Viscount Montgomery Library

Animation Project Planning

2007-03-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

Questions about the Animation Project

How do we get started?
1. Your group needs to first of all decide on the story or message of your animation.
2. Then, you complete the animation planner sheet and present it to me.
3. Create all your backgrounds and pieces.
4. Plan the movie scene by scene using the storyboard sheet.
5. Shoot the photographs.
6. After processing, import the photographs in order into Flash.
7. Complete the movie by adding sounds you have found or recorded.
8. Create the title and end credits.

What is the order of the things I need to do? Is there a checklist? Where can I see it?

TASK ONE- FIRST CONCEPT APPROVAL

Decide upon your idea.
Discuss the details of your movie, scene by scene.
Complete the Animation Planner sheet.
Get the Planner sheet approved by me.

TASK TWO- CONSTRUCTION

Get your paper supplies, storage folder.
Cut out all of your background pieces and character pieces.
Write/type out your script. Do NOT avoid this step!
Choose who will be doing the speaking parts from the script. Time each line to see exactly how many seconds each line will take.

TASK THREE- PLANNING: STORYBOARDS

Complete your storyboards. Pictures are simple sketches only. ALL scenes and shots must appear in the storyboard pictures, with music and sound effects noted also.
Get your storyboards approved by me.

TASK FOUR- TAKE THE PICTURES

Book a time for your group to do your shooting. (2 hour time slots)
Give camera with photo card in it to the teacher for processing

TASK FIVE- RECORD AND FIND SOUND CLIPS

Record your voice sound clips. Give names to your clips as you save them so you know exactly what they are.
Research and locate sound effects or record your own sound effects, saving them as .wav files. Use file names that make sense.
Research, locate and record your music clips, saving them as .wav files and naming them properly.

TASK SIX- SET UP MOVIE FILE

Create or download your new movie file in Flash MX. Depending on the arrangements, this file will possible contain the images already. If it doesn't, you will need to locate the image files and import them.
Create an animated title at the beginning of your movie file, if there is not already one contained in your images.
Add new layers to the movie timeline: one for speech, another for sound effects, another for music. Use the Insert >> New Layer command.

TASK SEVEN- INSERT SOUNDS
To test the movie at any time, hold the Shift key while you press Enter.

Add sounds to your movie in a systematic fashion, as follows:

Import your sound files into Flash using the File/Import to library command.
Open the Library using F11 key. Locate your sound file that you need in the library.
Locate the exact frame in the movie for the beginning sound event, whether it is someone speaking, a music clip or sound effect. Use the red scroll bar at the top of the timeline to move forward or backward. Select the exact frame number in the layer which you are adding sound to. The frame should be darkened. Now, right-click and select "add blank keyframe". This should make a hollow circle appear in the timeline. Now, open the Properties panel at the bottom of the screen. In the Sounds pop-up box, find the sound file you want to insert and select it. Now you should see the waveform appear in the layer on the time line, like small blue waves. The sound is embedded in the movie.
Some adjusting of the sound lengths and volumes may be necessary. This is done by selecting the exact frame where the sound file was inserted into the movie. Next, look in the Properties panel and select Edit. In this panel you can shorten the clip (remove the end), and you can fade it down.

TASK EIGHT- ADD A STOP COMMAND

Place a stop movie command in the last frame of the movie. To do this, select the last frame in the movie layer. Open the Actions window >> Movie control >> Stop. Drag the word Stop into the text window. This will insert the "stop" command into the movie action script. ( you should see stop ( ) ; in the script window.)
DONE!

My group is running out of time. What should we do?
What I really recommend if you're running out of time is that you talk to your group members and get them on board. With the movie, keep it simple, simple, simple.

What is a scene?
A scene is any section of a movie that takes place in one location and one time.

How can we make a good scene that works well?
People don't often ask me about this, but sometimes I wish they did. In the examples we looked at, and that are still available on the web site, some of the scenes aren't clear because the details were too small and the camera didn't pick them up. Or, there was too much stuff to look at in the scene and the details got lost. Another common problem is that the animated movement is too slow and gets boring to watch. All of these problems can be avoided if your team carefully plans out each scene using a storyboard.

