How do we know our history/past?
How was history recorded in the past? Explain the evolution of ‘writing’? Include some pictures.
Why do we need to be critical thinkers while learning about history?
Ancient Civilizations: Where do we come from?
Posted by in Humanities 6.1 | Humanities 6.2 - (0 Comments)Unit 3: Ancient Civilizations
Unit question: What is a legacy?
Key Concept: Time
Post 3-4 Pictures that link to Ancient Civilizations.
Answer:
1) A legacy is…
2) What does the word Ancient mean?
3)What does it mean to be civilized?
4) Where did people come from?
5) What is an archeologist?
6) How do we understand our past?
Homework: Make a family tree to help understand our ancesotrs that dates back as many generations as you can.
You can use this site if you want.
Have you ever thought about where your coat comes from? How about your handbags, belts and feather pillows? Wool sweaters, shoes?
1) Make a list of all the animals we use for clothing.
2) Make a list of all the Clothing Items you can think of, that we use animals for.
How you ever thought about where these animals come from? How they are raised, grown kept?
Have you thought about the process the item goes through to be used by you?
We will learn about the process of Leather, please write the steps the cow goes through to become leather on your shoe!
1) Write the steps from Cow to Leather
2) Is using leather for several the items mentioned above really necessary? Or is it a luxury?
3) Will you think twice the next time you purchase a new piece of clothing?
Animals have been used in for Biomedical research for centuries. It is a topic of great debate, as the use of animals have helped us to cure disease, develop vaccines and solve medical problems. However, there are some people who believe using animals for research is inhumane and wasteful.
animals_medical_discoveries: http://www.kids4research.org/kids/Puzzles_Posters_and_More.asp
Research Gone Wrong: http://www.pcrm.org/research/animaltestalt/animaltesting/dangerous-medicine-examples-of-animal-based-tests
What do you think? Should animals be used in research?
To better understand either side of the debate we need to do some research.
You will be choosing a side: FOR animals in research, or AGAINST animals in research. The class will be split into two teams. The team that has the most, and best arguments will win the case.
You need to find as many arguments to support your case and present them to the judge (Ms. Mel) in our class court case!
| FOR | AGAINST |
| Human life has greater value than animal life | Animals have as much right to life as human beings |
| Legislation protects all lab animals from cruelty or mistreatment | Strict controls have not prevented researchers from harming animals |
| Millions of animals are killed for food every year – if anything, medical research is a more worthy death | Deaths through research are absolutely unnecessary and are morally no different from murder |
| Few animals feel any pain as they are killed before they have the chance to suffer | When locked up they suffer tremendous stress. Can we know they don’t feel pain? |
| God gave us animals to use, because he made us more intelligent | Animals are conscious beings that have feelings and are just as intelligent. |
| Surgical practices have been perfected, saving lives. | Animals have different physical bodies so the techniques can’t be exactly perfected in surgery. |
| Vaccines and medicines have saved millions of lives, due to animal testing | Drugs tested on animals don’t show the same results. |
| Using animals is inexpensive | Keeping Animals in a cage affects the outcome of the experiment due to the stress they are under. |
To help you organize our research and see how you will be assessed, go to this Google Doc.
Many of us use animals or animal products in our diets. Have you ever thought about how the animal you are eating has been raised or grown? How is it prepared to be placed on your plate? Most animals are raised on farms, but idea and model of traditional farming is changing to meet the dietary needs of an ever growing population. Much of our food today is coming from Factory Farms, where they raise animals in ways that are cost efficient and offer the most production at low costs.
To think about:
How many times a week do you eat meat? What kinds of meat?
Where is the meat you eat grown? Fed?
Have you ever visited a farm? How were the animals treated?
How are the animals slaughtered? Is it ‘humane?’
#1 Watch From farm to Fridge: This is a short documentary made by the organization ‘Mercy For Animals’, a national animal advocacy organization known for its shocking undercover investigations exposing cruelty to animals at factory farms, hatcheries and slaughterhouses. Narrated by Academy Award-nominee James Cromwell.
