the Virtual Bookmark

Where is my hockey sweater?-68

Where’s my Hockey Sweater? / Grouille-toi, Nicolas! By Gilles Tibo

Whole-school sequence developed by Ann Gordon and June Bouchard

École Quarterway School

January 2009

Rationale / purpose:  To introduce the power of connecting and to practice A/B partner talk.

Targeted Skills:  listening, speaking, sorting, predicting, brainstorming, thinking, writing, sequencing.

Resources:

• Text: Where’s my Hockey Sweater? and Grouille-toi, Nicolas! By Gilles Tibo
• Poster on “Connecting”.
• A/B partner talk posters: Powerful Partners, A Good Reporter, A Good Listener.
• “Tools for Connecting” from Shelley Beleznay’s Wiki: http://workingtogether.pbwiki.com/
• Handout

*** Important note:  Do not share the title and do not show the cover or the book until the reading part at the end of session 3 on Wednesday! J

Monday – Session 1 - Word Sort:

You will need:  5x5 grid provided in handout; chart paper with markers

1. Set up A/B partners.  Use posters to review listening, speaking and reporting criteria.
2. Pass out word grid – go over words with students.
3. Students cut words apart and sort into a category they decide upon – with younger students, you might like to talk about possible categories first.
4. Reporting out – each group reports out how they sorted.
5. Ask if a theme emerged – hopefully they’ll say “hockey”!  J
6. Brainstorm “everything we know about hockey” – enter on chart which will be posted.  If you wish, you can follow process outlined on “Brainstorm Whip Around” from Tools for Connecting.
7. Reflection: quick self assessment (thumbs up, thumbs down) on how well we worked as partners.

Tuesday – Session 2 – Connecting to text through predicting  (this might have to be done in 2 sessions):

You will need: 3 colour overheads, 3 pieces of chart paper and markers, writing sheet “From clues so far…” /  À partir des indices….

1. Set up A/B partners.  Use posters to review listening, speaking and reporting criteria.
2. Put up overhead #1, this is from the beginning of the story.   Give students 2 minutes to study the image and talk about what they see.  Encourage them to look deeply and notice even the smallest details.
3. Stop.  Give 1 minute for each group to think about and rehearse 3 details they could share for the chart; they will be sharing their best one.  If it gets taken, they can then share their second best one or their third if the second gets taken too.
4. One person of each pair (A or B – you decide) stands up to report out.  As each group reports, chart their responses.
5. Add any other details that were missed in the reporting out.
6. Repeat for image #2 (middle of story) and image #3 (end of story).
7. Back to A/B partners.  Using the 3 charts and all the clues so far, talk about what the story is about – 2 minutes.
8. Back to desks: independently write from “Using all the clues so far…”.  Writers should make references to all 3 images in their writing.
9. Reflection:  how did the images help you to write your predictions?  Brief, a minute or two, in their heads.

Wednesday – Session 3 – Sequencing

You will need:  sentence strips, transparency of sentence strips and envelope, scissors, glue.

1. Set up A/B partners.  Use posters to review listening, speaking and reporting criteria.
2. Partners cut apart sentence strips.  Together, using everything we know about the story so far, put the strips in order and glue on a piece of paper.
3. On overhead projector, as a group, order sentence strips based on students’ suggestions.  Ask students for evidence for their decision.
4. Read the story to the class.  Start by showing the cover and reading the title.  How does this add to our thinking about the story?  Take a bit of time to share ideas and predictions before reading:  Now that you have seen the cover and heard the title, has your prediction changed at all?  How?  Now read the book.  As you read, make time to look at and talk about illustrations.  See if you can find the mouse and the cat on each page. 
5. Reflection:  Let students think about the following, telling them that you will ask 4 (or 3 or 5 or?) students to report out:  “I thought… .  Now I know… .”

Thursday – Session 4 – Putting it all together!

You will need the “Connecting Stories” worksheet.

1. Verbally review the story.  What was Nicholas’ problem?  Who helped him?  How did he solve it?  What is the joke at the end of the book?
2. Text to self connection: brainstorm and share verbally with the whole class.   Does this story remind you of something from your own life?  Have you ever lost something that you had to find in a hurry?  Has someone you know ever lost something important?  Have you ever found something in an odd place?
3. Pass out worksheet.  Work through together ~ you know your class and needs best!  This is going to be “published” i.e. posted on bulletin boards so it should be your best work!
4. Illustrate – carefully drawn and shaded pictures - “colouring book picture”!
5. Post on bulletin board for all to admire!

Friday – read-in in the gym – text to text connection done with the whole school!

Congratulations!!!!  You have successfully worked

through our first whole school sequence!!!  J

Please let Ann or June know if you have suggestions to make: what worked, what didn’t, what could be added, possible extensions, etc…

Thanks everyone for your cooperation with this project!

Sentence Strips

“Hockey practice starts in an hour.”

“I think I saw your helmet in the basement.”

Quick as a flash, he jumped out of bed, tripped over his stuff, and fell flat on his face.

“The practice starts in 15 minutes!”

Nicholas raced down to the basement.

“You’re only half dressed!” said his Dad.

It was Saturday.

“I think I saw your skates in the garage.”

“I’m ready to go!”

“You’ve got to keep track of your stuff.”

Now he just needed to find his sweater.

He hunted all over his bedroom, but he just couldn’t find the rest of his equipment.

Les phrases

Je m’élance dans le sous-sol.

« Je pense que j’ai vu tes patins dans le garage. »

« J’ai cherché partout dans ma chambre mais je n’arrive pas à trouver les autres pièces de mon équipement. »

Ce samedi matin, je reste couché.

« Mon entraînement commence dans 15 minutes. »

« Si tu rangeais tes choses… »

Maintenant, je dois trouver mon chandail.

À la vitesse de l’éclair, je saute hors de mon lit. BADABOUM! Je m’étale de tout mon long.

Tout fier, je crie à mes parents que je suis prêt.

