An excellent resource from the Eastern Ontario Catholic Curriculum Cooperative. This resource includes an in-depth simulation to place students into the “shoes” of those living in poverty. “This unit will help engage students to actively explore international trade, development and co-operation issues as they pertain to Canada, its trading partners, and the fair trade system.”

A great non-fiction news site with a wide variety of articles written at differentiated Lexile levels.

There are daily quizzes and immediate feedback for students.

The site offers several resources, links and tips for teachers. The critical thinking prompts at the end of each article help spark student discussions and response or reflection opportunities.

Articles are divided into K-4, 5-6, 7-8 and High School.

This resource effectively illustrates the ways in which animals are important to the health and future of the planet. Four lessons demonstrate how human activities, including those related to climate change can result in habitat fragmentation and threaten the viability of entire ecosystems. The resource includes a teacher's guide, background information, student activity pages, videos and extension ideas for individual, group and community action.

Activity One: What’s your View? (1 x 60 minutes)

Teachers set up a 'four corners' activity in which students read a variety of statements concerning animal welfare and decide if they agree or disagree. The class then discusses as a group the importance of animals in sustaining healthy ecosystems and the value of their relationships with humans.

Activity Two: Video (1 x 60 minutes)

Students watch a video called “Why Animals Matter” and complete a short quiz to check their understanding of key concepts raised in the video. A discussion follows on what can be done to make the world a better place for animals. Suggestions for extension activities are included.

Activity Three: Eco-investigation (3 x 60 minutes)

Students go outside to study local biodiversity. Working in groups, they select a 2m square sample site near the school yard and determine the variety of plant, fungi and animal life found. The inventory includes the abiotic characteristics of soil, rocks, water sources as well as any evidence of human disturbance. Students are also asked to take notice of the resources that species need to survive (food, water, cover and space) and how humans have impacted these resources.

Activity Four: Understanding Habitat (3 X 60 minutes)

After a discussion on the inter-dependency of the four core elements of a habitat, the class is invited to brainstorm ideas as to the causes and effects of habitat fragmentation and the importance of wildlife corridors. Students then review a newspaper article describing how habitat fragmentation due to road construction in parts of India has impacted elephant populations. Four groups of students take on the role of stakeholders in a wildlife corridor project for the benefit of these elephants. Groups must develop a persuasive statement to reflect their point of view. Peer evaluation and class discussion follow.

An extension activity suggests students research the habitat requirements of a wild animal, how these needs can be threatened by human disturbance and what solutions should be considered.

Universalis Junior is a French encyclopedia that provide advertisement-free, high-quality information. This resource is appropriate for immersion students in Grades 3 – Grade 8 and core French students in Grade 9 – Grade 12.

Universalis Senior is a French encyclopedia that provide advertisement-free, high-quality information. This resource is appropriate for immersion students in Grades 9 –Grade 12.

This resource is made for grade 2 but could be adapted to any grade and any subject.
I wanted the students to know how important the skill of critical thinking is in all areas of study and of life. I developed this lesson and put it in the introductory section of our Distance Moodle course for Grade 2. It is self-contained and could be done in any class, at any time of year.
Throughout the lessons the student will see the critical thinking icon and make the connection.

A quick introduction to the metacognition cycle and how it wraps around the learning our students do. (At Sun West - for more information on metacognition reach out to your PeBL Mentor or a Learning Consultant.)

This YouTube Video explores metacognition and the metacognition cycle, which includes:
1. Assess the task/develop a clear picture
2. Evaluate strengths and weaknesses
3. Plan the approach
4. Apply strategies/monitor progress
5. Reflect/adjust approach

Summary: This year I developed 21st Century Competencies through Critical Thinking, Creativity and Collaboration using the Grade 6 Science outcomes on the Diversity of Living Things and PAA Woodworking. The students prepared a poster on a bird of their choice, they gave an oral presentation on their bird, they drew sketches of a bird house, constructed and painted their houses.

Work Place and Apprenticeship Math 30- What Bank To Use When Starting A Small Business

In this lesson student will be developing an idea for a possible small business that they would like to start and run. Once they have developed an idea for a business they will have to research what services different financial institutions offered in their area, or the province. Once they have finished seeing what services are out there, students will then have to decide what institution they would like to use, and determine what requirements they need to meet from the bank. Depending on how much time you would like to spend on this you could have students even come up with a loan proposal and a business plan as well. This can be done in partners or the students can work on the alone as well.

“Would you Rather?” daily math challenges...usually money related.

Copy and paste this URL to give the students a worksheet to help them make and back up their decision.
Worksheet: http://www.wouldyourathermath.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/would-you-rather-11.pdf

What is Write-Around Discussion?
This strategy provides students with opportunity to either activate prior knowledge on a topic or consolidate recently-learned information. This strategy is for use with small groups of students.

Why use it?
To provide students with the opportunity to practice the skills of communication, collaboration, and critical thinking.
To help students consolidate learning of new material by immediate use of the information.
To help students activate prior knowledge on a topic to be discussed in class.
To provide all students in class with an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of a particular topic.

Dynamic site harnesses creative young talent to speak truth to power

"YR Media has strong politically and socially progressive content that will speak to students' interests and inspire them. Yearbook and journalism advisers might model part of their program on YR Media. ...

Check out the DIY guides. These tutorials offer colorful visuals, detailed explanations, and student samples on topics from ethics to writing opinion pieces to social media reporting and more. There has to be at least one idea in these guides that can be incorporated into your curriculum. Media classes from film to journalism to graphic arts can use YR Media's work as a springboard for discussion and then creation. ELA classes can analyze the arguments put forth in articles (especially in the Opinion section), videos, or podcasts. Students could use this analysis to create their responses in a similar or different format. The videos on compelling topics like hate speech, social media influencers, and parental pressure will definitely spark discussion and can be structured in a Socratic seminar or four-corners format. Double-entry journals might be more fitting for student responses on more sensitive subjects, such as deportation, mass shootings, LGBTQ or straight pride, and housing. Health and psychology classes will also find surprisingly suitable content in teen-friendly language on important issues like reproductive health, mental illness, and anxiety. " (Review from Common Sense Media)

Learn what happens on a mink farm during the course of a year and throughout the various production cycles. Student reflection questions included as a fillable PDF.

"YourCommonwealth would be an excellent supplement to classroom learning, especially for middle and high school students. With its focus on global current events and social issues, the site is a great resource for students to find out what kids like them consider important and reflect deeply on their own thoughts about the world's big ideas. Exercises and debates can be created around the opinions expressed on YourCommonwealth through text and video.

YourCommonwealth is an international site created by young people for young people who are interested in addressing global concerns such as injustice, poverty, and the environment. On the site, students from the 54 countries of The Commonwealth of Nations submit articles and videos to share their stories, experiences, and opinions. U.S. students can read about global social issues from a personal point of view –- and from someone around their age. Kids will have the opportunity to make up their own minds about pressing topics and, through discussion with parents and peers, learn how to express opinions.

It's organized by continent: Click on Africa and you'll get all the content relating to that area of the world. Young people from all over the world contribute articles and video to the site, which are then posted in a news-like format. By reading articles, kids can view opinions and timely issues from their global peers. Offsite, kids can get involved in Twitter chats and Facebook discussions on “the present, past and future of the planet.”" (Common Sense Media review)