Schooling in Uganda

Joel Language Arts {Novel Reading Response}

2011-03-08T05:39:00.000-08:00

"Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli"

First Repsonse:

2nd Response:

"The Vision Seeker" from Nelson Language Arts

SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT {Joel}

2011-03-08T05:26:00.000-08:00

Which toothpaste will whiten the most???

BEFORE & AFTER

What is Toothpaste?

What Makes Toothpaste Effective?

My Experiment:

Joel Social Studies {Connections Canada}

2011-03-08T04:57:00.000-08:00

Chapter 5: Try This Page 70

Chapter 5: Try This Page 81

Chapter 6:

Try This Page 91

Think For Yourself Page 93

Try This Page 95

Chapter 7:

Try This Page 100

Try This Page 105

Try This Page 108

Find Out Page 109

Avin Language Arts {Reading Strategies}

2011-03-08T04:27:00.000-08:00

Story Map, Setting, Beginning, Middle & End:

The Name of the Tree

Finn {Language Arts Reading Strategies}

2011-03-08T04:20:00.000-08:00

Black Rhino (KWL):

The Swiss Family Robinson (Setting):

What Good Is A Swamp (Informational):

The Name of the Tree (Story Map, Setting, Beginning, Middle, End):

Soccer {An original poem by Finn}

2011-03-08T03:56:00.000-08:00

Brainstorming:

What in the World {Joel Social Studies}

2011-03-08T03:50:00.000-08:00

Avin and Finn Social Studies Project {Cultures in Canada}

2011-03-08T02:58:00.000-08:00

Memory Game:

All About Avin {Social Studies Project}

2011-03-08T02:47:00.000-08:00

Avin Esther Deborah Dyck

February 20, 2003

7 pounds 19 inches

3 months old

My Timeline:

Life in Canada:

Happy 1st Birthday!!!

13 months old and already a big sister!!!

Flower girl at Uncle Brent & Auntie Tracy's wedding!

November 2004

June 2005

Oregon Coast, September 2005

Holiday Fun!

1st Day of Preschool & Ballet Class!!!

Disneyland 2006!!

4 months in Uganda, 2007

Kenya Safari, July 2007

My Friends!!

January 2008, enjoying the snow during our furlough in Canada!!

Life in Uganda:

Moved to the Kibaale Community Centre in Uganda, January 2008.

My Favorite things to do:

Family:

My new baby sister, Mazzy Lee Stella, April 2008!!!

Birthday Celebrations!!!

With my brothers and sister in Zanzibar, September 2010

Cairo, Egypt December 2010

My Favorite Holiday:

On my 8th birthday!!!

All About Finn {Social Studies Project, Community and Culture}

2011-03-08T01:54:00.000-08:00

Jacob Finn Cameron Dyck

March 20, 2004

6 pounds 9 ounces, 18.5 inches

2 months old

3 months old

Happy 1st Birthday, Finn!!!

Crescent Beach, March 2005

Manning Park, June 2005

Oregon Coast, September 2005

Holiday Fun!!!

2 years old, I'm a big boy now!!

My Friends!!

4 months in Mpigi, Uganda - 2007

Meeting my new baby sister, Mazzy Lee Stella, April 2008!!!

My family at Lake Mburu National Park, May 2008

Enjoying the wildlife in Uganda & Kenya!!!

My Birthday Celebrations!!!

Zanzibar, September 2010

Cairo, Egypt - December 25th 2010

My brother and sisters:

My Favorite thing to do:

My Favorite Holiday:

My Family!!

December 2010

Social Studies Term 2 Avin {Our World Canadian Communities}

2011-03-08T01:20:00.000-08:00

Works samples from the text book:

Binder worksheet:

Social Studies Term 2 Finn {Our World Canadian Communities}

2011-03-08T01:05:00.000-08:00

Work Samples from the text book:

Binder worksheet:

Social Studies Canadian Comprehension Workbook {Avin & Finn}

2011-03-08T00:56:00.000-08:00

Term 2 Pages:

AVIN

FINN

Health & Career "Healthy Relationships" {Avin & Finn}

2011-03-08T00:38:00.000-08:00

FINN

Poem:

What I do with my friends:

AVIN

Introducing my best friends:

Math Drills Sample {Joel, Avin, Finn}

2011-03-08T00:28:00.000-08:00

Creative Writing {Finn}

2011-03-08T00:25:00.000-08:00

Champion Game!

by Finn Dyck

Finn drew this comic strip and then wrote a story to go along with each picture. He then edited his writing and fixed his spelling mistakes.