This is a very graphic documentary, and some of the images and footage is very disturbing. They used some undercover cameras to expose the culture and cruelty of factory farms. Due to this film and exposure to what is happening on these farms it has sparked passing legislation to ban cruel farming methods. Also, more and more people are becoming Vegetarian or Vegan.
To Do:
Find out where a local market or store gets their meat.
How is the meat grown? Slaughtered and prepared and shipped for the market?
Report your findings back to the class.
#2 Sharkwater- Documentary made by Rob Stewart, who is a young Canadian passionate diver. He looks at stereotypes and media coverage of sharks as bloodthirsty, man-eating monsters. He shows the reality of sharks and their importance in the oceans and our lives. Some undercover camera work is required to show some of the corruption and the reason for the decline of the world’s shark populations in the marine reserves of Cocos Island, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Stewart shows how sharks could easily be wiped out within a few years due to human greed.
To think about:
What is your opinion of sharks? Have you ever seen one in the ocean?
Have you ever eaten Shark fin soup?
ON YOUR OWN TIME: Watch the Documentary.
To do:
1) Post a picture of a shark or a dramatic photo related to shark finning.
2) Post a reflection that answers the following:
What was this documentary about?
How did you feel about sharks before watching this film?
What is something you didn’t know about sharks before watching this film?
What was the most shocking thing or part you saw.
What would happen (to the ocean and you) if sharks became extinct?
Are there any other species we need to worry about?
What can/will you do to protect sharks?
Animals for Entertainment:
Posted by in Humanities 6.1 | Humanities 6.2 | Uncategorized - (10 Comments)We use animals in our lives for many types of entertainment.
Pets, Circus, Zoo, Aquariums, Movies/T.V, Rodeo, gambling (fighting, racing), hunting, trophy fishing, riding horses, Trophy Hunting, Magic shows, tourist attractions and more.
To think about:
Do you have pets? If so what kind of pets? Where did you pet come from? Are they by chance a species that is endangered? Think about why people have pets, and where should some of these animals actually be…
Do you think the use of the animals in the above ways are acceptable (circus, zoo, aquarium, rodeos, racing etc.)?
#1: Watch “Monkey Business”. This is a short documentary made right here in Indonesia. It’s about the use of Monkeys to help make a living in Jakarta, and some other Indonesian cities.
How did watching this film make you feel?
Why is this an ethical situation?
What would make you happy? What could you do to help?
#2 Watch ‘The Cove’- directed by Louie Psihoyos and produced by Paula DuPre Pesman and Fisher Stevens, written by Mark Monroe. Awarded for best documentary in 2009. It depicts the capture and use of dolphins for both entertainment and food. Film makers had to use hidden cameras and took extreme risks to get some of the footage on this deep dark secret.
WARNING: Scenes in this documentary are graphic and disturbing, it may not be appropriate for all audiences.
For more information you can take a look at this website: http://www.thecovemovie.com/
Think of times you have interacted with dolphins or saw dolphins and write down that experience (aquariums, on holidays ‘swim with the dolphins’ experiences.
How did you feel when you saw the dolphins being herded and trapped?
Go to this website to sign a petition to put pressure on the Government. http://www.thecovemovie.com/
Now that you know where the dolphins are coming from and what they are doing with them, would you engage in these experiences again if you had the opportunity?
How are these two situations of using animals similar? Different? How has your opinion for using animals for entertainment changed?
Margaret Mead said, “never rely on the governments or institutions to solve any major problem… all social change comes from the passion of individuals.”
Unit Question: Who deserves rights?
Humanities Key Concept: Systems
AOI: Environments
Significant Concept: The use of animals in our society has ethical and environmental implications.
1. Answer the unit question.
2. Find a picture that relates to the topic of rights.
First lest explore the history and evolution on Human Rights and watch ‘The Story of Rights’
What are a few of your rights as a Human?
List 5.
Read more here.