How much time should we spend looking for pictures of our characters on the internet?
In my opinion, this is the wrong direction to be going. Use your drawing skills and create your own characters and cutouts. It will be much more honest and convincing in the long run.

How can we make sure that everything will show up clearly?
Think of using vision as your main communicator. If it's not clear on the camera, then it's not clear in the final movie. Don't make things too small. While your planning each shot, keep asking yourself, is this the clearest way to get this idea across?

What is a shot?
A shot is what one camera view sees at any given time. A scene can be made up of one or more camera shots. For example, if two people are talking, there may be two shots- one camera view on one person when that person talks, and the other camera view on the other person. The scene, when it plays, will have the two people going back and forth in view as they each speak. Your team must decide how each scene will be shot. This is what the storyboard is used for.

What does a storyboard help me do? Why do I need one?
Before you begin shooting pictures, you need to plan your movie with a storyboard. The storyboard is like the ultimate planning step. It forces you to think through the exact images the camera will see, scene by scene, shot by shot. It also forces you to decide on what music and sound will be heard at each moment.

What must be included in my storyboards?
You must write down the script that goes with each shot (or the line numbers from your script). You must write down what music is in the background, as well as any other sound effects that will be in the shot. You must calculate the time required for the shot, and calculate the number of frames you will be shooting, based on a frame rate of 12 fps.

How do you get the timing right so that the sound and voices fit the movie?
The storyboard helps you plan what sounds and numbers of frames are needed. The software, Flash MX, will allow you to insert the sound clips at exactly the right moment by selecting the exact frame in the movie where the sound begins.

What kind of music and sounds should I put into my animation?
Your team will decide what kind of music will set the mood for each part of your animation. You will probably only use small sections of music clips since the movie is so short. You should use sound effects wherever possible. Voice talent is out there! Get your friends and classmates to do voices for you if you want.

How can I record my own music, sound effect or voice clips?
I recommend that you use Windows Sound Recorder or Audacity to record your sounds, using the computer sound card. An inexpensive microphone can be plugged into your computer for recording voices or instruments. Sound Recorder can be used to record any CD or .mp3 music clips into .wav format (which is required for Flash MX).

When and where will we be doing all this work? How will we store our pieces?
Much of the drawing and cutout work may be done at home, or during free time that you can find throughout the day. English Support periods, and some music periods will be provided for this work to be completed. Some English class time may be available for shooting appointments. You can store your materials in the large folder, which will be left in the library.

How will our work be lighted when we are shooting?
There will be enough light in the room for the camera to work.

How does the shooting process work?
I will make sure that everyone sees the setup and how it will work. Basically what happens is the camera is fixed to a tripod, which holds the camera above the work area (stage). You take a series of still (not video) pictures of your scene. Objects that move in the movie are moved slightly from one picture to the next. Objects that do not move are left in exactly the same place from one picture to the next. You will be keeping track of the number of pictures you take.

How can we prepare for our camera shoot?
You will need your storyboard sheets, all of your cutouts, some tape. That's about it.

What happens when we're done shooting?
You will return the camera to me for downloading of the pictures when you're done. The pictures will be processed as a set and saved to a file on the computer network for your group to get them. Processing may take a few days.

What are some terms that we should know?
Zoom in- to use the lens of the camera to get a closer view. Some parts of the scene will fall out of camera range when this happens.
Zoom out- to use the lens of the camera to get a wider view.
Close-up- the lens is focused very closely on an object or part of a face.
Head shot- only the head of the subject is in view.
Head and shoulders- head and shoulders in view.
Head to toe- entire person, head to toe, is in view.
Full scene- the view includes everything in the scene.
Pan- to move the camera across the scene slowly. e.g. pan left, pan right (probably doesn't apply to this project).
Frame- the rectangular area that is the boundary of what the camera sees. The frame is equal to what you see in the camera viewfinder.
Frame(s)- a singular picture taken by the camera. Flash MX runs the pictures at 12 frames per second.

How will our work be evaluated? Where will it show up on our report card?
The animation project will form a major of your part term 3 English mark in the Oral and Visual Communication strand. Your project will also be eligible for a special award after voting by your classmates. The winning movies will be shown at the Animation Awards in June.

