - Kids Helping Kids is an organization that empowers youth to make a difference in the world. They work on a number of different projects.

The Happy Factory - The Happy Factory has a mission to provide a toy for every child around the world. They helped me out when I went to Africa by sending me a huge box of amazing toys that I was able to distribute in Lesotho. For many of the children who received toys, it was the first one they'd ever had. Pretty incredible.

Ryan's Well - There are many influential Canadians who will leave a legacy long after they're gone. One of those was a young boy named Ryan. From the age of six (!), he started raising money and telling people about the need for clean drinking water for all children. His organization, Ryan's Well, is helping to make that a reality.

Free the Children - Another inspirational young Canadian, Craig Kielburger started an organization called Free the Children when he was twelve years old. Their mission is to end child labour and provide schooling for all children, regardless of where they were born. Free the Children does unbelievable projects, from building schools to the Vow of Silence to Me to We Day.

War Child

Girls Helping Girls

Taking IT Global

Canada World Youth

Kiva Microloans

Did you find any other great sites? What are your awesome ideas? Who inspired you? What projects were you moved by?

Random Acts of Kindness

Hey friends,

This week is Kindness Week in Ottawa. People of all ages are encouraged to be extra conscious of how to be kind to others. I have already seen Random Acts of Kindness around the school today. I saw a student loan another student a pencil without even having to be asked. I saw a student offer to share her snack with another student who forgot his.

Do you have some ideas of ways to show Random Acts of Kindness? Have you seen any Random Acts of Kindness today? Leave a comment if you wish.

Try every day this week to do at least one thing to help another person. Don't think about who will see you or what benefit it has for you, just do something to be kind to another person.

E7A is Silent!

Hello kittens,

Right now, I am live blogging because there is something super cool going on. I left the Large Gym with my grade 7 girls and found the grade 7 boys lined up in front of the lab - silent. Apparently, this mini Vow of Silence was led by Hanad. We decided to spend the entire period silent. I wonder if we'll get A LOT more work done.

This is a bit of a trial run for March 5-6th when the real Vow of Silence Day happens.

I'm super duper impressed with E7A's control - so far, so silent!

You can leave a comment here and let me know how it feels to be so quiet!

Another interesting thing that you could do (and perhaps score a bonus mark!) is to live blog on your own blog about what this is like!

***Update (Feb 18th - 2:17 p.m.) - Cody is timing us and we've been SILENT so far for more than 30 minutes. Great work.***

***Update: Mariam M has been Live Blogging about our Silent Class. Check out her blog.***

Test Your New France Knowledge!

   Try a quiz to see how much you know about New France.  This is a pretty neat quiz because as you get questions correct, your canoe moves further along the St. Lawrence.  How did you do?  What did you learn that you didn't know before?

  If you liked that quiz, you can try another quiz about Canadian Daredevils.

  Both quizzes come from the website for Kayak Magazine.  Their website is good, but their magazine is better.  If you have a chance, pick up a copy of this magazine, it's a Canadian History magazine for kids and is full of lots of great information presented in a fun way.  

  As always, you are more than welcome, you are encouraged to leave comments after my posts so that I can hear about what you are doing and if the things that I am posting are useful to you!

ESL Students, and Others!

Hello English language learners!

I know that it is difficult to understand some assignments. I would like for you to try some new things. Do these assignments one at a time. Please tell me when you are finished each one.

Assignment A - Look at this website to learn about different provinces and cities in Canada. Start a new post and write about one location in Canada and why it is special.

Assignment B - Look at this website to learn more about locations in Canada and go on a "Sightseeing Tour". You will get to see photos and read more information. Start a new post and write about two places you would like to visit in Canada. Why would you like to go there?

Assignment C - Look at this website to learn about major events in Canadian History. Start a new post on your blog and write about three important events.

Assignment D - Look at this website and answer the 8 questions in the quiz. Start a new post and tell us how many you got correct. What did you learn from these questions?