Conflict Resolution Workshop

This week, we started facilitating workshops for younger students to coach them on conflict resolution strategies. 

Markus, Fabiano, and Jose joined the learners in Grade 4 on Thursday. 

After sharing different ways to solve conflicts through a presentation, we invited the 4th Graders to act out the solutions through role play. 

Below is a video of the entire workshop! 

We also applied the skills we have been learning in Writers' Workshop by creating this pop-up book on the various choices which can be made when conflicts occur at a global level. 

As a concrete example, we especially made connections to the current war between Russia and Ukraine. 

What do you think is the best option and why?

End of the Year Book Clubs

 Last week, we started our end-of-the-year book clubs! 

In each group, we consolidated our learning from Readers Workshop and came up with plans on what to do in our book clubs with the goal to deepen our comprehension and of course, enjoy reading!

Within our book clubs, we are trying to mirror the type of book clubs adults have by keeping a flexible set-up and selecting activities to enhance our reading skills. 

We meet twice a week and decide what page to read up to for the next reading as well as how to prepare for the next reading. 

We have also come up with essential agreements for each group to make sure we are maintaining accountability. 

Below are our club names:

The Posca Donuts

The Traitors

Smile Banana

Our Book Club Display

Take a look at our book clubs in action!

Some of the groups have already finished their first book and are already starting their second book!

Happy Reading!

Theme-based Literary Essays

In Grades 5 and 6, we have been inquiring into how to write convincing literary essays. 

Here are some of the techniques we learned during this writing unit. 

 Take a look at our finished essays!

 

 

Have a fantastic weekend!

Designing Sustainable Technology

In Grades 5 and 6, we have been working through the design cycle to come up with sustainable solutions to local, national, and global issues. 

We identified the following issues: 

• lack of clean water
• global waste (plastic and other)
• wasting paper
• access to electricity
• pollution
• climate change
• bullying

The photos below show how we worked through the process of asking, imagining, planning, and creating. 

At the end of this post, you can see how we shared our creations. 

Once we had our prototypes, we asked our classmates for feedback using the visible thinking routine: ladder of feedback. 

As designers, this allowed us to see our project from different perspectives. 

Once we received some feedback, we integrated them into our final designs which you can see below, along with videos of our presentations!

Jose's Design

Thoma's Design

Markus' Design

Tina's Design

Brandon's Design

Suguri's Design

Nanoka's Design

Claire's Design

We also had Mr. Huber, our school technology expert, guide us to learn about the insides of laptops and how they work. 

We even had student-led workshops so that people who chose to sign up could learn skills like coding or video editing! 

What a week of learning! 

Have a wonderful Golden Week, everyone!