Dans la cuisine, mon père me demande : « Nicolas! Qu’est-ce que tu fais à moitié habillé? »

« Je crois avoir vu ton casque dans le sous-sol. »

« Tu as un entraînement de hockey dans une heure. »

À partir des indices à date, je pense que cette histoire parle de _______________________________

From the clues so far, I think this story is about _______________________________

 

 

Word Sort

find	helmet	mess	shoulder pads	season
hockey pants	garage	closet	skates	search
cupboards	practice	boxes	hockey sweater	ski boots
hockey sticks	basement	equipment	flip flops	baseball cap
championship	pail	shelves	shovel	shin guards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Classification des mots

trouver	un casque	le désordre	les épaulettes	la saison
le short à bretelles	le garage	la garde-robe	les patins	chercher
les armoires	la pratique	les boîtes	le chandail	les bottes de ski
le bâton de hockey	le sous-sol	l’équipement	des sandales	une casquette
le champion	des seaux	les étagères	des pelles	les jambières

Why Creativity Now? ASCD

Why Creativity Now?  A Conversation with Sir Ken Robinson - Amy M. Azzam

Creativity: It's been maligned, neglected, and misunderstood. But it's finally coming into its own. Here, creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson makes the case for creativity as the crucial 21st century skill we'll need to solve today's pressing problems. Sir Ken led the British government's 1998 advisory committee on creative and cultural education and was knighted in 2003 for his achievements. His most recent book, The Element (Viking Adult, 2009), looks at human creativity and education. He is also the author of Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative (Capstone Publishing Limited, 2001)

Both creativity and critical thinking have been flagged as essential 21st century skills, yet some people think of them as being as separate as oil and water. What's your take?

It's interesting that people see creativity and critical thinking as being opposed. It's partly because people associate creativity with being totally free and unstructured. But what we really have to get hold of is the idea that you can't be creative if you don't do something. ( Education Leadership)

http://video.ascd.org/services/player/bcpid11490813001?bctid=35245031001

 

_______________________

Greg Smith Top 10 – 2008-2009

 

Greg's TOP 10 Picks   

September 2008

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

1. The Amazing Heritage Challenge. A great new resource for BC Grade 10 Social Studies teachers and students. These lessons are a perfect combination of exciting activities, curriculum relevance and real world engagement! http://www.tsa.gov.bc.ca/heritage/education_training/lesson_plans.htm

2. Civic Mirror. CM is an educational simulation that turns "classrooms into countries" and "students into citizens". Check out the "testimonials" button. http://www.civicmirror.com/whatitis.php

3. Federal Election Coming? Another great new site created for teachers and students in anticipation that a federal election will be called soon. Great ideas to start off the school year! http://bestlibrary.org/election/

4. Geography and Beyond! Fantastic new sites created in BC as a portal to hundreds of geographic ideas, lessons, research topics, maps and a whole lot more. Check out both sites! http://elibrary.sd71.bc.ca/socials/geography-canada.html

http://elibrary.sd71.bc.ca/socials/geography-world.html

5. Great War Letters Project. Young Canadians ages 14-18 are invited to pen a letter imagining what it was like to serve in the First World War. The contest starts Sept.8, 08 and is to coincide with the release of the new movie Passchendaele. www.dominion.ca/passchendaele

6. Kalahari Library Project. How about a class or school citizenship project to help support literacy among children in the southern Kalahari? A simple and guaranteed way to make a difference in the lives of children. www.kalaharilibraryproject.com/adopt.html

7. Law Courts Education Society. Another new resource to help teachers and students understand our legal system. This resource even has a talking guide named Alex who will help you through the website. http://www.courtsofbc.ca

8. Michelle Mulder. Need a refreshing start for a unit on government, citizenship or social responsibility for grades 4-7? Meet Michelle, a Victoria based author of historical fiction.

www.michellemulder.com

9. Sierra Club BC. Empower your students to appreciate the many values and perspectives surrounding environmental and sustainability issues and to take ACTION in a fun and credible way. www.sierraclub.bc.ca/education

10. Social Studies Videos On Sale! From October 6-24, ERAC will host its annual sale of videos with discounted prices and free shipping! Remember BC teachers have checked out all these videos. http://www.bcerac.ca/Catalogue2008/ERAC2008Catalogue.aspx

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher's Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

Greg's TOP 10 Picks October 2008

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

1. Asians, First Nations and the History of the Vote in BC. Plan to attend this discussion in Vancouver on October 28/08. Check out all the other teacher resources at this site. www.cchsbc.ca/

1. BC Mining Class of the Year Contest. Win this contest and your whole class will become expert gold panners. Check out all the other great ideas from the BC Mineral Resource Education Program. http://www.bcminerals.ca

1. The Canadian Social Studies Super Site. This site contains an annotated list of quality websites for Canadian social studies educators and anyone interested in Canada. http://www.ualberta.ca/~jkirman/

1. ExploraVision Awards Competition This competition gives students in grades K-12 the chance to create their own vision of the future. Win thousands $. www.exploravision.org

1. The History of Metropolitan Vancouver. A great site with all kinds of teacher resources and quizzes. www.vancouverhistory.ca/index.htm

1. Google History On-line- One Newspaper at a Time. Google has just launched a new service to make old newspapers available for everyone. Look back in time! Check this out! http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/bringing-history-online-one-newspaper.html

1. Mapleleafweb. A non-partisan Canadian political education web-site for teachers, students and the "attentive" public. http://www.mapleleafweb.com/

1. Teachers Are Agents For Change. Plan to attend the BC Social Studies Teachers Fall Conference in Coquitlam on October 24/2008. Check out all the great workshops and get a look at the latest Social Studies resources http://www.bctf.ca/psas/bcssta/

1. Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook. This American Social Studies/History site may be the most complete interactive, on-line resource for K-12 educators anywhere!

http://directory.teachersourcebook.org/category_index.cfm?category=8

1. The 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month. JudithComfort has just updated her site to assist teachers and students with new Remembrance Day resources. www.bestlibrary.org/nov11/

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher's Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

Greg's TOP 10 Picks November 2008

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

1. Being Victorian. Welcome to Victoria BC circa 1858-1914! Visit this great new site with an innovative format and written for Social Studies 10. http://www.bcpcc.com/Outreach/ss10/index.htm

2. BC 150 Resources. More new and exciting ideas and lessons to help students and teachers celebrate BC's 150^th Anniversary. http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/bc150/

