Cedar Class, Blog 3, 2022-2023

Literacy

Cedar are currently reading The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, their second Victorian novella following last term’s A Christmas Carol by Dickens. The class are building on their understanding of Victorian England, particularly London, which at the time of this story was the richest city on Earth, yet with some of the world’s poorest slums. Besides reading the book and interpreting the themes of duality in human nature as well as in society, the class are learning about the culture of the era with regard to science, religion, literature and art to gain an understanding of the world that Robert Louis Stevenson lived in and to put into context Victorian literature.

French

Intermediate group with Christine

From January to February we explored the world of collections and passions, with Antoine, one of the eight students featured in our study manual. As a reminder, in December we had spoken about the topic of houses with Manon. Through this new topic, we discovered the collections and passions of Antoine, and then each student had the opportunity to make a presentation of their own collections or passions. By doing this, we learned that one of the class has a passion for shells, another for turtles, specific books, specific cats, dogs…

While the students made their presentations, others were able to ask them questions about their passion (why, since when, how many…?)

In order to speak about their passions, they had to use some specific sentences such as « ma passion c’est… », « je suis passionné(e) de… », as well as specific adjectives (ce/cet/cette/ces). Those who asked questions also had to master questions « how many/combien de » etc.

In this lesson, we also had to master numbers up to 100 (orally and in writing) when speaking about prices or pocket money.

Alongside this topic, the class learnt a poem about Winter, and because of Epiphany in January and Pancake Day in February, we spent time reading and preparing two popular recipes « galette des rois » and « crêpes ». Cooking is appreciated by all the class and it was a nice opportunity for all of us to work together. After the break, we will start a new lesson with Akiko who will speak about food, recipes and healthy meals.

Advanced group with Marie

Cette troisième période a été bien chargée au niveau des apprentissages. Les élèves ont continué d’intégrer les notions de français.

en grammaire: les différentes propositions, voix active/voix passive, les compléments de verbe (cod, coi).

en conjugaison: les temps du récit imparfait/passé simple, le passé-composé, le participe passé/l’infinitif.

en orthographe: le pluriel des noms et des adjectifs, le féminin des noms et des adjectifs, une dictée préparée

en mémorisation: 2 poésies ont été apprises et récitées

en littérature: étude du genre poétique et versification

en expression écrite: la phrase et sa ponctuation

2 évaluations ont lieu pendant cette 3ème période

French/English IMYC with Joanna

This term Cedar worked on a very important topic: the Student Council. They began the term by introducing the topic to Oak and Elm students showing their skills of public speaking, getting their points across, speaking in a clear & concise way to be understood by all. During these meetings the 0ak & Elm students voted for the person they wanted to represent their classes for the rest of the school year (Arwen for Elm and Chloé for Oak). In further meetings the aim was to brainstorm within each class (Cedar students being the activity leaders) on any suggestions students would want to present to the Head of School (they discussed various things such as the cantine, computers, field trips, equipment, craft workshops, fundraising etc). At the end of this term the Student Representatives held their very first & very successful Student Council meeting with the Head of School where all these subjects were discussed. The 3 classes also voted on a beautiful motto : Learning to Love and Loving to Learn and created a ‘Pass on the Positivity poster’.

Ils ont appris et chanté 2 chansons: Les petits souliers de Guy Béart et Aux Champs Elysées de Joe Dassin.

Geography

The focus this term was Africa and after testing our knowledge of the countries in this vast continent (by trying to identify them on a blank map), each member of the class selected a particular country to research. They looked at its geographichal location, weather and climate, population, physical and human features and, where applicable, tourism and its effects. They also researched historical facts about the country and changes in population, economy and migration over time. The class looked at the effects of climate change, desertification where relevant, rural to urban migration and the particular strengths and challenges facing their selected country.

History

Our Cedars have been engaged with the study of the struggles for civil rights conducted by African Americans in the USA between the 1950s and 1970s. The students looked at the life of famous African Americans, like Jesse Owens and Martin Luther King. They also explored how African Americans fought for their civil rights, looking at the different ways in which they protested over the course of twenty years. Alongside that, our Cedars practised analytical writing, getting more and more familiar with a paragraph structure used to answer GCSE style questions. 