Creative Writing {Joel}

2011-03-08T00:16:00.000-08:00

Rough Draft & Editing:

Good Copy:

Language Arts {Finn}

2011-03-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

Personal Journal:

Canadian Phonics A:

Beyond the Code (Workbook now complete):

Word Families (workbook now complete):

Avin {Language Arts Journal Samples}

2011-03-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

Unedited Personal Journal:

{Joel} Language Arts

2011-03-01T08:11:00.000-08:00

Writing Resource Package Samples:

More Language Arts Samples {Joel}

2011-03-01T07:44:00.000-08:00

Reading Response

"The Monkey and the Crocodile"

"Akimbo and the Snakes"

1st Response:

2nd Response:

"The First Red Maple Leaf"

"Akla Gives Chase"

Creative Writing {Joel}

2011-02-23T22:59:00.000-08:00

Chameleon and the Mean Bully

One hot day on a playground kids were sliding down the slides, swinging on the swings, and climbing on the monkey bars. A boy named Luke was waiting a long time for his turn on the slide when a bully named Jacob came and budged in front of Luke.

He said, “back of the line, kid!”

Luke was smaller than him so he listened to Jacob. While that was happening, at the top of the mango tree, there was a chameleon watching the bully budge his way through the line. This chameleon did not like the way Jacob was to kids, but what could he do?

Another hot day on the playground there was a girl named Lisa. She was waiting a long time to go on the swings.

When Jacob came he budged in Lisa’s way and said, “back of the line kid!”

Lisa was smaller than him so she listened to Jacob. Later that afternoon Jacob was on the playground by himself, the chameleon was going to face Jacob, it was time!

Suddenly Jacob heard someone calling, “you bully, I want to talk to you.”

When Jacob turned around he saw a chameleon. “You can talk?” he asked.

The chameleon said nothing about it. “You can’t bully kids the way you do, it’s bad.”

“But that’s what I’m good at” Jacob complained.

“Maybe you should be good at being nice.”

Jacob did just that, he was helpful and nice forever.

Rough Work:

Underground to Canada {Joel's Novel Study}

2011-02-23T22:55:00.000-08:00

Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker

Personal Responses

First Personal Response:

The book I'm reading, Underground to Canada, is about a little girl named Julilly. her mother named her Julilly because she was born in June and her mother loved lilies. This book is about Julilly being taken from her home and forced to be a slave. Julilly's mother always told her if she ever got captured she should run away to Canada. She made a friend named Liza who had heard about Canada too. I think the girls will make a plan together to escape being slaves.

2^nd Personal Response

Julilly and Liza escaped the plantation with two other friends, Lester and Adam, and they are almost in Canada. They have to travel through an underground railway to get there. Lester and Adam were caught but escaped, so I hope the girls meet their friends in Canada. Right now Julilly and Liza are at these people’s house who will help them get to the railway and escape to Canada.

3^rd Personal Response

Underground to Canada was an interesting and exciting novel. What I found hard to read about was black people having to be slaves and being treated so badly. I have lived in Africa for 4 years of my life, some of the people here are my best friends and one of my sister’s is African. Black people as slaves will always be a part of history, but it’s a bad part. I liked the book because it was an adventure story where there was a journey to Canada. The characters were brave and didn’t give up, which made it exciting to read. In the end they made it to Canada safely. I was glad that they made it because of all the problems they had to face on their way!

Characterization

Julilly is the main character of the novel. She is a tall 12-year-old girl. Julilly is very loving and caring. She lets her friends have the first sip of water even when she is dying of thirst. Because she is so tall she has to work with the ladies who work longer hours. When Julilly and her friend Liza are in the fields cotton picking she helps Liza by picking the higher puffs because Liza’s back is bet up from being whipped.

Liza is Julilly’s best friend. Liza once tried running away but got caught and was whipped so bad her back bet up! She is loving and kind. Liza knows the most about Canada out of everyone at the Riley plantation. Liza helps Julilly with the rules at the new plantation. Liza is the one who accepts Julilly to be her friend.

Mr. Sims is the villain of this novel. He’s the one who sends slave hunters with bloodhounds to find Julilly and her friends. He is not kind, caring, or very friendly at all.

Mr. Ross is the hero, the one who frees Julilly. He is a good friend a I like that greets everyone with a smile!

Setting

This novel takes place in the past. When there were no cars, just wagons and horses. It was when black people in America were slaves.

The time period is between the 19^th century and the 20^th century. This novel moves locations a lot. The main places are in Mississippi and the cotton plantations in Virginia.

Plot

In this novel Julilly is stolen from her home to be a slave on a cotton plantation. She is treated very badly by a man named Mr. Sims. Julilly and 3 others, Liza, Lester and Adam, run away from the plantation for Canada. They were told to follow the North Star and they would find their way. Slave hunters and bloodhounds are tracking them down during their long journey. There are man problems they face on the way, when there’s a river the slaves walk straight into it so that they lose their scent. There was times the girls had to be very quiet and hide out, were almost caught, or had to hide out in an old wooden house! They eventually made their way to Canada.

Conflict

The conflict of the story is Julilly and Liza and their many struggles to get to Canada. They were put into sacks on the train of the underground railway to stay hidden, hid out in a barn and cover themselves with hay when they heard the slave hunters coming or jumping to a lifeboat to escape. There were times when they almost got caught during their journey, but they did make it Canada.

