Term 3 Week 7 - Online Learning

PYP Exhibition 

We have just completed the very first UDIS Primary Years Programme Exhibition. This is celebrated in all PYP schools around the world and is the culmination of the primary years programme. It is:-

• an opportunity to demonstrate independence and responsibility for their own learning
• for students to engage in an in-depth, collaborative inquiry
• to demonstrate how students can take action as a result of their learning
• A chance for students to reflect upon their journey through the PYP
• to unite the students, teachers, parents and other members of the

school community in a collaborative experience that incorporates the essential elements of the PYP

• to celebrate the transition of learners from primary to middle school education

It was a real pleasure to see how our students have developed as learners during the past school year. All of them were able to give a fifteen-minute presentation on something that they feel passionately about. The preparation for this involved researching, interviewing, observing, creating an artistic object and reading widely on the subject too. All of these are key skills in inquiry style learning.

If you were unable to join us, here are the links to each of the presentations:

Mamie. Michelle. Missy

Next week we will spend some time reflecting on what each of us has achieved, what we are proud of and what we could aim to improve on.

Maths

We have had a short week this week, but continued to work hard as usual. The students have been reviewing and revising prior learning including, number, algebra and fractions, decimals and percentages. The students also focused on elements from our new topic 'Prime Numbers and Proof'.

Next week, we will continue our next topic 'Prime Numbers and Proof' as well as reviewing and revising prior learning including statistics, number and measure.

As we will now not be returning to school, this means that the end of year assessment that Y7 have been preparing for will now no longer go ahead. However, please ensure that your child has submitted all their maths work as this will contribute towards their final assessment.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on charlotte.r@udoninternationalschool.com.

Thank you and have a great weekend!

Ms.Charlie :)

Term 3 Week 6 - Online Learning

Vision: Udon Thani International School (UDIS) inspires internationally-minded, balanced learners who thrive and become active, global citizens. 

English
This week we have given a lot of attention to speaking and listening. This is because we have been preparing our presentations for the PYP Exhibition. We've gained experience in keeping eye contact, nodding to show understanding and expressing thoughts in clear ways.

We also wrote an information report about the topic we are passionate about. It was an opportunity to review how to present information in an organized format. These are available to see with our exhibition work.

Science
Our ongoing focus on energy continued this week as we looked into how energy transfers from one form to another. We considered examples of this from around the home.

Maths

We have had another busy week of virtual learning looking at our new topic Number Sense.
Next week, we will be doing a small Maths project focusing on statistics skills, including line and measure.

PYP Exhibition
Please join us via video link next week. Details are here

We look forward to seeing the children at school next week. Please look at the information that has gone out in emails from the school office. 

Term 3 Week 5 - Online Learning

Vision: Udon Thani International School (UDIS) inspires internationally-minded, balanced learners who thrive and become active, global citizens. 

The half-term break on Monday and Tuesday meant that this was a short week, but with a lot of learning going on.

English: We continued on from similies last week and moved onto metaphors this week. We saw how metaphors are used daily around us in songs, chit -chat and for formal writing too. Our task was to enhance a previous piece of writing by adding similies and metaphors.

We also reviewed how to write an information report. This was part of the work which we will present as part of our PYP Exhibitions in a couple of weeks.

EAL: Our focus has been on reviewing some of the basics patterns of English. For Thai speakers using the English structure. 'There is/ are..' is often a challenge. We were able to turn this into an interesting verbal exercise which involved discussing pictures. We then had to write about Udon Thani using this structure.

Science: We have been inquiring into changes in forms of energy. We found that some of the electrical power used in Udon Thani comes from a dam in Laos. the movement of the water causes turbines to spin, which in turn cause generators to produce electricity. This is an example of kinetic energy being transformed into electrical energy.

Exhibition; Students received support in how to present their work as a video. A lot of self-management skills were exercised in doing this. Communication skills were used as students were required to explain themselves clearly in video format. We look forward to sharing these videos shortly.

Maths

We have had a short week this week, but continued to work hard as usual. The students completed the final part of their probability topic this week as we focused on:

To understand and use the probability scale.
To know that the sum of probability for all possible outcomes is 1.