Science

Cedar students enjoyed learning about more chemistry concepts around the electron’s arrangement in shells; they learned about chemical and physical properties of group 1 and their reaction with water and metals. Cedar also explored the properties and trends of halogens and noble gases. Cedar students are now capable of naming metal-metal and metal-nonmetal compounds. They explored the different chemical bondings like covalent and ionic bonds.

ICT

In this unit, Elm students explored the concept of variables in programming through games in Scratch. First, learners find out what variables are and relate them to real-world examples of values that can be set and changed. Then they use variables to create a simulation of a scoreboard. They used the Modify-Create model in which learners experiment with variables in an existing project and then modify them before they create their own project.

Mathematics

In Statistics:

Cedar students constructed and interpreted various data tables, charts and diagrams, including frequency tables, bar charts, pie charts, pictograms, line graphs, stem and leaf charts and scatter graphs (correlation). Cedar students can clearly distinguish between positive and negative correlation, identify if it is strong, moderate or weak and understand that all outliers are not taken into consideration while drawing the line of the best fit. We then dived deeper into the construction of pie charts and calculated desirable percentage and number of degrees for the specific group of data. We also solved probability problems where we had to find all possible outcomes and calculated the probability of the desirable outcome. We then moved onto solving problems with ratio and proportion and now know how to simplify ratios and how to use ratio to compare quantities.

On the 2nd of February Elm and Cedar students participated in Les Concours Archimède. Les JEUX ÉNIGMES SOLIDAIRES pour collégiens francophones depuis 1989.

These puzzle games allowed children to highlight their knowledge, clearly express their mathematical thoughts and use their sense of observation.

37th International Mathematical Games

6 of our Elm and Cedar Mathematicians will participate in the 1/2 final of the 37th International Mathematical Games and on the 18th of March will proudly represent our school. Good luck with crunching those numbers and solving tricky logical problems.

Design and Technology

So they say that I worked hard this term… I had better put my feet up then, I think I deserve it.

Mrs. Harrington would agree…

Art

Our Cedars looked at the life and work of the Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky, looking at the links between art and music suggested by his paintings. Using Kandinsky’s art as inspiration, Cedar students explored the use of lines, shapes and colour to communicate different moods. Over the course of the term, each Cedar student chose an instrumental piece of music to be represented through abstract painting, using both water colours and paint. 

Drama Workshops

During this term, the Cedar class began to work on Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap”. The Cedar students started to read and perform the first act of the play, also doing significant work on tweaking and adjusting the play to the performance that they wanted to create. Our Cedars also worked on the study of their own characters, using the “hot seat” activity as a way to explore the background and the main characteristics of their own characters. The students designed their own questionnaire for the “hot seat” activity, reflecting on the best questions to explore the complexity of their characters. 

Creative Writing Workshops

Over the course of this term, the Cedar class continued their creative writing workshops, looking at how to edit their own fictional texts. The students learnt how to make small or bigger changes to their own writing, making sure that their fictional piece of writing included the main elements of narrative conventions. By doing that, the Cedar students appreciated the complexity of the editing process, learning how to modify their text to convey a specific meaning. 

Global perspectives

Over the course of this term, the Cedar class learnt how to create an academic poster to communicate the outcomes of their research. They focused on migrations – choosing case studies appropriate to answer their research questions. Working in two groups, the students designed their own posters, working on all the relevant sections, like the presentation of the research questions, the discussion of the methodology and the conclusions they developed from the results of their research. 

Cedar Class, Blog 2, 2022/2023

English

Cedar read Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol this term, delving deep into the familiar story of the cold-hearted Scrooge whose exclamation ‘Bah! Humbug’ has become synonymous with a curmudgeonly outlook on life. The class read the story in the context of London in 1843 when the Industrial Revolution was in full swing and thousands lived in squalor and misery. While Dickens used the book to express his outrage at their exploitation and to hold society’s wealthy accountable for the treatment of the poor, it is an uplifting story of second chances and redemption and has plenty of wit and humour. Cedar analysed characterisation, mood and atmosphere in the story and also discovered how our modern concept of Christmas is based on the images created by Dickens in this much-loved novella.