Theme

The theme of this novel is that you should never give up. An example is when Julilly’s friends, Lester and Adam, were caught and did not give up but fought their way out of the hands of the slave catchers, they kept fighting and eventually Lester made it to Canada. Julilly and Liza also had many bad things happen to them, but they kept on their journey and followed the Northern Star to Canada. If I were a slave I would want to be like Julilly and her friends. I hope I would be courageous like them to survive escaping and finding freedom.

Hero

The dictionary says a hero is someone who is admired for courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities.

Alexander Ross is the hero of the novel. He helped Julilly and her friends escape the Riley Plantation. Without Mr. Ross they never would have made it to Canada. He was imprisoned and had to disguise himself, but kept trying to help the slaves be free and reach the Promised Land. If I had a chance to meet one of the characters it would definitely be Alexander Ross.

Samples of Rough Draft Work:

Chapter Questions

Chapter 1:

Describe the setting in the beginning of the novel?

At the beginning of the novel music was playing, the weather was cold and fireflies were flickering in the sky.

Chapter 2:

What does Mama tell Julilly to do if she is sold?

Mama tells her that if she is sold to flee to Canada.

Chapter 3:

How did the tall white man help the slaves?

The man helped the slaves by giving them water.

Chapter 4:

How do we know the fat man is completely insensitive to the needs of the slaves?

We know that the fat man is insensitive to the slaves because they don't get enough sleep and he whips them a lot.

How does Julilly help the men in the cyprus swamp?

Julilly helps the men in the swamp by wading into the swamp and pulling up the mud covered chains.

Chapter 5:

Compare the slave quarters on this plantation with the ones at Massa Hensen's.

The Hensen plantation is big, they give the slaves a lot of sleep, the cabins where they stay are nice and they are nice to their slaves. The Riley plantation is smaller, the slaves do not get too sleep as much, the cabins are small and cold and they are not nice to the slaves.

Chapter 6:

What happened to Liza when she tried to run away?

When Liza tried to run away she got whipped very badly.

Chapter 7:

Describe the rumors about Canada?

The rumors are that people would skin a black man's head, eat up all his children, and use their hair for collars on their coats. They say that it is so cold the ducks have to leave when it is winter.

Chapter 8:

What secret does Liza reveal to Julilly at the end of the chapter?

At the end of the chapter the secret Liza shares is that she is running away again.

Chapter 9:

Why is Adam surprised that Mr. Ross doesn't own slaves?

Adam is surprised that Mr. Ross doesn't own slaves because he is white, he though all white men did.

Chapter 10:

Why did Liza and Julilly no longer talk at night in their cabin?

The girls didn't talk at night because they were building their strength for the long journey to Canada.

Chapter 11:

Why was Liza surprised when Lester told her that he could read?

Liza was surprised Lester could read because she had never met a slave before that could read.

Chapter 12:

How did the passengers know their cart had entered a narrow lane?

The passengers knew they were in a narrow lane because tree branches scraped against the side of the wagon.

Chapter 13:

What did Julilly notice when she scrubbed Liza's back?

Julilly noticed the scars from all the whipping Liza had.

Chapter 14:

When did Julilly and Liza realize their visit in the woman's house had ended?

The girls new their visit was over when the woman who spoke English walked through the door carrying their washed and mended clothes.

Chapter 15:

What instructions did Ella give to the girls?

Ella told them to roll up their mats and put them in the corner, take everything that belongs to them, climb up the ladder and pull it up after them, then close the window and lay flat on the roof.

Chapter 16:

Describe Levi Coffin.

Levi coffin is the president of the Underground Railway, he's a tall man with a gaunt face, he has blue eyes and he wears a quaker hat.

Chapter 17:

Describe the girls' journey on the train.

The girls spent their journey on the train in sacks that they could breathe through. They had to be very quiet and limp so it looked like goods, not people. Their mouths were dry because they were very thirsty.

What news did the girls receive about Lester and Adam?

The news the girls received was that Lester made it to Canada, but Adam died.

Chapter 18:

How does Liza react when she arrives in Canada?

When Liza arrives in Canada she gets down on her knees and prays.

Chapter 19:

Did the white people of St. Catharines welcome the blacks into their community?

No, the people of St. Catharines did not welcome the blacks, they had separate schools that were not supplied very well.

