Word Central Wow, this site will knock your socks off. Students can look up words on this site, encode text to change vowels, send encoded text to friends via email, check out the daily buzz word and try to find its meaning, and even build their own dictionary on the web. Students can spend hours here building important vocabulary and decoding skills.

Life in the Middle Ages Monks and nuns had to take a vow of poverty, saying that they would give up all their personal possessions. Learn about castles and cathedrals, feasting and jousting, and what the daily lives of knights, peasants, doctors, ladies, and kings were like.

Brain Teasers These brainteaser activities are geared for grades 3-7 and can be used as lesson openers or as a way to integrate math into other areas of the curriculum. One new teaser is presented each week and you can search through all of the archives.

SciZone at the Ontario Science Centre This site gives you a virtual tour of their exhibits, online science experiments at the Interactive Zone, a list of Web Connections, and several educational programs that have been tested by educators.

October Internet Scavenger hunt

Science and Technology
Course Description Part 2

The science and technology expectations of the new Ontario curriculum are organized into five strands that specify in detail the program to be taught at each grade level.



Strand #1: Life Systems – the study of habitats and communities. Students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of habitat and community, and identify the factors that could affect habitats and communities of plants and animals. They investigate the dependency of plants and animals on their habitat and the interrelationships of the plants and animals living in a specific habitat. They learn to describe ways in which humans can change habitats and the effects of these changes on the plants and animals within the habitat.



Strand #2: Matter and Materials – the study of materials that transmit, reflect or absorb light or sound. Students will demonstrate an understanding that certain materials can transmit, reflect, or absorb light or sound. They will investigate materials that transmit, reflect, or absorb light or sound and use their findings in designing objects and choosing materials from which to construct them. They will also be able to explain why materials that transmit, reflect, or absorb light and/or sound are used in a variety of consumer products.



Strand #3: Energy and Control – the study of light and sound energy. Students will learn to demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics and properties of light and sound; investigate different ways in which light and sound are produced and transmitted, and design and make devices that use these forms of energy; identify technological innovations related to light and sound energy and how they are used and controlled at home and in the community, and determine how the quality of life has been affected by these innovations.

Strand #4: Structures and Mechanisms – the study of pulleys and gears. Students will learn to demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics of pulleys and gears; design and make pulley systems and gear systems, and investigate how motion is transferred from one system to another; identify ways in which different systems function, and identify appropriate criteria to be considered when designing and making such systems.



Strand #5: Earth and Space Systems – the study of rocks, minerals and erosion. Students will learn to demonstrate an understanding of the physical properties of rocks and minerals and the effects of erosion on the landscape; investigate, test, and compare the physical properties of rocks and minerals and investigate the factors that cause erosion of the landscape; describe the effects of human activity (e.g., land development, building of dams, mine development, erosion-preventing measures) on physical features of the landscape, and examine the use of rocks and minerals in making consumer products.



Social Studies

The expectations of the new Ontario social studies curriculum are organized into two strands.



Strand #1: Heritage and Citizenship - students will learn to identify the distinguishing features of medieval society; to describe the impact of Christianity, the Crusades, Islamic culture, and the Magna Carta on medieval society and to describe the ways in which medieval society has influenced modern Western society.



Strand #2: Canada and World Connections - In this strand the students study the provinces and territories of Canada. Students will learn to describe the distinguishing physical features of regions within the provinces and territories; identify how different regions are interdependent (e.g., with respect to their economies or governments); demonstrate an awareness of the various relationships (e.g., economic, cultural) within and between Canadian regions.



French

The Core French program is organized into three strands, which correspond to the three main areas of language use.



Strand #1: Oral Communication – Students will learn to follow basic classroom instructions; ask simple questions and ask for repetition to clarify understanding; use visual and verbal cues to understand what they hear; us some conventions of oral language to speak in rehearsed contexts.



Strand #2: Reading – Students will learn to read aloud familiar material, using correct pronunciation and intonation; read at least six passages or stories; read and respond briefly to written materials.



Strand #3: Writing – Students will learn to copy and write simple words, phrases and short sentences and questions, using basic vocabulary and simple language structures. They will also learn to write, using a model, a first draft and corrected version in guided and cooperative writing tasks.



Throughout the course there will also be an emphasis on grammar, language conventions and vocabulary development.

Text: Vive Le Francais-Promenade, Book 1 (Addison-Wesley)



The Arts

This section of the new Ontario curriculum is divided into Visual Art and Music components.

Visual Art – In this component, students will produce two- and three-dimensional works of art that communicate ideas (thoughts, feelings, experiences) for specific purposes and to specific audiences; identify the elements of design (colour, line, shape, form, space, texture), and use them in ways appropriate for this grade when producing and responding to works of art; describe their interpretation of a variety of art works, basing their interpretation on evidence from the works (i.e., on ways in which an artist has used the elements of design for expressive purposes) and on their own knowledge and experience; use correctly vocabulary and art terminology associated with the specific expectations for this grade.



Music – In this component, students will demonstrate an understanding of the basic elements of music specified for this grade (see below) through listening to, performing, and creating music;create and perform music, using a variety of sound sources; use correctly the musical terminology associated with the specific expectations for this grade; begin to read standard musical notation; identify and perform music from various cultures and historical periods; communicate their response to music in ways appropriate for this grade (e.g., through visual arts, drama, creative movement, language).