Alongside this, Cedar focused on Expository / Informational writing, and how authors inform and explain their purpose in writing. The class looked at the differences between informational, explanatory and descriptive writing and worked on using effective transitional words and phrases.

French

Intermediate Group with Christine

During this period, from November to December, the first topic we worked on was the one of the House with all his rooms and furniture. They had to be able to name and write properly the different places and all what is inside. We did a focus on the bedroom and each of the children had to make presentation of their dream bedroom including the things in it that reflect their passions (video games, poster or books about animals…). It was also an opportunity to speak about some castles in France and make them do a short presentation of one the famous monument in their own country. We ended this period talking about buying presents through a dialogue in their book and in another dialogue in which they had to do a roleplay.

Through written and oral exercises, they had the possibility to acquired new vocabulary, learn grammar/conjugation structures or review some others.

In January, we will go on working on the topic of purchase and we will speak about food (shops, menu, receipt, healthy food…).

I wish a Merry Christmas to all the families.

Advanced Group with Marie

Pendant cette deuxième période, les élèves ont continué à approfondir les notions de français:

en grammaire: les différentes fonctions de l’adjectif qualificatif (épithète/attribut du sujet), le complément du nom, phrases simples/complexes, les différentes propositions (subordonnées/conjonctives/juxtaposées).

en conjugaison: les temps du récit, l’imparfait, le passé simple.

en vocabulaire: étude de la notion du conte ainsi que la carte mentale du conte, vocabulaire du merveilleux et du fantastique, les différentes origines d’un mot.

en orthographe: l’infinitif et le participe passé, 2 dictées ont été effectuées.

en mémorisation: 1 poésie a été apprise et récitée.

en littérature: choix d’un livre de lecture puis rendu de la fiche en lien avec le livre, apprentissage du schéma narratif.

2 évaluations ont eu lieu durant le 2ème terme.

Spanish

This term we worked on the importance of family in Hispanic culture. We discovered the symbol of «La Llorona» through the popular Mexican song* in its most recent version* and saw the different versions of this legend so popular in the Hispanic world.

Then CHRISTMAS. They discovered the different characters existing in the Spanish Christmas and shared a moment of cooking to discover the TURRON.

Click here:

Mathematics

 Pythagoras’ Theorem. The children investigated with different triangles and understand the relationship between the three sides of the right angled triangle and know how to find the unknown side when two sides are provided. Cedar students solved different questions where the hypothenuse values were unknown and then used the trigonometric ratios of sine and cosine to find the value of certain angles. Young Cedar looked into real life applications of trigonometric ratios and solved problems with boats, planes and rockets where horizontal distance and angles of depression were unknown.

Cedar students used their previous knowledge of properties of faces, surfaces, edges and vertices of cubes, cuboids, prisms, cylinders, pyramids and cones and solved some complex problems where they had to calculate their volume and surface area.

See the source image
FFJM Fédération Française des Jeux Mathématiques

Elm and Cedar Mathematicians participated in the 1/4 final of the 37 th International Mathematical Games and those that will qualify to the 1/2 final will be notified by e-mail before 18th of March 2023. Well done Elm and Cedar, you did your very best to crunch those numbers and solved some tricky logical problems.

Science

During this term Cedar class enjoyed a wonderful time learning about chemical concepts. Students built on their previous knowledge of the particle theory of matter and developed new knowledge on elements, compounds and mixtures. They developed and demonstrate the spherical model of the atom and that elements contain only one type of atom and therefore cannot be split into different substances. 

We had the chance to spend a fantastic learning time on PhET virtual lab where all students discovered which particles affect the mass, name, and charge of an atom. And they play around adding protons, neutrons, and electrons to the atom. 

Students had time to study elements of periodic table and their physical and chemical properties. They compared and discussed chemical properties of Alkali, Halogens and Noble gases elements and their reactivity with water.

History

The Cedar class looked at women’s struggle for voting rights in the United Kingdom and in the United States, exploring how women gained the right vote. Students looked at how men and women lived in the Nineteenth and Twentieth century, making sense of the inequalities between their conditions. Students also worked on analytical writing, practicing the structure of paragraph based on the use of evidence to support a point. In the last weeks of the term, students prepared a short presentation on Suffragettes, looking at specific figures of women involved in their campaigns. 