Samples of Rough Draft Work:

10 MAIN EVENTS

1. Julilly is sold to another plantation

2. Julilly meets a girl named Liza.

3. Julilly, Liza, Lester and Adam escape the plantation.

4. The girls disguise as boys.

5. The girls make it to Tennessee.

6. The girls hide out in the wood barn.

7. Lester and Adam are caught.

8. Julilly asks for food.

9. The girls meet Germans.

10. Julilly and Liza arrive in Canada!!

Reading Response {Avin}

2011-02-23T03:47:00.000-08:00

Reading response: "Dr. Bufflehead Explores Energy" by Joan Marie Galat

Exploring Sources of Natural Energy

Reading Reponse {Avin}

2011-02-23T03:44:00.000-08:00

Reading response book review of "Flat Stanley," by Jeff Brown

Language Arts Workbook Samples {Avin}

2011-02-17T00:22:00.000-08:00

Student Handbook

Verbs

Write Away
Using quotation marks

Capitalization

Free Write {Avin}

2011-02-17T00:17:00.001-08:00

Reading Response {Avin}

2011-02-17T00:15:00.000-08:00

Reading response to "The End of the Dinosaurs: A Comic Book" - defining words from the text.

Reading Response {Avin}

2011-02-16T01:16:00.000-08:00

Avin studied a pamplet/brochure advertising "Winter Wonderland," a snowy theme park. She used the key to find the locations of different activities, read the menu of the restaurant, and read the descriptions of each activity. Then she chose the top three activities she would like to try, listed the things she would need, and then described her imaginary experience.

Joel Science Term 2 {Human Body}

2011-02-15T03:54:00.000-08:00

Before we start, what I know:

Chapter 4 Samples and Quiz:

Chapter 5 Samples and Quiz:

Chapter 6 Samples and Quiz:

Chapter 7 Samples and Quiz:

TRY THIS:

cont'd... them what to do.

More Language Arts Samples {Finn}

2011-02-15T03:31:00.000-08:00

Word Families Workbook:

Reading

{Predictions}:

{Reading Response}:

PRINTING SAMPLE:

Think-Alongs Samples {Finn Language Arts}

2011-02-15T03:21:00.000-08:00

Soccer Game:

Pet Day:

Beyond the Code-Six Kids Jog {Finn Language Arts}

2011-02-15T03:17:00.000-08:00

Free Write {Avin}

2011-02-15T01:23:00.001-08:00

Unedited

Creative Writing {Avin}

2011-02-15T01:20:00.000-08:00

Rough draft (in response to a poem called "Octopus")

Second draft

Valentine's Free Write (Poem) {Avin}

2011-02-14T01:35:00.001-08:00

(Unedited)

2 Reading Responses {Avin}

2011-02-14T01:34:00.000-08:00

1. "Mr. Bert's Story Time," by Janet M. Whyte

(Unedited)

2. "A Playground for Lisa," by Teresa McGee

(Unedited)

Free Write: Letter Writing {Avin}

2011-02-14T01:31:00.000-08:00

Unedited rough draft, except for backwards b's and d's

Language Arts {Joel}

2011-02-10T06:47:00.000-08:00

Here are a few mid-term samples for Joel:

Unedited Journal:

Weekly Spelling Test:

Sample from Writing Resource Package:

Samples from Nelson Language Arts:

Language Handbook:

Science Worksheets Term 2 {Avin and Finn}

2011-02-10T05:48:00.000-08:00

Here are some samples of the worksheets Avin and Finn did in Term 2:

AVIN

FINN

Science Experiment from Lesson #11 - Changing Matter:

Avin:

Finn:

That completes Science Term 2 for Avin & Finn, now we are focusing on finishing Social Studies!

Science Experiment: Mixing Liquids With Liquids {Av & Finn}

2011-02-10T05:13:00.000-08:00

Avin:

Finn:

Science Experiment: Mixing Solids & Liquids {Avin & Finn}

2011-02-10T04:53:00.000-08:00

Mixing Salt:

Mixing Sand:

Sifting the dirt and salt through a napkin:

Conclusion:

Finn {Language Arts Samples}

2011-02-10T04:21:00.000-08:00

Unedited Journal Writing:

Reading Response Journal Entries:

Things I Like {Avin, Art Collage}

2011-02-10T04:14:00.000-08:00

Avin {Language Arts Samples}

2011-02-10T04:12:00.000-08:00

Primary Phonics 3 Workbook:

Weekly Spelling Test:

Unedited Journal Writing:

Reading Response Journal Entries:

Original Poem (rough draft, editing, good copy):

Creative Writing Process {Avin}

2011-01-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

Step 1: Avin drew 8 photos to show a comic book style story.

Step 2: Based on the pictures she drew, she wrote 8 pages (rough draft) of a story.

Step 3: Avin rewrote all the words from her rough draft that were either misspelled or had backwards letters.

Step 4: She then rewrote the whole story (second draft), neatly and with the correct spelling and punctuation.

Step 5: We typed up the story, copying straight from her second draft. Then she illustrated each page (final copy).

Write Away: 2 Samples {Avin}

2011-01-24T00:10:00.000-08:00

Making Contractions

Using Commas

SCIENCE Experiment - What Pours Faster? {Avin & Finn}

2011-01-21T05:47:00.000-08:00

Avin and Finn poured 6 liquids (water, soda, dish soap, oil, honey, ketchup) down a foil wrapped cardboard box to see which would be the fastest and which would be the slowest.

