Monday, 2 May 2016

Assessment Examples

Here are a few examples from last year's assessment responses:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n8lhyphs20&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL7wPBK-v5g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyikSTHuzTY


Remember that you will need to embed your videos in your blog (G7A and B) and write an overview about your video

Sunday, 1 May 2016

Term 4 Assessment



The list of controversial topics can be found here LINK




TASK SHEET:

1.      Choose a controversial topic to explore that shows how beliefs affect actions.

2.      Decide what your opinion on that is (e.g. the death penalty for drugs is a good/bad thing - ethics).

3.      Explore why you believe this.  Ask the people who raised you what they believe, determine if your religion, your education, your experiences play a role in it; brainstorm other things that influence you.

4.      Try and come to conclusions about which things influence you the most.  Is it your religion?  Your parents? Your friends?  Your teachers?  Media?  The internet? Your experiences? Who?

5.      Draft up a role play about 5-10 minutes long that will allow you to demonstrate your belief and why you have that belief and HOW this affects your behavior and how you interact with the world (linking directly to the statement of inquiry and the global context)

6.      Choose however many friends you need and record  the role play to video.  If your friends help you act out your role play, you should be willing to help them act theirs out as well.  You will be graded only on your role play.  You need to provide your sources in your outline in the description section on YouTube (on your blog for grades 7A and 7B)

7.      Upload the video to YouTube  and set the privacy settings to UNLISTED:
Making a video unlisted means that only people who know the link to the video can view it (such as friends or family to whom you send the link). Unlisted videos do not appear in YouTube search results, your child’s channel, or on the Browse page.
"What You Need to Know about YouTube Videos and Your Child’s Reputation." Ikeepsafeorg RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.


8.      Write an overview explaining what the video is about – a written version of the video (no need to provide a      script) – post that in the description section of the YouTube video, along with your sources (on your blog for grades 7A and 7B)

      ALL your planning must be clearly presented in your log book (as we are not using an action plan)

      Taking into consideration this week's holiday and the due date of 27th May (published on your blog) - you have 14 class sessions = 9.3 hours to work on this.  I have allowed this extra time because you must cooperate, coordinate and collaborate with several of your friends to create your own and their videos.  This luxury of time comes with a price - I am expecting to see 9.3 hours worth of work in your final published product.  You must include all requirements as listed in the task sheet (above).



Sunday, 24 April 2016

Social Media

We have looked at how our beliefs affect our opinions (school uniform)

We have looked at how our faith in religion is a result of our beliefs and how our beliefs direct and affect our actions

Now we are going to look at something that affects many of our lives much of the time: Social Media.

TASK ONE

First of all, copy the following survey extracts into your books and take the survey.
You will then need to move around the classroom and collect information from everyone to complete the following tasks.








Make a simple bar chart to illustrate which social media platforms students in this class use


If you want to know what percent A is of B, you simple divide A by B, then take that number and move the decimal place two spaces to the right. That's your percentage!

For example, is 16 students use Facebook and there are 23 students in the class, 69% of our class uses Facebook

Make a simple bar chart to illustrate how much time students in this class spend on social media.  Show this in percentages, also.



TASK TWO


Because of the way the internet has changed the way we communicate and interact with one another on so many levels; it’s become necessary to explore the pros and cons of social media and its effects on our society.

Read the pros and cons (and watch the video) and consider which of these opinions you believe in.

