Total Solar Eclipse – April 8th

On , a spectacular and rare celestial event is set to unfold over Canada, the United States and Mexico – a total solar eclipse. As the Moon aligns perfectly between Earth and the Sun, temporary darkness will sweep across parts of the country, captivating countless spectators.

In Canada, the solar eclipse’s path of totality will pass through some cities and towns in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, plunging them into darkness for a few minutes. People outside the path of totality will be able to observe a partial solar eclipse, during which the Sun is not hidden in totality.

Quebec hasn’t witnessed a total solar eclipse in over 50 years (), and it will be over 80 years before the next one (). However, partial solar eclipses, as well as total and partial lunar eclipses, take place regularly in Canada.

Very important!

Looking directly at the Sun, without appropriate protection, can lead to serious problems such as partial or complete loss of eyesight.

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Lacrosse

This week the students will get one lacrosse session in the gym. It’s the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. Canada’s national winter sport is hockey and Canada’s national summer sport is lacrosse. I hope the class has fun learning about this exciting sport.

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Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF)

Comet 2022 E3 (ZTF) hasn’t been this close to Earth since the last Ice Age and the time of the Neanderthals which was about 50,000 years ago. On February 1st it will come to within a distance of 42 million kilometers of our planet. It’s difficult to see and you need binoculars or a telescope.

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Salutations

In class, we are reading the book Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. This is a classic in children’s literature and a story about a livestock pig named Wilbur and his friendship with a barn spider named Charlotte. It’s good to read a book that’s a bit above the class’s present reading level because it models fluency and introduces them to new vocabulary. Even though the book was first published on October 15, 1952, which is 70 years ago, the students are enjoying the story.

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Wear Some Green

Bring out your green! St. Patrick’s Day is on Thursday, March 17th. There are parades, good luck charms, and all things green. The event started as a religious holiday, but over time it’s become a celebration of Irish culture.

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Happy Chinese New Year

On February 1, 2022 is the Chinese New Year. The 12 year Chinese zodiac calendar cycle is represented by 12 different animals. 2022 is the year of the tiger. The Chinese New Year has been celebrated in China for thousands of years.

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Burnaby Village Museum

The class went on a field trip to Burnaby Village Museum and participated in the Winter Wonder school program. Students rode the vintage carousel, visited a blacksmith, toured historic buildings and spent time in a silent movie theatre. A special thanks to the parents who drove and helped with supervision. Have a relaxing and safe Winter Break.

 

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Engineering – Designing Bridges

This week the students participated in two Science AL!VE workshops. One workshop was titled Engineering Olympics and students used popsicle sticks, straws and masking tape to build their own bridges. The bridges were loaded up with weights until they collapsed and the students became so excited watching how much weight their bridge could hold.

I was also teaching the class about the Tacoma Narrows bridge which opened on July 1, 1940. During its construction, workers noticed the bridge deck began to move vertically during windy conditions, so they nicknamed it ‘Galloping Gertie’. On November 7, 1940 it was a windy day and this caused the bridge to sway violently and the concrete started to crack. Eventually the bridge collapsed due to aereoelastic flutter. There was no loss of human life. A single car was on the bridge and it belonged to Leonard Coatsworth. Inside of his car was his cocker spaniel ‘Tubby’. Professor Farquharson, who was involved in the design of the bridge, tried to rescue ‘Tubby’, but the dog  was so terrified that it bit the professor. In university engineering and physics classes the Tacoma Narrows bridge and its design is studied by students.

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