We gratefully acknowledge, respect, recognize and appreciate that we live, learn and work and teach on the traditional territories of the Kwanlin Dun First Nations and the Ta'an Kwächän Council.
Kwä̀nä̀schis
Course Outline
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Year vs. semester vs. term/quarter break down for the 2018 / 2019 academic year at Porter Creek Secondary School
English 08 Section 1 Per 1 Semester 1 Calendar
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Course Work & Learning Materials - Week by Week
Please note that any materials that can be posted online (based on copyright) will be posted/linked on this page.
This will include learning materials accessed digitally in the classroom, deadlines, assignments and supplementary / support materials.
If a student misses time, they are expected to access their work on this site. If there is limited access from home or the location in which a student will be spending time, students will need to use access when they are back at school in Lunch Labs, after school or on breaks, or access resources available through services like the Whitehorse Public Library, Skookum Jim Friendship Centre's After School Tutoring Program, the Kwanlin Dün Kenädän Ku House of Learning, and/or other available community resources.
This will include learning materials accessed digitally in the classroom, deadlines, assignments and supplementary / support materials.
If a student misses time, they are expected to access their work on this site. If there is limited access from home or the location in which a student will be spending time, students will need to use access when they are back at school in Lunch Labs, after school or on breaks, or access resources available through services like the Whitehorse Public Library, Skookum Jim Friendship Centre's After School Tutoring Program, the Kwanlin Dün Kenädän Ku House of Learning, and/or other available community resources.
Entries on the Week by Week section of this page always have the most recent week at the top. For older material, you will need to scroll down. For more general dates and information, please see the home page of this teacher site.
Week 8 - Tuesday Oct 9th - Friday Oct 12th, 2018
Week 7 - Monday Oct 1st - Friday Oct 5th, 2018
We continued our daily reading and reading activities. This week they included activities like considering how their chose materials might unfold differently if it the setting was different, looking for examples of adjectives, adverbs and words that indicated the author's tone.
On Tuesday the entire school had the opportunity to attend an interview between Marc Olivier of the Azrieli Foundation (Montréal) and René Goldman on his experience as a displaced child during the upheaval and terror of the Shoah. Click here for information on why for some people of the Jewish faith/culture, the term Shoah or HaShoah is preferred to the term Holocaust. Professor Goldman (Associate Professor, Emeritus, Department of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia) chooses to use the term Shoah in his memoirs and discussions of this epoch in human history.
Prof. Goldman's visit to Whitehorse was a unique opportunity for Yukon students to hear about the experience of the Shoah from the perspective of a Jewish child. As time progresses, those who are able to act as witnesses to the atrocities of the Shoah will be increasingly difficult for us to find in order that they can share their stories and explain to people the direct impact of the choices of governments who permit state-sanctioned program based on hatred and fear. Prof. Goldman provided particular insight into the fate of Jewish displaced persons caught in Occupied France under the Vichy (Pétain) government during the war. He wrote a book, A Childhood Adrift, about his experiences as a Jewish refugee in Occupied France during WWII.
On Tuesday the entire school had the opportunity to attend an interview between Marc Olivier of the Azrieli Foundation (Montréal) and René Goldman on his experience as a displaced child during the upheaval and terror of the Shoah. Click here for information on why for some people of the Jewish faith/culture, the term Shoah or HaShoah is preferred to the term Holocaust. Professor Goldman (Associate Professor, Emeritus, Department of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia) chooses to use the term Shoah in his memoirs and discussions of this epoch in human history.
Prof. Goldman's visit to Whitehorse was a unique opportunity for Yukon students to hear about the experience of the Shoah from the perspective of a Jewish child. As time progresses, those who are able to act as witnesses to the atrocities of the Shoah will be increasingly difficult for us to find in order that they can share their stories and explain to people the direct impact of the choices of governments who permit state-sanctioned program based on hatred and fear. Prof. Goldman provided particular insight into the fate of Jewish displaced persons caught in Occupied France under the Vichy (Pétain) government during the war. He wrote a book, A Childhood Adrift, about his experiences as a Jewish refugee in Occupied France during WWII.
