April Update and Transition to Google Classroom

Teachers have returned to work from Spring Break. During the break, administrators were developing plans for continuing the school year with an online learning platform.

For the first week back, Monday April 6th to Thursday April 9th, teachers will be contacting students and guardians via phone call to check-in to see how families are coping and to retrieve information around access to technology. Lessons and tasks will NOT be assigned this week. For the time being, independent learning activities can be accessed here, from the CBE website. Students and guardians can also access resources from the Learn Alberta Online Reference Centre. Common grade assignments will be provided next week via Google Classroom.

This week, students will be added to Google Classrooms, through the same Google platform that students have been using all year (Google Docs, Slides, Drive, etc.). Starting next week, Google Classrooms will be the main point of contact for information and all things related to school-based learning. Therefore, this blog will no longer be updated, as all information will be accessed via Google Classroom. Your homeroom teacher will contact you over the course of the next two days. If you still have questions around Google Classroom or anything else moving forward, AFTER TUESDAY, please email your homeroom teacher with any questions you have.

This is a challenging time, however, we will all get through this together.

Thank you.

Jesse Duss - Humanities - jjduss@cbe.ab.ca
Richard Pak - Math/Science - rypak@cbe.ab.ca

March 16-20

The purpose of teacher blogs is to inform students and their families of day-to-day learning and activities throughout the school year.  We will continue to communicate learning opportunities and will provide links to online learning resources through these blogs.  

Important information related to all school decisions will continue to be emailed to parents/guardians and can also be found on the CBE website (www.cbe.ab.ca).

Suggestions for Learning from Home K-9

Children are naturally curious learners and there are opportunities at home to engage their learning. We have created a webpage that offers a variety of educational ideas to support literacy, numeracy and wellness at home for this week. The resources are meant as suggestions only. You may choose to use the links and activities as needed over the next few days as more long-term educational programming is considered.

https://cbe.ab.ca/programs/curriculum/learning-at-home/Pages/6-9.aspx

March 2-6

This week,

We moved forward in our linear equations unit in math.

Practice work can be found below:

Simple Equations

Extra Practice

- Mr. Pak

February 24-28

This week,

We dove deeper into the electricity unit.

We discussed topics such as energy forms and transformations, static electricity, electric charges and charge separation, cells and batteries, and electrical safety.

The students were assigned a virtual lab entitled "Modifying Electrochemical Cells" which will be due Monday, March 2. The link to the lab is below.

Modifying Electrochemical Cells

- Mr. Pak

January 27-30

This week,

We moved forward in our matter and chemistry unit talking about chemical reactions. We learned how to write and balance chemical reactions with reactants, products, states, etc., as well as rates of reactions, and chemical balances.

Some textbook questions to support this learning can be found on:
Pg. 165 #1-9
Pg. 170 #1-7
Pg. 162 #1-9

- Mr. Pak

November 25-29

This week,

We started working through matter and chemistry in science, talking about the particle model of matter, physical properties and the classification of matter, etc.

This work can be supplemented with questions from the textbook to improve proficiency in this area:

Pg. 109 #1-4
Pg. 110 #1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12

Students have been advised to take a textbook home if they did not complete this in class. Also, a digital copy of the textbook has been shared with every student through Google Drive.

- Mr. Pak

November 18-21

This week,

We began our new unit (shape and space) in math. We learned about breaking 3D figures into 2D basic shapes to find surface area; shapes including:

Rectangles: area = length x width
Triangles: area = base x height, divided by 2
Circles: area = pi x radius squared
             circumference = pi x diameter

In addition, we did supplementary textbook work to practice these skills:

Pg. 32
Level 1 #4-6
Level 2 #8-10
Level 3 #12, 13
Level 4 #14, 15, 17, 22

The textbook has been shared with all students on Google Drive. If it cannot be found, free online versions can be found by searching "Math Links 9 Textbook".

- Mr. Pak

November 12-15

This week,

Discussed and learned about terms related to data collection and statistics. As well, finding the probability of a specified outcome and how probability differs from 'chance'.

