Tag Archives: Compair and Contrast

Activity is focused on comparison and contrast

Analyzing Food Nutrients and Comparing Food Guides

Teacher Note: Depending on the length of class time available, this lesson may take 2-3 sessions to complete.

Learning Outcome:

Explain the relationship between cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems

CONNECT

Goals:
To understand:
a) how nutrients are essential to the body
b) how cooking processes transform the nutritional value of the food we eat.

Task: Students will select a natural food item, compare it with a cooked/processed version of the same item, and demonstrate the nutritional impact on the body.

Key vocabulary to discuss: nutrients, protein, fats, saturated fats, unsaturated fats, trans fats

omega-3 fatty acids, cholesterol, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates.(Definitions)

Activate Prior Knowledge: Ask the students as a class whether they think they eat properly. Have students write down yes or no on a scrap piece of paper and have them put their answers into a bin so you can record the results on the board in an anonymous way.

Review with the class the categories and contents of the Canada Food Guide. In partners, discuss the food guide. Ask what two areas the students feel they are most likely to eat the recommended amounts. Have students share the information with the class and graph the results on the board using a food grid.

Question: What are the five different types of nutrients one can obtain from food? Students discuss their ideas with a partner and report back to the class.

PROCESS

Using the McGraw-Hill Ryerson textbook BC Science 8 (pages 64-69) or other classroom/internet resources, small groups investigate the five different types of nutrients obtained by food. Small groups should be 3-4 students. Some groups will have the same topic. Topics include: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins. Students must identify the function of the nutrient as well as examples from the food guide. Use the nutrient wheel to track their thinking. Students must share information with the class allowing others to complete their nutrient wheels.

In their same small groups, distribute copies of the Coastal B.C. Native Food Guide or food guides that reflect other cultures.   Students discuss what foods are not included in the Canada Food Guide and add examples to their nutrient wheel.

Video: Students view the movie.

Guiding Questions: Do students think the nutrients will change when the fish is smoked from when it is raw? Why is smoking fish important/necessary?

Reminder: It is important to stop throughout the video and give students (A/B partners) opportunity to talk or respond to the video.

Videos

Screen Shot 2015-05-04 at 11.18.48 AM

(Video Length: 6 mins)

 

The smoked fish in the video is Chum, but Chinook is close enough for comparison. Print out a nutrition guide for raw Chinook and smoked Chinook to compare. Students in partners or their previous small groups compare the information and discuss key differences.

Raw Chinook Salmon Nutrition Data

Smoked Chinook Salmon Nutrition Data

TRANSFORM

Students, in partners, will select a natural food item, compare it with a cooked/processed version of the same item, and demonstrate the nutritional impact on the body. An example may be a potato and McDonald’s french fries. Students can use the Nutrition Data Website to select and research their food information. Criteria should be developed with the class to determine the depth and completeness of the components required. How students present their learning can be up to the teacher or students. Examples for demonstration include: posters, debate – one partner argues for the potato and one argues for the french fries, t-chart, video, radio/TV commercial, written report, etc.

REFLECT

Students can reflect on their own eating habits and set personal goals for healthier eating choices.

Extend learning or next lesson

Students can make their own personalized food guide. Students could also find other foods they commonly eat on the Nutrition Data Website and analyze what these foods give them for nutrients, or create their own food list for a 24 hour period and analyze whether they got enough or too much of the different nutrients.

Aboriginal Populations in Canada and Guyana

Comparing the Standards of Living for Aboriginal Populations in Canada and Guyana

Teacher Note: Depending on the length of class time available, this lesson may take 2-3 sessions to complete.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

  • demonstrate knowledge of the challenges faced by Aboriginal people in Canada during the 20th century.
  • compare Canada’s standard of living with those of developing countries, with reference to poverty and key indicators of human development.

Steps to the Unit

  1. Complete a Jigsaw Instructional Activity on three articles discussing how Canadian government policy and legislation have impacted Canadian Aboriginal populations.
  2. Complete a What’s Important and Why organizer on an article discussing gold mining in Guyana.
  3. Discuss key vocabulary.
  4. Watch a video and complete a Graphic Organizer.
  5. Compare the key indicators of human development of Canada and Guyana and present conclusions using graphs and text.
  6. Reflect on new understanding.

