Sept 10

Geography Place & Location Task

1. Select any place in Toronto or the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) that is of interest to you.
2. Draw a relative map of its location.  It should be enclosed within a quadrant with street boundaries to the north, south, west and east of it.
3. What community within the city does it belong to?
4. Provide specific directions to get there from St. Simon via car, public transit, walking and/or cycling.
5. Describe the place.  Is it part of residential complex, commercial/business park, industrial area, communal/cultural meeting place, recreational/conservation area, governmental buildings, spiritual/religious, or a tourist destination/attraction?
6. Do you think the location of this place makes sense?  Questions to consider when answering this question:  What reasons do you think an urban planner located it there?  Is it easily accessible?  What surrounds it?  Do you think the places/things that surround it complement its function?
7. Why is it of interest or special to you?  
8. Does its name have any significance?

Math Factors & Multiples corrections:

Math homework above.
Summer Prezis continue tomorrow.
Begin working on Geography independently or with 1 partner.
Check novel study sample response from class today with your response.

Sept 9

Language Novel Study:  Seedfolks

Chp1: Kim

Open-ended question that prompt you to offer your own opinion:

By deciding to plant lima beans in the neighborhood's vacant lot full of garbage, what do you think Kim hopes to show her late Vietnamese father?  

What does this show about her as an individual?  

What affect do you think it may have on the community?
What is ironic about what is happening?

Sample responses

By deciding to plant the lima beans in the vacant lot of her run-down neighborhood, I think Kim is trying to honor the memory of her late father.  It is sad and tragic that Kim didn't have the chance to know her own father and, as such, she wants to make him proud of her; she wants him to "notice her" and know that she does exist.  She knows he was a farmer back in his home country and wants to let him know that she is truly his daughter by gardening just as he did and show that his talents were passed down to her. 

Her decision to plant the lima beans shows that she is a most respectful, thoughtful and caring individual because having some kind of connection with her father is important to her.  It also shows that she's a determined person because she would do anything to have her father notice her and be proud of her.

Her act may prompt others to eventually start gardening alongside her; it may transform the lot from something ugly/cold to beautiful/vivacious. Someone in her neighborhood may not care for what she is doing and vandalize her plants.

It is ironic that something good/positive/beautiful such as a garden could be stemming from a vacant, run-down, garbage-infested lot.

Unit 1: Place & Location – Our Community of Humberlea

1. A place or location refers to its position on our planet Earth.

2. Our home addresses are located in a neighborhood or a residential area which forms the community of Humberlea.

3. Humberlea’s boundaries include Sheppard Avenue West on the north side, the Canadian National Railway on the east side, the Humber River on the west side and Oak Street on the south side.

4. Stores, restaurants, shopping plazas, factory outlets are all located in a business park or commercial area.

5. The borough, village or town of Weston, ON is part of the city or municipality of Toronto. 

6. Toronto is the capital of and part of the province of Ontario.

7. Ethnic/cultural areas or districts such as Little Italy, Chinatown or Greektown are commonly found in a multi-cultural city such as Toronto that celebrates diversity.

8. Ontario is part of the nation or country of Canada.  Besides provinces, countries may be also divided into states, territories, or regions.

9. Canada is part of the continent of North America.

10. North America is part of the Northern Hemisphere.

11. The Earth is part of our solar system or Milky Way Galaxy.

12. A sketch of an area, neighborhood, or major road intersection as you picture it in your mind is called a mental map.

13. Factories, manufacturing plants, waste disposal, mechanical/electrical companies are all located in an industrial area.

14. Farming, agriculture and livestock are all located in rural areas.

15. The streets of our city are like a grid running north-south and intersect with streets running east-west forming quadrants of neighborhoods and communities.

16. G.P.S. stands for Global Positioning System.  It pinpoints your exact location on earth using lines of longitude and latitude and can precisely locate major landmarks such as the CN Tower within metres.

17. A precise spot on earth with clearly defined boundaries is called an absolute location.  GPS, Google Maps, radar on air/sea vessels all offer this 100% accuracy. 

18. An estimation or approximation of a spot on Earth is called a relative location.

19. People decide to locate places in certain areas for economic reasons (e.g. employment, manufacturing, transportation) and social reasons (e.g. communal places, culture, language).

20. Crossroads Shopping Centre is located on the south-east corner of Highway 401 and Weston Road.

21. St. Simon School is located on the north side of Wallasey Ave. just east of Weston Road and just north of Walsh & Albion Roads.

22. One would travel west on Wallasey Ave. from St Simon in order to reach Weston Road.

23. One would travel north on Weston Rd. from St Simon to reach St. Basil’s on Starview Blvd. or even Carmine Stefano Community Centre on the corner of Weston Rd. & Sheppard Ave. W.

24. One would travel south on Weston road from St Simon to reach Crossroads Shopping or new Superstore Gas station on the corner of Weston Rd. & Oak Street.

25. Becker’s Convenience is located on the north-east corner of Weston Road and Gaydon Ave, directly across from the Petro Canada Gas station.