Textbook work to support:
Pg. 435

Level 2 #4, 5
Level 3 #6-12
Level 4 #15, 16

- Mr. Pak

November 4-8

This week,

Math:

Data Analysis - Conducting and Analyzing a Survey
         - Students were given class time on Monday and Tuesday to complete this task;
            a copy can be found at the link below:

Data Analysis

Science:

Genetic Engineering Research and Discussion


          - Description and 2 examples of cloning, DNA fingerprinting, gene therapy, and GMOs each

            They were given a standpoint to take whether it be for or against one of these topics so they 

            will need:

                    - 3 main arguments for their standpoint and

                    - 2 hard examples (ie. articles, cartoons, scientifically backed sources) to support their 

                      arguments

- Mr. Pak

October 28-31

This week,

Talked and took notes on asexual reproduction (all the different types and organisms that undergo this type of reproduction) vs. sexual reproduction (and all related topics such as meiosis, mitosis, Punnett squares, DNA, chromosomes, mutations, etc.) - most of which is found in chapter 3 in the textbook.

Again, a link the online version has been posted in previous postings, as well as shared with every student on Google Drive.

Some practice questions around Punnett squares can be found on page 54 #1-7

We also worked on a genetics assignment that was due Thursday, October 31. Link below.

Genetics with a Smile

- Mr. Pak

October 7-10

This week,

Science:
- Asexual Reproduction
          - Supplementary work: Check and Reflect:
                    - Pg. 29 #1-6
                    - Pg. 36 #1-11
                    - Pg. 37 #3, 4, 5, 8, 10

The science textbook was shared on Google Drive with all students. The textbook can also be found at the link below:

Science in Action 9 Textbook

Math:
- Square Roots
          - Supplementary work on Pg. 78-79
                    - Level 1 #7ac, 8a, 9bd
                    - Level 2 #1
                    - Level 3 #15

The math textbook was shared on Google Drive with all students. The textbook can also be found at the link below:

Math Links 9 Textbook

- Mr. Pak

September 30 - October 4

This week,

Working on problem solving with rational numbers. 

Key points:

1) What information is given?

2) What is the question asking you to find?

3) Identify all the keywords

4) What is important/unimportant?

We worked through tons of examples as a class, in smaller groups, and individually.

Textbook practice questions:

Pg. 60-61 #12, 14, 17, 20

Pg. 68-69 #9, 10, 13, 16

Pg. 70 #12, 18, 22

Assessment piece:

Students were given this task for assessment. It consists of 5 questions that give the answer. The object of this task is to see a clear and organized gathering of information and the process by which to solve the question. 

Problem Solving with Rational Numbers Assessment

- Mr. Pak

September 23-27

This week,

Science: 

- Work around dichotomous keys

          1. Salamander Dichotomous Key: using a pre-made dichotomous key to identify and label various salamanders based on physical features

          2. Creating Your Own Dichotomous Key: students creating their own dichotomous key based off 10 images of any kind (ie. animals, foods, shoes, etc.)

Math:

- Rational Numbers Review Quiz: students wrote a summative quiz to assess knowledge base on rational numbers including: finding decimals between fractions, finding fractions between decimals, ordering rational numbers, etc.

Please check PowerSchool for missing and/or incomplete assignments. Students are more than welcome to re-do any missed work for assessment.

- Mr. Pak 

Salamander Dichotomous Key

Creating Your Own Dichotomous Key

Rational Numbers Review Quiz

August 19-23

This week,

We reviewed grade 8 math concepts including topics such as: fractions, decimals, percentages, algebra, surface area/volume, Pythagoras theory, and various word problems.

Please return the signed yellow forms and corrected demographics sheets by the end of next week if you have not done so.

- Mr. Pak

August 15-16

Welcome back!

This week,

Students were given:
1) The new timetable along with the drop-off route
2) Blue form with information on walking field trips
3) Yellow forms to sign and bring back
4) Demographics sheets that need to be returned with corrections if any

Looking forward to this upcoming year!

- Mr. Pak