Skills that you will need to have to complete this project...
Group skills such as self-control, good listener, willing to be flexible, work independently.
Organizational skills with cut-out materials, computer files, scripts, storyboard sheets.
Organizational skills with each group member working independently or together, depending on the situation.
Word processing for writing script.
Drawing and sketching for storyboards.
Frame by frame animation in Flash- for title sequence.
Familiar with how to insert layers and sounds in Flash.
Know how to record sounds using Windows Sound Recorder.
Know how to edit sound files for length, and for volume, using Sound Recorder, or Audacity.
Searching the internet for sound effects.
Lots of imagination!

Book Fair #1

2007-03-16T15:01:00.001-07:00

book fair 07a
Originally uploaded by Skippy Flickr.

Thanks to our volunteers, students and parents, who took time to help set up the displays and make the book fair happen so smoothly. It was a great experience!

Book Fair #2

2007-03-16T14:59:00.001-07:00

book fair 07b
Originally uploaded by Skippy Flickr.

The junior-intermediate area. Our book fair ran from Feb 28 to Mar 3.

Book Fair #3

2007-03-16T14:58:00.001-07:00

book fair 07c
Originally uploaded by Skippy Flickr.

The primary and pre-reader section is shown here.

Book Fair a Great Success!

2007-03-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of you parents, students and staff who helped support our Book Fair. We exceeded our previous Book Fair's earnings by more than $400! From the profits earned our school will get a wide variety of new books and learning materials for our classrooms and our library.

It was really exciting to see how many students REALLY got turned on by choosing and buying books. It was also rewarding for me to see how many parents brought their kids in and shopped with them on Wednesday after school.

We're doing the right thing by promoting reading in every way we can, and enjoying it at the same time.

Congratulations to our winners:

Jellybean guess-Denise S;
Dino sours count- Lawrence C;
Family Grand Prize of $25 in books- Megan A./Mrs. Wattie

Thanks to our student helpers:
Kaylynn, Brooke, Linda, Leisha, Carolina, Sarah, Phoenix, Heather, Sarah, Aly, Chelsea, Carlyn, Katie, (I hope I didn't forget anyone!)

And thanks to our adult volunteers,
without whom the Book Fair would not have been possible:
Dora, Christine, Naomi, Brenda and Kyle.

Sincerely from your Book Fair Committee:

Mr. Brown, Ms. Collins, Mr. Winer

Battle of Louisbourg Pics

2007-02-22T18:22:00.000-08:00

This is the link to excellent re-enactment photos of Battle of Louisbourg.

Bryan Doyle novel- Uncle Ronald

2007-02-16T07:45:00.000-08:00

For a book that was written more than 20 years ago, I'm wondering how I missed hearing about it. After all, it is a fun and easy book to read, but it is also very "touching."

What do I mean by "touching?" Well, Uncle Ronald reminds me of people that I know and that I know about, who have suffered because of the way things are in their family.

The story of Uncle Ronald is told by a character Mickey O'Rourke, who is over 100 years old, who lives in a nursing home and can't remember what he did two seconds ago, but he has crystal clear memory of what happened 100 years ago when he was 12. The year was about 1900 as Mickey recalled it, and he had been sent to live with his Uncle Ronald because his dad was beating him and his mom. Uncle Ronald lives in a little town in the Gatineau region of Quebec, and the townfolk, strange lot they are, are bent on NOT paying their taxes.

Uncle Ronald is a quiet, strong man. His horse is named Second Chance Lance. Mickey the boy overcomes his fears and finds some healing and some hope with the help of Uncle Ronald and Second Chance Lance. The ending to the story is sure to surprize everyone.

I recommend this book to anyone whose life is "just way too crazy" and is looking for a bit of hope and some good laughs. Oh yes, and also for anyone who loves horses!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (seriously)
Genre: historical fiction
Level: grade 5 and up
Subjects: Gatineau region, life in a town in 1900 before electricity, travel in 1900

Review by G. Brown

Eric Walters novel- HYDROFOIL MYSTERY

2007-02-16T06:32:00.000-08:00

The year is 1919. The setting is Baddeck, Nova Scotia, on Cape Breton Island where the half-salty waters of Bras d'Or Lake provide a perfect testing spot for the latest inventions in water travel. On the shore is the Bell Mansion, a beautiful and interesting property where Alexander Graham Bell lives and works on his many inventions, and where he is in charge of a great number of researchers, builders and helpers. To live and work at the Bell Mansion means your are "one of the family."

