Intermediate Students

Self-Assessment of Core Competencies

Activity Details

Students come to the classroom with experiences and knowledge related to the Core Competencies. Self-assessment will allow them to develop the ability to describe themselves as unique individuals in relation to the Core Competencies. They will set goals and gain greater ownership of their learning when they have the opportunity to self assess and describe who they are as learners, document their progress, and share their accomplishments in an ongoing and holistic manner.

Research on assessment emphasizes the importance of students developing reflective language and metacognition (i.e. the ability to think about thinking) in order to engage in effective self assessment. It is important that, overtime, students:

• Gain the ability to assess their own strengths
• Provide examples and evidence of their learning
• Create realistic and achievable goals
• Construct a clear plan to reach their goals
• Revisit previous documentations of self-assessments, where applicable, to monitor their growth

Find out more about what the Core Competencies are:

Documents

"What Matters" - Creative Writing and Core Competencies Assignment

Activity Details

We began working on a project inspired by the story “What Matters” by Alison Hughes and Holly Hatam. The story starts with a boy doing a small act (picking up a can and throwing it into the garbage)  that the boy didn’t think mattered at all, but it did. The story follows the ripple effect of that small act, and all the ways that responsible action mattered. We were inspired by this story and after studying and discussing the core competencies about Social Responsibility and the idea that “students who demonstrate social responsibility are active, caring, and responsible members of society. They collaborate effectively with others, demonstrate a strong sense of community-mindedness, and take actions to support diversity and the environment.” We took a look at our daily lives and in our classroom, we reflected, and as a class we brainstormed some small acts that mattered, and how these acts had a ripple effect on other. For language arts, students collaborated then came up with their own ideas and created mind maps to trace their ideas and subsequent impacts and greater effects of the act. Later, students moved their ideas on to graphic organizers which helped them arrange their ideas in terms of growing impacts. Next, we moved on to writing a story and expanding on our creative ideas. We worked further on the idea of showing the reader not telling, adding sparkle words and details. Our stories needed to follow the guidelines of what is a small act that can have big consequences, and how can we all make a difference. Lastly, students were tasked with working in a group, team or individually to create final product that showed their creativity, thinking, and inspire others to do a good deed to show how we can all make a big difference. Some students chose iMovies, eBooks, PowerPoint presentations, art, or other methods to tell and share their story.

Learning Standards:

• I can use writing and design processes to plan, develop, and create texts for a variety of purposes and audiences
• I can transform ideas and information to create original texts
• I can show an increasing understanding of the role of organization in meaning

Core Competencies:

• I can be part of a group.
• I can participate in classroom and group activities to improve the classroom, school, community, or natural world.
• I contribute to group activities that make my classroom, school, community, or natural world a better place.
• I can identify how my actions and the actions of others affect my community and the natural environment
• I can analyze complex social or environmental issues from multiple perspectives.

Reflection Questions:

• How did you come up with your original “What Matters” small act that had a large impact?
• Why did you choose the tiny act? Why did the tiny act matter?
• In what ways did you demonstrate the core competency of social responsibility in your story?
• What are some ways that you are socially responsible? How do you see this in yourself?
• What is a goal you can set for yourself about social responsibility and how are you going to achieve this?
• What are you proud of for this writing activity?
• What is something you would like to share about your project that your audience should know?

Documents

ASSESSMENT: PROFICIENT

Artifact Source: Lyndsay James, Surrey Schools

Physical & Health Education: Learning about heart rate, intensity, and exercise

Activity Details

Students participated in three fitness sessions at a local gym called Elevation Fitness. The sessions were presented in a  “bootcamp” style with an emphasis promoting getting active, monitoring heart rates,  having fun, and the ‘BIG IDEAS” that:

• Daily physical activity enables us to practice skillful movement and helps us develop personal fitness;
• Physical literacy and fitness contribute to our success in and enjoyment of physical activity; and
• Healthy choices influence our physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

LEARNING STANDARDS:

• I can apply methods of monitoring and adjusting exertion levels in physical activity
• I can identify and describe preferred types of physical activity
• I can participate in different types of physical activities, including individual and dual activities, rhythmic activities, and games

Documents

ASSESSMENT: PROFICIENT

Artifact Source: Nina Minhas, Surrey Schools

"Two of the same": Writing from experience

Activity Details

Since September we have been working on developing our writing skills, learning strategies to write with greater depth and voice. We have been discussing what makes a “good” piece of writing interesting and powerful. It’s not the neat printing or the correct spelling, these are important skills, but what is most important is the way you communicate your ideas. We have talked about choosing life topics, things we know something about. This is where inexperienced writers need It’s not the neat printing or the correct spelling, these are important skills, but what is most important is the way you communicate your ideas. We have talked about choosing life topics, things we know something about. This is where inexperienced writers need start. These two Response Writes invited students to write about an experience they had. Students are learning to begin their writes with a catchy lead sentence, move to include details and examples, and end their write with a concluding sentence. Learning Standards:

Learning Standards:

• I can plan and create  personal  writing for different purposes and audiences
• I can communicate using sentences and most conventions of Canadian spelling, grammar, and punctuation

Core Competencies:

• I can advocate for myself and my ideas

Documents

ASSESSMENT: PROFICIENT

Artifact Source: Kelli Vogstad, Surrey Schools

Zach writes with ease and confidence and his personality definitely shines through. In these two writes he demonstrates his ability to use a catchy lead to bring his readers into his story. He adds some interesting details and feelings to his pieces, and his conventions, spelling and punctuation, are well strong. Zach needs to bring more clarity and formality to his writing by using less back and forth dialogue with his reader, and more detail and elaboration so his writing flows more smoothly from beginning to end.

This year, we want to challenge Zach with different forms and genres of writing to develop his skills and artistry in writing strong, organized, and interesting pieces.

Zach's writing meets the learning standards and criteria for the tasks.

Student Self-Reflection: Connecting images and quotes to goal-setting

Activity Details

Art and literature can be combined to allow students to demonstrate their learning and goals. In this activity, students reflected on areas that they would like to develop, provided evidence, and made critical choices about images and quotes that would match their goals.

Learning Standards:

• I can express, feelings, ideas, and experiences through the arts
• I can use different processes, materials, technologies, tools and techniques to support creative works
• I can use symbolism and metaphor to explore ideas and perspective

Core Competencies:

• I can imagine and work toward change in myself and the world.

Documents

Artifact Source: Carol Kippan, Surrey Schools