GENIUS HOUR POWER

My Genius Hour is better than yours! Maybe! Probably not!

Genius Hour Project! Sydney, Emily, Olivia, Jessica

Genius Hour Project:              Sydney, Olivia, Emily, Jessica
Why do people sneeze differently?

  

What is our project about?
       Have you ever wondered why every sneeze sounds different? Well, that’s what our project is all about. Our project explains the effects of sneezes and how everyone sneezes differently. There is such a wide variety of different sneezes that not everyone knows about.  Our project is going to answer several different questions regarding sneezes, such as, “What are the common causes of sneezing?”,  “ How do surroundings change the sound of your sneeze” , “Why do people sneeze differently?” and “What happens inside your body when you sneeze?”. We have planned a video showing people how everyone sneezes differently in a variety of different surroundings. We are also using the editing software “iMovie”. It is our first time using iMovie so this will be a learning experience also and it will help our problem solving skills.
Why did our project appeal to us?
      One day in class, we looked around and we heard and saw different people sneeze differently with a variety of sounds. We all wondered why and we have never heard an answer for this so we thought this would be a good project to work on. It would answer our question along the way and we hope it will answer our fellow classmates’ questions too. This is an everyday occurrence so it makes lots of people wonder why it actually happens. We think it is an interesting topic that everyone encounters on a daily basis.
Where are we at now?
   We are almost done. We probably need around two more classes to work on our projects to polish them up and prepare for the presentation. We have the video made but we want to edit it a bit more and put some finishing touches so it will be perfect. It will be about 5 minutes long and we hope to catch the audiences’ attention.
Feedback:
We need some help with the presentation of the project. We have our voice in the video already but we are supposed to talk during the presentation so we have no idea how. Please give us some suggestions, advice, and feedback. Thank you.                      

Genius Hour Progress

Genius hour topic:

Cameras; how do they work?

Summary:

When people use digital cameras they would usually focus more on the picture than the tool they use. We take technology for granted. Lots of people just think of cameras as point and click, but i want to know the technology behind it all. I want to show people the technology that is in the camera and how much it has developed through the years. I will be making a slideshow and a timeline to go with it to show the history and development. I will be comparing the best model of camera in 2012 to the first camera ever invented in the fifth century B.C.

Why i chose it:

I chose this topic because i have always wondered how cameras are capable of capturing pictures and how it functions. I also want to see how developed the digital cameras have become since it was first invented.

Progress:

As of right now i am finished my slideshow for my presentation. I am currently writing a speech for it and afterwards I will get my project peer checked by my classmates. I will probably be able to present maybe in a week.

Feedback:

Do my intentions seem clear

Is it interesting?

Should i add more detail?
Does my topic appeal to you?
Do you think my presentation will be 5-10 minutes long?

Hope to get some feedback soon!

Genius Hour Progress

Here is our progress so far on our Genius Hour projects.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vdoBaN0zRIoUYdnHjUyvxvOgGzR9j1z1Q68hX8fYIA8/edit

SUM ABOUT HUM #5

SUMMARY ON WHAT WE DID TODAY!!! XD

Today in class we were looking over our notes from chapter 1. Mrs. Lees gave us a sheet with a graph on it so that we could evaluate ourselves on our note taking.On the sheet there were 3 different letters that you could put next to a criteria. G for good, S for satisfactory, and finally, N standing for not yet meeting expectations. There was a section of criteria each of the different types of note taking ( point form, web, and cornell). After assessing our work, Mrs. Lees told us to write about how we could improve the next time we take notes because a lot of us didn't do so good. However, it was the first time so it should be fine.

LEARNING!!! >:(

The learning that we did today was to check over our note taking with fresh eyes and to know what is good and what is bad about our notes. Also, knowing what to change when it is bad.

CONNECTIONS!!! O.o

When we look at our notes with fresh eyes, our brain forgets what we wrote so it is like reading somebody else's writing. When we check on work that is new to us we find new mistakes that we didn't see before. That is why Mrs. Lees made the class wait a couple of weeks before doing this assignment.

HOMEWORK!!! T.T

Today there was no homework.