Enter Billy McKlintock, aged 15 but looks like 19. He's forced by his mom to leave Halifax for the summer and take a job as a servant at the Bell Mansion. She thinks he's getting in too much with the wrong crowd- the gambling and the sneaking out at night and all that. She wants Billy out of Halifax- and if he returns before summer's end she'll be calling the police!

Billy is privately struggling with a gambling habit, dishonesty and hurt feelings about his dad who has been away way too much. But when he meets the old man Bell, and gets beaten at his favourite game- poker- a new friendship starts that will take Billy into a life-risking adventure as he helps protect one of the greatest inventions Bell ever made: the hydrofoil.

Highly recommended because of the non-stop action and the references to playing poker. The whole story is very believable, and includes references to the international war developments at the time.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Reading level: grade 6 and up
Genre: historical fiction
Topics: post WW1 Canada, Alexander Graham Bell, gambling

Eric Walters novel- RUN

2007-02-16T06:29:00.000-08:00

We've all heard of Terry Fox, and how he is a hero and role model because he ran across Canada to raise money for cancer research. Eric Walters wrote Run so that kids would feel like they were actually meeting Terry Fox and getting to know him.

The story is about Winston MacDonald, a grade 8 kid whose life is not going well: suspensions from school, poor grades, not getting along with his mom. He hardly ever sees his dad who is a famous newspaper reporter, which really bugs him.

Winston ends up in Nova Scotia, meeting Terry Fox and actually running with him, while his dad covers the story. Some unexpected events, like blood on Terry's amputated stump, crowds of ten thousand people, and the untimely return of the awful cancer to Terry's lungs make this story very powerful.

I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in running, thinks they're good at sports, or someone who knows a person who has had to deal with cancer or even died from it.

After reading this book, you will understand why the Marathon of Hope and the Terry Fox Run for Cancer mean so much.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Level: grade 5 and up
Genre: historical fiction

Fluid Dynamics Site

2007-01-15T16:29:00.000-08:00

Efluids.com is found at
http://www.efluids.com/efluids/pages/site_map.htm

Animation- The Paper Cutout Method Demo

2007-01-15T04:47:00.000-08:00

This is our animation method, called "The paper cutout technique."
Check out the demo video here:
http://www.nfb.ca/animation/objanim/en/
techniques/film.php?id=3678&ex=2&from=30653

Windows Basics Course

2006-12-18T17:22:00.000-08:00

http://www.actden.com/skills2k/direct.htm
I bet you'll learn something new about Windows!
GB

Canadian Companies

2006-12-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

Library Newsletter- School Staff

2006-11-09T21:27:00.000-08:00

http://vmbruins.com/library_news_1_1.rtf

Schrock Guide to Amazing Web Sites

2006-10-30T17:32:00.000-08:00

http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/content2.html
This list has some of the most incredible web sources I've seen.

The link to National Geographic Map Machine alone is worth it.
Mr. B.

Nonfiction and Reference Resources for Kids

2006-10-29T16:19:00.000-08:00

http://www.lmcsource.com/tech/felker/links.html

Link for Canadian Symbols

2006-10-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.members.shaw.ca/kcic1/index.html

New Books! New Books!

2006-10-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

Over 250 new books, fiction and non-fiction, and from beginner to intermediate and middle school reading levels, have recently arrived and have been added to our library collection.

We've got some really cool titles, so come in and see!

Mr. Brown

2006-10-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

CRITICAL ANALYSIS ON THE INTERNET

EVALUATING WEBSITES – bogus sites to teach critical analysis

http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/
curriculum/ict/webeval/index.htm

DECONSTRUCTING HATE SITES

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/
online_hate/deconst_online_hate.cfm

EVALUATING WEBSITES

http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/tbarcalow/490NET/Evaluation.htm

5 CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING WEB PAGES

http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/webcrit.html

4 NETS FOR BETTER SEARCHING

http://webquest.sdsu.edu/searching/fournets.htm

ICYOUSEE

http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think.html

MARTIN LUTHER KING – NOT WHAT YOU’D EXPECT

http://www.martinlutherking.org/

YOUNG PEOPLE AND HARMFUL MEDIA CONTENT

http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php
-URL_ID=22724&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL
_SECTION=201.html

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/eval.html

NOVEMBER LEARNING – TEACHING ZACK TO THINK

http://novemberlearning.com/default.aspx?
tabid=159&type=art&site=19&parentid=18

Ships Like Champlain's

2006-10-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

Development of the Square-rigged Ship
http://www.greatgridlock.net/Sqrigg/squrig2.html

Reading Buddies

2006-10-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

Class 73 was very convincing as they practiced their "reading buddy" skills on me yesterday.