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Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we continued our work on the parts of speech.
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Week 6 - Monday Sept 24th - Wednesday Sept 26th, 2018
This was a short week due to the Yukon-wide teacher conference hosted by the YTA. This bi-annual event brings all Yukon educators together for two days of intensive professional development. This year it ran on September 27th and 28th, and the educational theme was "Growth Mindsets".
We continued our daily practice of 10 mins of reading and daily reading logs. This week we began to expand our reading activities in scope - students were asked to take on tasks like asking the author of their reading material a question by crafting an imaginary tweet and to create a small review of their material so far.
We also continued our work on learning parts of speech, specifically Adjectives. Students have all been provided with a resource package called Banish Boring Words, a micro-thesaurus divided by use of work rather than alphabetical order.
On the Wednesday of this week, we began preparing for special guest René Goldman, a survivor of the Shoah (commonly referred to as the Holocaust).
We continued our daily practice of 10 mins of reading and daily reading logs. This week we began to expand our reading activities in scope - students were asked to take on tasks like asking the author of their reading material a question by crafting an imaginary tweet and to create a small review of their material so far.
We also continued our work on learning parts of speech, specifically Adjectives. Students have all been provided with a resource package called Banish Boring Words, a micro-thesaurus divided by use of work rather than alphabetical order.
On the Wednesday of this week, we began preparing for special guest René Goldman, a survivor of the Shoah (commonly referred to as the Holocaust).
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We discussed a brief summary of how and why the National Socialist German Worker's Party (the Nazis) were able to come to political power in Germany in the aftermath of WWI. We talked about how they were able to begin, through the use of propaganda, media control and demonization, and the gradual erosion of the rights of marginalized social groups, to establish one of the most efficient and horrific state-sponsored programs of violence ever seen in modern history.
We also discussed the fact that based on human behaviour in the decades since (and in the decades before the Shoah), it is important that we never forget how insidious the process was that led to the abuses of power that left over 11 million dead, over 6 million of them Jewish men, women, elders and children. If we do not learn from the lessons of our past, we are doomed to repeat them. |
Week 5 - Monday Sept 17th - Friday Sept 21st, 2018
Again, we begin our daily work with 10 mins of silent reading and our Reading Logs.
Parts of Speech we are reviewing this week: first, Plural Nouns, Collective Nouns, and Adjectives.
Parts of Speech we are reviewing this week: first, Plural Nouns, Collective Nouns, and Adjectives.
Week 4 - Monday Sept 10th - Friday Sept 14th, 2018
This week we have continued daily reading and time to complete reading logs.
Students worked on two new sets of No Glamour Grammar sheets, looking at the fact that there are different tenses for verb.
There are actually up to 16 tenses of verb in the English language, although we usually use about six in day-to-day interaction. Most of us learn how and when to use verb tenses through listening and practicing oral language as children. However, many students still struggle with using some tenses accurately in written work.
Students worked on two new sets of No Glamour Grammar sheets, looking at the fact that there are different tenses for verb.
There are actually up to 16 tenses of verb in the English language, although we usually use about six in day-to-day interaction. Most of us learn how and when to use verb tenses through listening and practicing oral language as children. However, many students still struggle with using some tenses accurately in written work.
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In response to some circumstances in the class, we reviewed expectations around
We watched the following video by internet personality Robby Novak, aka Kid President. We reflected on the fact that many of us have been on both sides of the equation of having been the target of unkindness / bullying and having been unkind/bullied someone.
Students were provided the template for an I AM poem, and asked to complete two: one in the role of someone experiencing bullying and one from the point of view of someone being bullied. Then students were asked to create a Top 10 List of Things We Can Say and Do More Often to Make Our Class Awesome! The list should be at least 8 up to 10 items, in the style of Kid President.