Avin's Prediction:

Finn's Prediction:

The Experiment:

Putting the results on a graph:

Finn's

Avin's

Worksheets:

Avin {Reading Response}

2011-01-20T01:08:00.000-08:00

Avin read "The Day the Sheep Showed Up" (unassisted) and wrote an unedited journal response to the story.

Avin {Reading Response}

2011-01-20T01:06:00.000-08:00

After reading the first two chapters of "Flat Stanley" (assisted), Avin wrote a letter to herself from Stanley based on how the book describes his experience being flat.

Avin {Writing}

2011-01-20T01:03:00.000-08:00

Avin used her dictionary to find the correct spelling for the words in her letter.

Personal Narrative {JOEL Language Arts}

2011-01-13T00:37:00.000-08:00

I have grown up loving soccer. When my family moved to Uganda I was so happy to see that soccer was everywhere. So many people follow the Barclays Premier League which I love. My favorite team is Chelsea and my favorite play is F. Lampard. The most popular team in Uganda to cheer for is Manchester United and they like W. Rooney best. It makes it fun to cheer for a different team, everyone laughs at me when I wear my Chelsea jersey! We actually call soccer football here, which is a better name for it, I think. I think i'll grow up playing soccer, just like my Dad who still plays on a team here and in Canada.

A Friendly Letter {by Joel}

2011-01-13T00:27:00.000-08:00

1234 105 Avenue
Vancouver BC
V3S 0Z9

Dear Grandma,

Happy New Year! Did you have a good Christmas? Do you know where we went for Christmas? We went to Cairo! Our family went to the pyramids and rode on camels, they were named Moses and Masuri. It was really cool to be at the pyramids, especially on camels, with my whole family on Christmas Day!! I hope you had a great Christmas too.

From your grandson,
Joel

Christmas in Cairo {Journal by JOEL}

2011-01-13T00:04:00.000-08:00

A few days before Christmas Mom left for Dubai, then a few days later Dad and us kids flew to Egypt! When we arrived at the airport we saw that we had the same driver as last time, Omar. That was a fun surprise!! As soon as we arrived at the hotel we went straight to bed because it was the middle of the night. The next day after breakfast we went to Citystars Mall. We had Mc Donalds, Starbucks hot chocolate and popcorn with the new Narnia movie in 3D.

Mc Donald's!

Starbucks!

Next we walked into a few toy stores getting ideas for Christmas presents. I found Lord of the Rings guys that I liked and also a Prince of Persia video game. We walked for a little longer then had dinner at T. G. I. Fridays before going back to our hotel.

The next morning was Christmas Eve. I woke up and looked in Dad's bed, Mom was there!! We first went to H&M for a while for new clothes. I got a new sweater and some pants. After we all found a new outfit we went to look at toys that we were going to buy for our Christmas presents. Avin chose a princess Barbie. Finn chose a G.I. Joe tank with a guy in it and Mazzy chose a princess Barbie like Avin. I chose the Prince of Persia video game. Later that night we took a taxi down town for a boat cruise on a felucca, an old fashioned style boat, on the Nile River.

Sailing on the Nile River

After our boat ride we walked to a book store and then went next door for pizza dinner. We took another taxi and went home to our hotel.

Christmas Eve Dinner

We woke up before Mom and Dad because it was Christmas!! We got to open our new toys that we bought right away. I tried the Prince of Persia game and it was really cool. I heard the girls princess Barbies singing and then got hit by Finn's tank gun, he loves that thing! We went downstairs at our hotel for breakfast and then to the Khan Market. We walked around a little and just watched the people setting up their stores. Finn and I were the first one's to buy something, we got soccer shirts. Avin, Finn and Mazzy all got singing stuffed camels.

A new puppet I found at the Khan Market!

We shopped and then had lunch before riding around the pyramids on camels!!

That night we had Christmas dinner with our friends that live in Uganda with us and also went to Egypt for Christmas. We went downtown to the hotel we stayed at last time we were here, for an Italian Christmas dinner!

We woke up the next morning and took a taxi to the biggest mosque in Egypt. We saw lots of cannons, tanks and battle jets, it was really cool.

My favorite thing about going to Egypt the second time was to see the pyramids again because I already knew a lot about them!

Best Christmas Ever!!!

Personal Narrative {JOEL Language Arts}

2011-01-12T01:12:00.000-08:00

In March 2007 my family went to Uganda, a country in Africa. We went there for four months and lived in a place called Mpigi. It's a beautiful ten acres on top of a hill. The kids that stay there are always having fun. Even though they have no toys to play with they find ways to play using their imagination with rocks or even bottle caps. There were eleven kids that stayed there with one mom to care for them when we first arrived.

We helped by building another house and bringing in more moms. We also brought more kids to add up to fifty-two. The reason this is important is because if we never went there we wouldn't have adopted my sister Mazzy or be living here now. I am thankful for the time we have been living in Uganda.