CONNECT

Goals:

  • Students will research some key legislation and overall public opinion regarding the standard of living for Aboriginals in Canada.
  • Students will research key indicators of human development for Canada and the South American country of Guyana.
  • Students will compare and graph key indicators of human development for Canada and the South American country of Guyana.

Task:

Students will create a presentation using text and series of graphs comparing the key economic indicators of Canada and Guyana.

Activate Prior Knowledge:

Standards of living are not only measured in incomes people earn. The quality of life includes such things as health, levels of nutrition, life expectancy, literacy, and the status of women and children. The quality of life also depends on freedom of expression, economic freedom, and the right to a safe and clean environment.

(Cranny, M., Moles, G. (2001). Counterpoints – Exploring Canadian Issues (p. 343-345). Toronto: Pearson Education Canada Inc.)

Although Canada ranks high in the United Nations Human Development Index (4th out of 177 countries), a significant portion of Canada’s population (3.8 % in the 2006 Canadian census), the Canadian Aboriginal population, experiences living conditions similar to those in Third World countries such as Guyana.

For information on the Aboriginal experience in Canada, teachers print out and distribute the following articles:

  1. The Landscape Public Opinion on Aboriginal and Northern Issues
  2. Poverty on Aboriginal Reserves in Canada

Students read articles independently, or in A/B partners, and look for the key ideas. Once students have completed reading the articles, teachers brainstorm the key ideas from the articles on the board.

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There are many reasons attributed to the lower standards of living for Canada’s Aboriginal populations. Many of them can be attributed to federal policies and legislation that govern Aboriginal life in Canada. To increase student understanding of these policies and legislation, teachers print off the following three articles:

(Reed, K., & Quinlan, D. (1999). Aboriginal Peoples: Building for the Future (p. 44-49). Toronto: Oxford University Press Canada.)

Students break into groups of three and teachers distribute the articles using a Jigsaw format. (Note: Depending on the size of class, expert groups should be no larger than 4-5 students.)

Predict:

Given the previous information about the standards of living for Aboriginal people in Canada, students make predictions on the standard of living for people living in Guyana. Will they be similar to the Canadian Aboriginal experience? Different?

The Aboriginal populations of Guyana in South America have also experienced hardship as a result of governmental and corporate policies. One example is the effects of corporate mining practices in Guyana and the Guyana region of Venezuela. Teachers print out and distribute the article Gold and Native Rights in the Guyana region of Venezuela. Students form A/B partners and complete a What’s Important and Why organizer for the article.

Question:

What are the students wondering about how Aboriginal people in Canada and Guyana have been affected by government and corporate policies?

PROCESS

Video Guidelines:

Before viewing the video, students need to understand the meaning of the following terms.

Key vocabulary to discuss: colonization, diabetes, displacement, indigenous, land claim, parallel. (Definitions)

Students watch the following video and track their thinking using the Graphic Organizer. Students should try to identify some key ideas of the Aboriginal experience in Canada and Guyana.

Videos

Screen Shot 2015-03-02 at 9.46.35 AM (Video Length: 6 mins)

TRANSFORM

Student groups now research the facts and figures and create a graph, or series of graphs, comparing the following key indicators of human development in Canada and Guyana:

  • life expectancy
  • infant mortality rate
  • literacy rate
  • GDP/GDP per capita
  • energy/communications/transportation

(Note: With regards to the graph formats, teachers and students should discuss what type of graph would be most effective when comparing data. (i.e. bar graphs, pie charts))

Once the graphs are complete, students create a final presentation which displays both the graphs and their conclusions which they have drawn from the country data. Possible formats for the final presentation include:

  • Written report on letter size paper, complete with title page.
  • Graphs and conclusions assembled and presented on large poster paper.
  • Powerpoint presentation.

REFLECT

On the back of their graphic organizers, students write at least two new ideas or questions they have regarding Canada’s standard of living when compared with other countries. How has their thinking changed?