The students also recapped using mental addition and subtraction strategies to solve calculations as part of the new topic: Number Sense.

Next week, we will continue our next topic 'Number Sense':

To know and use mental multiplication and division strategies for integers.
To use factors to simplify calculations.
To use estimation as a method for checking mental calculations
To know when to use a mental strategy, formal written method or calculator.

As there is a now a strong possibility that online learning will continue until the end of the academic year, this means we may be unable to complete practical elements, which were postponed. This means there will be a standalone lesson from the Lines and Angles Part One topic. Based on this, next week, we will also be focusing on:

To interpret simple pie charts using proportion.

It is really important that all students complete each assigned piece of work. The marks from each piece will contribute towards their final mark of the topic. All students have opportunities to make corrections to their work after submission. If a piece of work is missed, they will be given 0% for that piece of work, which can have an impact on their final topic score. It is essential that all students attend the Google Meetings as this will allow for clearer understanding and opportunity for face-to-face questions, which will help with the student's score that piece of work.

Please note - all pieces of work for 'Probability and Sets' must be handed in no later than today (22/05/2020). If there are any issues with work submission, please email me. Scores will be given on Monday 25th May 2020.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on charlotte.r@udoninternationalschool.com.

Thank you and have a great weekend!

Ms.Charlie :)

Thai and Thai history

Thai and Thai history

Thai language the learners their study about Literary and literary values It is a reflection of traditions,
traditions, culture and society. All Friday will study of Thai development in the 3 Rattanakosin periods is the Early Rattanakosin period Reform era into a modern country And the era of democracy Development in various fields Of each period is the foundation of the development of the Thai nation today.) for this week they have had slides showed about Rattanakosin era establishment.

Add caption

Term 3 Week 4 - Online Learning

Vision: Udon Thani International School (UDIS) inspires internationally-minded, balanced learners who thrive and become active, global citizens. 

Central Idea:  
Present-day societies are built upon the systems and technologies of past civilizations.

Line(s) of Inquiry :
- The connection between past and present
- Societal errors of the past
- Processes involved in collecting, analysing and validating evidence

English
This week we revised how to use similies. These certainly make writing more fun. We enjoyed looking
at a the lists of usual ones and then trying to create more creative ones ourselves. We eventually
came up with poems that used similies and then shared them with one another.
Next week we will revise metaphors.

E.A.L
students are obviously interested in the history of their own country, Thailand. This has
meant that rather than researching Romans, Aztecs or other ancient civilizations, the students have
been very actively finding out about life in Thailand long ago. We looked into education, agriculture
and government systems of Thailand long ago. This was the perfect opportuinty for the students to
exercise proper use of the past tense.

Science
This week we learned that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it just keeps changing form.
Students followed a story that showed examples of what this looks like in daily life.

Maths

This week, we continue with our topic of Probability and Sets.
The students have looked at the following:
To understand and use the union of sets.
To generate sample spaces for single events.
To calculate the probability of a single event.

The students have also had an opportunity to do further research about probability on Monday and completed a revision task of prior learning on Thursday.

Next week, we have a three day week due to being on half term Monday and Tuesday. We will finish our 'Probability and Sets' topic and begin our next topic 'Number Sense':

To understand and use the probability scale.
To know that the sum of probability for all possible outcomes is 1.

New topic - To know and use mental addition and subtraction strategies for integers.

It is really important that all students complete each assigned piece of work. The marks from each piece will contribute towards their final mark of the topic. All students have opportunities to make corrections to their work after submission. If a piece of work is missed, they will be given 0% for that piece of work, which can have an impact on their final topic score. It is essential that all students attend the Google Meetings as this will allow for clearer understanding and opportunity for face-to-face questions, which will help with the student's score that piece of work.

Please note - all pieces of work for 'Probability and Sets' must be handed in no later than Friday 22nd May. Scores will be given on Monday 25th May 2020.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on charlotte.r@udoninternationalschool.com.

Ms.Charlie :)

Next week we will look at the PYP Exhibition presentations and spend time bringing the work to a conclusion. Students will begin to plan questions to ask one another.