Good work at being expressive, and also in remembering to show me the pictures in the books.

I hope we'll be able to get some real kids from a primary class for you to read to. It will be lots of fun!

Mr. Brown

Another Blogging Class

2006-10-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

http://www.bloglines.com/preview?siteid=2269491&itemid=201
Teacher Mark Ahlness is blogging with his third graders.

A Good Educational Blog, for example

2006-10-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

Parents and students, read a year's worth of blogging by a group of kids in an elementary school. The blog was set up by their classroom teacher, Mr. Ahlness.

A couple of important points:

All the kids' names are not their real names (they are pseudoynms).
All the writing that is visible has been read and approved by the teacher, comments included.
The project was undertaken only with parental permission.

Here's the URL
http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=5655&l=1160097885

The goals of using a weblog for educational purposes are:

Students develop their writing and their ideas for a real audience.
Students develop their computer skills by using current technology.
An online, interactive community will develop where ideas are shared appropriately and securely.
Higher level thinking takes place as students read and evaluate each other's opinions and make comments.

Alternative Energy URLs

2006-10-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

http://home.utah.edu/~ptt25660/tran.html
Good source of the basic facts.

http://library.thinkquest.org/26366/text/index.html
Thinkquest. More for younger readers.

http://www.netpilot.ca/aes/wind/index.html
Alternative energy sources website. Good links to more detailed industry
web sites.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_building
The descriptions of a "green" building.

http://www.dmrtc.net/~embrys/aesindex.htm
This page is part of a webquest, gr. 10-11, on Alternative Energy sources.

http://egj.lib.uidaho.edu/egj09/youngqu1.html
Very good details on various energy sources. Advanced reading level.

http://energyhawk.com/alternative/index.php
Energy Hawk. Various ways to save energy.

http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listalternatlm.html
An internet hotlist on Alternative Energy Sources.

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/kids/pdfs/rnwenrgy.pdf
Renewable Energy document. US source.

Social Studies Glossary

2006-10-05T06:07:00.000-07:00

Glossary of Social Studies Terms, in alphabetical order:

Aboriginal peoples. A term used in a general manner to refer to First Nation peoples, Inuit, and Métis.
Aboriginal Solidarity Day. This day, June 21, was proclaimed by the federal government in 1996 in recognition of the contributions of the First Nation peoples, Métis, and Inuit to the development of Canada.
Absolute location. The location of a point on the earth's surface that can be expressed by a grid reference (e.g., by latitude and longitude).
Acadian. One of the early French settlers of Acadia, or a descendant of these settlers, especially one living in the Maritime provinces or in Louisiana, U.S.A.
Acid precipitation. Any form of precipitation, including rain, fog, and snow, that is more acidic than normal (i.e., less than pH 5.6).
Altitude. The height of something above a reference level, especially above sea level.
Anishinabek. An Algonquin term meaning "the original people". It refers to an alliance of three groups – Odawa, Ojibway, and Pottawatomi – also known as the Three Fires Confederacy. These groups lived around the Great Lakes as well as on Manitoulin Island.
Appalachian Region. A physiographic region along the east coast of North America. It once comprised jagged fold mountains, but millions of years of erosion have reduced the mountains to rolling hills and valleys.

Birth rate. The number of live births per thousand people in one year.

