Bienvenue à la classe des 5-6! |
Students experienced the detailed-oriented work that comprised illuminated letters and manuscripts. A respected art-form of the 7th century, performed by a team of monks (the parchmenter, the scribe, the illuminator), under a vow of silence. A vow which the students found troubling! 😁 As students drafted and created their final copies of their illuminated letter, they learned the significance behind various symbols (i.e. unicorns), colours (i.e. blue) and materials (i.e. gold and silver, animal hide) used at the time. They learned how illuminated letters reflected the social inequities of the time period as the ability to read and write was a privilege which remained among the nobles and religious communities. As a class they discussed the significance and power of education as well as how such social inequity of the Early Middle Ages contributed to its name of "The Dark Ages". As students transitioned to the High Middle Ages, they quickly pointed out how the increase in accessibility to learning how to read contributed to the success of the time alongside many other factors.
Enjoy the beautiful artwork and the hilarious Medieval Titles they were given!
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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.
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.
During Outdoor Education, the Grade 5/6s labelled a map. After creating their own map of the area around the school with symbols, words and drawings, the students went out and explored, filling in the blanks on a map of the surrounding area. They used their spatial awareness skills, communication skills and collaboration skills to work together and complete the maps.
To finish up our unit about space, the Grade 5/6s made a board game about terraforming. Each group chose a planet and the object of the game was to be able to live on that planet. The game included the participants getting the requirements to survive (food, water, oxygen and shelter), while completing other tasks, such as answering trivia questions. One group chose to make a Monopoly game, another similar to Catan, another similar to Snakes and Ladders, a variation of chess, and a game similar to Candy Land. The students used their creativity and knowledge to make many fun games!
The Grade 5/6s are working on a project having to do with plant growth in their unit about space. They received tomato seeds from NASA. Half of the tomato seeds were sent to space, and the other half stayed on earth. The students created a question, made a hypothesis, and are tracking the growth of the plants. Most of the students predict that the seeds sent to space will not grow. So far, one plant has started to grow! They cannot wait to see what happens!
The Grade 5/6 students have been working diligently on their iSTEAM fairs. They have been collecting data, making their poster boards and creatively making diagrams. Next week they will present to a series of judges! Good luck Grade 5/6 students!
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