Physical Education

The physical education expectations of the new curriculum are divided into three strands.

Strand #1: Healthy Living - students will learn to explain the role of healthy eating practices, physical activity, and heredity as they relate to body shape and size; identify the physical, interpersonal, and emotional aspects of healthy human beings; use living skills to address personal safety and injury prevention; identify the influences (e.g., the media, peers, family members) affecting the use of tobacco, as well as the effects and legalities of, and healthy alternatives to, tobacco use.



Strand #2: Fundamental Movement Skills - students will learn to perform the movement skills required to participate in lead-up games, gymnastics, dance, and outdoor pursuits; locomotion/travelling (e.g., sliding, gliding), manipulation (e.g., kicking, trapping), and stability (e.g., putting their weight on different body parts); demonstrate the principles of movement in acquiring and then beginning to refine movement skills (e.g., combining directions and levels in sequence).

Strand #3: Active Participation - students will learn to participate on a regular basis in physical activities that maintain or improve physical fitness (e.g., tag games); identify the benefits of physical fitness; apply living skills – such as goal setting, conflict-resolution techniques, and interpersonal skills (e.g., playing fairly, co-operating, behaving respectfully) – to physical activities (e.g., games, gymnastics, dance, outdoor pursuits); demonstrate a variety of interpersonal skills (e.g., playing fairly, co-operating, behaving respectfully); follow safety procedures related to physical activity, equipment, and facilities.

Course Description for Grade 4

Language Arts

The Language expectations of the new Ontario curriculum are organized into three strands that specify the detail that is to be taught at each grade level. Our school curriculum follows this general pattern with additional emphasis on spelling, grammar, creative writing and oral communications.

Strand #1: Writing – the emphasis in this area is to enable students to communicate ideas and information for a variety of purposes and to specific audiences, to begin to write for more complex purposes, to organize and develop ideas using paragraphs, to use simple and compound sentence structure, to revise and edit their work, to proofread and correct final drafts and to develop further their skills in the areas of grammar, punctuation and spelling appropriate for the grade level.

Strand #2: Reading – students will be expected to read a variety of fiction and non-fiction materials. They will be expected to be able to read aloud, speaking clearly and with expression; to read independently, using a variety of reading strategies; to state their own interpretation of a written work, using evidence from the work and from their own knowledge and experience; to decide on a specific purpose for reading, and to select the material that they need from a variety of appropriate sources; and to understand the vocabulary and language structures appropriate for this grade level. Time will be spent encouraging students to develop reasoning and critical thinking skills and to understand a variety of forms and styles of written materials.

Strand #3: Oral and Visual Communication – students will learn to communicate various types of messages, explain some ideas and procedures, and follow the teacher’s instruction. They will also learn to ask questions on a variety of topics and respond appropriately to the questions of others; to communicate a main idea about a topic and to describe a short sequence of events; to express and respond to ideas and opinions concisely and clearly; to contribute and work constructively in groups; to demonstrate the ability to concentrate by identifying main points and staying on topic; to identify and analyse several types of media works and some techniques used in them. Time will also be spent on teaching the use of words and oral language structures with some reference to non-verbal communication skills.



Since we feel that spelling and grammar are important, our program will also emphasize phonic skills, word analysis and word building opportunities through our own Wordbuilder program.



Mathematics

The mathematics expectations of the new Ontario curriculum are organized into five strands that detail specific expectations of students within each of the five major areas of knowledge and skills required of students. Our school curriculum is structured around these five strands with additional review of fundamental arithmetic and problem solving challenges provided by our own Mathbuilder supplementary program.



Strand #1: Number Sense and Numeration – this strand explores the relationships between decimals, mixed numbers and fractions. Students compare and order whole numbers and decimals and mixed numbers and proper and improper fractions using concrete materials and drawings. They also develop proficiency in adding and subtracting decimal numbers to tenths. Problem solving involving whole numbers and decimals is emphasized.



Strand #2: Measurement – the student will demonstrate an understanding of and ability to apply appropriate metric prefixes in measurement and estimation activities; identify relationships between and among measurement concepts; solve problems related to their day-to-day environment using measurement and estimation; estimate, measure, and record the perimeter and the area of two-dimensional shapes, and compare the perimeters and areas; estimate, measure, and record the capacity of containers and the mass of familiar objects, compare the measures, and model the volume of three-dimensional figures.



Strand #3: Geometry and Spatial Sense – students will learn to solve problems using geometric models; investigate the attributes of three-dimensional figures and two-dimensional shapes using concrete materials and drawings; draw and build three-dimensional objects and models; explore transformations of geometric figures; understand key concepts in transformational geometry using concrete materials and drawings; describe location and movements on a grid; use language effectively to describe geometric concepts, reasoning, and investigations, and coordinate systems.



Strand #4: Patterning and Algebra - students will learn to demonstrate an understanding of mathematical relationships in patterns using concrete materials, drawings, and symbols; identify, extend, and create linear and non-linear geometric patterns, number and measurement patterns, and patterns in their environment; recognize and discuss patterning rules; apply patterning strategies to problem-solving situations.



Strand #5: Data Management and Probability – students will learn to collect and organize data and identify their use; predict the results of data collected; interpret displays of data and present the information using mathematical terms; demonstrate an understanding of probability and use language appropriate to situations involving probability experiments; solve simple problems involving the concept of probability.

Text: MathQuest 4 (Addison-Wesley)