Science - Matter {Avin & Finn}

2011-01-05T04:21:00.000-08:00

What Is Matter? What Are Solids?

Finding objects around the house, weighing them and drawing them before and after looking at them through a magnifying glass.

AVIN:

FINN:

TERM 2 - Home from Egypt! {Avin & Finn}

2011-01-05T03:54:00.000-08:00

Finn's Journal:

We rode on a camel around the Pyramids. We also went to Mc Donald's and Toys R Us. I loved Christmas!

Mc Donald's cheeseburger!

Sailing on the Nile River

Riding on a camel

At the Giza Pyramids on Christmas Day!!

Avin's Journal:

We went on a camel, it was a lot of fun. We rode to they Pyramids. We went on a boat on the Nile River. A lot of people took pictures with me. Would you like it if a person took pictures of you? We also went in a big big mall. It had a lot of shops in it. Christmas was a lot of fun!

Mc Donald's!

On the Nile River with my Mom

Getting my picture taken at an old mosque

I loved the camel ride!!

At the Giza Pyramids on Christmas Day!!

PE

2010-12-01T05:27:00.000-08:00

SPORTS DAY!!!

more pictures @ www.jeffshan.blogspot.com

SOCIALS - Connections Canada {Joel}

2010-11-26T04:52:00.000-08:00

Samples of work from the text book:

Joel's WHAT IN THE WORLD {October}

2010-11-25T23:46:00.000-08:00

Joel {Science Samples}

2010-11-25T23:41:00.000-08:00

SOCIALS - Over A Thousand Hills {Joel}

2010-11-25T22:53:00.000-08:00

Rwanda Project

Response to the book:

Over A Thousand Hills I Walk With You

Written by Hanna Jansen

I liked this book but it was a very emotional true story. This book is about a six year old girl, Jeanne, a Tutsi, and how she survived the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. It was written by Hanna Jansen, Jeanne's adopted mother. The book really told me what it would be like to be a Tutsi child during the genocide.

The book starts off with an ordinary family living in a town called Kibungo. In Jeanne's family there is an older brother, Jando, and a younger sister named Teya. Her mom's name was Florence and she was a teacher. Her Dad's name was Ananie and he was a principal.

When the Genocide began Jeanne had a feeling something bad was happening because she heard music on the radio that was against her tribe and their house staff were beginning to leave. Then she heard the messages on the radio of killings, stealing and people destroying houses. Jeanne's parents abandoned their house in Kubungo and tried to do what they could to save their family, only Jeanne survived.

When the family first left their house they went and hid in a gym along with many other families. In that gym Jeanne’s mother and sister died.

Jeanne is the same age as my sister, Avin. I can imagine how she would have reacted if it was her who had terrible things happen to her. To have to watch her mother and sister being killed, to be beaten, and to survive her enemies like Jeanne did. I think she would scream. I felt sorry for Jeanne after I read her story and what she had been through. I began to tear up after I would read about her family being killed. They were beaten, kicked at and spit on, and they were just little kids.

After several days, Jeanne travelled with her father and brother. They ended up in a Hutu village where she watched her father and brother die. Jeanne found a Hutu family in this village that used to be her neighbors, and she began to travel to Zaza with them, as a slave.

The Rebels, the Tutsi warriors who were fighting the Hutu’s, invaded Zaza. Jeanne continues travelling from there to Kabaranda with this family, still as their slave. One evening in Kabaranda Jeanne and her 13-year-old friend who is also a Tutsi escape into the forests. They come across the rebel warriors, but because they are Tutsi they are not killed. The rebels bring them to their camp and let them stay the night. They now travel with the rebel soldiers trying to get to their home village. When they reach the village Jeanne gets very sick. After she gets better she tells the rebel soldiers that she has an aunt in Germany and flees the country for safety.

If I ever met Jeanne I would tell her how sorry I am for her and what she lived through.

A Map of the journey Jeanne took thru Rwanda during the 100 Day Genocide:

Rwanda

Rwanda is part of East Africa, in the middle of Africa. It is a small country, about 150km by 200km. The population of Rwanda in 2008 was 9, 720, 694.

Practice making a timeline - including a timeline from Joel's own life and then he begins to gather information, dates and events about Rwanda.

TIMELINE:

ZOOMED IN:

VOCAB:

INTERVIEW:

Interview Questions with Steven.

1. Do you think Romeo Dallaire was a hero?

No, he only rescued 20,000 people, 800,000 died.

2. Were you a refugee?

Yes, we fled to Uganda.

3. Can I ask if you are a Hutu or a Tutsi?

I am a Tutsi, I am proud to be a Tutsi.

4. Did your family survive the Genocide?

My immediate family survived but we soon heard that my grandparents, aunts and uncles had died.

5. Did you and your family ever move back to Rwanda?

My family did go back to Rwanda, but I will remain in Uganda, it is now my home.

