Monday 30 November 2015

Canada

Thank you for educators around the world who express interest in our classroom and our studies.

We have been studying our nation-  its land, its history, its symbols; and the location of Canada and its political regions. Our inquiry investigates how knowing our past influences our present.

To complement our study of Canada, we are studying historical fiction. Because historical fiction tends to start at a time of great historical tension, which almost inevitably means a time of change, readers who pay attention to the feelings that a setting engenders will probably be experiencing rising tension. In most historical fiction, the setting for the story is a place that is in the throes of great pressures. 

This unit, however, is not simply a unit on reading historical fiction. It is a unit on tackling complex texts. It is not simply to entice students to be swept up by the settings in their historical fiction novels. It is to help readers be more attentive to the tone and atmosphere in a setting and more alert to gathering tensions—to the winds of change. Artifacts of learning and learning tasks will be posted soon!









Monday 9 November 2015

Remembrance Day

I was honoured and humbled to have my father and his colleague guest speak at my school today. The students learned about the intent and importance of Remembrance Day.

All the people I love in one room! So amazing!







Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Look at these cuties!