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For their unit on Eras, the Grade 5-6 students have been exploring the Middle Ages. Divided into three overarching periods, Early, High and Late Middle Ages, the students learned about what events, people and other elements characterized each period. Beginning with the Early Middle Ages, they actively discussed why this period was also named the Dark Ages. They attributed it to the fall of the Roman Empire, the “Barbarian” invasions, Attila the Hun, and the overall loss of scientific, artistic and cultural knowledge and advancement. Do you know how Attila the Hun, "The Scourge of Rome", died? Go to the bottom of the post to find out!  Each student selected a "Barbarian" group to research and create an informative mindmap poster to display. Leave a comment to share any cool facts.  The "Barbarian" invasions contributed to the loss of power of the monarchs and the establishment of a new political and social structure in Europe known as Feudalism. Both enabled to the construction and abundance of Fort Castles during the Early Middle Ages. The intricacy of the castles was learned as the students had to build an authentic model and label each section correctly in French. What better way to learn about castles than to build one!
How did Attila the Hun die? Answer: A nosebleed on his wedding night.
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One of the activities the students completed earlier this September was a self-portrait. Since the start of the year they have been exploring the concepts of culture, identity, values, and more through various beliefs (political, religious, philosophical). For this activity, they were prompted to critically reflect upon the EXPO’s unit central idea, "Who we are", and the question, "What is my identity?". Each student created an abstract self-portrait by collaging fabric, scraps, and images cut-out from magazines, books and newspapers to depict elements of who they are. They also were encouraged to discuss ideas of what comprises their identity, and what collage materials would be best for their self-portrait with their families to have another perspective. Students collected and utilized a variety of materials including: fabrics from a parent’s native country; flags of their ethnic background; the AcadeCap logo; and much more. What would your self-portrait look like?  There are numerous beliefs in the world. Too many to learn in a year. Therefore, students applied the "divide and conquer" mentality. They learned about the diversity of beliefs and values, and were able to agree on three overarching categories of belief systems: Religious, Political and Philosophical. They recognize that these categories are not isolated from each other, and are rather intrinsically interconnected as they influence and shape one another. This was extensively discussed and explored via their World Religion Map activity. The students viewed videos on the origins and expansion of the dominant religions, and critically discussed how various events (i.e. Crusades, World Wars, missionary voyages) and inventions (i.e. Gunpowder, Printing Press), contributed to the spread or decline of certain religions. Together, they outlined the world and coloured the predominant religions, according to their Legend, around the world according to a 2010 PBS census. This activity also enabled the students to explore how maps are another form through which beliefs and understandings are expressed. 
This year the Grade 5-6 students will be doing their PYP Exposition, commonly known at AcadeCap as EXPO, or “The thing that must not be named”. EXPO is a year-long research project which culminates in an interactive and creative presentation open to the AcadeCap community. The topic of research this year is based on their unit of inquiry on Beliefs and Identity. Throughout the year, the class will learn about: what beliefs and values are; the different beliefs systems; the diverse manners in which they are expressed and shared; and how they are tied to one’s individual, communal, national and international identity.
They look forward to inviting the AcadeCap community to share their beliefs and culture with them!  Presenting the Grade 5-6 class of 2022-2023! To begin the school year, they started by marking the class as their own. Handprints symbolize humanity, and the students made their prints to represent that they understand that everyone is different and that they will respectfully work together. At the end of the year, they will create another handprint piece while reflecting upon the things which they have learned and achieved.
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Photo used under Creative Commons from erbephoto