SOCIALS Healthy Environment {Avin & Finn}

2010-11-25T22:05:00.003-08:00

SOCIALS Physical Environment/Human Activities {Avin & Finn}

2010-11-25T22:02:00.000-08:00

ACTIVITY POSTER {Avin & Finn}

There are 2 areas in Africa (1 in Uganda and the other in Tanzania) that we recently visited.

FINN - Responses and work samples to Pages 2-19 in "Our World Canadian Communities"

Finn's Binder Worksheet:

AVIN - Responses and work samples to Pages 2-19 in "Our World Canadian Communities"

Avin & Finn worked on these graphs together:

Avin's Binder Worksheet:

SOCIALS Mapping {Avin & Finn}

2010-11-25T21:27:00.000-08:00

FINN's Mapping Samples:

CANADA MAP {FINN}

MAP OF THE COMMUNITY {Avin}

AVIN's Mapping Samples:

CANADA MAP

SOCIALS Seasonal Changes {Avin & Finn}

2010-11-25T21:11:00.000-08:00

CHANGE COLLAGE by Avin & Finn:

FINN's Samples:

AVIN's Samples:

SOCIALS Canadian Comprehension {Avin & Finn}

2010-11-25T21:04:00.000-08:00

FINN:

AVIN:

SCIENCE -The Water Cycle {Avin & Finn}

2010-11-25T20:56:00.000-08:00

AVIN:

FINN:

SCIENCE -Water in the Air {Avin & Finn}

2010-11-25T20:51:00.000-08:00

FINN -

AVIN:

SCIENCE - Air {Avin & Finn}

2010-11-25T20:44:00.000-08:00

Avin

Finn

Avin

Finn

SCIENCE - Clean Air, Water & Soil {Avin & Finn}

2010-11-25T02:51:00.000-08:00

Kenya to Sudan by Joel {Creative Writing}

2010-11-25T01:45:00.000-08:00

Kenya to Sudan

Written by Joel Dyck

Once there was a family of six. There were four kids and two parents. The kids names were Jenna, Lucas, Izak and Zachery. Jenna is 15 years old, Lucas is 12 years old, Izak is 11 years old and Zachery is 5 years old. Their Mom, Rachel, teaches Grade 5 and their Dad, Job, builds houses for the needy. The family lives in Nairobi, which is in Kenya. The kids love their school and their friends.

One day Izak woke up and heard the radio say that Uganda’s army, which borders Kenya, is making their way into Kenya with guns shooting everyone they see.

“Are we going to have to move?” Izak asked.

“It looks like it. When your brothers and sister wake up you’ll go pack your stuff.” His Dad said with a sigh.

Little Zachery walked out of his room carrying his blanket. “Good morning Zach, how did you sleep?” Dad asked, trying to get the idea of moving out of his head. He liked Kenya and he didn’t want to move.

Jenna and Lucas walked out of their room dressed in their uniform and with their backpacks on. “Why is everyone frowning?” Lucas asked.

“Pack your things guys, we’re going to Sudan, we need to keep our family safe” Dad said.

He pulled down a suitcase and passed it to the kids. Jenna helped her siblings pack their clothes and their special things. They drove to the airport and got on the plane that few to Sudan. Dad started feeling sick on the airplane. When they got to Sudan they took a taxi straight to the hospital. The doctor said that he had Malaria and should lie in bed while he was being treated.

“What do we do now?” Mom asked.

“We should rent a house until we make enough money to buy a house” Dad answered.

Lucas saw someone holding up a sign that said “House For Sale 50 Sudanese Pounds”.

“Dad! Dad!” shouted Lucas, “how much money do you have?” he asked.

“75 pounds” Dad told Lucas.

“That house costs 50 pounds!” Lucas told Dad.

“Good spot Lucas! Here’s 50 pounds”

Lucas took the money and put it in his pocket. “Thank you my Father” Lucas jokingly said in a British accent.

Later that evening the doctor gave them the ok to go home. The kids gathered the suitcases and looked for a taxi. When they arrived at the house they unloaded everything. The kids excitedly walked through the house picking their new bedrooms.

Dad lies down on the couch and asks everyone into the living room. “I know moving is hard but I think if we stick together our family we be just fine” Dad said to everybody.

Rough Draft/Editing Samples:

Flat Stanley Response {Finn}

2010-11-25T01:13:00.000-08:00

SCIENCE - Water in Uganda {Avin & Finn}

2010-11-22T14:01:00.000-08:00

Avin and Finn thought it was interesting to read in our Science book that most people in the world have running water and that the water has been cleaned before it gets to the taps in your house! That is not the case in Uganda!!

Response by Avin

Avin and Finn wanted to share how we get our drinking water:

Picture by Finn - many people take a jerry can to the lake or river for water

Picture by Avin - a house with a rain catcher

Rain water!

Boiling the water for 3-5 minutes.

We pour the water thru a filter after it has cooled down.

