What a big day!

Today marked the conclusion of two big projects we have been working on over the last while. Students presented their projects about John Guy and the Beothuks, and they also wrote their science test. I feel that both went very well, and showed just how much they have learned, experienced and accomplished since the beginning of the year.

Much like the Becoming an Expert projects that some students completed last year, the social studies projects were a very wide-ranging, exhaustive study. They required students to work in gradual steps, with a focus on being thorough and maintaining a clarity in their work. They had to create their project within the parameters laid out by Mme Curtis and I, while making their own decisions along the way.

The bulk of the material the students drew from as they completed their projects was taken from folders of information that were created by the class last month. These folders covered a variety of topics, and were 100% student-generated. We feel as though this clearly showed students that research is a worthwhile process with very tangible results. It also meant that every student was included (in a way) in everybody's project.

The end result was a wide array of projects that covered many topics related to our study of colonial and pre-colonial Newfoundland and Labrador. It was interesting to see how the information was interpreted by students. The interpretations were a reflection of their own tastes and abilities, the medium we chose for them to present in, and the interactions between group members. Even though current wisdom suggests that this hands-on method is a very good way to teach, I am always amazed by how much students are able to retain after going through an experience like this.

The students in my class seemed very comfortable with their science tests, which I was happy to see. The format of the test was very open-ended, with no matching, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks or definitions. All 6 questions were somewhat open-ended, with a focus on letting students show what they have learned. It was great to see so many students taking this as an opportunity to give great explanations and details on a variety of topics (and including personal anecdotes and examples from class as well). Due to the amount of material we covered and the nature of the questions I asked, these tests will not be returned until Wednesday.

We have our Remembrance Day assembly on Thursday, as marked on the November calendar. There will be a more detailed note going home prior to the big day, which will have more detail about timing (1:30pm) and what else needs to be done. As always, I encourage parents to come along if possible. The kids love to see you there, and they have some very heart-felt things prepared.

Tonight's homework is related to Remembrance Day. We received a mail out from the Department of Veterans Affairs that contained some great bilingual resources, which we will be using throughout this week (and perhaps beyond). I have ask students to read at least 2 articles in a newspaper that I sent them home with, of which at least one must be French. It is important that they complete this work, since we will be using what they have read tomorrow in class.