TIPS!!! ;)

Keep your binder organized so that when we take old work like we did today, you will always know where everything is.

November 20th, 2012

What did we do in class today?

  Today in class, we decided on what made a good web. A web is a graphic organizer that branches out from one main idea. It looks like this:

 We were divided into five groups and given sample webs to analyze. If the web was cluttered, hard-to-read, or just plain messy, we'd give it a letter mark of C. If a web was beautiful, colour-coded, and neat, then an A or A+ would be given. Then, we put our marks on the whiteboard for all to see. If someone strongly  disagreed with our mark, they'd put a red sticker on it. If they really agreed with our mark, then a green sticker it was! We haven't finished up all the groups yet, so I suppose it will be done tomorrow.

Why did we do this?

  The fact that our groups were randomized and different meant that there would be some conflicting opinions. I really didn't agree with some of my classmate's opinions. But, this way we would understand how to work with any kind of person or idea. Putting our marks on the whiteboard was a great idea. We could see how other people thought about our mark. This way we realized that not everyone agrees with you.

Connections!

 Getting someone's opinion on your project improves your ideas and topics. Also, Ms. Lees said that these webs would be related to our novels in some way. I wonder how? Webs are a good way to display information; I've used them a lot in elementary school.

Homework~

-Genius Hour projects
-Woodleighville responses
-Finish up novel

Tips & Tricks

Check up on the Morris Ward blog to check if your letter has been responded to.
On an unrelated note, please give any empty  4L milk jugs to Ms. Lees.

hahahahaha you guys don't even realize that i write random text here

what we did in class today :)

Summary on what we did in class today

   Today in class we intentionally started working on what graphic organisers were. But then we came to a halt. Ms.Lees asked us what a proper sentence is and we all didn't know or wasn't sure about are answer. So for the rest of the class, she taught us what a proper sentence was step by step. we divided are paper into sections to say what each word in sentence was (pro-noun,noun,ad verb,verb,adjective). Each word has its own meaning and its own job in the sentence. For example: an adjective descirbes the action word ( the spotted dog ran slowly) spotted would be your adjective because its describing what kind of dog it is. Then to get more into depth, she showed us a video called "School House Rock." It has many songs describing what each word does in the sentence. I believe its a good way of teaching us what the words mean cause i still have the ad-verb son stuck in my head!

Learning

  Ms.lees did this lesson today to teach us what a proper sentence is. If we don't know what proper sentences are, we will never get better in a are writing. I never actually knew what each word meant in the sentence until today. sure, i did it in elementary school, but not this much into detail. This lesson really helps with placement of words and tells you what each word means.

Homework

  Make sure you are responding to are friends in woodleighville and check Ms.Lees blog for the HACE challenge! Also, be sure that your reading your books, be finished by the end of this week.

Homework tips

******where you place a word in the sentence depends on its definition!****

eg:

I ran the meeting today.

I ran home after school.

Ran is spelt the same but it has two different meanings.

i will write on the blog on Monday because friday we did clean up :) so what is the schedule for this week??
(quick reminder: go to ms.Lees blog and look at her HACE challenge)

What we did in class today

Summary
Today in class we worked on our genius hour projects for the whole double block session. Then after we finished are plan for are project we got a few of are peers to review it and give their opinion.

Homework
Today the only homework was to work on your genius hour project and you have to do two projects by the end of January.

 Tips
Finish your first genius hour project in good time so you do not have to rush your second project.

Also if you do not mind can you go to my genius hour group blog and comment on what we have so far.

Nov. 14,2012

What we did today:

Today we had a double block. We used the Macbook laptops and worked on our genius hour project. Some of the groups went down to the library to work on their project and most of us have started working on our slideshows,videos , etc. for their presentation. Ms.lees walked around to check that we were on track with our projects.

Why we did it:

We worked on our projects so that we can have enough time to finish and present it before we start another project.

Reflections/connections:
The project helps us with our collaboration and presentation skills that we can use in the future.

Homework:
There is no homework today but we should keep on working on our genius hour projects so we can present before winter break.

