The Gizmos and Gadgets Challenge Centre dates have been changed due to our planning for the 2013-14 School Year sessions that we need to have in early May.
The new dates are: June 3rd, 4th, and 5th.
I am figuring out these students later this week and schools should know by the end of the week, or on the weekend!
Thanks for being patient schools! Enjoy the sunshine!
I had the opportunity to go with my son's class to The Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, BC. Although I have been teaching for over 20 years, I have never taken a class to this museum. I am not sure why I haven't gone before because it is truly one of the most beautiful and educational museums I have been to.We started off with the Totem Pole Walk behind the museum, learning about the importance of the Cedar tree.We learned about the importance of the family totem poles and the Memorial poles. The museum was designed by the late Arthur Erickson, a famous Canadian and local architect. The building itself is stunning.The second part of the fieldtrip was inside the building; we learned about the different First Nation communities - 17 in British Columbia alone, divided linguistically. We learned about the Haida and the Musqueum mostly, with the museum being situated on Musqueum land.The students learned about the life cyle of a totem pole, from felling, to carving, to the rising of the pole, and how the poles become part of the ecosystem once they fall and are taken over by new life. Totem poles last about 80 years. Our tour began at about 9:45, and finished about 12:30. We ate our lunches in the Haida longhouse, and left the museum at about 1:30pm. We gave ourselves an hour to get back to the school, taking into account the Vancouver traffic.I have such a great appreciation of the First Nations peoples in British Columbia, and I want to learn more about the rich oral and visual tradition of each of the communities spread across our province. Here is a famous Bill Reid sculpture...Another fantastic opportunity for students is to visit the UBC Biodiversity Museum...I will get to this museum in a future post.
The Museum of Anthropology is located at the University of British Columbia, and it is a worthwhile day trip for any school group.
Delightful grade 3 and 4 students came to the Engineering program. What a great group of thinkers, builders, problem solvers, and designers. I liked how they approached problems. Building newspaper chairs was quite the ordeal....I think there was more tape used than newspapers! Original structures were built... I love this design with the elevator on the outside!
This lovely playground with a pond!Of course, using triangles to make strong designs is the key to it all...Thank you grade 3 and 4 students....you were all very special and terrific to work with....always think about "How Engineering Can Make the World a Better Place!"
Due to technical difficulties with my computer this week, I have been very slow in figuring out students for the last four challenge centre programs this year. I am behind...notoriously behind this year. I am learning that this is a part of life that I will have to accept this state of affairs for now. However, teachers and parents want to know if their child has been accepted. So, if you have heard by today, then the student has a spot in Design Your Universe. If you haven't heard.....then I didn't have room for your student/child!!! (I wish I did...)Here I am finally sending the emails.Boris is keeping me company, though. Thank you Boris my dear doggy.Thank you teachers and parents for waiting so patiently.
This week I am working with the second group the the seminar called "Mind Your Math" whereby we are learning about famous mathematicians and their ideas. We are studying Arhcimedes, Pythagorus, Fibonacci, Gauss, Descartes, Napier, Germain, and many more. So far, the students have liked learning about Fibonacci the most.
I am using these old books on famous mathematicians that are out of print. However, they are the greatest books!!! Each chapter gives a history of the mathematician, and then sheets whereby the students work the problems or ideas expressed by each mathematician.
It is making math so much to teach, and a great way to learn about concepts and problem solving.
Tomorrow, I working with engineering students once again..a younger group than the last term. I am changing the program a bit to meet the needs of these students and it will be interesting to see how it goes!
