Green Our Homes With Green Industries

Rein Tammemagi Beyond the Classroom, Experiential Learning, Science and Math

 

When Green Industries had to make the shift to online learning, it was a bit of a bummer, as it meant we weren’t going to be able to do all of the hands-on learning and field trips that we had planned. But I like to look at the opportunities that situations like this can present us. Now that we had to learn at home, why not use this opportunity to improve our homes with the help of luxury acreage home design sydney, indoors and out, by greening them!

Students Green Their Homes With Green IndustriesWe began by learning all about the benefits that immersing ourselves in nature can have, and how adding a few plants into our living spaces, and participating in gardening can improve our mental health in trying times. We practiced propagating plants from ones that we already had growing in our home as well as growing our own food from kitchen scraps, getting artsy while making plant labels from upcycled materials found around the house, and preparing garden beds outdoors.

 

Now that it is warm and sunny out, the students are moving their growing from the indoors to the outdoors, and we are continuing the greening process from the comfort of our own yards!

Geography: The Great Human Odyssey

Brandon Stewart Beyond the Classroom, English and Humanities

 

Students in the Middle School Geography Course have taken on the job of considering early human history through the lens of Human Geography. By building on previous lessons about the spheres of the earth, Students had the opportunity to view episodes of CBC’s The Nature of Things documentary, “The Great Human Odyssey.”

Episode One taught the Middle School Students about the “evolution of adaptability” in homo sapiens. The climate throughout history has been volatile, resulting in the extinction of countless species. Climate has also affected where and when our ancestors were able to settle the earth.

This episode also features two case studies. Students explored how the San People (often called the Bushmen) in South Africa survive in the extreme climate of the Kalahari desert. They also learned about the expert breath-hold divers of Badjoa peoples of Tawi Tawi.

Students discussed the origins of humans in the continent of Africa, how early people survived drastic climate change, and how symbolic thought and art-making gives us an understanding of ancient quality of life.

By using new online tools, from video-conferencing, to Jamboard, students are building on their ability to navigate online course delivery, while exploring exciting ideas about the past, and our relationship with the world we inhabit.

A Smorgasbord of Fun

Zareh Demirdji Beyond the Classroom, Community

 

Week three of Board Game Club saw staff and students playing two new games and revisiting a game from last week. The first game we played was Patently Stupid where players are given odd challenges and must come up with creative inventions to solve the problem. Come up with the best idea, and you could be given enough money to produce your product. The second game was Trivia Murder Party, a deadly quiz show where you match wits with a trivia obsessed host. Players answer questions correctly in each round or else face off against one another in devious mini games to make it back into the next round. Lastly, we spent the majority of our time playing trivia challenges on Kahoot, which was such a blast last week, we couldn’t resist playing some more.

Wellness Wednesday: Fitness Club

John Cuthbert Beyond the Classroom, Community, Healthy Living

 

Each Wellness Wednesday at 11, students join the Fitness Club video call ready to move, sweat and be well.

Fitness Club (also affectionately referred to as the Temple of Swole – a far-cry from the Fortress of Swole-itude frequented by Superman) provides an opportunity for students and staff alike to meet up online for some group fitness goodness. After joining the video chat, teachers Reinman and John guide participants through a whole-body exercise routine designed to improve mobility, endurance and strength.

Each session has its own unique exercise routine, which emphasizes proper workout structure and technique while keeping things fresh and fun. Participants begin with a dynamic warm-up to ready their bodies for the specific exercises in that session. Next, the crew ramps things up with technique instruction and a high intensity interval training (HIIT) set of 10 calisthenics exercises. The group closes the session with a cool-down that aids recovery for whatever the future holds (whether it’s tomorrow’s exercise session or Cooking Club).

Grade 11 Biology Unit 4 – Microbiology

Zareh Demirdji Beyond the Classroom, Science and Math

 

With the genetics unit in the rearview mirror, the grade 11 biology class moved ahead to its second online learning unit, microbiology. The unit began with a look at the anatomy and morphology of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. The structure and functions of eukaryotic cells was a review for the class as we had gone over that material in the past, but the form and function of bacterial and viral cells was new for everyone. Next we learned about how each of the aforementioned cells reproduce themselves and then proceeded to learn about their life cycles.

Students learn about microbiology during this session.We ended the unit by focussing on various types of symbiotic relationships and the dynamics of each. The unit itself being a fitting topic for the world we currently find ourselves living in, we spent the last class of the unit discussing bacterial and viral infections, their similarities and differences, and how to treat and prevent both types. To demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the unit, students worked on a mini research project identifying and discussing the various impacts microorganisms have on their environments and the ethical issues related to their use in biotechnology.