3. Comfort Women- a play by Chungmi Kim. Watch this Off-Broadway hit based on a true story about three women who survived the shame of a terrible chapter in Asian history. Special student performance-Nov.21/08 in Coquitlam BC. Contact Kevin Sung hyosoosung@hanmail.net for tickets. Sponsored by www.alpha-canada.org

4. Green Learning. Comprehensive, fun and free lessons aligned to the BC curriculum and designed to help students participate in their own learning regarding today's complex energy and environmental issues. http://www.greenlearning.ca/

5. History of Quebec. Get to know La Belle Province a little better. This site has all the information plus great self scoring tests and tutorials. http://www.lbpsb.qc.ca/~history//

6. History Wire. HW invites your perspectives, stories and opinions on the relevance of history in understanding current events, the importance of history education and much more. http://historywire.ca/en/index

7. Law Courts Education travels BC. The Law Courts Education Society of BC will hold 6 regional law workshops for teachers in early 2009. Kelowna, Prince George, Surrey, Coquitlam, Vancouver and Victoria. Contact Marylou Leung at marylou.leung@lawcourtsed.ca or call 604-660-9874 to attend.

8. Online Publishing for Social Studies Teachers. Check out Judith Comfort's site on why, what and how to publish as well as a portal to other great Social Studies resources. http://www.bestlibrary.org/ssworkshop/

9. Women in World History. This unique site is full of information and resources to help you learn about women's history in a global context. www.womeninworldhistory.com

10. The World Factbook. Straight from the Central Intelligence Agency! This CIA resource is one of the best sources for up to date information on all the countries of the world and it even has lesson plans. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher's Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

Greg's TOP 10 Picks December 2008

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

1. British Columbia Moments. Your words could be engraved in stone on the grounds of the Parliament Buildings in Victoria forever! The Deadline is December 12,2008. Just do it! www.leg.bc.ca/speaker/moments/index.htm

2. Canada at a Glance. This tiny free publication is a must have for all social studies teachers and students. Use up to date facts when making sense of media headlines. http://www45.statcan.gc.ca/2008/cgco_2008_000-eng.htm

3. Coalition Governments in Canada. This may be the hottest topic in social studies classrooms this month. Definition, history, types and a lot more for educators at this hot site. http://www.mapleleafweb.com/features/coalition-governments-canada

4. Fort Langley National Historic Site. A great Canadian resource that should be on every BC teachers' and students' must visit list during BC's 150^th anniversary. http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/bc/langley/index_E.asp

5. Human Rights Day. December 10, 2008 is Human Rights Day. Passages to Canada has new resources to help teachers celebrate this occasion in their classrooms. www.passagestocanada.com

6. Macdonald and Laurier Days. A new interactive WEB site dedicated to telling us all about the accomplishments of two great Canadian nation builders. Great prizes too!

www.macdonald-laurier.ca

7. Phyllis Arnold Professional Development Award. An award to help Canadian teachers participate in professional development conferences or courses in geography. http://www.ccge.org/ccge/english/Pro_development/programs_phyllisArnold.asp

8. Shafran Teachers' Conference. Sponsored by the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, this day will focus on discussions around comparative genocide and literary approaches to the Holocaust. Register today. www.vhec.org/development.html

9. Transatlantic Outreach Program. The purpose of this free teacher study tour to Germany is to provide Canadian social studies teachers with global understanding from an international perspective. http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/lp/prj/top/enindex.htm

10. Youth Ambassadors of Remembrance. Students are challenged to create a 3-5 minute video in honour of Canadians who served or are serving the cause of peace and freedom. This Legion sponsored contest is open to all grade 10-12 students in BC and the Yukon.

http://www.legionlegacies.org/userfiles/image/youth-ambassadors/YAPosterContest.pdf

Comments? Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher's Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

Greg's TOP 10 Picks January 2009

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

1. Better Classroom Guidebooks. Crossword puzzles linked to the BC social studies curriculum and common resources. A great way to learn! www.bcguidebooks.ca

2, BC Youth Parliament. BCYP offers students aged 14-18 an opportunity to be involved in the parliamentary system in their own community.

http://www.bcyp.org/main.html

3. Canadiana Musical Theatre. The CMT Company creates and performs musicals drawn from pivotal points in Canadian history. Book a performance today! http://www.canadianamusical.com/

4. How Well Do You Know Your World? Check out this fun way to find out how well you know world political geography. Be warned- it could be addictive!

http://www.minijuegosgratis.com/juegos/hwdykyworld/hwdykyworld.html

5. Jack Pine. Social studies and opera? Yes it can be done! The Vancouver Opera will be touring BC schools this year educating and entertaining children about our forests. http://www.vancouveropera.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=177&Itemid=15

6. Peace & Reconciliation Study Tour to China & Korea. Join with other social studies teachers for this memorable summer journey of discovery and understanding. http://www.alpha-canada.org/StudyTour/index.htm

7. Pearsonpulse. A great new blog site created by Pearson Education Canada for history and law teachers. A cool place to exchange ideas! http://www.pearsonpulse.ca/

8. Show What You Know-Media Literacy Contest. Grade 3-12 students are invited to develop a multi media project about poverty and sustainable development. Great prizes! http://www.chf-partners.ca/medialiteracy/

9. Spirit of Mandela Week. A challenging initiative for Canadian students to help raise money in order to change the lives of children in South Africa through a curriculum based program. www.spiritofmandela.ca

10. What in the World. A new social studies resource designed to enhance students' understanding and interest in current events. A great resource for grades 3-5. http://www.lesplan.com/en/publication/what-world-le-monde-en-marche-level-1

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher's Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

Greg's TOP 10 Picks February 2009

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

1. Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts. Meet Will Richardson the guru of how these new technologies are changing education. Feb. 20^th in Sannich. http://literacy.sd63.bc.ca/

2. The Colonel Douglas H. Gunter History Award. Are you a senior high school history student? Do you want $1,000 to continue your history education? Then check this out! thttp://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/index_e.aspx?ArticleID=20439

3. The Great Canadian Geography Challenge. Register today for this friendly competition for grades 4-10. A great opportunity for your students and school to shine! www.geochallenge.ca

4. Horizons. The second edition of Pearson's much-used grade 10 Social Studies text is about to be published. Check it out and you may win a class set. http://www.pearsoned.ca/school/horizons2/