Tips:
Remember to get peer review before you present it and check thegenius hour project timeline and process reminders and follow the process

SUM ABOUT HUM XP #4

SUMMARY ON WHAT WE DID TODAY!!! XD

Today in class we checked on all of our group blogs and saw what kind of writing we were doing on them. Later on, we went to the computer lab to physically check the blog and to see if we were doing well. My group (Demangoes) was doing alright. On average, we were about a 3 so we weren't doing too good. After the class had a chance to look at their blogs, Mrs. Lees let us go into partners to fill out a sheet that she gave us. The sheet had the numbers 1-5 written on it and we were suppose to write next to the number what we thought was reasonable marking. 5 being tremendously awesome and 1 being atrocious. At the end of the day all of the sheet were to be filled in and handed in in exchange for the HACE assignment for November.

LEARNING!!! >:(

Today wasn't a very educational day for learning because we were just reviewing our blogs. However, I think knowing what is a 5 is very good so that you know how to write your blog. Knowing what is bad to write is good as well because it shows not only the good but the bad too. 5 was writing very descriptively and efficiently. It is also writing with voice and creativity. A 5 would need about 5-9 sentences for the first 3 topics and 3 sentences for the last 2. A 1 would be writing with abbreviations and vagueness. Also hardly writing anything, about 5 sentences for the whole post. Also, It is not only about how much you write but about how well you write.

CONNECTIONS!!! O.o

Today I just found out that we had to write a paragraph about connections so I am not too familiar with this however I will do my best. I think the reason Mrs. Lees is telling us about our writing is because that she sees something's wrong with it. If it were perfect she wouldn't have to tell us right? Also, when Mrs. Lees tells us what we are doing wrong, it's as if she's giving instructions on how to get an "A" in humanities. On the upper hand though, the class is getting use to writing regularly and checking their blogs now.

HOMEWORK!!! T.T

Tomorrow make sure to bring in all of your electronics for genius hour . However, make sure to ask your parents first. The other that was given out was the HACE assignment. The HACE assignment is in no way connected to your humanities mark but is due on the 30th of November. You can hand it in by:

- Putting it in the HACE folder by the P.E office.
- Putting it on your own blog.
-Sending it to Mrs. Cladwell

TIPS!!! ;)

When you are bringing your electronics to school make sure to hide it and at all times keep it secure. Either keep it with you during the whole day or keep it in your locker and make sure to tell your locker partner. P.E lockers are not safe. Do not keep your electronics in those lockers they are easily broken into.

BLOG ORDER BLOG ORDER

1.Alayna

2.Eddy

3.Anisa

4.Andrew

5.Olivia

This order is not determined by day.
 Your turn can fall on any day of the week. Please remember this!

Nov. 7, 2012

What we did:

Today we had silent reading for 20 minutes. Afterwards we got into partners and used the laptops to set up our e-portfolios. We watched a brief tutorial about using Wordpress and then started working on the e-portfolios with our partners. The computers were kind of slow so some people had to use the IPads. We made a page for humanities and worked on setting up menus, categories and tags.

Why we did it:

We did it so that we would know how to use Wordpress for future use. We learned how to organize it and later we will be taking pictures of our work so that we won’t lose it.

Connections:

We could use this skill for future use. For example we could use it in our other classes for organizing or posting our work.

Homework:

Continue making the pages,menus, categories and tags.

Finish the note making assignment and continue working on genius hour.

Tips:

If you are having trouble with creating the pages and menus ask Ms.Lees for help during class tomorrow or go to the humanities 8 website and look for the link that helps you make an e-portfolio.

Work on your genius hour project at home and remember to log your process.

SUM ABOUT HUM!!! XP #3

SUMMARY ON WHAT WE DID TODAY!!! XD

Today, we had a replacement teacher instead of Mrs. Less for an unknown reason. At the beginning of class we were scheduled to watch a 25 minute long movie however, the whereabouts of the DVD's still remain a mystery. Therefore the class had to read a story called: The Bayeux Tapestry. The class also received complementary carrots from the school for our vegetable of the month which were quite palatable.