Geography

This term the topic was Population and it coincided with Earth’s population reaching eight billion in November. The class looked at population trends, density and distribution around the world and the factors influencing them. The class discussed the challenges faced by countries with ageing populations where birth rates are low;  here, young people will soon be insufficient to fill the job market. Conversely, countries such as Ethiopia, which have a growing young population, face the prospect of its young people finding it hard to find work.  The class researched their own families for examples of the change in birth rates around the world, in some cases reporting grandparents in families of 10 children or more as opposed to their own two- or one-child family units.

Design and Technology

Birch, Walnut , Oak , Elm and Cedar collaborative Christmas decorations and costume design project.

Soap Project

ART

Over the course of this term, Cedar students worked on the backdrop representing the main theme of the school’s Christmas show “Christmas Stories from Around the World”, using different colouring techniques like water colours and paint. They also worked on other pieces of art – like the cover of the book including all the texts of the Christmas stories performed on stage – reproducing the design they had created for the backdrop. 

Global Perspectives

The Cedar class worked on migrations, looking at different case studies from around the world. The main focus of the work carried out by Cedar students was to map out appropriate ideas when having to answer a research question. Therefore, they worked on research skills, trying to select and evaluate the most relevant concepts related with the research question that they have chosen. The students have carried out this work in small groups, creating poster that could map out their ideas. 

Drama Workshops

Cedar students accomplished some fantastic work over the course of the term. The students worked on the development of a two-acts comedy that served as introduction and conclusion of the Christmas show. Cedar students worked on how to bring characters on stage, studying their emotional and physical features. They developed voice and improvisation skills, learning how a script could be brough successfully on stage. 

Creative Writing Workshops

Cedar students looked at dystopian texts, exploring a variety of mentor texts – Bradbury, Orwell, Jackson – to reflect on the main features and the most important themes conveyed by dystopian texts. The students focused on the planning stage of writing, using the Freytag’s pyramid as a tool to develop the plot of their story. During each workshop, Cedar students had the opportunity of sharing their work with a classmate, discussing ideas, and giving suggestions to each other. 

Cedar Class BLOG 1 Term 1 2022/2023

English

This term Cedar focused on Narrative, examining closely the elements that make it effective through close reading and annotating of short stories and excerpts from writers including Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks and Bram Stoker. While studying details of characterisation and setting the class observed not only the power of vocabulary and figurative language but also the impact of punctuation. With these model texts in mind, the class wrote their own narratives in which the emphasis was variously on a particular incident or a location or setting.

The class also read The Alchemist by Paul Coelho, the story of an Andalusian shepherd who leaves his homeland and crosses into Africa and across the desert into Egypt, prompted by a recurring dream of the Pyramids and treasure. This deeply spiritual book calls the reader to follow their heart’s desire and so fulfil their destiny, while demonstrating through Santiago’s travails that the journey may not be a direct or easy one. Steeped in allusions to the Bible and the Koran the class learnt about some of the key teachings of Christianity and Islam and broadened their general knowledge, learning about omens, the history of Alchemy and the life of Bedouins in the desert.

French

Intermediate Group with Christine

This year students will strengthen their knowledge of French and improve it with the help of  « Adosphere »,their new learning book. We will follow the lives of 8 teenage characters (4 girls and 4 boys) who present their daily life (tastes, emotions, worries) in relation to others and to the surrounding world. In each module there is a specific dialogue with one of the characters with topic-related vocabulary, grammar and conjugation. Some additional exercises are given out to consolidate learning. At the end of each module students will create their own questions (based on what was learned) & add questions to the ZigZag game. The students learned two poems this term ( about school and autumn) enabling them to develop oral skills and vocabulary. 

Just like last year, we do the daily Calendar exercise. This daily routine helps students to cover a large scope of topics like the date, the weather, the seasons, moods and activities. Each student should be able to ask questions to the others and receive answers. This is an interactive exercise in which all students of all levels partake.

After the holidays, the next module (with the character Manon) will cover the topic of the Home and we will also discover Castles in France. We will also talk about Christmas to close this time period. 