5. National Film Board. Happy Birthday NFB! To mark its 70^th birthday the NFB has an online Screening Room giving instant access to over 700 movies. Check it out! www.nfb.ca

6. Okanagan History Vignettes. Stories, pictures, maps, lessons and answer keys all about one of BC's most beautiful and historic valleys.

http://www.nal.ca/library/learning/okanagan/history/cover.htm

7. Open School BC. Not just for correspondence students any more. OS provides exciting packaged courses for many social studies courses and is available to teachers, schools, students and parents. http://www.pss.gov.bc.ca/osbc/

8. Refugees. Do you know that 33 million people (the population of Canada) are stateless refugees today? Check out this site for info. maps and project ideas including "Gimme Shelter".www.unhcr.org

9. Teaching For Thinking. This BC company designs digital learning world history materials that challenge the imagination and stimulate higher order thinking skills. http://www.teachingforthinking.com/index.html

10. XA:YTEM. A 9,000-year-old Aboriginal village site that contains "BC's oldest house" at 6,000 years old! Wow and just a short drive from Vancouver! www.xaytem.ca

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher's Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

Greg's TOP 10 Picks March 2009

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

1. Access.ca. A new way to find social studies lesson plans, articles, and multi media resources for all grade levels. This is the way to find what you need in your classroom! http://access.ca/home.html

2. Canadian Olympic School Program. Free downloadable lesson plans, interactive components, contests and stories about Olympians designed for students between grades 2 and 12. http://www.olympicschool.ca/

3. Face To Face: The Canadian Personalities Hall. FTF presents 27 outstanding Canadian men and women whose ideas and contributions have transformed this country. Check out these lessons, activities and games.

http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/hist/biography/biographi100e.shtml

4. Governor General's Award for Excellence in Teaching Canadian History. Canada's National History Society is looking for Canada's best teachers of Canadian History and Social Studies. http://www.historysociety.ca/gga.asp?subsection=rul

5. LIFE photo archive hosted by Google. Wow! For the first time search millions of photographs from the LIFE photo archive from 1750 to today. Lots of Canadian content!

http://images.google.com/hosted/life

6. Making Space. A new free resource available from the BC Ministry of Education to help teachers deal with social justice issues across the K-12 curriculum.

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/program_delivery/ss.htm

7. Our Roots, Our Future: Experiencing Canada's National Historic sites in the Classroom. These lessons help students understand how nationally significant places, people and events interacted to create the story of Canada. http://www.pc.gc.ca/apprendre-learn/prof/racines-roots/index_e.asp

8. The Premiers. CPAC presents an unprecedented new TV event starting March 1/09 that focuses on the premiers and provinces that shaped a nation. Check out BC's W.A.C. Bennett on March 8/09 at 6pm PST. www.cpac.ca

9. The Summits of Canada. Join with schools and teachers from across Canada and the world for this unique look at Canada from the rare viewpoint of a mountain expedition. Lessons included! http://www.summitsofcanada.ca/canatrek/expedition/expedition.html

10. World Neighbours Canada. Based in BC's Okanagan Valley, WNC is an international people-to-people organization that supports community initiatives to alleviate hunger, disease and poverty. Get involved today. http://www.worldneighbours.ca/

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher's Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

Greg's TOP 10 Picks April 2009

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

1. BC Public Education Election Kit 2009. Great ideas for teachers planning to hold an all candidates' meeting in their classroom and to give students insights into public education decision-making. http://bceducation.wordpress.com/

2. BC's 39^th Provincial General Election: May 12, 2009. Judith comfort has done it again with the creation of a new site to help BC teachers and students understand the upcoming election. "This election is an opportunity to bring real life into the classroom".

http://www.bestlibrary.org/bcelection/

3. Canadian Social Forum. Join with other educators and community leaders for the first Canadian Social Forum targeting Canadian poverty-both urban and rural. Witness, experience and participate in what can happen with people working together.

http://www.ccsd.ca/csf/2009/

4. The Honorable Steven Point. BC's Lieutenant Governor has made a pledge to visit as many schools as possible during his term. Invite him to your school! www.ltgov.bc.ca/ltgov/biography.htm

5. The Memory Project. The MP is designed to connect veterans and students online and in classrooms across Canada. Over 1,500 veterans are available to visit classrooms and to share their stories with youth. http://www.thememoryproject.com/index.asp

6. Meyer & Gita Kron & Ruth Kron-Signal Award for Excellence in Holocaust Education. Awarded annually to a BC elementary or secondary teacher for commitment to teaching about the Holocaust and its lessons for humankind. Apply today. http://vhec.org/development.html

7. The Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence. If you know of someone who should be recognized, please encourage applications. Benefits for teachers, schools and boards are "tremendous". http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/pmate-ppmee.nsf/eng/Home

8. Provincial Capital Commission's Student Travel Subsidy Program. This school year the PCC spent over $200,000 so more than 5,400 students could travel to Victoria. Check out the activities and curriculum connections and plan to bring your class next year. http://bcpcc.com/Outreach/Student_Travel_Subsidies.htm

9. Student Vote BC. SV aims to empower teachers to facilitate election curriculum in their classrooms as well as to engage families in elections through dialogue and activities with their children. http://www.studentvote.ca/home.html

10. United Nations Cyberschoolbus. A great site aimed at all social studies grade levels to help students learn more about international issues. Lessons, games, classroom project ideas and information-this site has it all. http://www.cyberschoolbus.un.org

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher's Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

Greg's TOP 10 Picks May 2009

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

1. BC Teachers' Institute on Parliamentary Democracy. An intensive professional development opportunity for grade 4-12 social studies teachers. Apply today! http://www.leg.bc.ca/info/bcti/

2. The Commons. "If people won't come to the museums, the museums will go to the people". Check out these pictures from the archives of 24 museums from around the world.

http://www.flickr.com/commons?PHPSESSID=ea7b4da468f5935f24b65f41dbfc356f

3. Elementary Education Resources-Social Studies-Geography. Another great super site with all kinds of lessons, games and ideas to help make geography come alive in an elementary setting.

http://www.pitt.edu/~poole/eledGeography.html

4. "The Good Nazi". A new movie that documents how John Rabe helped save over 250,000 Chinese from death. This is part of the "multiple perspectives" that is stressed in the BC curriculum. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/festival/film-review-john-rabe-1003939509.story

5. Kids' Stop. A fun zone for students and teachers to find lots of interesting facts about Aboriginal history and language, educational games and stories and classroom resources.

http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ach/lr/ks/index-eng.asp

6. Seal hunt in Canada. A great opportunity for a classroom debate. Have students check the internet for seal hunt "facts". Then debate the pros and cons and then maybe make your findings known. Start with a search engine like Google. www.google.com

7. Statistics Canada. Free lessons dealing with Aboriginal studies, economics, Canadian Studies, civics, environment, geography, history and law. A very active site! http://www.statcan.gc.ca/kits-trousses/edu05_000-eng.htm

8. Teachers' Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy. Spend this November in Ottawa with social studies teachers from across Canada. Submission deadline extended. Apply today!