The Pros


1-Increased criminal prosecution because of social media
The NYC police department began using Twitter back in 2011 to track criminals foolish enough to brag about their crimes online. When the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup in 2011, their Vancouver fans took to the streets and rioted, but local authorities used social media to track and tag the people involved, and they caught people who were stealing during the riot.
2-Social networking creates new social connections
Statistics show that 70% of adults have used social media sites to connect with relatives in other states, and 57% of teens have reported making new friendships on social media sites.
3-Students are doing better in school
This is an interesting statistic about the pros and cons of social media and its effect on students doing well in school. Students with internet access at a rate of 50% have reported using social networking sites to discuss school work, and another 59% talk about instructive topics.
4-Better quality of life
If you want to talk about the pros and cons of social media, take a close look at all the support groups on Facebook. Members of these groups discuss their health conditions, share important information, and resources relevant to their conditions while creating strong support networks.
5-Social media as a source of employment
Job sourcing has gone modern thanks to social media. Sites such as LinkedIn are a major resource that 89% of job recruiters take advantage of when looking to hire potential employees.

Now let’s take a look at the Cons of social media


1-Social media and the news
Much of the news information that people read about comes from social media websites, and that figure estimate is around 27.8 %. This figure ranks just under print newspapers at 28.8%, greater than radio’s figure of 18.8% and far outpaces the figure for other print publications at just 6%.
2-Too much misinformation
With the advent of the web, people started to create their own websites and blogs. While many of those blogs were just basic diaries, a few of them were about topics like health and politics while others were how to blogs.
Many blogs have turned into rumor mills, spreading misinformation that people tend to believe just because it’s on the web.
Rumors about hurricane Sandy and gunfights in other countries like Mexico have been picked up by reliable news services, and this misinformation has been shared without the proper vetting of the sources providing the information.
3-Pupils spending too much time on social media sites have lower academic grades
Here is another argument about the pros and cons of social media as it pertains to students. Statistics show that pupils using social media too often tend to have GPA’s of 3.06 compared to GPA’s of 3.82 for pupils who don’t use social media (GPA = Grade Point Average)
An even scarier fact is that students who use social media tend to score 20 % lower on their test scores then their counterparts.
4-Social media sites to blame for lost productivity
Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are a direct cause for lost productivity at the workplace. In a survey 36 % of people said that social networking was the biggest waste of time in comparison to activities like fantasy football, shopping, and watching television.
5-Social media is the cause for less face to face communication
One last discussion about the pros and cons of social media is a lack of one on one communication. In a 2012 study families who reported spending less time with one another rose from a level of 8% in 2000 to 32% in 2011.
The study also reported that 32 % of the people in the survey either were texting or were on social media sites instead of communicating with each other during family gatherings.
"10 Pros and Cons of Social Media." Top Ten Social Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
Watch the Video:  Connected but alone?

TASK THREE

belief


http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belief


: a feeling of being sure that someone or something exists or that something is true
: a feeling that something is good, right, or valuable
: a feeling of trust in the worth or ability of someone or something

Do you believe that social media exists? (you know it does because you can observe it)
Do you believe that social media is good, right, or valuable? (why or why not)
Do you believe in the worth of social media? (the benefits and why or why not)

Provide examples from your own knowledge and experiences when answering these questions (above).  Each question should be copied and your response should be detailed in order to communicate your ideas to the reader.


TASK FOUR


Identity, Beliefs and Values

Statement of Inquiry

“My beliefs shape my interaction with the world and its people”

Global Context

Identities and Relationships 

Think about your own beliefs about social media (which you have already answered above) and explain how these beliefs shape your interaction with the world and its people.  To answer this question, think about the Global Context and how your belief in social media influences your identity and affects your relationships.

Provide examples from your own knowledge and experiences when answering these questions (above)

Tuesday, 19 April 2016

Term 3 Reflection Homework

Reflection 

Reflection Homework (due week beginning 27th April + your books are due for checking!)

Reflecting on our learning and assessment performance in Term 3


Link to Homework Instructions


Sunday, 17 April 2016

Concept Connections



Identity, Beliefs and Values

Statement of Inquiry

“My beliefs shape my interaction with the world and its people”

Global Context

Identities and Relationships 

Key Concept

Perspective

Related Concepts

Context
Identity
Generalization
Evaluation
Simplification
Interaction
Evidence
Justification
Meta-cognition

In your same groups:

Create a 2 column chart.  In the left hand column list the global interaction, key concept and related concepts. 