Term 3 Week 3 - Online Learning

Vision: Udon Thani International School (UDIS) inspires internationally-minded, balanced learners who thrive and become active, global citizens. 

Central Idea:  
Present-day societies are built upon the systems and technologies of past civilizations.

Line(s) of Inquiry :
- The connection between past and present
- Societal errors of the past
- Processes involved in collecting, analysing and validating evidence

Unit of Inquiry
This week we looked into how ancient civilizations regularly mistreated people and denied people their human rights. We were particularly interested in anciet civilizations of Thailand, Greece and Eqypt. It seems that children often had a hard lifebecause they had to work to earn their living.

Reading

The online research for the unit of inquiry has been a opportunity to practice skimming for information and grasping the main points.

Writing

This week we practiced editting our own work to check for grammatical accuracy. We also were required to add the most suitable words from a thesaurus.

Science

We are now reviewing types of energy and how they are used.

Student have been preparing for the PYP. This is an online presentation they are going to share.

8 tips for studying at home efficiently: please click this link

Maths

This week, we finished our Lines and Angles Part Two topic and moved onto our new topic: Probability and Sets.

The students have looked at the following:

To solve angle problems using properties of triangles and quadrilaterals. (end of topic)
To identify and represent sets.
To create, analyse and identify elements of a Venn diagram.
To understand and use the intersection of sets.

The students have also had an opportunity to research and prepare for the new topic on Monday.

Next week, we will continue with 'Probability and Sets'. Along with the revision and recap learning sessions, we will be focusing on the following:

To understand and use the union of sets.
To generate sample spaces for single events.
To calculate the probability of a single event.

It is really important that all students complete each assigned piece of work. The marks from each piece will contribute towards their final mark of the topic. All students have opportunities to make corrections to their work after submission. If a piece of work is missed, they will be given 0% for that piece of work, which can have an impact on their final topic score. It is essential that all students attend the Google Meetings as this will allow for clearer understanding and opportunity for face-to-face questions, which will help with the student's score that piece of work.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on charlotte.r@udoninternationalschool.com.

Ms.Charlie :)

Term 3 Week 2 - Online Learning

Maths

Even though we have had a four day week, the students are getting back into a routine with online learning.

We have continued this week with our Lines and Angles: Geometric Reasoning topic. The students have looked at the following:

To know and apply the sum of angles in a triangle.
To know and apply the sum of angles in a quadrilateral.

The students have also had opportunities to complete revision and recap learning on Monday and Thursday this week. Recap learning focused on the current topic as well as previously covered topics this academic year.

Next week, we will finish our 'Lines and Angles Part Two' topics and begin our new topic of 'Probability and Sets'. Along with the revision and recap learning sessions, we will be focusing on the following:

To solve angle problems using properties of triangles and quadrilaterals.
To identify and represent sets.
To understand and use the union of sets.

Further to my previous recommendations, in order to ensure these lessons are completed effectively, I would advise the students to invest in a geometry set. A few of the students already have their own and they agreed it has proven useful to have their own.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on charlotte.r@udoninternationalschool.com.

Ms.Charlie :)

Term 2 Week 13 - Online Learning

Well done to Year 7. We have made it to the end of term 2.

Over the past two weeks, we have certainly developed some important skills. Firstly, self-management. Most students were very good at planning their times and joining meetings.  They've also done well in terms of simply getting their work done in challenging situations.

We will begin term three by continuing with the same unit of inquiry:

Central Idea:  Present-day societies are built upon the systems and technologies of past civilizations. (Thai Link)

Line(s) of Inquiry :

• The connection between past and present -connection 
• Societal errors of the past - reflection 
• Processes involved in collecting, analysing and validating evidence -form

This unit is focussed particularly on history, and so we're learning how to make sense of primary sources such as photographs, artefacts and such things. We are linking this with science and learning about the simple machines of the past, particularly gears.  The social studies aspect is concerned with looking at how previous generations did not appreciate human rights as we do today.

The English work related to this unit of inquiry has been concerned with writing in a persuasive style. When we return we are going to work especially carefully on how to write good descriptions. This will support the history work we are doing.

Maths

We have made it to the end of Term 2! A huge congratulations to those who have really persevered with online learning in Maths. I know some of you have found it tough, but you can all definitely give yourselves a pat on the back.

