The 3 R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

We've probably all heard the message. The Earth's population continues to grow and we continue to use up more and more of the resources while creating more and more garbage. So what can we do about it?

The good thing is that we can all make a difference. It may not seem like much if we put our paper in the recycling 'blue' bin, but if everyone in the world does a little, it makes a big difference.

So...let's take a look at how people are trying to make a difference all over the world.

Lilly is in Japan and sent the following photos. Thank you Lilly.

Lilly is in Japan. She went on a city tour of Wakkanai, Japan. She visited a recycling depot and a solar panel site to conserve energy. Lilly sent us these photos of two Japanese sites that are trying to make a difference.

If you are able to visit a site that is working to make the Earth a better place, send me a photo with a few sentences about where it is and what is happening.

What about where you live? What is happening in your part of the world to help make the world a cleaner place to live? Is there any sign of reducing, reusing, or recycling (RRR)?

If so, tell us about what is happening where you are. Tell us what you may be doing or could do to help RRR. Why is it important? What would happen if we don't RRR?

Wow! A brand new year full of new possibilities...new beginnings...new challenges...new surprises...new.......you get the idea.

For many people the new year means a lot. They celebrate the new year in many different ways---fireworks, parties, resolutions, the polar bear swim...these are just a few ways people bring in the new year. People all over the world celebrate in their own way.

So I ask you...Do you celebrate the beginning of a new year? What did you do to bring in the 'new year'? If you are away from home, how did people celebrate in your part of the world? Do you think it is important to celebrate the beginning of a new year? Why is it important? If you think it's not that important, why not?

Pets Around the World: Chirp, Chirp, Chirp

Judan is studying in Korea this year and sent the following information and photos to share with the class. Thank you Judan!

I bought a baby chick for 50 cents. Then I thought he would be lonely so I went back and bought a girl. Now I have two chicks. Sometimes I take them out to catch worms and to eat bugs. Sometimes I catch dragonflies and bring them home for them. My mom and I clean their cage together. I love my chicks!

Museums Around the World (in Indonesia)

Reuben visited the Indonesian Heritage Museum and would like to share the following photos and comments.

I learned about Indonesian ancient history, artifacts, and the rich variety of textiles Indonesia is well known for.

Here, I am standing in front of a large statue of a long ago King of Melayu. 

Below is a photo of a shirt and an outfit worn by the aboriginal people (the Dayak) who lived in the tropical rainforest of Borneo (now named Kalimantan).  The shirt was made of animal skin and sewn with animal bones.  The colour is natural dye from plants. 

 

                        

Below is a cannon decorated with a dragon head carving.  It was used for ceremonial purposes only.

Museums Around the World (in Germany)

This is a museum report sent by Lili, a student who is studying in Germany.  Thank you for sharing this with us Lili.

 I‘m doing my museum report about Schloss Linderhof. My Great-Aunt and Great-Uncle took us there and we took a tour.

The castle is in Bavaria, Germany and we looked into every room there. It is not a very big castle but it was the king’s favourite castle. His name was King Ludwig and he loved other kings like French ones, and other places. He never really got to go to other places. The only place he ever went to was France. He wasn’t allowed to travel so he just built different places to bring them to him, like a Moroccan Tearoom, a Grotto, and a small version of Versailles Castle. His bedroom was amazing with a giant chandelier and a giant bed. In those days people weren’t very tall but Ludwig was a giant at 6 foot 4 inches like my Dad. I also liked the small purple room and the small silver waiting room. Every room had gold except for the silver room, which was for the servants to wait in. There was an amazing mirror room, where I could see 100 of myself if you looked into a certain mirror.



The Grotto



Then, we went to see the gardens on our way to the Grotto. The Grotto was amazing and Ludwig liked to get rowed around in the water by his servants.  He loved Wagner Operas and had live performances just for himself in the Grotto with singers, a choir and musicians. It was a really fun day!



Museums Around the World (in Vancouver)

In Vancouver, students visited the Beaty Biodiversity Musuem at the University of British Columbia.  One of the most impressive sites is the 26 meter long blue whale skeleton which is suspended in the entrance atrium.  Students had the opportunity to view fossils, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and many other specifmens from around B. C. and the world.  Here are a few photos taken during this field trip.