In the right hand column explain how each of these can be understood in relation to your chosen religion.

When you have completed this, explain what the statement of inquiry means in the context of your chosen religion (this is good practice for you to always keep focused on the SOI when responding to an assessment task)

This is not an easy task and will require some discussion and some thinking - you may be able to make the connections from the perspective of the people who follow the religion or from people who have opinions about those who follow the religion or it can be from your group's opinion (PERSPECTIVE).  The important thing is that you are discussing and thinking about how to make these connections.

Prepare to share with the class - each group member should present.

Sunday, 10 April 2016

Faith



World Religions

Religion can be explained as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/

  • History
  • Beliefs
  • Ethics (moral principles - right and wrong)
  • Customs/Rituals
  • Holy days
  • People
  • Worship
TASK: (timeline 4 sessions to plan, research and prepare - present first session next week)

1. In groups, choose one religion that you are interested to know more about (many examples can be found on the BBC link).

2. Create a presentation using any format and/or media you choose as a group.

3. Be sure to include all points (above)

4. End with a conclusion to explain how this chosen religion connects to the Statement of Inquiry:

“My beliefs shape my interaction with the world and its people”

Tuesday, 5 April 2016

School Uniform Debate


 Conformity

 Individuality 

Do you believe that students should wear school uniforms?

There is a debate surrounding how effective school uniforms are.  This debate is supported by some research, but it is fair to say that much of what people say is based on personal belief, preference and perspective.

One example from the school uniform debate is that it promotes conformity, meaning that all students are encouraged to share the same values and purpose.

Is this a good thing?  Is this a bad thing?

Another example from the school uniform debate is that it prevents students from expressing their individuality.

Is this a good thing?  Is this a bad thing?  

Sample links: 

http://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Pros_and_Cons_of_School_Uniforms

http://school-uniforms.procon.org/

http://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/public-school-uniforms-the-pros-and-cons-for-your-child

Stating an opinion
  • In my opinion...
  • The way I see it...
  • If you want my honest opinion....
  • According to Lisa...
  • As far as I'm concerned...
  • If you ask me...
Asking for an opinon
  • What's your idea?
  • What are your thoughts on all of this?
  • How do you feel about that?
  • Do you have anything to say about this?
  • What do you think?
  • Do you agree?
  • Wouldn't you say?
Expressing agreement
  • I agree with you 100 percent.
  • I couldn't agree with you more.
  • That's so true.
  • That's for sure.
  • (slang) Tell me about it!
  • You're absolutely right.
  • Absolutely.
  • That's exactly how I feel.
  • Exactly.
  • I'm afraid I agree with James.
  • I have to side with Dad on this one.
  • No doubt about it.
  • (agree with negative statement) Me neither.
  • (weak) I suppose so./I guess so.
  • You have a point there.
  • I was just going to say that.
Expressing disagreement
  • I don't think so.
  • (strong) No way.
  • I'm afraid I disagree.
  • (strong) I totally disagree.
  • I beg to differ.
  • (strong) I'd say the exact opposite.
  • Not necessarily.
  • That's not always true.
  • That's not always the case.
  • No, I'm not so sure about that.
Interruptions
  • Can I add something here?
  • Is it okay if I jump in for a second?
  • If I might add something...
  • Can I throw my two cents in?
  • Sorry to interrupt, but...
  • (after accidentally interrupting someone) Sorry, go ahead. OR Sorry, you were saying...
  • (after being interrupted) You didn't let me finish.
Settling an argument
  • Let's just move on, shall we?
  • Let's drop it.
  • I think we're going to have to agree to disagree.
  • (sarcastic) Whatever you say./If you say so.

4 groups
2 debates
Toss of a coin determines which group begins
The beginning group presents its main argument
The opposing group presents its argument
Free for all! (but keep it clean, controlled and respectful)