Grade 11 Law – Sharing and Presenting Online

Katie Freeland Beyond the Classroom, English and Humanities No Comments

 

Sharing and Presenting Learning Online: A Website from the Canadian Law Class

As we settle further into emergency remote learning, one of the many things we miss is students sharing their learning with peers — and with the school community as a whole. Posters on the walls, class presentations (and sometimes presentations to other classes), and project fairs not only give students a chance to show what they have learned, but also allow for the sharing of knowledge and ideas with peers, teachers, and even parents. In our new environment, however, we have to find alternatives. And so, the Grade 11 Canadian Law class has created a website to put their knowledge and thinking on display, and hopefully to pass on some of what they have learned.

For a few weeks, students learned about how their rights and freedoms are protected in Canada and about how the law tries to balance competing needs and concerns. We focused in particular on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, learning about some notable cases and examples, and looking at whether, in real life, everyone seems to benefit equitably from these protections. The class also studied when and how different rights might be justifiably limited, a topic that found particular relevance in our present circumstances as we take unprecedented measures to keep people healthy and save lives.

For a summative assignment, each student demonstrated their learning by creating a web page for one section of the Charter, or alternatively, by identifying a section that does not exist but perhaps should. You can view the site that the class has created together (but apart) here!

Grade 11 Travel & Tourism – Dream Destinations

Luka Ilic Academics, Beyond the Classroom, English and Humanities No Comments

 

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the world that we know has changed dramatically. This includes schools which have been closed since the beginning of March Break. Luckily, we live in a time and society that allows us to quickly improvise and adapt. Since the closure of schools, YMCA Academy has been hard at work to transition to a long-distance learning program. It has been a quick turnaround received well by students, parents, and staff alike.

In Travel and Tourism, we are not allowing the pandemic to slow us down. Although we are currently undergoing isolation and social distancing, our class is making travel plans to our dream destinations. Students are working on a long-term project that tasks them with developing a comprehensive travel itinerary to a place of their choice. Over the course of the project, they will have designed and planned the following:

  • Country and city profile poster
  • Top tourist attractions presentation
  • Travel details including length of trip, type of trip, and budget
  • Booking flight tickets, accommodation, car rental (which you could look here to find out the services), etc.
  • Detailed day-to-day itinerary

As students work through the project, they will have to take into account a variety of factors. For example, they will have to consider the price for everything they do to ensure they stay within their budget. Additionally, they will have to map out their every move and plan realistic journeys. Students will also examine each of the attractions they visit and understand the importance of conservation and sustainability. At the end of the project, students will share their masterpieces so that everyone has access to different travel itineraries. Sooner or later, my hope is that each student will be able to put their planning into practice and have an opportunity to visit their dream destination.

Grade 11 Biology Unit 3 – Genetics

Zareh Demirdji Academics, Beyond the Classroom, Science and Math No Comments

Jumping back into the thick of things after our break, the new virtual biology classroom delved into the brand new unit of genetics. We began the unit by discussing the structure of DNA and built up to what genes are and how they are expressed. Once we were comfortable with the structure and expression of DNA we looked at the process of how it replicates itself and then moved on to looking at the processes of mitosis and meiosis. Next we ventured into the world of genetic disorders, focusing more on the different types of disorders and looking at a few examples of each and how they manifest.

As the unit came to a close, we explored various reproductive technologies and their links to genetics and ended the unit by discussing the various ethical, social and legal issues related to genetics, genetics research and technology. This set up students to start thinking about genetic disorders and the various issues related to them, which is what their unit research project was centered around.

Grade 9 Science Unit 3 – Space Exploration

Zareh Demirdji Academics, Beyond the Classroom, Science and Math No Comments

As schools and students have moved to online learning, the grade 9 science class is fortunate to have had the opportunity to do so with a fresh start on a new unit called Space Exploration. In this unit we started off by discussing the history of astronomical discovery and the important roles it has played in the evolution of our societies. We then moved on to exploring our own backyard by cataloging some of the characteristics of the planets in our solar system by exploring NASA’s planetary website.

After we were done in our own backyard, we ventured farther and father out into the universe, looking at all of the vast structures it has to offer. Eventually we spent an entire class talking about stars, their characteristics and how they live and end their ‘lives’. Upon learning about stars, we went back into deep space and learned about various astronomical phenomena, from those close to us such as solar and lunar eclipses, to the more exotic ones such as black holes, quasars, and pulsars. We ended the unit by discussing the various challenges of exploring space which prepared students for their mission to Mars assignment.

The Academy Show!

Katie Freeland Arts, Community, Events, Student Spotlight No Comments

Again this year, the afternoon of the last day of classes in December features an exciting annual tradition: the Academy Show! Students were once again encouraged to pair up or collaborate in groups, and in total, twelve acts shared their passions and talents with the school community. From popular songs to dance performances to original spooky Christmas stories, and even a Shakespearan monologue, the performers’ courage and creativity was a delight to witness.

Our student MCs — Ali, Alex, and Dot — not only introduced the performers, but also kept us entertained with jokes and skits between acts. There was even a special performance by Brandon and Todd, who had been rehearsing their rendition of “I Do” from Bob’s Burgers, all week.

We hope that seeing their peers (and teachers) get up on the makeshift stage inspires even more students to sign up next year!

Check out more photos from this event on our Facebook page!