Canadian identity. Distinguishing characteristics of Canada and its people.
Canadian Shield. An area of Precambrian rock that underlies almost half of Canada. This plateau region extends from the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River to the Arctic Ocean.
Capital (as an economic resource). One of the factors in the production of goods and services. Capital can be goods (e.g., factories and equipment, highways, communication systems) and/or money available to be invested to increase production and wealth.
Capital (town or city). The official seat of government in a political entity, such as a province or country.
Cardinal direction. One of four major points of the compass – N, S, E, and W.
C.E. (Common Era). Referring to dates in the Julian and Gregorian calendars that are also often identified by the abbreviation "A.D." (Anno Domini).
Château Clique. A small group, mostly anglophone and mercantile, who occupied the chief public offices in Lower Canada during the early nineteenth century.
Chivalry. The medieval values and customs of knighthood; the positive qualities to be exemplified in the behaviour of knights, such as bravery, courtesy, honour, and gallantry towards women.
Citizenship. The status of a citizen, with its attendant duties, rights, and responsibilities.
Civics. The study of the rights and duties of citizenship.
Climate. The average weather conditions of an area over an extended period of time.
Climate graph. A graph that combines average monthly temperature and precipitation data for a particular place.
Clustered settlement pattern. A closely spaced grouping of houses, towns, or villages.
Coat of arms. In heraldry, an arrangement of devices, usually depicted on a shield, that indicates ancestry or distinction.
Command economy. An economic system in which the government owns and controls all facets of the economy.
Commercial agriculture. Farm operations undertaken primarily to generate products for sale.
Confederation. The federal union of all of the Canadian provinces and territories.
Constituency. The body of voters represented by an elected official.
Cordilleras. A chain of mountains, especially the principal mountain system of a continent (e.g., Rocky Mountains in North America).
Corn Laws. Laws in Great Britain from 1815 to 1846 that placed tariffs on foreign grain imports and gave British North American colonies preferential trade treatment.
Coureur de bois. A French term meaning "runner of the woods". Coureurs de bois were middlemen in the fur trade between the French and the First Nation peoples.
Cross-sectional diagram. A profile of an object or landform that has been sliced in half and sketched from that perspective.
Culture. Learned behaviour of people, which includes their belief systems and languages, social relationships, institutions and organizations, and their material goods (i.e., food, clothing, buildings, tools, and machines).

Death rate. The number of deaths per thousand people in one year.
Demographics. The statistics for an area's population relating to such aspects as age, sex, income, and education.
Dendritic drainage pattern. Type of drainage that occurs when water flows into a river from various tributaries, which are in turn fed by smaller tributaries. The pattern that results resembles the shape of an apple tree.
Developed country. A basic classification of countries with a high level of per capita income, industrialization, and modernization. Such countries usually have lower levels of population growth.
Developing country. A basic classification of low- and middle-income countries in which most people have a lower standard of living with access to fewer goods and services than do most people in developed countries.
Doric Club. A group of wealthy young English people in Montreal during the early nineteenth century.

Economic resource. Land, labour, capital, or entrepreneurial ability; a factor necessary for the economic success of a region.
Economic system. The way in which a particular society produces, distributes, and consumes various goods and services.
Economy. The system of production and consumption of various commodities and services in a country, region, or community.
Electors. Qualified voters in an election.
Emigration. The act of leaving one country or region to settle in another.
Entrepreneur. A person who organizes, operates, and assumes the risk for a business venture.
Entrepreneurial ability (as an economic resource). One of the factors in the production of goods and services. An entrepreneur recognizes a business opportunity and is able to combine land, labour, and capital to take advantage of the opportunity and make a profit.
Equator. Latitude zero degrees; an imaginary line running east and west around the globe and dividing it into two equal parts.

Family Compact. A small group who upheld their belief in British institutions through control of government and the judiciary in Upper Canada from the 1790s to the 1830s.
Fenians. Irish-Americans who were part of a secret revolutionary organization formed in 1857 and dedicated to the overthrow of British rule in Ireland. They conducted a series of raids across the border into Canada between 1866 and 1870.
Feudalism. The political and economic system of Europe from the ninth to about the fifteenth century, based on the holding of all land in fief or fee and the resulting relation of lord to vassal, and characterized by homage, legal and military service of tenants, and forfeiture.
Filles du roi. A French term meaning "the king's daughters" – more than 700 women who came to New France between 1663 and 1673, under the financial sponsorship of Louis XIV of France, in an attempt to correct the imbalance between the number of males and the number of females in New France.
Fils de la Liberté. A group of young French Canadians in Montreal in the 1830s who directly opposed the Doric Club.
First Nation(s). The term used to refer to the original inhabitants of Canada, except the Inuit.
Five themes of geography. Location/ place, environment, region, interaction, and movement. These themes provide a framework to help focus investigation in geography.
Flow resource. A resource that is neither renewable nor non-renewable, but must be used when and where it occurs or be lost (e.g., running water, wind, sunlight).
Francophonie. Officially, the International Organization of Francophonie. An intergovernmental organization of French-speaking nations that promotes the education and culture of French speakers, as well as peace, democracy, human rights, and economic cooperation and development in the French-speaking world.

