ScienceTrek - Blog

Novel Study: Post-Reading Reflection

6/20/2019

Whether you are reading "If I Ever Get Out of Here" or "The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian", you explored the themes of self-identity, stereotypes, community and cultural awareness. At the beginning of our novel study you were asked to reflect upon one of three statements centered around the themes of our novels:

In order to be accepted by others you must skew your heritage.
You should live up to the expectations others have for you rather than following your own goals you have set for yourself.
A person's responsibility to their family or community should take precedence over their individual goals or dreams.

Now, take some time to further reflect on this statement and see how your thoughts and opinions have changed since the beginning of the novel study. Write a paragraph writing how your rating against the statement has changed, reasons why, and further back-up your reasoning with examples from the book. If your opinion/rating has not changed, simply explain how it is not and provide further evidence to solidify your reasoning. Please have your blog posted by Monday, June 24th.

Just Around the Corner

6/7/2019

After 40 hours of canoe training and weeks of planning our canoe trip has officially come and gone. As we embarked on our bus journey and said goodbye to our canoe support vehicles, both nervous anticipation and excitement filled the air. After completing our three days of paddling, you have now entered into the class of those that have paddled through the "ScienceTrek Strait", survived the ticks, sandy food, and what "just around the corner" really means when measuring distance! Take the reader of your blog on a journey that paints a picture of the roller coaster of emotions you experienced on the trip along with the fallout after we hit land at the Victoria Boathouse.

What are you most proud of? Did you surprise yourself with your ability to cook without seasoning your food with a layer of sand? Do more than just tell the reader what happened but lead them deeper into your experience. Your blog should be posted by Tuesday, June 11th.

Body Systems Info - Student Created

5/27/2019

Blub, Blub, Blub

5/25/2019

It's a boat! It's a submarine? No! It is a cargo ship! The time had come and gone for you to see if your boat has the positive properties needed to support the priceless cargo of truly scientific currency. Reflect on why you designed and built your boat the way you did. What aspects of your design and build supported the lofty expectations of upholding the successes of those that floated before you? What parts fell "below the surface"? If you had the opportunity to build your boat again and test it today what would you do different and why? Remember, as you write your reflection think about these experiences from a science perspective. How or why did the forces on your boat interact the way they did? Avoid the "tell about", be sure to support your entry using vivid text, and have your entry available for all to see by Monday,

Pre-Reading: Agree or Disagree?

5/15/2019

It's time for us to begin reading a new set of novels in ScienceTrek, centering around the themes of identity, self-esteem and cultural awareness. Whether you are reading "If I Ever Get Out of Here" or "The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian", you have been asked to reflect upon a set of 3 statements that support the novels themes.

Now, take some time to expand on one of the three statements of your choosing:

In order to be accepted by others you must skew your heritage.
You should live up to the expectations others have for you rather than following your own goals you have set for yourself.
A person's responsibility to their family or community should take precedence over their individual goals or dreams.

Your blog post should be at least one paragraph in length, highlighting which statement resonated with you the most, where you fell on the scale (strongly agree/disagree), and why using prior knowledge and experiences. Please ensure that you follow the Blog: Checklist to meet criteria. Your blog should be posted no later than Tuesday, May 21st.

Kicksled Chaos

3/15/2019

After months of designing, don't forget the numerous “alterations”, and gathering of supplies the time came to test out the all mighty KICKSLED! It definitely was a journey that included a myriad of emotions. Take the reader of your blog entry on a journey into the world of the creation of your kicksled. Go waaaaaayyyyy back to the warm days of September when your ideas seemed so clear that you could see that kicksled right before your eyes. Continue on the trail exploring the initial design, including multiple trips to the Restore; keep traveling through the hills and valleys of the well worn path of exploration or trial and error ending with the final creation we saw just days ago.

Next came the Tour de Kicksled! Kicksled vs. Kicksled. Strength against determination. Triangles colliding with LOTS OF SCREWS! Continue your tale by sharing the certainties of your competitiveness along with the uncertainties of your creations. Did you make it to the top of the mountain? Did you make it back down? How about your kicksled? Include a photo of your original design as well as the final product. Be sure to refer to your Blogging Checklist to be reflective and thorough with sharing your ideas through content, word choice and voice.