On Monday, the students completed their Fractional Thinking assessment online. This proved to be a success. We have had positive feedback from the students and this may be something we can look into in the future. All students who took the assessment were sent their scores on Tuesday morning. If you are unaware of your child's score, please discuss this with them.

Our new topic is 'Lines and Angles', which has two subtopics. The first subtopic we are working on is 'Constructing, measuring and using geometric notation'. The learning this week included:

Letter and labeling conventions

Draw and measure line segments

Angles as a measure of turn

Classify angles

Further to my previous recommendations, in order to ensure these lessons are completed effectively, I would advise the students to invest in a geometry set. A few of the students already have their own and they agreed it has proven useful to have their own.

I hope you and your families all have a wonderful break. Please stay safe during this time. If you do have any questions over the break, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will try my best to respond. See you in term 3 whether in the classroom or via Google Meet.

Ms.Charlie :)

Term 2 Week 12 - Online Learning

What a very unusual week!

This week we teachers have been teaching without actually meeting our students face to face! For Year 7 this meant doing learning via Google Meet and Google Classroom. Both students and teachers have been getting used to doing things differently. The learning has still gone on, although in a different format. Here's an overview of our learning.

Central Idea:  Present-day societies are built upon the systems and technologies of past civilizations. (Science & Thai Link)

Line of Inquiry: The connection between past and present.

Science- this week we looked at the six kinds of simple machines. The challenge was to take some of these and develop them into a toy. This gave students something active to engage in during the time that they were unable to go out. Next week we will learn about gears and consider how our toys or devices could be improved by adding gears.

English - our focus this week was on reading about a civilization of the past and researching either education, healthcare or government worked at that time. The task was then to take the notes and present them as an information report with an introduction, paragraphs and a conclusion.

Next week there is going to be a particular focus on reading. We are going to read about how historians work and look at some examples of things they might read. The writing focus is going to be on persuasive writing.

Term 3 Week 1 - Online Learning

Welcome to Term 3

I have been really impressed with the good work that I have seen. Students have really been stretching themselves in the area of independence. I am glad to see that they are getting online to talk to me, answering my emails and getting work done by themselves. This is a great opportunity for them to develop all of the skills that our school expects of them.

Central Idea
Present-day societies are built upon the systems and technologies of past civilizations.
Link with Thai

The line of inquiry we are focussing on is: Societal errors of the past

I have introduced Anne Frank and her experience as a Jewish girl in Europe during the 1940s. Students have begun to question who the Nazi's were and what they stood for.

Writing - Just as Anne Frank had to stay indoors for long periods, so do we too. Students have complained about the lack of things to do. They were reminded that Anne had no television and do no internet connection, yet she wrote an amazing account of what was happening around her. Year seven students are required to keep a diary of this experience. Although on the surface, things seem the same day to day, each one of us has individual experiences, thoughts and challenges to deal with. A diary is a great way to record experiences to look back on.

Reading - Epic books is a wonderful resource to keep the students engaged in reading. This week, as a group, we read 'Separate is Never Equal'. It's a story of a Mexican girl who experiences racism and how she deals wisely with it. Students are required to read something of their choice from Epic books every day. Please talk to them about their reading choices. Even though it may be an English book, it is still a good idea to talk about it in your home language.

Science - Continuing with simple machines, students have watched two videos about windmills. We had a small group discussion about how exatly these work and what they can be used for. They were very interested in the fact that electricity can be produced by windmills, and so we reminded ourselves of the movie,'The boy who harnessed the wind.' Next week we will look into water wheels and consider how these simple machines can benefit our environment.

Maths

Welcome back! We are now in the final term of academic year 2019/2020 and we have gone straight back to work!

We have continued this week with our Lines and Angles: Geometric Reasoning topic. The students have looked at the following:

Understand and use angles on a point.
Understand and use angles on a straight line.
Understand and use the equality of vertically opposite angles.

The students have also had opportunities to complete revision and recap learning on Monday and Thursday this week. Recap learning focused on the current topic as well as previously covered topics this academic year.