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Education/TeachersInstitute/index.asp?Language=E

9. Teachers Introduction to Cuba Tour. Win a free trip to Cuba August 1 to 8, 2009.Witness an education system based on equality and optimism. Apply today! http://HelloCuba.ca/

10. Unicef. When students ask-what can I do to help the children of the world? Help them take action with Unicef. http://www.unicef.ca/portal/SmartDefault.aspx?at=1451

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher's Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

Greg's TOP 10 Picks June 2009

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

1. Canada's Political History Newspaper Assignment. An educational and fun end of the year activity for your students. Check out many other great ideas at this site too.

http://www.historysociety.ca/content/en/pdfs/Underhill-Farrell.pdf

2. Canada Remembers. Remember Canada is still at war. Check out this site for classroom ideas you can use over the next few months. http://vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=canrem

3. Canadian Index of Wellbeing. Set to launch June 10, 2009, the CIW will look at our standard of living, health, community vitality, education, arts, culture, recreation and lots more. www.ciw.ca

4. Courses in Heritage Studies. Do you want to improve your skills and knowledge related to heritage studies? Check out this site. http://www.tca.gov.bc.ca/heritage/education_training/studies.htm

5. Dignity For All. DFA is a new campaign for a poverty-free Canada. Schools, teachers and students can all be a part of this project to make Canada a better place for everyone. http://www.dignit, placws and things yforall.ca/

6. The Importance of Geography in the School Curriculum. This easy to read made in Canada pamphlet will answer your questions about why a good geography education is a necessity for your students. http://www.ccge.org/ccge/english/geoLiteracy/default.asp

7. Images Canada. IC provides access to thousands of images of Canadian events, people, places and things that make up our collective heritage. http://www.imagescanada.ca/r1-220-e.html

8. Media, Mass Culture and Historical Thinking. Plan to attend another great BCSSTA Conference October 23^rd, 2009 in Port Coquitlam, BC. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/conference/conf_2009/conf_2009_index.html

9. Mineral Resources Education Programs of BC. These good folks need your help to ensure they are meeting the needs of teachers and students in their educational programs. Please take a few moments to give them your feedback. Contact Sheila Stenzel at

stenzel@bcminerals.ca

10. National Day of Reconciliation. Mark June 11/2009 on your calendars to remember and discuss the first anniversary of the Government of Canada's apology for the attitudes and policies that led to residential schools. http://www.afn.ca/article.asp?id=3

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher's Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

 

Media Awareness Network and CTF- Partner to Promote Media Literacy in the Digital Age

For immediate release            June 8, 2009

 

 

 

Media Awareness Network and Canadian
Teachers' Federation 

Partner to Promote Media Literacy in the Digital Age

June 8, 2009 (Ottawa)
–Media Awareness Network
(MNet) and the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF) are joining together to host
Canada’s
fourth annual Media Literacy Week, November
2-6, 2009.

This year’s theme – Media Literacy in the Digital Age – will emphasize the
multiple literacy skills needed by today’s youth for accessing,
evaluating, repurposing, creating and distributing media content.

 “Students need a whole new skill set to successfully
navigate media content in the digital age,” explains CTF President Emily Noble. “Although young people navigate
easily though various media, they still require guidance and mentorship to
develop the necessary critical thinking skills for active and engaged online
citizenship.”

A variety of activities – from classroom-based
projects to large-scale public events – will take place throughout the
week in support of media literacy.

 “The week was renamed this year from National Media
Education Week to Media Literacy Week to raise awareness among Canadians that
helping kids become media literate isn’t just the responsibility of
teachers,” said Jane Tallim,
Co- Executive Director of MNet. “Parents, librarians, Guide and Scout
leaders, coaches, camp counselors, paediatricians – everyone involved
with youth can play a role in promoting media literacy in their homes, schools
and communities.”

Collaborators involved in this years events include the
National Film Board of Canada, Association for Media Literacy, Media Education
Project (Guelph University), McGill University Faculty of Education, Canadian
Association for Media Education Organizations, Ontario Library Association,
Historica Encounters Canada, Pacific Cinematheque, London Public Library and
the Prime Minister’s Awards of Teaching Excellence.

Bell is a Silver
Sponsor of Media Literacy Week this year, continuing its longstanding
commitment to supporting media literacy initiatives in Canada.

For information on how you can become involved visit the
Media Literacy Week website at: www.medialiteracyweek.ca.

Media Awareness
Network (MNet) is a Canadian not-for-profit
centre of expertise in media literacy. Its vision is to ensure children and
youth possess the necessary critical thinking skills and tools to understand
and actively engage with media. MNet's programs are funded by its public and
private sector sponsors and partners, who include: CTVglobemedia •
Canwest • TELUS • Canadian Internet Registration Authority •
CTV • National Film Board of Canada • Government of Canada.

Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF)
represents nearly 200,000 Canadian teachers across the country. For nearly 90
years, CTF has advanced the cause of children, defended the rights of teachers
and promoted a strong public education system. Further, they have championed
the increase and strengthening of the practice of media education in Canadian
classrooms. (http://www.ctf-fce.ca/)

Contacts:   

Ann Marie Paquet,
Communications Officer, Media Awareness Network

613-224-7721, ext. 231, apaquet@media-awareness.ca

Francine Filion, Director
of Communications, Canadian Teachers' Federation

613-232-1505, ext. 630, ffili@ctf-fce.ca

Diffusion
immédiate                                                                                        Le 8 juin 2009

Le Réseau Éducation-Médias et la Fédération
canadienne 

des enseignantes et des enseignants

s’associent pour promouvoir l’éducation aux médias à l’ère
numérique

Le 8 juin 2009 (Ottawa) — Le Réseau Éducation-Médias (le Réseau)
et la Fédération canadienne des enseignantes et des enseignants (FCE)
s’associent pour organiser la Quatrième Semaine éducation médias du
Canada, qui se tiendra du 2 au 6 novembre 2009.