- Respect / courtesy
- Wisdom (making good choices)
- Humility (balancing the needs of the individual with the needs of others and the group as a whole)
- True (being authentic)
- Love (being kind and compassionate)
We watched the following video by internet personality Robby Novak, aka Kid President. We reflected on the fact that many of us have been on both sides of the equation of having been the target of unkindness / bullying and having been unkind/bullied someone.
Students were provided the template for an I AM poem, and asked to complete two: one in the role of someone experiencing bullying and one from the point of view of someone being bullied. Then students were asked to create a Top 10 List of Things We Can Say and Do More Often to Make Our Class Awesome! The list should be at least 8 up to 10 items, in the style of Kid President.
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Week 3 - Tuesday Sept 4th - Friday Sept 7th, 2018
Thursday and Friday students had time for their daily reading and to complete their reading logs, and then worked on practice sheets, identifying verbs - including the difference between the three types of verbs (action, helping and linking verbs).
Wednesday -
As per usual, we began with silent reading and reading tracker.
Then students had an opportunity to finish up their Nouns worksheet (No Glamour Grammar). Due to copyright laws, I cannot post those worksheets on the site. The package ranged from page 1 - 16.
Then we moved on to our next part of speech....
Introducing: Verbs!
As per usual, we began with silent reading and reading tracker.
Then students had an opportunity to finish up their Nouns worksheet (No Glamour Grammar). Due to copyright laws, I cannot post those worksheets on the site. The package ranged from page 1 - 16.
Then we moved on to our next part of speech....
Introducing: Verbs!
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Three Kinds of Verbs:
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One of the most important verbs in the English language is the verb to "Be".
I am (was, will be) You are. (were, will be) He is /she is / zwe is (was, will be) We are. (were, will be) They are. (were, will be) |
Verbs are conjugated by "tense" - the WHEN an action or state of being happened.
The most simple breakdown of tenses are:
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Tuesday we continued our routine of silent reading and tracking the elements of the reading that was done.
Then we completed the Types of Nouns video. Students were given a package to practice identifying and using simple nouns in sentences. Tomorrow they will have some time to finish up that work, and then we will be learning about the next part of speech - Verbs.
Then we completed the Types of Nouns video. Students were given a package to practice identifying and using simple nouns in sentences. Tomorrow they will have some time to finish up that work, and then we will be learning about the next part of speech - Verbs.
Week 2 - Monday Aug 27th - Friday Aug 31st, 2018
Friday we continued our work on types of Nouns, and discussed how the weekly summary should look for the Daily Reading Tracker.
Thursday we attended the mini assembly that begins every year and semester (we went down after our reading session). When we returned to class, the students were free to ask questions to clarify anything that had come up in the assembly.
Key issues discussed -
Thursday we attended the mini assembly that begins every year and semester (we went down after our reading session). When we returned to class, the students were free to ask questions to clarify anything that had come up in the assembly.
Key issues discussed -
- The importance of attendance and punctuality
- Asking for help when you need it and not waiting until things get too difficult to manage
- Elements of the Code of Conduct related to drugs/alcohol/controlled substances on school property and the dangers of fentanyl
- Student legacies - asking the kids to begin to think about how they would like to be remembered after they graduate and what choices they think they could begin making towards those goals even now (i.e. joining sports, teams and clubs, trying new things
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Wednesday we began reviewing/learning about the parts of speech. There are 8 Parts of Speech in the English language - all of the specific types are variations on these parts.
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A peacock strutted across the lawn. |
We began watching a video on the different types of nouns and watched a classic School House Rock video on Nouns!
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Groups of animals are some of the most entertaining examples of collective nouns.
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Tuesday we did our silent reading and daily tracking.
Then we did a diagnostic spelling exercise.
Then we did a diagnostic spelling exercise.
- The diagnostic is NOT a quiz or a test - it was explained to the students that this is like taking a temperature during a health check up or checking the weather outside before deciding what to wear for the day. It's information that provides a starting point. It provides not only the opportunity to set a baseline for the level of spelling when/where students begin to struggle and which conventions of spelling they are finding challenging (i.e. "i before e" or adding "ed" to words) but also to observe what strategies students used when they encountered unfamiliar words.
