Water

We have been continuing our learning about the 5 pillars Free the Children uses to help and empower villages around the world.  We first looked at the pillar of water and sanitation.  The students learned about people not having running water to use, or not having clean water.  We learned about illnesses that can be caused by unclean water.  Then we learned that this is not just a problem for third world countries.  This is a problem here in Canada, and even here in Manitoba.  The students remember how awkward it was this past winter when we had a boil water advisory for a couple of days, they couldn't imagine having to live like that all the time.  

This time learning about water has been eye opening for the class.  Next we are moving on to alternate income.

Back to school

Spring break is over and we are back to work.  A quick review of writing decimals, estimating, adding, and subtraction, working with those decimals to the thousandths place.  Next we looked at comparing decimal numbers.  Which is larger, smaller.  This can be tricky if you don't think the number through.  

Before the break we looked at the rights of children and we had discussions about empowerment and the five pillars of Free the Children.  We talked about making a difference, how big things can start with just one person.  This week we are looking at water and sanitation.  Why is this an issue?  What can be done?  We are reading the book "Hope Springs" by Eric Walters.  We are also listening to a presentation by room 3 on water issues here in Canada.  The problems that Lake Winnipeg is having and the problems in drought stricken countries, can all come back to how we treat water as a never ending resource, when really, it's not.

In theme we talked about rebels and resisters.  How the classification as one or the other is usually determined by the person telling the story, and which side they are on.   We then completed a chart on the loyalists.  Who where they, why were they loyal, to whom, where did they go, what happened to them, and how their lives changed after they had to leave the southern colonies and move to British North America.