Globalization. The idea, popularized in the 1960s, that the entire world and its inhabitants are becoming one large community with interconnected needs and services.
Governor General. In Canada, the resident representative of the Crown, i.e., of Queen Elizabeth II.
Great Lakes-St.Lawrence lowlands. The area that surrounds the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, including the densely populated portions of Ontario and Quebec. This area of gently rolling hills and flat plains provides an excellent physical base for agriculture and settlement and is often described as the country's heartland.
Grid. A pattern of lines on a chart or map, such as those representing latitude and longitude, which helps determine absolute location and assists in the analysis of distribution patterns.
Grist mill. A mill for grinding grain.
Gross domestic product (GDP). The value of all the goods and services produced in a country in one year.
Gross national product (GNP). Gross domestic product with the addition of goods and services from other countries used in producing goods and services in the home country.

Haudenosaunee. An Iroquoian term that means "People of the Longhouse". It refers to an alliance of five nations – Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk. A sixth nation – Tuscarora – joined in 1724.
Human development index. An annual ranking of countries in which the health, education, and wealth of each nation's citizens is examined. Life expectancy, educational achievement, and standard of living are measured.

Immigration. The movement of people into an area or country.
Intermediate directions. The points of the compass that fall between the four cardinal points (e.g., Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Northwest).

Labour (as an economic resource). One of the factors in the production of goods and services. Labour is the collection of people employed within a region.
Latitude. The distance north and south of the equator, measured in degrees.
Legend. An explanatory description or key to features on a map or chart.
Legislature. An officially elected or otherwise selected body of people, such as the House of Commons in Ottawa, or Queen's Park in Ontario, that is vested with the responsibility and power to make laws for a political unit.
Lieutenant-Governor. In Canada, the representative of the monarch in a province, appointed by the federal government acting for the Crown.
Life expectancy rate. The average number of years that a person is expected to live at the time of his or her birth.
Linear settlement pattern. A narrow grouping of houses or settlements along a river, road, or valley.
Literacy rate. The percentage of the adult population who can read and write.
Lower Canada. A British colony at the lower end of the St. Lawrence River in the southern portion of the modern-day province of Quebec. Lower Canada was eventually merged with Upper Canada to form the single colony of the Province of Canada.
Loyalists. Those in the American colonies who declared their loyalty to Britain before the conclusion of the American Revolution (1775-83) and emigrated elsewhere, the Maritimes and present-day Ontario and Quebec being common destinations.

Magna Carta. The document, signed by King John of England in 1215, that limited the king's power and guaranteed certain basic rights. It is considered the beginning of constitutional government in England.
Manifest Destiny. The nineteenth-century doctrine that the United States had the right and duty to expand throughout North America.
Manufacturing. Changing from original state by machine or by hand.
Map projection. A method used to transfer the physical features of the globe onto a flat surface of a map.
Market economy. An economic system in which individual producers own and determine the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
Medieval. The historical period from roughly the fifth century to the fourteenth century. It is the time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance.
Métis. An individual or group having partial Aboriginal ancestry, usually of mixed First Nation and European ancestry.
Migration. The movement of people from one place or country to another, for the purpose of settlement.
Mixed economy. An economic system that uses aspects of more than one of the three basic types of economic systems (subsistence, command, and market).
Multiculturalism. The preservation of distinct cultural identities among varied groups within a unified society.
Myth/mythology. A traditional story, or a collection of stories, of unknown origin that explains a natural phenomenon, cultural practice, belief, or historical event.