26. The general area of Weston Rd./Hwy 401 has a combination of 3 distinct areas, namely: commercial (i.e. Crossroads Shopping/Restaurants), industrial (i.e. Satin Hardwood & Visioneering Lighting manufacturers on Oak St.) and residential (houses, apartments, townhomes).

27.   An example of a governmental or political location in Toronto includes City Hall (municipal affairs) and Queen’s Park (provincial affairs).

28.  An example of a communal location in Humberlea dedicated to spirituality/faith/religion includes St. Jude Catholic Church.

29.  An example of a natural/environmental location in Humberlea dedicated to conservation & recreation includes Strathburn/Humber River path.

U1 Math Factors & Multiples continued...

Sept 6

Further to our Geography discussion today about relative & absolute locations and our corrections to the Humberlea-Pelmo Park landmark map, you are to read pgs.11-19 in preparation for next class.

Prezi Summer Highlights presentations begin on Monday and will continue throughout the week until Friday (last day) on a voluntary basis.  Use the rubric as your checklist.  

Crests due Monday.  

Instrumental Music first thing Monday morning.  We will try a rotary schedule next week (Science & Writing with Ms. Tassone) and see how that works out.

Hope you enjoyed your 1st week back, have a great weekend :)

Sept 5

Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

Pre-reading Team Task

Below are questions to consider before reading the novel.  These are open-ended questions which allow for many different possible responses.  Everyone should offer their own personal opinions.  Collaborate and share ideas.

• What words would you use to describe the word individual?
• What words would you use to describe the word community?
• How do you think an individual can make a big/little difference in a community?
• Do you know of an individual(s) that has made either a positive or negative impact on your community? 
• How do I impact my home? school? or community?
• How does the community in which I live affect me?
• Where are the communal spaces at school and in the neighborhood?  What are the benefits of these communal spaces?

Let's consolidate our ideas below:
Individual:  a person, a single person, alone, separate from others, unique, one-of-a-kind, special, original, independent, different, solo, unique personality/characteristics

Community: a family, a colony, classroom, st. simon community of students and staff, group of neighbors, more than 1, people, group of individuals, the homes/families that live on your street, individuals coming together, friendly, helpful, destructive/disruptive, supportive, multi-cultural, discrimination/racism

yes, an individual can have a positive impact on any community i.e. being helpful towards others, friendly/courteous, caring towards it/the environment; by contrast, an individual can also have a negative impact on their community i.e. criminal acts

at home: chores, helpful with parents/siblings.  at school: me to we team, eco rangers, making others feel welcomed/included in activities, cheering up/helping others, littering, bullying, negativity.  in the community: neighbors helping neighbors, government official making positive changes to community, local police, parents looking out for all children, random acts of kindness, smiling, holding doors, being polite to one another

Carmine Stefano Community Centre, Humber River park path, Church, Strathburn Park, Bannon park, commercial plazas; benefits: socializing, support, meeting new people, talking about issues that affect the community, fields that invite people to play.  

Geography: Place & Location Chp.1

Goal:  to understand the difference between relative and absolute location.

St. Simon school is located in the neighborhood of Pelmo-Park-Humberlea in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

It is located north-west of the central core of the city, in the former suburb of North York.

Like its name implies, it is composed of two geographic areas, the first being the Pelmo Park area which is bordered by highway 401 to the north, Woodward Avenue to the south, Jane Street to the east and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CNR) to the west.

The second area, Humberlea, is bordered by Sheppard Avenue West to the north, Oak Street to the south, the CNR to the east and the Humber River to the west.

Many of the neighborhoods in this quadrant of the city can aptly be described as family neighborhoods with access to parks, green space and a slower pace than found closer to the downtown core.  There is a large Italian population living in this north end neighborhood.

Locate the following landmarks on the relative map above of Pelmo Park-Humberlea:

• Humber River
• St. Simon School
• Superstore 
• Superstore Gas Station
• Shell Gas Station
• Becker's Plaza
• Petro Canada Gas Station
• Sheridan Mall
• No Frills Supermarket
• Canadian Pacific Railway
• Spielman's Garden Centre
• Delta Bingo Hall
• Home Hardware Building Centre
• Downsview Arena
• Strathburn Park
• Melody School (New St. Simon site)
• St. Basil High School
• Carmine Stefano Community Centre
• St. Jude School/Church
• Crossroads Shopping Centre
• Dairy Queen

Language: Oral/Visual/Media

Summer 2013 Highlights Rubric

Criteria

Ideas & Organization ·        Chronological path ·        Introduction (title & opening remarks) ·        Body of experiences/excursions 5-10 approximately w/descriptions, captions ·        Closing final thoughts ·        Appropriate language conventions

Creativity ·        Template, layout design reflective of topic ·        Images complement text

Presentation ·        Interaction with audience ·        Clear voice, confidence ·        Prezi serves as cue card to offer additional comments

Sept 4 Reminders

Continue working on your Summer Highlights brainstorm sheet.  Remember to focus on any new/interesting experiences rather than just the excursion itself (as we discussed today).  Remember to share your feelings/opinions of anything that happened or you participated in.

Continue working on your personal crest so that we have the majority posted up by Friday.  Focus on 1 theme/interest.

