Friday, February 25, 2011 - End of week 7

Hello my students,

This has been a tiring week and we're all glad it's over. I'm happy that it ended with the CL building's Fun Fair. They worked very hard on their projects, and I was quite impressed with many of the displays. Now, of course, we have a three-day weekend, and I think it is well-deserved. The good news is that Tuesday is March 1st, and March is a spring month.

Research Paper:

Most of you have nearly completed the Research Paper, and all that remains is tying up the loose ends. Don't slow down. You want it to be as good as possible. On Monday, Corinna and I will return your drafts, we'll talk about the cover page and table of contents, and I will give you a final checklist for your paper. I will also show you the evaluation grid, so you'll understand the marking system. We'll spend some time in the morning in the computer lab, and all that will remain will be the final printing and binding on Tuesday morning.

One point in the Final Checklist mentions the contents of the conclusion - a restatement of the thesis, the opinion of the author, and a prediction about the future. Because this is not an essay but rather a research paper, these three items are usually dealt with in different paragraphs. That is the easiest way. So your conclusion should be about a page in length, and should cover the above three points.

Research Oral Presentation:

There have been changes in presenting order and I think that the following applies:

Wednesday: Anh and Anas

Thursday: Betty, Enze, and HaoRan

Friday: Saud and Jadey

Please do your homework. Read pages 215 - 220 in the first part of the binder. You worked a lot on your paper, and presenting your research is also important. We'll go over the information on Tuesday, but certainly those students who will present this coming week must start preparing.


International Lunch:

International Lunch will be Tuesday afternoon, and Corinna has kindly offered to receive us in her home. I'm anxious to taste the delicious food. I've heard that Peter and HaoRan are good cooks, and I'm sure there are many others. There's a saying which says that "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach", and that applies to women as well. It was interesting to see that the most serious incidences of discrimination in your blogs were against women. Remember that one of your homework assignments is to suggest at least 2 dishes you would like to prepare - I asked for 2 so we wouldn't have too much chicken! Vegetarian dishes are always good. I believe they leave the smallest carbon footprint. Remember, no pork!

Next week:

Week 8 will be busy (no surprise). You have been doing a lot of reading, a lot of writing, and with the Research Presentations, you'll be doing a lot of listening, and some speaking. Presenting your research is not easy, and presenting it to a bland or a small audience makes it more difficult. Because an animated audience is required, you (all students) will lose points on your research projects if you are absent. You will also lose points if you show a lack of interest (fall asleep, don't pay attention, don't ask questions during the question period).

On Monday I will return your SAQs (short answer questions) to the video on Discrimination. Your final evaluations will consist of SAQs, and we will be working on these when time allows.
 
Next Friday will also be our last Museum outing, and we will visit the Museum of Archaeology, which is my favourite. You'll see a video presentation of the history of Montreal, you'll speak with ghosts of yesteryear, and you'll get an understanding of the history of Montreal and the history of its most famous street, Ste. Catherine Street.

New Unit - Blog

Our next unit deals with Emotional Intelligence. It deals with the differences that people have with regards learning, relating to the world, feelings, and empathy. Please blog your reaction.

What is empathy? Do you know people who have or don't have empathy?
Why do some people have more empathy than others?
What is learning and how does empathy affect learning?

Fun Fair - Blog

What did you find amazing? How did you feel, back in the CL building? Please blog.

Have a very good weekend.

Teresa