Now, we're ready to drink it!

Avin's recap:

Finn's Recap:

SCIENCE Experiment {Avin & Finn}

2010-11-22T13:42:00.000-08:00

Making a Cloud!

Avin:

Finn:

SCIENCE - Plant Centre {Avin & Finn}

2010-11-22T13:26:00.000-08:00

Day 14

Avin's Responses:

Finn's Responses:

{Joel} Novel Study: The Castle in the Attic

2010-11-22T06:02:00.000-08:00

The Main Setting: The Castle

The castle was a gift given to William from his family housekeeper. It’s made of a strong wood; it has a drawbridge, a fireplace in every room, a big courtyard, and a high tower. It is about 2 feed tall and 3 feet wide. The bedchamber is in the high tower. Below the bedchamber is the weapons room. My favorite part of the castle is the knight. If I got this castle as a gift I would play with the knight every day!

Plot Outline:

The story begins with the family housekeeper giving William, a 10-year-old boy that she takes care of a castle. The large wood castle also comes with a knight, Sir Simon. When William picks up the knight, it comes to life!

The knight told William that he needs a woman to live with him in the castle so William shrinks the housekeeper by using a token Sir Simon had. They need to go and battle the Wizard to save Sir Simon’s kingdom. William volunteers to help and also uses the token to shrink. On the way to the Wizard’s castle they pass a dark forest. In the forest the knight gets lost and William had to travel alone. William made it out of the forest and found his way to the castle.

The wizard was looking for an acrobat to entertain him so William tried out and got the part! It was helpful that he was in gymnastics and practicing hard for a meet he had coming up. He disguised as the acrobat for a few more days trying to work out a plan to defeat the Wizard. During one of the shows William kart wheeled straight into the wizard and ripped the token from his neck. William pointed it at him and the Wizard turned to stone.

William had defeated the Wizard! Everyone had a party to celebrate Sir Simon getting the kingdom back, he was so thankful for his new friends.

Main Character – William

The main character in this story is a ten-year-old boy named William. William goes to gymnastics and is training for a meet in a few days. He is closer to his housekeeper than his parents because he spends more time with her. When she told William that she was leaving to go back to England for good he hid her two favorite things so that she wouldn’t leave. William doesn’t like that he cries easily when saying goodbye or that he’s smaller than other kids in his class. I think that William is a sensitive boy and he reminds me of myself.

Theme: Courage

William and the knight have a job to save the kingdom. On the way William will need to pass the dark forest, slay the dragon, and defeat the Wizard. He needs courage to do these things! I also like that the story was clear on good verses evil. William, Mrs. Philips and the Knight are good and have to defeat the Wizard to get the kingdom back. If William had no courage he couldn’t have defeated the evil wizard!

Reading Response:

The book I read was called The Castle in the Attic. It was a really good book. It was about a boy named William who reminds me a lot of myself. William’s housekeeper is getting ready to go back to England in a few days but before she leaves she wants to give William a gift, a castle.

The castle is made of wood; it’s two feet tall and three feet wide. My favorite part about the castle is that it came with a knight named Sir Simon. When William picks up the knight it come to life! Sir Simon told William a story about how he turned into a wooden toy. He then asked William for a woman to live with him in the castle. William chose his housekeeper Mrs. Philips to shrink and live with him in the castle. Sir Simon and William, who also shrunk to fit into the castle, leave to battle the evil Wizard and get Sir Simon his kingdom back. They passed a dark forest and Sir Simon got lost. William was very courageous and found his way to the Wizard’s castle himself. William defeated the evil wizard and had a party with everyone afterwards to celebrate.

I like the way the book ended because good won over evil! I also liked that William was able to be more courageous after this adventure, so it wasn’t so hard for him to say goodbye to Mrs. Philips when she left for England.

Rough Draft Samples:

Finn {Health & Career}

2010-11-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

Samples of work from "Healthy Living"

Avin and Finn worked together brainstorming ideas for a Healthy Living in Uganda book, here is Finn's

Avin {Health & Career}

2010-11-16T07:13:00.000-08:00

Samples of work from "Healthy Living"

Avin and Finn worked together brainstorming ideas for a Healthy Living in Uganda book, here is Avin's:

Nelson Language Arts {Avin & Finn}

2010-11-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

FINN's samples from the Activity Book

AVIN's Samples from the Activity Book

Joel {Writing Fabulous Sentences & Paragraphs}

2010-11-16T06:40:00.000-08:00

Page 67

Finn {Nelsons Language Arts}

2010-11-16T06:35:00.000-08:00

Informational Writing - Response to Canada's Creature's - The Mountain Lion

Avin {Nelson Language Arts}

2010-11-16T06:32:00.000-08:00

Informational Writing - Response to Canada's Creature's - The Common Loon

Avin {Reading Response}

2010-11-16T06:29:00.000-08:00

After reading "The Cod and the Fat Cat" Avin went back and found rhyming words from the story.