LEARNING!!! >:(

What we did in class today wasn't very much but was very useful. Although all we did was read a short story and write a couple of things about it, I think that it helped with our observation and awareness skills. We had to look at all the pictures that was in the textbook and then read the text and guess the date of these pictures. The story in the textbook that we read today was very amusing as well because of how they showed how they lived back in the day.

HOMEWORK!!! T.T

Everyone that hasn't finished taking their notes from the textbook of chapter 1 has to finish it by tomorrow.

TIPS!!! ;)

If you need to, go to flex during lunch time and finish the notes or you could go to bubbling and do it there just like how i do it.

November 5th, 2012

What did we do in class today?

   For the first half of the block, we discussed our novels. Since all our novels were based on (or written in) older times, we brainstormed the things we could learn from historical fiction. Ms. Lees also showed us a program called "Inspiration" , used to create graphic organizers. I remember using something like that, except it was called "Kidspiration". Pretty punny, huh? The second half of the block, we filled out a group blog form so that the teacher could see our progress. Laptops were being used for filling out the form. But just to be clear, the forms were on paper.

Why did we do all this stuff?

  Let me answer this question with a few other questions. When you read a novel, do you feel like you're learning something? Whether the answer is yes or no, writing down what you think you'll learn is good for predictions, connections, think-alouds, and many more of the like. Filling out a form to keep you on track? What other method would be as convenient to follow your blogging progress? If you have a better way, tell me in the comments!

Connections.

Filling out the group blog form reminded me of writing up the proposal for Genius Hour. I suppose it looked similar to the sample proposal by that student. Predictions are everywhere in life, from the lottery to political elections (wink, wink). It should come as no surprise that they also come up in school as well.

Homework!

• Finish notes for chapter one of Pathways.
• Complete the group blog form.
• Genius Hour, if you have any kind of work for that.

Tips and tricks! Tricks and tips!

(Sorry, I like being enthusiastic)

Come in for flex when you need help, or to catch up on work. 

Work out a blog order, because that is really important.

When you feel depressed, just remember that milk is made from liquid grass.

Everyone on tumblr seems to hate Mitt Romney. That's not nice!

What we did in class! :)

Summary of what we did in class today

Today in class we checked if we got are responses from the Morris Ward students. Sadly we haven't received them yet but they should be coming in very soon! If you want to check if you've received your responses  they should be posting them under where you've replied to them. we also learned how to do a style of note taking called Cornell  you split your page into three sections. On one side of the t-chart the title is main ideas and  on the other side, the title is details. You also divide up the bottom but make sure the details side is wider than the main idea side. After we finished learning about Cornell  we worked on are pathways assignment again. If you haven’t finished the pathways you have to go to flex on Monday to finish the assignment because we aren't aloud to take the pathways home. Finally, at the very end of class, Ms.Lees gave us our novel that we are gonna be reading. Hope you got the book you wanted!

Why we did this

I believe we did this so when we do take notes in class, all are work is organized  Also, we need to know different strategies of note taking for different things we do. if you make a list, then your notes are all over the place and you cant see which ideas are connected.

Homework

If you didn't finish your pathways, go to flex on Monday to finish. The notes were supposed to be taken on pages 9-20 with outline notes, page 21-30 webbed notes and page 31 Cornell style.

Tips

When taking notes, don't copy word for word. Try putting it into your own words and use abbreviations and symbols. but make sure you can read it! Your notes are for you to read and no one else!

October 31,2012

What we did:

Today in the first block of class we worked on our genius hour project. We got to use the Macbook pros and the IPad  Ms. Lees posted the genius hour timeline and reminder on the class blog. In the second block we continued working on the note-making assignment until class ended.

Why we did it:

Ms. Lees made us the reminder and timeline for genius hour so that we know what’s expected and so that we don’t cram all the work to the last second

Reflections/Relevance
We are taking notes because it can help us in the future and that we can learn other types of note taking that is fast and efficient for future use in any classes

Homework:
work on genius hour

Tips:

Work on genius hour even if we aren't in class so that you can get more work completed. Remember to log your genius hour’s project process.