Lesson 69

A number of students handed in the final piece of work, and then we turned toward the holiday.

We had a good visit - some word games and a social occasion before the break.

Have a wonderful rest, everyone!

Lesson 68

 

Students handed in their final Abrahamic Religions work (Those who did not must do so at the start of the block tomorrow).

Students did work on their mind maps, before getting to evaluate two others (and receiving subsequent evaluation of their own). They then handed them in for me to evaluate.

Tomorrow's block is shortened, and we will spend a little time visiting together before the break. If students don't bring the necessary materials with them for this planned downtime, we can work through a review package that is ready to go!

 

Lesson 67

 Some students handed in their assignments early (most will come in tomorrow) - That work covering the Story of Abraham work, and the Ten Commandments work (all one package of questions) is due tomorrow. See previous blog posts for more specific instructions.

Students shared their notes with group mates (and should transcribe the notes from their pictures).

We discussed the pagan roots of some Christian celebrations, and the possibility of a comet being what is noted as the Star of Bethlehem in story.

We watched a short video on the story of the life of Jesus, and students are using that video, along with "The Story of Jesus" package they got yesterday to create a mind map.

Students should not spend excessive amounts of time on the work. This is a practice run - they should do a good job, and ensure they need no more than about 25 minutes of tomorrow's class to finish up.

Possible categories to help organize the maps:

• His Teachings
• Death
• Birth
• Miracles performed
• Resurrection

Students are welcome to add more/different categories, but key information should be present (and they should not spend excessive time on the work).

As per the rubric, students should focus on a clear central image/topic, clear ideas connected to the central topic (moving from complex out to least complex), key images/words, Colour to illustrate connections between ideas, and actual content from both the printed story and the film.

It's a busy time! Let's get through tomorrow, so we can have a little fun on Friday :)

Lesson 66

 Students handed in their homework from yesterday (many did not do it - they will ensure it is done by tomorrow), and then read their novels.

We filled in the blanks in their Judaism Review sheet, then read a new sheet on the beginnings of Christianity - Students are to fill in the bottom two squares on that sheet.

Tomorrow, come with colouring supplies, complete homework, and a willingness to keep working!!!

 

Lesson 65

 We started the class with a reminder about the ongoing assignment for "The Story of Abraham" and "The Story of Moses."

• Students are taking their notes from the packages and typing clear, detailed answers.
• This work should be written in full sentences, in regular 12pt font, and organized under headings (some sample possibilities are in Lesson 63).
• This work should be finished by Thursday this week, but I have already received several typed up good copies, with rubrics attached.  HARD COPY

We spent a lot of time today talking about antisemitism, and how prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination are interconnected. Students were incredibly thoughtful in their responses - there was a lot of thinking happening in the room (quiet writing and quiet conversation made that evident).

Students were reminded/made aware of the ERASE reporting tool available through the B.C. government - it enables confidential and/or anonymous reporting of any concerns around the ideas we discussed today.

At the very end of the block, students  received a new sheet titled "What  Happened After Exodus?"

•     They should do their best to complete pages 18 and 19 (some blanks are expected).
•     Each group member was assigned either rituals, holidays, or symbols and must do a little research to fill in their section of pages 20/21. Everyone will have two blank sections when they arrive in class tomorrow. 

 

Lesson 64

 

We began today's class with reading, and followed it up with finishing the mini-series.

Students were reminded about looking at this blog when absent.

We went over expectations for the typed, detailed answers to the questions they've been taking notes for, as well as the timeline for the next week. Please note: Some students have been writing full-sentence, complex answers as they went along. These students are essentially creating good copies of this work.

Block B had some additional time to work on their notes for the questions.

Lesson 63

Students began today's class by doing a quick poll for the yearbook.

We marked the quiz from last class - students are aware of the specific sentence parts they need to work on, and can review notes/pop in to tutorial/go to the writing lab for review as needed. 

We continued watching the mini series. Both classes made it to approximately 2:11

Homework: Students should already have completed their notes for the story of Abraham, through the Plagues. As we continue the final sections of the work, students can be typing up parts of their notes under headings, with greater detail, and clear language.  

Final typed copies are due at the end of next week, so it would be a very good idea to start working on these pieces (students without computer access at home can access the computers in the library at school at 8:30 in the morning, over lunch, and after school.

Sections headings should be something like the following: Abraham: Conflicts, Moses: Prophet and Conflicts, The Three Worst Plagues, The Ten Commandments, and Societal Rejection/Acceptance.