Le thème de cette année — « L’éducation aux médias à l’ère
numérique » — fera ressortir les multiples compétences dont
les jeunes d’aujourd’hui ont besoin pour évaluer, adapter, créer et
distribuer le contenu médiatique, et y avoir accès.

« Les élèves ont besoin de compétences tout à fait nouvelles pour réussir à naviguer
dans le contenu médiatique à l’ère numérique », explique Emily
Noble, présidente de la FCE. « Bien que les jeunes naviguent facilement
dans les divers médias, il faut quand même leur offrir des conseils et du
mentorat pour qu’ils développent la pensée critique dont ils ont besoin
pour devenir des citoyennes et des citoyens actifs et engagés en ligne. »

Diverses activités — des projets de classe aux événements publics de

grande envergure — à l’appui de l’éducation aux

médias se tiendront durant la Semaine.

« La Semaine éducation médias, auparavant la Semaine nationale de l’éducation
aux médias, a pour but de faire prendre conscience aux Canadiens et Canadiennes
qu’aider les enfants à affiner leur culture médiatique n’est pas
seulement la responsabilité du personnel enseignant », indique Jane
Tallim, codirectrice exécutive du Réseau. « Les parents, les
bibliothécaires, les animateurs et animatrices scouts et guides, les
entraîneurs et entraîneuses, les conseillers et conseillères de camp, les
pédiatres — toutes les personnes qui côtoient les jeunes — peuvent
jouer un rôle en favorisant l’éducation aux médias à la maison, à
l’école et dans la communauté. »

Font partie des groupes collaborateurs de cette année l’Office national du
film du Canada, l’Association for Media Literacy, le projet d'éducation
médiatique (University of Guelph), la Faculté de l’éducation de
l’Université McGill, le Regroupement des associations canadiennes
d'éducation aux médias, l’Association des bibliothèques de l'Ontario,
Historica Rencontres du Canada, Pacific Cinémathèque Pacifique, la bibliothèque
municipale de London et les Prix du Premier ministre pour l'excellence dans
l'enseignement.

Bell est un commanditaire Argent de la Semaine éducation medias de cette année,
poursuivant ainsi son engagement de longue date à l’égard de la culture
médiatique au Canada.

Pour savoir comment participer à la Semaine éducation médias, consultez le site Web de la
Semaine, à www.semaineeducationmedias.ca.

-30-

Le Réseau Éducation-Médias (le Réseau) est un organisme canadien sans but lucratif,
reconnu pour son expertise en éducation aux médias. Il a pour objectif de
veiller à ce que les enfants et les jeunes acquièrent l’esprit critique
et les outils nécessaires pour comprendre les médias et s’en servir
judicieusement. Les programmes du Réseau sont financés par des parrains,
donateurs et partenaires des secteurs public et privé, dont CTVglobemedia • Canwest • TELUS • L’Autorité
canadienne pour les enregistrements Internet •
CTV • l’Office national du film du Canada • le gouvernement du
Canada.

La Fédération canadienne des enseignantes et
des enseignants représente environ
200 000 membres de la profession enseignante du Canada. Depuis près de
90 ans, la FCE fait avancer la cause des enfants, défend les droits des
membres de la profession enseignante et prône un système d’éducation
publique solide. De plus, elle
s’est faite la championne de l’accroissement et de
l’amélioration des possibilités d’éducation aux médias dans les
classes du Canada. (http://www.ctf-fce.ca/)

Personnes-ressources :

Ann Marie Paquet, agente de
communications, Réseau Éducation-Médias

613-224-7721, poste 231, apaquet@media-awareness.ca

Francine Filion,
directrice des Communications, Fédération canadienne des enseignantes et des
enseignants

613-232-1505, poste 630, ffili@ctf-fce.ca

Greg's Top 10 Sept/Oct 2008

October 2008

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

Asians, First Nations and the History of the Vote in BC. Plan to attend this discussion in Vancouver on October 28/08. Check out all the other teacher resources at this site. www.cchsbc.ca

BC Mining Class of the Year Contest. Win this contest and your whole class will become expert gold panners. Check out all the other great ideas from the BC Mineral Resource Education Program. http://www.bcminerals.ca

The Canadian Social Studies Super Site. This site contains an annotated list of quality websites for Canadian social studies educators and anyone interested in Canada. http://www.ualberta.ca/~jkirman/

ExploraVision Awards Competition This competition gives students in grades K-12 the chance to create their own vision of the future. Win thousands $. www.exploravision.org

The History of Metropolitan Vancouver. A great site with all kinds of teacher resources and quizzes. www.vancouverhistory.ca/index.htm

Google History On-line- One Newspaper at a Time. Google has just launched a new service to make old newspapers available for everyone. Look back in time! Check this out! http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/bringing-history-online-one-newspaper.html

Mapleleafweb. A non-partisan Canadian political education web-site for teachers, students and the "attentive" public. http://www.mapleleafweb.com

Teachers Are Agents For Change. Plan to attend the BC Social Studies Teachers Fall Conference in Coquitlam on October 24/2008. Check out all the great workshops and get a look at the latest Social Studies resources: http://www.bctf.ca/psas/bcssta/

Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook. This American Social Studies/History site may be the most complete interactive, on-line resource for K-12 educators anywhere! http://directory.teachersourcebook.org/category_index.cfm?category=8

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. JudithComfort has just updated her site to assist teachers and students with new Remembrance Day resources.

www.bestlibrary.org/nov11/

September 2008

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

1. The Amazing Heritage Challenge. A great new resource for BC Grade 10 Social Studies teachers and students. These lessons are a perfect combination of exciting activities, curriculum relevance and real world engagement! http://www.tsa.gov.bc.ca/heritage/education_training/lesson_plans.htm