Extend Learning or Next Lesson

Suggestions to extend student learning include:

  • Students research other global indigenous populations and their efforts to preserve their culture and way of life.
  • Students compare Canada with another country, from either the developed world or Third World, using graphs and text and present their findings to the class.
  • Students choose one specific Third World country and research the facts, figures, and economic indicators of that specific country – culminating in a final report or presentation to the class.
  • Students conduct a ‘Mini United Nations’ session in class, with student groups researching and representing different United Nations member countries.

Free Verse Poetry Writing

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

  • interact and collaborate in pairs, small groups, and large groups to comprehend and respond to a variety of texts.
  • speak and listen to make personal responses to texts, by describing reactions and emotions.
  • read, both collaboratively and independently, to comprehend a variety of literary texts, including poetry in a variety of narrative and lyric forms.
  • read, both collaboratively and independently, to comprehend a variety of literary texts, including student generated material.
  • explain and support personal responses to texts read and viewed, by describing reactions and emotions.
  • write effective imaginative texts to explore ideas, information, and understandings to make connections and develop insights.

Steps to the Unit

  1. Read and research various free verse poems.
  2. Compare and contrast three free verse poems to three different genre poems.
  3. Brainstorm evaluation criteria for student written free verse poems.
  4. Create individual free verse poems for presentation in class.
  5. Reflect on the process.

CONNECT

Goals:

Students will:

  • develop an understanding of free verse style poetry.
  • read a variety of Aboriginal poems in the free verse style.
  • create their own free verse poem to present to the class.

Tasks:

Students will create their own free verse poem describing themselves and how they relate to their family, school, community, and world around them.

Activate Prior Knowledge:

Poetry as an art form may predate literacy itself. Many ancient works in prehistoric and ancient societies appear to have been composed in poetic form to aid memorization and oral transmission. Poetry often uses particular forms and conventions to expand the literal meaning of the words, or to evoke emotional or sensual responses.(wikipedia.org)

There are many forms and genres of poetry that students may have read (ie.sonnet, haiku, acrostic, cinquain) and each has their own unique structure of language. For the context of this lesson, students will read poems which follow a free verse or lyric free verse form.

Free Verse can be defined as:

A term describing various styles of poetry that are written without using strict meter or rhyme, but that still are recognizable as poetry by virtue of complex patterns that readers will perceive to be part of a coherent whole.(wikipedia.org)

Predict and Question:

Teachers ask the students if they have any questions regarding the structure of free verse poetry. What are they wondering about?

PROCESS

Before students start their writing process to create their own free verse poem, students should read a number of poetry selections to build their awareness of the free verse form. There are a number of different poetry collections available in school libraries and on the internet for students to read.

Some library collections include:

  • Till all the stars have fallen – David Booth
  • Many Voices – David Day
  • Poetry Alive – Dom Saliani

Teachers should select three free verse poems from their chosen resources and pair them up with three poems of different genres. For example, teachers could choose poems using the haiku, sonnet, and a traditional a-a-b-b form. As mentioned above, there are many poetry collections available in libraries and on the internet for teachers to choose from. Examples of haiku, sonnet, and traditional rhyming poems are included below:

Once the poetry pairs have been created, teachers distribute the poems (or display them on a screen using a projector/overhead) and have the students, in A-B partner groups, compare and contrast the poems using a “This is a Free Verse poem/This is Not” approach. In other words, students look at the free verse poem and identify what makes a free verse poem unique. Students should pay attention to elements like:

  • number of words per line.
  • number of syllables per line.
  • rhyming patterns.
  • number of lines in the poem/stanza.
  • theme/mood of the poem.

Then, while looking at the second poem in the pair, students try to identify why the second poem is NOT a free verse poem; using the same criteria as listed above. Students use Venn Diagram to record their observations.

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Once the poem pairs have been compared and contrasted by the students, teachers select three new free verse poems, three new non-free verse poems, and distribute all six poems to each student A-B partner group. Then, the students look at all six poems and attempt to identify which poems are free verse and which poems are not. Student partner groups report out their reasons to the class.