- The diagnostic involved a series of 50 words which get increasingly complex.
- Students cannot fail a diagnostic. It is simply a means of gathering data.
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Monday
Today we talked more about the set up of the physical space of the room, and discussed more about how the values we talked about last week need to be practiced in the classroom.
This week we will begin doing our structured reading responses. Students will have in-class time to read on most days. Every day we read in class (and for homework if we don't have time in class) students will record basic observations about their reading materials.
There is a reading log (please see the document below). Each copy of the document/file allows for one week of structured reading response.
I am also providing an English Survival Kit. Students will need this information, as well as the Grammar packages and Banish Boring Words packages as an ongoing reference for the remainder of the semester. They should either keep these tidy and accessible in their binder or create a duotang/booklet that they keep accessible for daily reference as needed.
PLEASE NOTE: the documents featured in the Scribd windows are just for viewing on the website. If you try to download the document from within the Scribd window, you will be redirected to the Scribd website and prompted to sign up for an account. This is not necessary. Underneath the Scribd window where you can preview the document there will be a file download for the same document, with no need to go to a third party site or to sign up for a third party membership.
Today we talked more about the set up of the physical space of the room, and discussed more about how the values we talked about last week need to be practiced in the classroom.
This week we will begin doing our structured reading responses. Students will have in-class time to read on most days. Every day we read in class (and for homework if we don't have time in class) students will record basic observations about their reading materials.
There is a reading log (please see the document below). Each copy of the document/file allows for one week of structured reading response.
I am also providing an English Survival Kit. Students will need this information, as well as the Grammar packages and Banish Boring Words packages as an ongoing reference for the remainder of the semester. They should either keep these tidy and accessible in their binder or create a duotang/booklet that they keep accessible for daily reference as needed.
PLEASE NOTE: the documents featured in the Scribd windows are just for viewing on the website. If you try to download the document from within the Scribd window, you will be redirected to the Scribd website and prompted to sign up for an account. This is not necessary. Underneath the Scribd window where you can preview the document there will be a file download for the same document, with no need to go to a third party site or to sign up for a third party membership.
| daily_reading_log_pdf.pdf |
| english_daily_survival_kit_pdf.pdf |
Week 1 - Tuesday Aug 21st - Friday Aug 24th, 2018
Friday we went as a class for an orientation to the Learning Commons with teacher-librarian extraordinaire, Ms. Brenda Estabrook. Ms. Estabrook reviewed library etiquette with the students, gave them a tour of the layout of the library and where to find different sorts of materials. Students were given the opportunity to seek out reading materials for the 10 mins of reading that will begin each English Language Arts class. Some students already had personal reading materials they will be using, or have chosen books from the teacher's collection in Room 101, but all students were encouraged to explore the Learning Commons.
Wednesday and Thursday we began reviewing expectations for behaviour in our classroom community. For more information, please see the "Classroom Expectations & Code of Conduct" tab on the main page of this teacher site. We discussed the 7 Grandfather Teachings framework used in this class to help us make effective, healthy and learning-supportive choices, and to self-assess our choices after the fact. We discussed the Annishnabe traditions behind these teachings, the fact that they are common to Yukon First Nations teachings and what these traditional values look like in a modern classroom.
Referring to these will be our touchstone for the semester.
Referring to these will be our touchstone for the semester.
Tuesday we held our annual Grade 8 Welcome BBQ and Orientation.
Students received the following:
Students received the following:
- The most up to date copy of their schedule. IF a student needs changes to their schedule, they should follow the schedule they have until they receive a new one from grade 8/9 counsellor Joanne Seymour.
- Their locker number and combinations.
- Remember that lockers are opened by turning the dial THREE full rotations to the RIGHT past 0 to the first digit of the combo, the ONE full rotation past 0 to the LEFT to the second digit of the combo and then back RIGHT directly to the third and last digit of the combination. (See video below.)