Lesson 62

Students started the day with a sentence quiz, followed by some silent reading.

We discussed Mercator projection maps, and how they distort our view of the globe, among other things. 

We reviewed the names of folks in the stories, the Plagues of Egypt, and students were reminded to ensure they have finished notes for the conflicts section of the Abraham story (all of the conflicts are there, but they really do have to think about them - to analyze).

We continued watching the mini series. Humanities A got to 1:39   and      Humanities B got to  1:42      

Lesson 61

Students started the class with revisiting their personal novels.

We talked about an Ancient Egyptian boat that has been unearthed, and the story of a giant cedar felled in B.C. We also talked about the colonial language discussed here.

We continued watching the mini series - Hum A got to 1:15 -This block is a full 10 minutes behind Hum B, largely due to ongoing side conversations between friends. Students are reminded to stay on task, and to take notes as we work.

Sentence quiz tomorrow!

Lesson 60

Seating change!!!

Students went over the third practice sentence quiz - real quiz on Wednesday.

We continued watching the mini series - Hum A made it to 53 minutes, and Hum B made it to 58 or so.

Students continued their note taking, and were reminded to focus on very specific events and not general ideas. They should name people, and can quote lines as they go.

If students wish to review the day's material, or if they missed a class, they can find the series here.

 

Lesson 59

 

Students handed in their Compare and Contrast pieces for the creation stories.

They did Practice Quiz #3 - any part not finished is homework.

We had a discussion about where story and history collide:

• We discussed the historical timeline - situated the story we are looking at between the present, and t he building of the pyramids at Giza.
• We talked about The code of Hammurabi - specifically, that there was codified law in the region where our story takes place - a code of law that predates this story by hundreds of years, but reflects similar values.
• We also noted that the Great Pyramids are many thousands of years YOUNGER than the earliest record of Indigenous peoples here. 
• We talked about the global population - the largest estimates have it at under 50 million at the time of our story (some put it at under 30 million)
  
• Most importantly, we talked about the reality that there are only small pieces of this story that we can really know - and many, many theories about the time. The key here is that these stories are foundational for current societies and religions, so they are worth knowing, questioning, and finding common ground between.

We watched more of the film, ending at just about 27 minutes in - we will continue next day!

 

Lesson 58

 We began today's class with a timeline reminder (synthesis work is due tomorrow) and reading personal novels.

Students then talked briefly about the conflicts in the story of Abraham with a neighbour --> Students should be doing this for homework - the conflicts are there, but require some deep thought. Students are welcome to tutorial and/or the Writing Lab to work on these.

After a discussion of the hundreds of years of history between these two stories,  we began watching the  2006 BBC Miniseries that tells the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments.

We will continue watching the series, and students will take notes on the stories in their packages. Ultimately, these will be typed and handed in (rubric to come tomorrow).

Lesson 57

 We started the block with a quick read, then went over Quiz #2 - NB - "not" is absolutely an adverb in the example discussed (we'll go over it next class).

We talked about the timeline on which we measure history, and then briefly looked at the story of Abraham from Genesis. This is part of the introduction to world religions - specifically the monotheistic, Abrahamic religions mentioned on the opening page of the package. 

If looking for work to do, students are welcome to complete the "conflicts" section of the package following the story.

We finished the class with the last of the in-class work time for the creation stories. Students are invited to work on those pieces in the Writing Lab, or during tutorials, but they are due on Thursday.

Students received their marked paragraphs (and corresponding outline packages). They were asked to review the rubric and comments, and then put all pieces into their binders. 

• Many students did very well in a number of areas, but have one or two key elements holding their work in a developing space. This does not mean that their writing is not good.
• Students who would like to go over the writing are invited to come to tutorials starting on Monday.
• All students are welcome to take the writing to the Writing Lab to go over points for improvement
• ***There was a consistent correlation between successful work being done and outlines having been completed.

Tomorrow we look at Abraham - the challenges he faces in the story - and move forward in the story.

Lesson 56

 We started today's class with silent reading (15 minutes a day is such a good way to stretch our attention spans).

Students did a second practice quiz - on their own this time - we will correct it tomorrow.

We looked at conflict again, especially as so many struggled with the concept in their Giver packages. There was a brief activity, which was handed in during class.

We discussed the final section of the synthesis work, which is due on Thursday. Students are permitted two options for the conclusion: All must make a clear statement about whether the two stories have more, or less in common than there is difference between them. Students are invited to write an additional statement about how a society based on the Sky Woman story might be different from the Judaeo-Christian one in which we live.