As above, sources of poetry include the resources listed above or other anthologies in the school library. Online sources include:

TRANSFORM

Now that the students have a better understanding of the free verse form of poetry, students will create their own free verse poems. Teachers will need to brainstorm with the students the evaluation criteria expected for the finished product (ie. poem length, writing conventions, poetic mood). Students can write their poems using a variety of themes. For example, students can create poems that reflect a personal experience, their favourite hobby, social issues, or global issues like global warming. Teachers can brainstorm different topics for students to connect with on the board.

If some students are still struggling with arriving at a poem theme or topic, students can use an ‘I am’ format similar to the following poems

Teachers should point out some important elements in these poems:

  • The opening line is repeated at the end of each stanza.
  • There is six lines per stanza.
  • The poems reflect not only the students’ thoughts, hopes, and dreams, but the world around them.

Once students have completed their poems, students should present their poems to the class, a small group, or privately to the teacher.

REFLECT

Students reflect on their poems and, using either a writing journal or blank sheet of paper, write on what they have learned about the free verse form of poetry. How has their thinking changed?

Extend Learning or Next Lesson

Students build on their poetry writing skills and research/write other poetic forms such as haiku, cinquain, acrostic, etc.

Analyzing and Understanding Creation Stories

Teacher Note: Depending on the length of class time available, this lesson may take 3-4 sessions to complete.

Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the main ideas, events, or themes of a variety of novels, stories, poetry, other print material, and electronic media.

Students will locate and interpret details in stories, articles, novels, poetry, or non-print media to respond to a range of tasks.

Steps to the Lesson

  1. Discuss the significance of creation stories in various cultures.
  2. Listen/Read/View four different creation stories.
  3. Compare the characteristics of four creation stories using a Placemat activity.
  4. Create a Fishbone Diagram to sort and organize the characteristics of Creation Stories.
  5. Reflect on the process.

CONNECT

Goals:

Students will:

  • listen to a Cowichan, Ktunaxa and Sinixt creation story.
  • view a Coast Salish creation story.
  • analyze four traditional creation stories; identifying the underlying themes and characteristics contained in the stories.

Tasks:

Students will create a Fishbone graphic organizer to demonstrate their understanding of creation stories.

Activate Prior Knowledge:

Creation stories are an important way of obtaining information regarding people’s beliefs about how the world originated. However, obtaining the information is not always easy as the creators of the myths or legends did not always write in simple terms. The stories were often written in a way that encoded the information that one was seeking regarding the origin of a particular culture. Thus, creation stories are very common throughout most global societies and cultures.

Teachers conduct a class discussion and brainstorm on the board what creation stories the students are already familiar with (ie. Great Flood stories).

Predict and Question:

As mentioned, creation stories were very important in global cultures as they attempted to explain how the world was created. Some questions the teacher should ask the students to consider include:

  • Who were the stories written for?
  • Thinking of the students’ local environments, what natural landforms would a local creation story describe?
  • What are the students wondering about creation stories?

PROCESS

Audio/Video

Students will now listen to and view three different creation stories; identifying and comparing their characteristics. Using a Graphic Organizer, students should consider the following elements of the stories while listening and viewing:

  • What is the story’s main topic?
    For example:

    • Creation of the world.
    • How humans, animals, and plants came to be.
    • Moral lessons to be learned.
  • Who are the main characters in the story?
    • What are they accomplishing?
  • What is the sequence of story events?

(Note: Students should use one Graphic Organizer per story. However, if students use small print, one sheet could be used for all three stories.)

Reminder: It is important to stop throughout the story and give students (A/B partners) opportunity to talk or respond to the story.

Using their completed Graphic Organizers for reference, students move into groups of three or four and complete a Placemat Activity (click link to view the procedure of a Placemat Activity) to record their observations on the creation stories they have just listened to or viewed. Once students have recorded their observations on their placemat, student groups discuss and highlight what they feel are the most important ideas/elements they have discovered about creation stories and what make them unique. Students then write these key ideas/elements in the center of their placemat.

Once the Placemat Activity is complete, student groups then create a Fishbone Diagram (click link to view the procedure of a Fishbone Diagram ) to demonstrate their understanding of the key elements of creation stories; providing evidence from the specific creation stories.