Next week, along with the revision and recap learning sessions, we will be focusing on the following:

To know and apply the sum of angles in a triangle.
To know and apply the sum of angles in a quadrilateral.
To solve angle problems using properties of triangles and quadrilaterals.

Further to my previous recommendations, in order to ensure these lessons are completed effectively, I would advise the students to invest in a geometry set. A few of the students already have their own and they agreed it has proven useful to have their own.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on charlotte.r@udoninternationalschool.com.

Ms.Charlie :)

Term 2 Week 12 - Online Learning

Central Idea:  Present-day societies are built upon the systems and technologies of past civilizations. (Science & Thai Link).

Line of Inquiry: The connection between past and present  

This week we teachers have been teaching without actually meeting our students face to face! For Year 7 this meant doing learning via Google Meet and Google Classroom. Both students and teachers have been getting used to doing things differently. The learning has still gone on, although in a different format. Here's an overview of our learning.

Science- this week we looked at the six kinds of simple machines. The challenge was to take some of these and develop them into a toy. This gave students something active to engage in during the time that they were unable to go out. Next week we will learn about gears and consider how our toys or devices could be improved by adding gears.

English - our focus this week was on reading about a civilization of the past and researching either education, healthcare or government worked at that time. The task was then to take the notes and present them as an information report with an introduction, paragraphs and a conclusion.

Next week there is going to be a particular focus on reading. We are going to read about how historians work and look at some examples of things they might read. The writing focus is going to be on persuasive writing.

Maths

We have come to the end of our first week of online learning! Although some students have found this transition more difficult than others, we have managed to gain a better understanding about the Google Classroom, Google Calendar and Google Meet.

Please note:

• Maths work is available on Google Classroom from 7am every day with a deadline of 6pm. (If the students require an extension, I will need a valid reason in order for this to be considered.)
• A maths meeting takes place on Google Meet with myself and Mr.Golf from 10am until 12pm. This is an opportunity for the students to join us and discuss the maths work of the day. This is not mandatory, but based on the marks the students have been getting on their first attempt of their work, I would encourage it.
• 'I did it in my book' - this comment is frequently popping up on the students submissions. Firstly, I love that they are doing their calculations in their maths book! However, please encurage them to take a photograph of this work and upload it to the slide. This can have an impact on their mark and also allow me to see where they may need help.

On Monday 30th March 2020, the students will complete their Fractional Thinking assessment in the form of a quiz assessment on Google Classroom. This will be the only work they complete, giving them time to do additional revision for the assessment. The assessment will be available from 7am and the deadline will be 12pm. This will allow time for marking and feedback in the afternoon. Myself and Mr.Golf will be available from 10am to 12pm as usual for if any of the students need some support with reading the question or requesting a Thai translation.

Our next topic is 'Lines and Angles', which has two subtopics. The first subtopic we are working on is 'Constructing, measuring and using geometric notation'. The learning next week will include:

Letter and labeling conventions

Draw and measure line segments

Angles as a measure of turn

Classify angles

Further to my previous recommendations, in order to ensure these lessons are completed effectively, I would advise the students to invest in a geometry set. A few of the students already have their own and they agreed it has proven useful to have their own.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please ensure that the students are submitting their work and completing any maths corrections they may need to do. : )

Term 2 Week 11

Central Idea:  Present-day societies are built upon the systems and technologies of past civilizations.

Line(s) of Inquiry :

• The connection between past and present  
• Societal errors of the past
• Processes involved in collecting, analysing and validating evidence

Science - We started off the week by finding out what kinds of simple machines were used in ancient times. Three important ones we found were the pulley, the screw and the lever. We built models so that we would have a better understanding of them. Another activity involved watching a video and looking for all of the examples of these simple machines. There are lots of books on 'Get Epic' about these machines, we particularly enjoyed 'Stone Age Science- simple machines'. If you'd like to get busy at home with something to make, that book has wonderful instructions on how to make the machines.

English - Reading. We began by reminding ourselves about how information is divided into paragraphs. We read about Cleopatra and worked on identifying the main idea of each paragraph. Next week, we'll begin looking at good phrases for beginning paragraphs. We'll read and see how good authors do this.
Writing - the objective this week was to write an information report about health, education or government in an ancient civilization. Again, the focus was on organising writing into paragraphs and having a clear focus for each one.