CFOW UpLoad

3/13/2019

To submit your CFOW proposal there are important steps that you must follow:
1. Ensure that your names and school are not on your proposal.
2. Create a PDF of your proposal. This will be the document that you upload and the judges will see. Make sure you take a good look at once it is created. At times things do not convert properly and text or images can move etc. Therefore double check your PDF.
3. Once you are 100% sure you are ready to submit your project to go to: http://watersheds.herokuapp.com/contest_entries/new
4. Fill out your information (Student Information).
5. Complete the Watershed Contest Entry fields. Be sure to select "Saskatoon" from the City field.
6. Attach your PDF and submit your entry.
7. You should receive a code that you must write down as it is important for the next step.
8. Go back to your Google version of your proposal where you will now edit and include your name and the code you received in step 7. Place this in the footer along with the existing name of your project.
9. Share this Google version with Mr. Gurney (gurneyb@spsd.sk.ca) (Comment Version)

Meewasin Photo Assignment

2/15/2019

Create a blog post that highlights the photos for the tasks below. Be sure to post the photo, the title or question given as well as the explanation why your photo satisfies the corresponding task/question. Have this complete for Wednesday, February 27.

Meewasin is a Cree word meaning “Beautiful”. It was created in 1979 as conservation agency dedicated to conserving the cultural and natural resources of the South Saskatchewan River Valley. Within Saskatoon we are blessed with green spaces and natural areas flanking the South Saskatchewan River. Your goal within the time provided is to capture the natural and constructed wonders of this “Beautiful” space. Below is a list of photographic tasks to complete and then later post on your webpage. It would be beneficial to write a few notes down explaining the reasoning and support for your photo and how it satisfies the task/question as this will need to be included as you post them.
Take a photo:

which clearly demonstrates the power of the sun.
of which you would title “It’s a Beautiful Day!”.
demonstrating the use of the all mighty Triangle within a structure.
that demonstrates the mathematical term of “Multiples”
that demonstrates the term “Symmetrical” - Symmetrical is defined as being made up of exactly similar parts facing each other or around an axis.
in black and white mode that demonstrates high levels of contrast. Contrast is defined as contrast is determined by the difference in the color and brightness of the object and other objects within the same field of view.
which is a replica of the photo above but is in colour.
that would support the title “Frozen in Time”.
which demonstrates motion.

Got Ya!???

2/5/2019

As I hear the words from my climbing partner that sets me free to climb on, my heart begins to race. I guess you could say I am a bit nervous. If you take a look at the sweat glistening on my forehead you would have guessed that I just finished running a half marathon. I wipe my forehead with my hand and respond with a weak, "Climbing!". I desperately grab for one of the first few holds and realize my previous action was that of a poor choice. My hand slides off the hold like a hockey puck sliding across a sheet of ice leaving me dangling by one hand mere inches from a padded demise. Luckily my belay partner has reflexes like a possum and they eventually take up the slack and save me from my padded plummet.

Take the reader of your blog entry into the world of climbing by roping them into a moment from your climbing experiences. It may be an encounter with not knowing knots, handling the pressure of pulling on “the black handle”, or the smallest victory that seems like you reached the peak of the mountain. Work to use vivid, sport specific, and exciting language to pull the reader into your experience. Your entry should be posted, with a supporting and meaningful picture, by February 8th.

Solo? What's a Solo?

11/29/2018

It started as a foggy day as we boarded our bus to head to Brightwater for the day. So many questions began to flood my brain… Was I wearing enough layers? Wait, maybe I don’t have enough layers on… Will we have to eat lunch outside? What will we do ALL day? As I was beginning to feel overwhelmed, I looked up to realize that we had arrived. I looked around to see that the fog had begun to dissipate, revealing perfectly white frost covered trees and a beautiful landscape of rolling hills.

One of the pieces of our day included a solo reflection, in which you were asked to sit in solitude and begin to build a connection with the land. Share with the reader your observations and reflections during your 10 minute solo. Remember to use descriptive word choice to share your senses during this experience (i.e. sight, sound, touch, etc.). You may have also explored the concept of place and how Brightwater reminded you of another natural place of importance to you. It is important for us to appreciate the land and our ability to access wide-open spaces within our own backyard! Please make reference to the Blog Checklist linked below. Your final post should be uploaded by Monday, December 3rd.

blogging_checklist.pdf
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