Mikel Visits Tropical Mexican Rainforest

Grade three students have been learning about rainforests, both temperate and tropical.  Of course, those of us who live in Vancouver, know what it is like to be in a temperate rainforest.  However, not many of us have experienced the tropical rainforest yet.  Well, we are lucky to have a student in our class currently in Mexico who visited a tropical rainforest in Nayarit, Mexico.

These are some photos that Mikel has forwarded to share with us.  In one of the photos you see a lake that was formed in a crater of a volcano.  The water is warm.  Mikel found the trip fascinating and was able to point out some of the plants and ferns he had learned about in his study of the tropical rainforest module.   The second photo shows the tops of homes overlooking the tropical rainforest.  On the other side the homes of floor to ceiling windows with a breath-taking view of the rainforest. 

Thank you Mikel for sharing these with us.

Welcome back to the 2011/12 school year!

What a glorious September so far...it's sunny, it's warm, and it still feels like summer! 
It's time to have some fun blogging.  I thought we'd start off the year with a game called 'Guess the Landmark'.  What is a landmark?   A landmark is a man-made object that is special because it represents something important or a natural object that is easily seen and recognizable. 

I have two landmarks that I would like you to try and identify.  One is a man-made landmark.  The other is a natural landmark.  You are to identify the landmarks and then tell me one thing about each one of them. 

Post your answers in the comment section of this posting.  

       

Visiting Hiroshima Peace Park & Museum

Dharma has been away for the year in Japan and Taiwan. She has forwarded the following report and photos to share with you. Thank you Dharma.

I went to Hiroshima to see some friends, but there is another reason I wanted to go there--- that was Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum. In the park , there is a Statue of Sadako. Sadako was a young girl who lived in Hiroshima from 1943 to 1955. She got leukemia from radiation. The radiation came from an atomic bomb. The bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945 on Hiroshima. Sadako believed that if she folded 1000 cranes, she would be cured and be able to run again. She had folded 641 paper cranes when she died on October 25, 1955. Her classmates helped fold up to 1000 cranes. So Sadako's wish was completed. Nowadays, people fold 1000 paper cranes and put them beneath the Statue of Sadako to wish for world peace. I am working on my cranes, too.

My Pet Hamster (by Tara)

My name is Tara and these pictures are of my hamster, Rosebud. I got her for Christmas and at first I thought she was a toy for my cat Mila because Mila was
playing with it while she was in her pink ball. After I learned that there was a hamster in the ball, my brother told me that it was mine. Rosebud loves to run
around in her ball and to run in her wheel. We have to get her a new wheel because she broke that one already.

Thank you,
Tara

Poetry Writing

Here are a couple of examples of poetry written by two Grade 3 students. Both use some interesting vocabulary and are good examples of different types of poetry.

The first one is a stair poem written by Tara who recently acquired a pet hamster and wanted to write about her.

The second poem is a cinquain written by Nathaniel about himself.

If this inspires you to write and illustrate a poem, great! Forward it to me and I will post it to share with the class. Make sure the words are printed darkly with lots of spacing between the words so that the poem is easier to read. Also, include a coloured illustration as it shows up much better.

Horseback Riding in Malaysia (by Abderrahmane)

I live in the state of Pahang in Malaysia. I go to horseback riding classes twice a week. My teacher's name is Mr. Faisal. He trains horses on a farm.

In the picture, I am at my class riding. I am riding a horse named Casino. She is 30 years old. She used to be a jumping show horse.

2011---Here We Come!

A new year begins with all sorts of new prospects and starts. A chance to begin again or take on new challenges and make new dreams come true. In the spirit of renewed energy to make positive changes, I want you to think about your neighbourhood, your community. If you had the power to make one positive change in your neighbourhood that would make things better or people happier, what would that change be? The change may be a very simple one or it could be something huge. It could be something that is added to your neighbourhood or something that is removed. Think about it. Talk to your family about it. Once you have an idea for a positive change in your neighbourhood, post your suggestion in the comment section.