Begin reading chapter 1 "Place & Location" for our first Geography lesson tomorrow on relative and absolute location pgs.4-11 only.

We will begin a novel study of "Seedfolks" by Paul Fleischman.  The text will be projected on our smarboard & audiobook played for the read aloud.  As discussed, the novel is available for download on Google Play for $7.  You may also use your library card to place a hold (from your computer) on a hardcopy of the novel at http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca and have it sent to your local branch for pick-up, as I showed you today (depending on the title, TPL also offers ebook downloads using your library card).

Binder tabs to start organization: Numeracy, Data Mgmt/Prob, Measurement, Geometry, Reading/Novel, Creative Writing, Geography, Science, Italian, French, Music, Misc. 

Sept 3 Welcome Back To School

 

Mr. Di Croce’s Class Expectations

Set yourself up for success this year by taking more responsibility for your own learning and growth.  Aim to make the right choices for yourself, not anyone else.  Listen, follow instructions and complete your tasks on time because you feel it’s important to you and your learning as a student.  Aim to motivate yourself.  Put forth your best effort and believe in yourself.

In the interest of developing your organizational skills, keep your binder tidy ensuring all handouts for all subjects are filed under the appropriate tab divider so you know where things are at all times.  Note any important reminders in your agenda on a daily basis and/or check our class blog at www.stsimondicroce.blogspot.ca  Use your task tracker to ensure no assignment remains incomplete.  Being absent does not exempt you from any task or test – find out what you missed and complete it with teacher support.  Our class e-mail is stsimongr7@gmail.com 

Complete your tasks in full and submit them by the due date.  Focus on a task from start to finish with minimal distraction.  Should you need an extension ask your teacher before the due date, not after.  Assignments can be handwritten, typed on Microsoft Word, saved to a memory stick to print at school, burnt to a cd-rom, e-mailed, shared on Google Docs etc.  Remember that handing something in by the due date is better than handing in nothing at all.  You will not always be reminded or prompted.  Always ask your teacher for clarification and support when needed to complete any task – do not hesitate to do this :)

There is a time and place for everything:  a time to listen, a time to talk, a time to work and a time to play – know the difference, apply the skill in the given situation.

Demonstrate good character towards and respect for your teachers and peers – treat others as you wish to be treated.  Respect the personal space and belongings of others.  If you do not have something positive or encouraging to say, keep it to yourself – be a leader, not a follower.  Work constructively and cooperatively with others – do your part and respectfully share ideas.

TCDSB allows BYOD (bring your own device) i.e. laptops or tablets exclusively for schoolwork assigned by your teacher (i.e. multi-media Prezi, MS Word wordprocessing, researching, emailing tasks, checking class blog etc.) - not for gaming or surfing; you will also have access to our school’s netbooks.

What are we working on this week?  

TEAM TASK: THE MARSHMALLOW CHALLENGE

Goal:  To learn lessons in collaboration, innovation and creativity.  Orient, plan & build.

Success Criteria:

1. ✦Build the Tallest Freestanding Structure: The winning team is the one that has the tallest structure measured from the table top surface to the top of the marshmallow. That means the structure cannot be suspended from a higher structure, like a chair, ceiling or chandelier.
2. ✦The Entire Marshmallow Must be on Top: The entire marshmallow needs to be on the top of the structure. Cutting or eating part of the marshmallow disqualifies the team.  
3. ✦Use as Much or as Little of the Kit: The team can use as many or as few of the 20 spaghetti sticks, as much or as little of the string or tape. The team cannot use the paper bag as part of their structure.
4. ✦Break up the Spaghetti, String or Tape: Teams are free to break the spaghetti, cut up the tape and string to create new structures.
5. ✦The Challenge Lasts 18 minutes: Teams cannot hold on to the structure when the time runs out. Those touching or supporting the structure at the end of the exercise will be disqualified. 
6. ✦Ensure Everyone Understands the Rules: Don’t worry about repeating the rules too many times. Repeat them at least three times. Ask if anyone has any questions before starting.

   
   

   Sample structures:

       

   
   

   
   

   
   

   Our progress and results:

   
   

        

   
   

     

   
   

     

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   
   
   
   

Summer 2013 Highlights Task

Goal:  To create an oral/visual multi-media Prezi presentation to showcase some of your summer highlights.  

Success Criteria:  

1.    with teacher support, familiarize yourself with Prezi functions
2.    use a combination of pictures/images, brief captions/detailed descriptions, video
3.    select key highlights you wish to share
4.    focus on a chronological order, easy-to-follow/understand sequence, intro/body/conclusion
5.    be prepared to share orally with class, maintaining eye contact/interaction with audience, minimal reading since prezi is your reference point to begin elaborating on a specific idea.
6.    be creative, have fun, share your personal opinions/feelings of your summer experiences!

Click link for sample:
http://prezi.com/qropmg9preiu/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

All About Me Crest

Design a crest/emblem that highlights your name and interests using a combination of icons. Below is a sample:

Begin working on:

-your summer highlights brainstorm sheet

-rough sketch of personal crest

-log onto www.prezi.com with an email of your choice to begin exploring its functions

We will continue this work together in class throughout the week.