Advanced Group with Marie

Durant cette période, les élèves ont étudié plusieurs notions:

en grammaire: la phrase et ses caractéristiques (formes et types), la phrase simple et complexe (1 seul ou plusieurs verbes), la phrase verbale et a-verbale, le nom et le groupe nominal, les déterminants, les pronoms, l’adjectif, les mots invariables ainsi que la nature/classe grammaticale des mots.

en conjugaison: les temps du passé, présent et futur, le verbe et son infinitif, les verbes d’action et les verbes d’état, le présent de l’indicatif de tous les verbes, l’imparfait des auxiliaires être et avoir ainsi que des verbes du 1er groupe.

en vocabulaire: le champ lexical du mythe et du conte autour du monstre, utilisation du dictionnaire.

en orthographe: 3 dictées ont été effectuées.

en mémorisation: apprentissage de 2 poésies “Ponctuation” et “Automne”

en littérature: 2 romans ont été lus et étudiés (selon le niveau de difficultés):

  • Le roman de Renart de Laurence Mokrani
  • Rémi et le mystère de Saint- Péray de Annie Coutelle

5 évaluations ont eu lieu depuis le début de la rentrée:

  • 1 évaluation diagnostique qui permet d’établir le niveau de l’élève et de voir ainsi quelles compétences il a acquises, et celles qui sont à consolider.
  • 4 évaluations portant sur la phrase, le présent de tous les verbes, la nature/classe grammaticale des mots, l’adjectif épithète ou attribut et l’imparfait.

French/English IMYC with Joanna

The Cedar students have two classes a week with me divided into 2 distinct subjects. Every Tuesday afternoon we study various aspects of the unique political and economic alliance of the European Union and every Friday we have global discussions/debates around the subject ‘enseignement moral et civique’ (EMC) – moral & civic teaching (MCT). We began our first term with an Introduction to the EU: capitals/countries of the 27 member states, the common EU values, the symbols of the EU and the goals of the EU. In MCT the students learned what the role of a Student Representative is and the importance of this role in a school setting. The 6 Cedar students will take turns being Student Rep this school year and next term they will present this role to Oak & Elm students and they will organize the vote of a class rep for these two classes.

Spanish

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER

Linguistic objectives worked on:

– To introduce oneself and one’s surroundings

– Talking about a person’s routine

– Talking about their tastes and school.

– Present tense, basic prepositions, linking words, affective verbs (GUSTAR type)

– Numbers and their daily use: statistics, date, time, age…

Cultural objectives worked on :

– Computer graphics of the social world

– Geography of Latin America

– Mexico and “Día de Muertos

PROJECT: ALTAR DE DIA DE MUERTOS

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER

Once the contact has been established this term we will work in a flipped classroom. This is based on prior work done by the child at home on the given topic with written, audio or visual material.

Language objectives:

– Talking about projects, giving and asking for personal information.

– Expressing gradation

– Talking about knowledge and skills

– Lexicon: countries, inhabitants and languages. Jobs and studies. Leisure activities. Family

Cultural objectives:

– Spanish as an international language

– The family in the Hispanic world

– Intercultural families.

– Christmas and Nativity celebrations.

Mathematics

In Algebra: Expressions /Formulae/Algebraic Fractions/ System of equations/Straight-line graphs

Cedar worked on simplifying algebraic expressions, used simple formulae and wrote formulae from the problem to identify how they could be applied in real life. We worked on solving problems while substituting specific values into expressions and formulae and then probed further into algebra while finding solutions for the systems of equations. Students also investigated how to find the solutions to the system of equations when they are represented graphically.

Cedar studied graphs that are expressed in the form y=mx+c and calculated their gradients and intercepts with the y-axis. We then worked on drawing parallel and perpendicular lines and found midpoints of a line segment. Cedar students prepared posters on these topics and practiced teaching/presenting them to their peers.

Science

Cedar class initiate this term with deep biological concepts by studying deeply the cellular leaf structure. Furthermore, they identified the plant cell structure responsible for photosynthesis.

Cedar class had also the chance to make an organized study about Mitosis. They were able to identify the different stages of cell division, naming the stage of the cell cycle as well as reproducing Mitosis stages on a card board project.