REFLECT

Students reflect on the creation stories they have seen/heard and, using the back of their Graphic Organizer sheets, consider the following questions:

  • What was my favourite of the three creation stories? Why?
  • What audio/visual format do I prefer with stories? (ie. listening or viewing) Why?

Extend learning or next lesson

Using the Fishbone Organizers as a framework for building story structure, students write their own creation story and, when completed, share their written creations with the class.

Lesson 1 Reading and Viewing

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

  • read stories from various world cultures; demonstrating reading fluency and comprehension.
  • improve and extend thinking by analyzing texts, develop explanations, and compare viewpoints

Steps to the Unit

  1. Brainstorm the various myths and legends known by students.
  2. Watch a Witsuwit’en legend titled Beasts and Berries.
  3. Read two to three different world myths and legends and analyze their different elements.
  4. Compare and contrast the Beasts and Berries legend with another myth/legend.
  5. Reflect on the process.

CONNECT
Goal:
Students will read a legend of their choice and will compare and contrast that story with the Witsuwit’en Beasts and Berries legend.

Tasks:
Students will:

  • choose a legend from their school library.
  • read their chosen legend to either a partner, small group, or to the class.
  • give constuctive feedback to the story reader and make suggestions for improvement.
  • complete a compare and contrast template (provided).

Activate Prior Knowledge:

Legends are an important way of obtaining information regarding people’s beliefs about how they explain the spiritual and physical world around them. Legends can explain something in nature, teach a lesson, or entertain. They often have mythical creatures, heroes, and transformations of humans into animals etc.

Teachers conduct a class discussion and brainstorm on the board what myths and local legends the students are already familiar with (ie. Greek/Roman myths, local creation legends, great flood stories).

Predict and Question:

As mentioned, legends are very important in global cultures as people attempt to explain the world around them. Some questions the teacher should ask the students to consider include:

  • Who were the stories told/written for?
  • What are the students wondering about legends?

PROCESS

Student watch a video of the Witsuwit’en legend title Beasts and Berries. Using a Story Grammar sheet, students identify the key plot elements, main characters, setting, and overall theme/moral of the Beasts and Berries story.

Reminder: It is important to stop throughout the video and give students (A/B partners) opportunity to talk or respond to the video.

Students now read a variety of legends and myths from other world cultures and identify the plot elements, characters, and settings, and themes/morals of those stories. Students should read/view at least 2-3 different legends/myths to build a knowledge base of other myths and legends. Students may read independently or share a story in an A/B partner format – the main goal is for students to identify the plot elements, characters, settings, and theme of the stories. Students may use either a Story Grammar sheet or a Legends/Myths Four Quad organizer.

Sources for myths and legends include the following:

DVDs
Raven Tales episodes (the popular animated series on APTN – available in your local school district resource center)

Books
D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths (D’Aulaire, I. (1962). New York: Doubleday)
D’Aulaires Book of Norse Myths (D’Aulaire, E.P. (2005). New York: Doubleday)

Websites

Once students have chosen their myths/legends to read, students will read one story (or portion of a story) to a partner, small group, or to the entire class. Listeners can give positive feedback to the reader and make suggestions for imrovement (ie. diction, projection of voice, vocal pace, etc).

TRANSFORM

Once the students have read their chosen myths and legends, they choose one story and compare its plot elements, characters, settings, and themes to those of the Beasts and BerriesWitsuwit’en legend. Students can create their own Venn Diagram or use a Venn Diagram template. Students then present their comparison to a small group or class and explain the relationship between the two stories.

REFLECT

On the back of their story grammar sheets, students reflect on the legends and myths they have heard, and write which stories they preferred the most and which stories they found less interesting; giving reasons for their choices. Also, students can reflect on how easy/difficult it was to identify the various elements of the stories.

Extend Learning or Next Lesson

Possible extensions for following lessons include:

  • Drawing illustrations of their favourite legend/myth.
  • Creating a book jacket for their legend.
  • Creating drama presentations in small groups to act out their favourite stories.

Beasts and Berries, The Story of Tasdliz Bin (Part 2)