Here's an example of a change I'd love to see in my neighbourhood.

We have a small green island where 3 streets meet. I would love it if this could be converted into a mini sitting area with a huge shade tree planted surrounded by benches so that it would be a wonderful place for neighbours to sit and talk.

Now it's your turn to post your positive suggestion for your neighbourhood in the comment section.

Life in Brazil (by Sebastian)

I am in the state of Minas Gerias in Brazil. It is super hot. The temperature in the shade is usually 30 degrees celsius, and in the sun, it has been as hot as 42! I thought 25 was hot in Vancouver. It has been very dry, and just after we arrived, there was a brush fire that my family helped to put out with branches.

It is a hard life here, and I wonder how my dad survived. I miss Canada, and our comfy couch. But, Brazil is like a candy store. My favourites are doce de leite, puddim do leite, and biscoito (leite is Portuguese for milk).

There are weird bugs here, called cigarra, that make loud humming noises. There are a lot of flying termites at night. I hate it when they fly in my dinner. We are on a farm and there are chickens, chicks, dogs, cats, and kittens.

The photos you see are of the fire and the kittens who live in the outdour biscuit oven.

O.W.L Visits V. L. N.

V. L. N. students thoroughly enjoyed a presentation given by the Orphanwd Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (O.W.L.) which included an onsite, face to face visit with two birds of prey---a falcon and a barred owl. Carrie, from O. W. L., shared a great deal of interesting information with us and brought in various other items of interest which included a mouse skeleton retrieved from an owl pellet, tallons from a barred owl and a skeletal head of a barred owl. Those of you who attended were probably as surprised as I to learn that a barred owl has up to 10,000 feathers!

We covered a great deal of information, some of which included answers to the following:

-why owls are difficult to see during the day

-why people should not litter on or near a highway

-what an owl pellet is and what may be inside one

-what nocturnal means
-what tallons are used for

-how beaks are used

It was a fascinating session!

Those of you who attended, please write one interesting fact that you learned about the birds of prey in the comment section. Those of you who were unable to attend, check out the following site for information on a few birds of prey and then contribute one fact to the comment section.

http://www.bczoo.org/birdsofprey.htm

Birds of Prey

Angeline visited a rescue and rehabilitation centre in Ketchican, Alaska last year. There she saw various birds of prey that had been rescued, including eagles and a condor. These are photos Angeline took of these Alaskan birds of prey.

Thank you Angeline for sharing your photos with us.

A New School Year Begins!

We're back! Summer holidays are a memory and we are ready to charge into the school year---right? Definitely!

There are so many fantastic websites, exciting information and photos to share. Sometimes you come across something completely new or strange. Well, I'd like to share one of these 'strange' videos with you. After you have watched the video, I want you to post a sentence in the comment section of this blog telling me one thing you learned about 'The Fainting Goats'.

'Fainting goats'? Yes, 'Fainting Goats'!

Have fun learning about them while watching the following video: Fainting Goats

Sun Yat Sen Gardens

Vancouver is filled with wonderful, scenic spots. One of the most beautiful sites in the heart of Vancouver is Sun Yat Sen Gardens. Students, parents, and teachers thoroughly enjoyed their field trip to the gardens and learned a little about the history of China.

I'm sure all of you have visited some place either locally or abroad that you will remember forever because it was so spectacular. Take a minute to post a comment telling us a little about where your memorable site is and what makes it so unforgettable.

Sip Smart: Drink Water

VLN students did a fabulous job in putting together a campaign for drinking WATER! Enjoy the show!

Fishy Wishy

Have you ever had fish kissing your feet? I have!

I went to a hot spring with my family in Taiwan. There were six pools with different temperatures. My favourite pool was the fish pool. Second was the cold pool. Last, but not least, was the hot pool.

These tiny fish don't actually 'kiss' your feet. They eat the dead skin off your feet. It is so itchy when they bite you that they can make you laugh. When we finished, our feet were very smooth.

What an experience that was!

(This report was submitted by Joleah who recently visited Taiwan. Thank you for sharing this experience with us, Joleah.)