Students have been introduced to genetic concepts and started by buit up a vocabulary Map to identify genes, genomes, phenotypes, genotypes, and Alleles.
Cedar class then could successfully finalize a Meiosis division to find out why kids don’t look like their parents and what can increase genetic variation like the random chromosomes recombination and Crossing over.

History

The Cedar class started the year by working on historians’ methodology. The students explored different kinds of primary sources used by historians and put together a presentation on an historian’s work they were interested in. The students also started to look at global history, creating a big timeline that includes historical events from different areas of the world. They have ended the term by looking at the Industrial Revolution, analysing the impact that it had on European society.

Geography

Cedar learnt about Geographic Information Systems (GIS) this term, its manifold applications and how it has revolutionised data gathering and analysis.  

The class began the term using multiple paper maps to bring together information for choosing the location of a cinema. They then looked at the same project using the layering of information via a GIS mapping application and saw the speed and efficiency of GIS as it brought together statistical  analysis with the visualisation and geographic benefits offered by maps.  

The class looked at GIS uses in crime mapping, urban and transportation planning, accident and hotspot analyses, to name but a few of its applications.

Design and Technology

‘My chair is not very comfortable. Can I design and make my own?’ 

‘I spend a considerable amount of time sitting on my chair, I really think it should be VERY comfortable and VERY chic.’ And that is how it all started… Cedar students then researched and discovered different artistic, comfortable and not so comfortable but very stylish chair designs and embarked on the journey to create their very own. The children sketched their designs, created 3D models and presented their blueprints to their peers. 

Cedar students have sought their materials and will start building their creative constructions during the next term. 

The children continued to develop their carpentry skills by applying them to creating and building ‘Eco Logs Press’ while helping out Elm Class and enjoyed playing the ‘Sling hockey’ game made by Birch and Walnuts and came up with some design suggestion on how their game could be improved.  

Woodworking projects are extremely important for developing children’s creative and critical thinking skills. Through these projects, not only do children get to handle and smell the wood but also learn how to use the different carpentry tools. They develop their mathematical thinking, broaden their scientific knowledge and, most importantly, acquire a ‘can do’ mindset. 

ART

The Cedar class worked on the representation of global issues through art. They have looked at various example in art history, from Van Gogh to Picasso and Keith Haring. They have realised posters using different types of colours and techniques and have chosen a specific global issue to represent.

ICT

Cedar students learnt about the basic syntax and concepts of Python programming such as printing basics, comments, math, variables and re-assigning variables. They integrated these concepts and applied them into different projects and lessons. These ideas have helped them to think outside the box and practice their problem-solving skills. They’re becoming experts and we are very proud of them. They will continue to discover Python next term.

Liam

Global Perspectives

Cedar students looked at human rights, learning how to develop and investigate a specific research question based on their own interests. They have chosen different topics, analysing them from national and global perspectives. Students’ work focused on right of speech, the rights of minorities, gender and the right to education and the acquisition of civil rights. They have presented their research, by producing either a poster or a digital presentation.

Drama Workshop

The Cedar class worked on the design of crowded tableaux, representing complex scenes. They spent the last few weeks of the term developing tableaux including ten freeze frame and representing stories drawn on Greek mythology.

Creative Writing Workshops

The Cedar class created their own writer’s notebooks, setting up individual goals for the creative writing sessions. They have also worked on fictional stories and journals, writing a fiction or a non-fiction text inspired by the school canoeing trip in September. Students also worked on individualised writing goals, reflecting on what they want to focus on when writing. They ended the term by looking at the features of dystopia, on which they will continue to work in the next term.

Forest Exploration and Mushroom hunting

Canoeing Trip

Oak, Elm and Cedar classes canoeing on the tranquil waters of “the little arm of the Seine”.

Located between Vétheuil and Haute-Isle in the Vexin Regional Nature Park, this spectacular and secluded section of the Seine was a source of inspiration for many impressionist painters.

Halloween Celebration

Oak, Elm and Cedar students creatively collaborated together while designing their exciting Halloween activities for the rest of the school.

Enjoy your holiday, Cedar!

FISP Team