Project 2: Cultural Connections
Students will gather information about the culture of Newfoundland and Labrador. Particular emphasis will be placed on folk medicines, language, holiday traditions, entertainment, games and toys. A variety of print and non-print materials will be use d as sources of information. Students will also conduct interviews with grandparents and other older members of the community. The information they find will be used to construct a cultural data base that can be accessed by other students via the Intern et, as well as extended by future grade 5 classes.
It is also our objective to establish links with schools in areas of the province with traditions that are very different from our own. These links will enable students to share information and will provide them with a broader base for gathering infor mation to add to their cultural data base.
The study of culture is a major component of the Grade 5 Social Studies Program. In the text, The Atlantic Edge : Living in Newfoundland and Labrador, Chapter 3 "Grandparent's Days" and Chapter 9 "Our Way of Living" provide the focal points for this study. The general goals and subject specific objectives are from the Social Studies. Process skills are found throughout the Grade 5 Curriculum and have been identified in our school-based Learning Skills Continuum. Technology learning outcomes were selected from the Key Stage Outcomes (Communication Domain - Elementary Level) identified by the Department of Education.
Subject Specific Objectives
Technology Learning Outcomes (Communication Domain - Elementary Level)
The Stellar Schools Internet connection will enable students to share and exchange information with students at other sites. Our school-wide LAN (Windows NT Server) will allow students to access Internet resources from any of the more than 30 workstat ions throughout the school.
Students will use a variety of print, non-print and human resources to complete this project. Interviews with grandparents, older members of the community and individuals involved in the preservation of Newfoundland culture will provide a great deal of valuable information.
The learning outcomes previously listed will be used as the basis for evaluation. Considerable emphasis will be placed on the degree to which students' attitudes and values have been affected by the project. This will be determined through group disc ussion using higher order questioning techniques to encourage reflective thinking. Teacher observation, check lists of skills, anecdotal records and work samples will be used to assess individual progress.
Participation in this project will give students a greater understanding of and appreciation for the cultural diversity that exists within our province.