Writing for Change: Advocacy Letters

Katie Freeland Beyond the Classroom, Community, English and Humanities No Comments

Students learning to write Advocacy letters during social distancing

Over the past years, Academy students have been known for making their voices heard in both the school and in the broader community. Whether it’s the Civics class organizing a walkout in support of a current, relevant health curriculum, or several students from our school speaking from the podium at Toronto’s first youth climate rally, they have shown themselves to be eager advocates for their communities, and for a better future.

Of course, there are fewer opportunities to get involved in community action under the circumstances, but students in the literacy skills class have been doing just this by writing thoughtful, persuasive advocacy letters to various leaders and decision-makers. This is not my first year assigning and preparing students for this task, and each time I love to learn what issues matter to them. There is always such a diversity of ideas! Here are just some of the (student-chosen) topics this year:

  • why we should do more to combat racism
  • homelessness and affordable housing in Toronto
  • neighbourhood traffic safety
  • the importance of art, music, and physical education in schools
  • funding for autism services
  • the need for more library branches

In writing their letters, students are learning not only to express and support their opinions in organized paragraphs, but also to write for a real, authentic audience. Moreover, they are learning that literacy skills are not just for school or for getting a job, but can be powerful tools for bringing about positive change. And especially right now, it’s my hope that we can equip them with more of these.

Grade 9 Science Unit 4 – Sustainable Ecosystems and Human Activity

Zareh Demirdji Beyond the Classroom, Science and Math No Comments

 

The year is drawing to a close, and what an adventure it has been on many fronts. In the microcosm of grade nine science, we ended the virtual year off by examining ecosystems. First, we looked at some of the basic concepts and terminology related to ecology, and then zoomed into the various ecosystems Earth has to offer. After examining the living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components of ecosystems, we spent some time examining how the biotic factors interacted with the abiotic factors, as well as how the biotic factors interacted with one another. We discussed symbiosis, predation, energy flow, limiting factors, and competition (for food, resources, shelter, etc).

Students played an interactive online game called Mountain Scramble, where they had to try balancing all the living things in an ecosystem over a twelve day period, giving them a hands-on look at how difficult a task it can be (way to go nature!). For the end of the unit, we looked at the similarities and differences of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and the impacts various human activities have on them. To demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the unit, students worked on an assignment where they analysed the impacts housing development and fertilizer use can have on local ecosystems, and proposed some ways to lessen the negative impacts.

Pasta, cookies and eggs!

Katie Clay Beyond the Classroom, Community No Comments

 

Cooking Club has been busy the last few weeks making a variety of yummy foods. We had a pasta lunch with different types of noodles and sauces, including homemade tomato sauce and alfredo sauce. We got baking and made lots of kinds of cookies from chocolate chip to peanut butter to salted caramel chocolate chip shortbread. And finally, this past Wednesday we whipped up omelettes and other egg preparations with a variety of ingredients.

Students and their families have been enjoying coming together each week to make their meal and see what others are cooking up. There has been a steady attendance of 13 – 15 students each week and everyone is always excited to see each other.

Virtual Worlds: A Home away from Home

Andras Nagy Beyond the Classroom, Community No Comments

 

When we first embarked on this virtual journey there was nothing but wilderness: forests, rivers, canyons, green fields, and wild animals in this new environment. Our virtual world is now 43 days old and has been running almost 24/7 (minus some downtime during classes). The initial week of getting situated and figuring out what we as a community wanted to build was quite structured, we discussed community rules, being a responsible virtual villager, the essentials of settling in a new world (building shelter, respecting borders, sharing resources, etc.) After that initial phase, we removed most of the structured goals and activities and observed what the students would create on their own during club time and on their own time.

It has been an absolute pleasure observing the birth of a vibrant community created by students cooperating, planning, gathering resources and helping each other build whatever they saw fit. I witnessed the creation of not just buildings that acted as shelter, but actual homes – all with unique individual designs and aesthetics. The further I explored I found:

  • Hidden Green Spaces and Community Gardens
  • Sustainable Houses with vegetable gardens and farm animals
  • Intricate road networks for travelling between communities
  • A ‘Sea Turtle’ farm situated in a small canyon water reservoir
  • Industry and Mining areas for resource extraction to build structures from new materials
  • Forges and Workshops to create new and better items for community members

I look forward to seeing what else this community will create in this new world! Next week we will be bringing some more structured goals back, specifically the ‘Great Wall Initiative’ and the development of our community village with public buildings for new players.

A Source of Escape

Luka Ilic Beyond the Classroom, English and Humanities No Comments

 

The Travel and Tourism class let their imagination run wild as they designed an itinerary for their dream destination! Starting from scratch, they were responsible for choosing their travel dates, booking a flight and accommodation, keeping track of their budget, and thoroughly researching their chosen city.

Students have been both diligent and thoughtful with their work. They have developed a wide-ranging, seven-day itinerary that includes maps, photos, directions, hours of operation, prices, and a variety of attractions. While nearly every step was carefully calculated, there was also time set aside for spontaneity and ingenuity.

It has been a lot of fun following what students were up to and reviewing their plans. The next step is presentations. Each student will share their research and findings with the rest of the class in a creative and engaging format. Now, I will let their work speak for itself. Enjoy!