3. Do you think animals deserve rights too? If so what rights should they have?
We will be learning about Animal Rights. I think animals deserve to have the following rights:
1.
2.
3.
4.
As you all know Earth Day is coming up and everyone at Sinarmas World Academy is participating to help reach the ‘Billion Acts of Green’ goal.
Grade six have already fulfilled our first act:
and our garden is flourishing! Feel free to visit or ask a Grade 6 student to get involved!
The whole school will be participating in several acts of Green during the day. One activity will be planting fruit trees on our school grounds.This meets our second pledge…
Way to go SWA for showing your care and taking action. Lets ensure we are taking action EVERY day, not just Earth day!
If you would like to take further action in your community take a look:
ENO Tree Planting Day – Indonesia
From May 22, 2012 – 9:00 am to May 22, 2012 – 5:00 pm
Kab. Tangerang, Indonesia
Created by ENO_Programme_FD | Photos | 0 Comments
Come join the ENO Tree Planting Day on May 22nd, 2012 in coordination with the Earth Day celebrations worldwide. The ENO Tree Planting Day is an open event for schools and groups interested in environment and peace. It is arranged twice in a year, in May and in September. We plant trees and get to know about species on the planting sites. Tree planting is one of the most popular activities in the ENO Programme.
We will celebrate our 12th tree planting day on the 22nd of May, as well as the international year of forests and the day of biological diversity by United Nations. Our goal is to get 10 000 schools involved.
This year, the MTs Al Ishlahiyah school in Kab. Tangerang will be participating.
Hope you can make it too!
The grade six ‘Garden Project’ began back in September during the Grade 6 first unit entitled- Eco Action. During this unit students were given opportunities to explore environmental issues in relation to water, air and land pollution in Jakarta as well as globally. Students went on a field trip and visited a water treatment plant, landfill and recycling plant to investigate some types of pollution problems and solutions in their community.
These photo’s were taken at the Budha Tzu Chi recycling center.
A slideshow from the Water Treatment Plant in BSD city.
Here is a student video based on some of their findings during their investigation:
This is when students started talking about planting a garden at SWA.
Then, the grade six’s second unit was regarding the topic of animal rights. They looked at food sources and where their food comes from. Students were shocked to see how far food travels, as well as the way we obtain food sources. They also looked at population growth and how farming has changed over time to meet our dietary needs. This sparked the students interest and they decided they wanted to plant a vegetable garden at our school to allow all students at SWA to live more sustainable lifestyles. Also, they wanted to see first hand, where some of their food comes from.
The first step the students took was writing letters to administration to kindly ask for land space and justify their reasons for planting a vegetable garden. We took class time to write professional letters to Mr. Paul Sebastian and Mr. John McBride, then patiently waited for their response. Here is a glimpse of a student letter from Dave:
Due to student intiative and well written letters with exellent reasons they were given the green light to go ahead with the garden just before Christmas break!
Students then realized the next hurdle, and that was preparing the land to get ready to seed. They didn’t have any tools or proper equipment for preparing the space. They considered buying the tools themselves because they were so passionate about getting started, but after some consideration they decided to request borrowing money from the community and service fund, which could later be paid back with the sales of their vegetables in the future.
Georgina, Sandra and Gabby wrote a letter to Mr. Rick requesting the money needed to buy their priced out tools and thankfully he approved! So during their own time on the weekend the students(above) went shopping and bought several tools, shovels, hoes and other garden needs with the money.
Finally on January 31st 2012 we had our ‘Ground Breaking’ Ceremony. We officially started removing the grass from the plot and preparing the soil for planting.
Early February students worked hard to get their seed in the ground and seeds in planters to transplant at a later date.
they were very surprised at how quickly things have already started to come up!
Check out the Onions after ONE week!
And the cucumbers too!
The Grade six class will continue to work on this project and soon we hope our vegetables will be producing to sell to vegetables to community members in the lobby of SWA!
Stay tuned….
ME: Ms. Melanie Alde