Maths We have had a crazy week in Maths, but we have worked hard as usual. Thankfully for Year 7, we have already been doing a lot of practice with Google Classroom to ensure they were ready for in case the school needed to close. Sadly, that has come to be, but we will continue to provide essential maths learning online via Google Classroom.

We have focused on a lot of content this week as we started our new topic of 'Fractional Thinking - Addition and subtraction of fractions'. The content we covered was:

To understand representations of fractions

To convert mixed numbers and fractions

To add and subtract unit fractions with the same denominator

To add and subtract fractions with the same denominator

To add and subtract integers from fractions expressing the answer as a single fraction

To understand and use equivalent fractions

As learning moved online this week, it is still expected for the students to complete the daily maths work provided. This is uploaded at 7am every day with a deadline of 6pm to allow flexibility for other learning. I am available to video call between 10am and 12pm Monday to Friday should the students wish to speak to be about the maths work. Alternatively, all parents and students are free to send me an email at any time and I will do my best to respond as soon as possible.

The students completed their 'Directed Number' assessment last Friday. The students were emailed on Wednesday that if they wanted their results and their current percentage average to email me.

Next week, we will continue our topic 'Fractional Thinking'. The content we will cover is:

To add and subtract fractions where the denominator shares a simple common multiple.

To add and subtract with any denominator.

To add and subtract improper fractions and mixed numbers.

To use fractions in algebraic contexts.

To use equivalence to add and subtract decimals and fractions.

The assessment date for 'Fractional Thinking' will be Monday 30th March 2020. Details on how we will complete this assessment at home will be announced later next week.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please ensure that the students are submitting their work and completing any maths corrections they may need to do. : )

PYP Exhibition - we hoping to have a practice run of this late in April. Students have been informed and we are supporting them in preparation for it. Please do ask them to show you their journal so that you can support them in this important area of their work.

Online Learning with Google Classroom

Midweek we moved into online learning. There is a lot of good content on there. Please get used to using it. We're making it as interactive as possible.

As always, don't hestitate to ask about anything that is unclear.

Term 2 Week 10

This week we ended our unit if inquiry in conflict. The summative assessment involved writing an information report on a major conflict in the world. Here is a link to slides about it See link. You will surely be impressed when you read the topics that have been discussed; everything from unemployment to appreciation of the Thai baht. Click into the slides to find the work.

We now move onto a new unit of inquiry:

Central Idea:  Present-day societies are built upon the systems and technologies of past civilizations. (Thai Link)

Line(s) of Inquiry :

• The connection between past and present  
• Societal errors of the past
• Processes involved in collecting, analysing and validating evidence

Students have been asked which ancient civilization interests them. This is so that I can plan learning activities that engage them and link with their particular interests.

English will involve reading for information. We have wonderful books about the civilizations of the past. This will feed into a written report.

Science will involve looking at the design of simple machines that were used in the past. Students will investigate which simple machines were developed by past civilizations (for example, lever, ramp, pulley, screw, wheel).

Maths

Today we came to the end of another topic, which was 'Directed Number - Operations and equations with directed number'. Although learning took place in the classroom, all students worked from their laptops or tablets to gain a better understanding of online learning through Google Classroom. Surprisingly, all the students said they preferred this way as it meant they could have access to the material at home as well. Based on that and once their recent assessment has been marked, the next topic of 'Fractional Thinking - Addition and subtraction of fractions' will also be likely to be done through laptops and tablets.

We have focused on a lot of content this week as we entered the final week of 'Directed Number'. The content we covered was:

Using a calculator to solve problems with directed number
Evaluate algebraic expressions with directed number
Calculate two-step equations with directed number
Use the order of operations with directed number

The students took their assessment Friday morning and they will receive their scores on Monday.

Next week, we will begin our new topic 'Fractional Thinking'. The content we will cover is:
To understand representations of fractions
To convert mixed numbers and fractions
To add and subtract unit fractions with the same denominator
To add and subtract fractions with the same denominator
To add and subtract integers from fractions expressing the answer as a single fraction

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. :)