2. Civic Mirror. CM is an educational simulation that turns "classrooms into countries" and "students into citizens". Check out the "testimonials" button. http://www.civicmirror.com/whatitis.php

3. Federal Election Coming? Another great new site created for teachers and students in anticipation that a federal election will be called soon. Great ideas to start off the school year! http://bestlibrary.org/election/

4. Geography and Beyond! Fantastic new sites created in BC as a portal to hundreds of geographic ideas, lessons, research topics, maps and a whole lot more. Check out both sites! http://elibrary.sd71.bc.ca/socials/geography-canada.html

5. Great War Letters Project. Young Canadians ages 14-18 are invited to pen a letter imagining what it was like to serve in the First World War. The contest starts Sept.8, 08 and is to coincide with the release of the new movie Passchendaele. www.dominion.ca/passchendaele

6. Kalahari Library Project. How about a class or school citizenship project to help support literacy among children in the southern Kalahari? A simple and guaranteed way to make a difference in the lives of children. www.kalaharilibraryproject.com/adopt.html

7. Law Courts Education Society. Another new resource to help teachers and students understand our legal system. This resource even has a talking guide named Alex who will help you through the website. http://www.courtsofbc.ca

8. Michelle Mulder. Need a refreshing start for a unit on government, citizenship or social responsibility for grades 4-7? Meet Michelle, a Victoria based author of historical fiction.

www.michellemulder.com

9. Sierra Club BC. Empower your students to appreciate the many values and perspectives surrounding environmental and sustainability issues and to take ACTION in a fun and credible way. www.sierraclub.bc.ca/education

10. Social Studies Videos On Sale! From October 6-24, ERAC will host its annual sale of videos with discounted prices and free shipping! Remember BC teachers have checked out all these videos. http://www.bcerac.ca/Catalogue2008/ERAC2008Catalogue.aspx

Internet-Savvy Language in the Classroom

Internet-Savvy Language in the Classroom

The recent LA Times article on TwitLit demonstrates how Web 2.0 technologies can change even our conceptions of a genre. Students' understanding and use of such technologies provide a great opportunity for us as teachers -- the challenge of supporting the use of Internet-savvy language in the classroom.

The ReadWriteThink lessons

What's the Difference? Beginning Writers Compare Email with Letter Writing and Write Right Back: Recognizing Readers' Needs and Expectations for Email Replies (E) outline opportunities for investigating the genre of email in the classroom. For more information, read the article that inspired the lessons: "Email as Genre: A Beginning Writer Learns the Conventions

" (E) from Language Arts.

Explore the language of electronic messages and how it affects other writing with the ReadWriteThink lesson

Audience, Purpose, and Language Use in Electronic Messages (M). To set up online chats and email with students, check out the Voices from the Middle article "Improving Writing: Online Bulletin Boards

" (M).The English Journal article "

Virtually Being There: Creating Authentic Experiences through Interactive Exchanges" (S-TE) describes an email writing exchange between preservice teachers and high school students, designed to help students develop conversations about writing as a tool for learning across the curriculum. For resources to structure your own writing exchange, check out the ReadWriteThink lesson Exploring Literature through Letter Writing Groups

(S-C).Invite students to explore the lingo of the online world by reading books included in the English Journal book review "

Internet Literature for Media-Savvy Students

" (M-S). Even teachers with limited technology access in the classroom can explore the ways that people read and write with technology.

The College English article "

Distant Voices: Teaching Writing in a Culture of Technology

" (C) considers the ways that technology can influence our teaching in light of "the increasing replacement of face-to-face contact by 'virtual' interaction via multimedia technology, e-mail communication systems, and the recently expanded capabilities of the World Wide Web" in our campus classrooms and in distance education.

_____________________________

Lesson Vault feedback...

UNLOCK THE TREASURES!

we need your ideas and feedback!

As part of our associations’ goal to support members teaching practices, we are developing an online directory of lessons and units designed by members for members. It is a work in progress....inspired by the new UBC vault at Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, hosting artwork, historical archives, etc., we decided to also call our site the LESSON VAULT

UBC Library. 

Contact us:

asmith@sd23.bc.ca

Organizing and designing a service for dozens/hundreds of files needs some thought.  We need your ideas.  To get things rolling, we have built a few models and pose a few ideas.

1. Blog with Option A
2. Web site with navigation. Option B.  Option C. Option D.
3. Wiki with some authorship rights
4. A database or Opac like service
5. Online store/software
6. Private Social Network Option E.
7. Other.....

Post your feedback below or contact us to share your views.

Naturally, if you wish to email or better yet, telephone, we wouldlove to hear from you.

250-762-2805 ext250

amacritchie@telus.net

Virtual Bookmark Lesson Vault

Greg’s Top 10: May 2008

Greg's TOP 10 Picks

May 2008

Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

1. Best Teacher's Pages/Library Projects.Great research ideas for BC secondary social studies projects. http://jcomfort.typepad.com/best_teachers/2005/11/social_studies.html
   
2. British Columbia Teachers for Peace and Global Education. Classroom lessons, ideas, articles and links for BC teachers make this site a must visit for all social studies educators. www.pagebc.ca/index.html
   
3. Canada in the Making Learn about the history of Canada through the words of the men and women who shaped the nation. This site contains teacher resources, primary sources, maps, pictures and more. http://www.canadiana.org/citm/index_e.html
   
4. Canadian Centre for Genocide Education. Attend the Genocide Education Institute this August 11-15 in Toronto and be eligible to participate in the travel seminar for educators to Rwanda next year. http://www.genocideeducation.ca/2008genocideeducationinst.htm
5. City Reflections. The past 100 years of Vancouver history on a new DVD for just $20. http://www.johnatkin.com/harbeck/project.htm
   
6. Confederation for Kids. This site is written for young people who want to learn about how Canada became a country. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/2/2/index-e.html
   
7. Greg's Top 10 in audio. Check out this great feature and many others at The Virtual Bookmark brought to you by BCs Teacher/Librarians. http://virtualbookmark.typepad.com/the_virtual_bookmark/2008/04/gregs-top-10-pi.html
8. Geography Knowledge Test. A fun and interactive way to learn, review and test basic world geographic knowledge. www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/
   
9. HBC Local History Grant Program. Up to $1,000 is available to spark new initiatives that promote greater awareness of Canadian history, particularly among young people. www.hbchistoryfoundation.ca
   
10. Songs For Teaching. Songs about Canada's History, Prime Ministers, geography and way of life. Lyrics, CDs, books and downloads are available. Add music to your lessons. http://www.songsforteaching.com/canadasongs.htm

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295

gtgsmith@gmail.com .

Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher's Association website.

http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/

___________________________________

World and I Online-school news

Headlines in Review
Week ending April 18, 2008      by The World & I Online

Gaza violence up during Carter visit 
Tel Aviv, April 17 -- Renewed battles between Israel and Palestinians yesterday overshadowed the peace mission of former President Jimmy Carter, who extended his hand to one of Israel's most hawkish politicians. The fighting in the Gaza Strip intensified as the Palestinians counted at least 20 d...

Kurdish leaders reach oil-law deal with Baghdad 
Washington, April 17 -- Iraq's central government and the Kurdish region have reached a deal on an oil law, including a method for weighing the validity of the oil deals the Kurds have signed with foreign firms, the top government spokesman said yesterday. Ali al-Dabbagh said an agreement also ha...

Emergency measures to contain soaring food prices and drought in Djibouti 
Nairobi, April 17, -- Djibouti is to implement emergency measures to ensure food security amid soaring prices and persistent drought that have particularly hurt the poor across the Horn of Africa country, the government said. The strategies include continued price controls, diversification of fo...

North Korea facing a famine 
Bangkok, April 18 -- North Korea's desperate need to feed its citizens has prompted a United Nations agency to warn of a ''humanitarian crisis'' looming up in the months ahead. The price of basic food items in Pyongyang, the country's capital, offers a stark picture of the reality average worker...

Cautious Calm Settles Over War-Scarred Ituri Region of Democratic Republic of Congo 
Bogoro, April 17 -- Wading through the chest-high grass outside of this hamlet in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Mathieu Nyakufa gestures to the bones -- still bleaching in the sun -- of those who have been lost to the country's wars. "I was living just down here in the valley," the...

Activists Call for Urgent Land Reform in Latin America 
Brasilia, April 17 -- An urgent call to speed up the land reform process in Latin America was issued Thursday by rural activists at the 30th FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, who also sharply criticised agribusiness interests and large estates in the region. "We are ca...

India looks to work with Nepal's once-hated Maoist rebels 
New Delhi, April 18 -- Fears of frosty India-Nepal ties following the electoral victory of Maoists may have been dispelled with the Indian government acknowledging the emergence of the communist-led democratic government in Nepal and pledging to work with the former rebels, experts say. "The app...

Analysts fear Al-Qaida may attack Turkey 
Berlin, April 18, -- Experts are worried that Turkey will soon be hit by an al-Qaida-orchestrated terror attack. In November 2003 Istanbul was hit by a terror attack that targeted two synagogues, a British bank and the British consulate, killing more than 50 people and injuring 700 others. T...

Nutrition gains at risk in Philippines 
Manila, April 18 -- In the Philippines, one out of four children is considered underweight or stunted - telling signs of nutritional problems. But this figure, which translates into four million children under 10 being undernourished, is considered an improvement, according to the country's Food and...

Optimism prevails in Uganda, despite setback in peace talks 
Kampala, April 18 -- Josephine Akello had hoped the peace talks between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) would finally end with rebel leader Joseph Kony signing a peace accord on 10 April. Then she heard that the elusive Kony had failed to show up at a much-publicised s...

N. Korea's nuclear past stays sealed 
Washington, April 18 -- The Bush administration made another concession to North Korea yesterday by agreeing to keep secret part of a required declaration of the country's nuclear programs, saving Pyongyang a public embarrassment from its proliferation activities. The decision is likely to figur...


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Greg’s TOP 10 Picks April 2008

Greg’s TOP 10 Picks April 2008

Exciting Ideas and Opportunities for Social Studies Teachers and Students!

1. Asia Pacific Studies in BC Schools. Check out this in-depth report prepared by leading BC educators on the current state of Asia pacific studies in our schools. http://www.asiapacific.ca/analysis/pubs/listing.cfm?ID_Publication=610

2. Canadian Virtual War Memorial. Veterans Affairs Canada is looking for photographs and personal memorabilia of Canadians at war to help preserve our heritage and history as a legacy for future generations. Check out the other great ideas for teachers and students at this site. http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem

3. Canadian Oxford School 50^th Anniversary Edition collector’s Atlas. It is available this June and you can have one for FREE as well as a 10% discount on purchases just for filling out a short questionnaire! http://fds.oup.com/www.oup.com/pdf/ca/COSA_Questionnaire_April

4. Discovery Education. Check this out for all kinds of social studies lessons, ideas, clip-art and video links to make social studies education fun and informative. http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/?pID=lesson#

5. Fraser Essay Contest. Calling all BC Grade 11 students! In the 200^th year of Simon Fraser’s epic journey, this contest seeks to explore what the Fraser River means to them.

www.explorethefraser.bcit.ca

6. Geography, Geography, Geography! This site is designed to assist all Canadian secondary school geography teachers. Links to everything geographic including lesson plans, activities and a whole lot more are provided.

http://info.wlu.ca/~wwwgeog/special/vgt/English/help/geog_links.htm

7. Holocaust Education. The Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre will help local and distant teachers and students gain a greater understanding of a terrible time in world history. www.vhec.org

8. Italy Calling! Special Travel International is planning a 2009 commemoration tour for secondary students to see and hear about Canada’s actions in Italy during WW2. Bring 10 students and the teacher tour is free! www.sticanada.com

9. Middle School Social Studies. Check out this site from Courtenay Middle School for all kinds of history, geography, current events, election and research ideas for your classroom. http://web.sd71.bc.ca/courtenay_middle/?q=node/64

10. Religions, religions, religions. Great site for student or teacher research of the world’s major religions. Students can even take on-line quizzes with immediate feedback on their answers. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/

Comments and ideas-Contact Greg at 250-485-8295 gtgsmith@gmail.com . Check out all the great ideas for Social Studies teachers at the BC Social Studies Teacher’s Association website. http://www.bctf.ca/bcssta/