Debate Links

Grade 6's will be focusing on a planned hydroelectric plant in Brazil. Here's the link that first brought it to my attention:

http://boingboing.net/2011/02/09/indigenous-brazilian.html.

Some other articles we've looked at in class:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-08/amazon-tribes-march-on-brasilia-against-world-s-3rd-largest-dam.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2011/feb/01/brazil-dilma-rousseff-hydroelectric-dam

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5216293,00.html

More information on Brazil's energy strategy Brazil's english language site: http://www.brasil.gov.br/cop-english/overview/what-brazil-is-doing/the-energy-matrix/print

A video showing the overview of the proposed dam site:
http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0830-belo_monte_google_earth.html

Grade 5's will be focusing on controversy about hydro-electric dams in Northern BC:


Some articles we've looked at in class:

http://www.bchydro.com/planning_regulatory/site_c/site_c_an_option/what_is_site_c.html

http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=43b4e082-0588-4147-ad0b-b1e07f41793b

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/04/18/bc-private-power-project.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-
columbia/story/2010/04/17/bc-site-c-lekstrom.html

http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/story/jumbo-deception-qatmuk-declaration-ktunaxa-collaborators-and-theft-sinixt-land-and-culture/609

An overview of the issue from the BC government:
http://www.empr.gov.bc.ca/EAED/EPB/Documents/History%20ofColumbiaRiverNov139web).pdf

A video clip from the CBC archives outlining some of the problems the Cree have faced with the power plant in James Bay

(Edited to add some new links to the Grade 5 side on 02.23)

Two Interesting Invitations

Recently, one of the parents in our class sent our class an invitation to a Raging Grannies event in celebration of International Women's Day. I'll be there and wanted to pass along the invite:

Hi Lisa,

I hope this email finds you well! I wanted to invite your class to come
see the Raging Grannies at our International Women's Day event at Women
and Gender Studies at U of T. A grade 6 class from Huron is also
invited. Its in the evening, so it probably can't be a field trip. But I
am happy to "chaperon" if students want to come to this. Of course, you
are welcome too. I think there is singing involved!

On the raging grannies: http://raginggrannies.org/

WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES IWD EVENT

THE RAGING GRANNIES, TORONTO CHAPTER


DATE: Wednesday March 9th
TIME: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
LOCATION: Lash Miller Building, Room 59, Southwest corner of St. George, at the corner of St. George and Willcocks

best,
Michelle Murphy

For more information, contact me and I'll put you in touch with Michelle.

I also got an interesting invitation from Darren O'Donnell, whose recent projects include Haircuts by Children, to get kids to take part in a new show he's working on called "Monster Makers". He's running several free hour long workshops at Harbourfront on February 27th, if you want to get involved. Here's the link to the facebook invite page:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=193220287363539.

In other news, we're filming on Tuesday (I have confirmations from two parents helping out but would love to pin down two more for sure) and reports go home on that day as well. Confirmation of interview times will go home with reports.

The new pacing has been a bit tricky to adjust to this year, but when I look back over our year, I'm astonished and pleased at all the growth I've seen in the students. So many great experiences together already! and so many more to look forward to.

Snow Day!

Well, this is exciting (and almost unheard of in the Toronto Board)!

I'm enjoying my day off working on reports and keeping warm with lots of tea. Hopefully, we'll go tobogganing later when the wind dies down. I hope you all have similarly laid back enjoyable days.

I'm mostly posting to let you know that I've postponed the walking field trip tomorrow since the prospect of wading through 30 cm of snow to get to our destination seemed daunting. Instead, we'll go just before March Break.

Have fun!