Natural resource. Something found in nature that people find useful or valuable.
Natural vegetation. Plant life that develops naturally in an area.
New France. The territory colonized by France in northeastern North America from the explorations of Jacques Cartier in 1534 to the loss of the last of the territories to Great Britain in 1763.
New World. The Western Hemisphere of the earth as originally named by European explorers.
Non-pictorial symbols. These are shapes used on maps to represent features (e.g., a dot to represent an entire city).
Non-renewable resource. A finite resource that cannot be replaced once it is used up (e.g., petroleum, minerals).
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). A trade agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico that became law in 1993. The main purpose of NAFTA is to facilitate and increase trade among the three countries.

Opinion. A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof.
Opposition. In a parliamentary government, the principal party opposed to the party in power.

Pacific Rim. A term referring to the countries and economies bordering the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Rim extends from Chile to Alaska on the east side and from New Zealand to Japan and Russia on the west side.
Parliament Buildings. The buildings in Ottawa where the Canadian Parliament meets.
Parties (political). Established political groups organized to promote and support principles and candidates for public office.
Patriots. Those in the American colonies who rebelled against the British during the American Revolution.
Physical feature. An aspect of a place or area that derives from the physical environment.
Pictorial symbols. Specific shapes or icons used on maps to identify such features as houses, schools, and airports.
Political deadlock. Inability to make decisions because of the disagreement of an equal number of voters.
Population density. The number of individuals occupying an area; calculated by dividing the number of people by the area they occupy.
Population distribution. The pattern of habitation in an area.
Premier. The head of the government of a province or territory of Canada.
Primary industries (resource industries). Industries that harvest raw materials or natural resources (e.g., agriculture, ranching, forestry, fishing, extraction of minerals and ores).
Primary sources. Artefacts and oral, print, media, or computer materials that are the earliest or first of a kind.
Prime Minister. The head of the government in Canada, and the leader of the party that is in power and that normally has the majority of the seats in the House of Commons.
Pull factors. In migration theory, the social, political, economic, and environmental attractions of new areas that draw people away from their previous locations.
Push factors. In migration theory, the social, political, economic, and environmental forces that drive people from their previous locations to search for new ones.

Raw material. The material that a manufacturing industry processes into a more finished state (e.g., crude oil to gasoline, trees to paper).
Reciprocity. A mutual or cooperative interchange of favours or privileges (e.g., the exchange of trade privileges between nations).
Refugee. A person who flees for safety from political upheaval or war to a foreign country and is unable to return home.
Region. An area of the earth having some characteristic or characteristics that distinguish it from other areas.
Relative location. The location of a place or region in relation to other places or regions (e.g., northwest or downstream).
Renewable resource. A resource that can be regenerated if used carefully (e.g., fish, timber).
Resources. The machines, workers, money, land, raw materials, and other things that can be used to produce goods and services. There are renewable, non-renewable, and flow resources.
Responsible government. A system of government in which the cabinet or executive branch is responsible to the wishes of an elected legislature.
Riding. The legislative district represented by a member of Parliament or a member of a provincial legislature.
Rights. Entitlements recognized and protected by the law.
Rupert's Land. A historical region of Canada consisting of all the land in the Hudson Bay drainage system, including part of the present-day Northwest Territories, most of the present-day Prairie provinces, and present-day northern Ontario and Quebec. The land was granted to the Hudson's Bay Company by Charles II in 1670 and sold to Canada in 1870.

Scale. On maps, the measurement that represents an actual distance on the earth's surface. Scattered settlement pattern. Settlement mainly in rural areas where houses are scattered in no apparent pattern. The amount of space between dwellings depends on the amount of land that is required to grow enough food for the family living in each dwelling.
Secondary industries (manufacturing industries). Industries that convert raw materials into finished industrial products (e.g., car manufacturing).
Secondary sources. Oral, print, media, and computer materials that are not primary or original.
Seigneurial system. A system in New France in which land was granted to nobles, the church, and military and civil officers.
Settlement pattern. The distribution and arrangement of individual buildings or of rural and urban centres.
Site. The specific physical features defining the location of a place.
Situation. The general location of a place in relation to other places or larger features.
Specialized agriculture. A large-scale production of one specific product (e.g., sugar cane, cotton, coffee).
Subsistence agriculture. A type of farming in which livestock is raised and crops are cultivated for local food and energy requirements rather than for sale.
Sustainable development. Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Technology. The application of knowledge to meet the goals and provide the goods and services desired by people.
Tertiary industries (service industries). Industries that provide services (e.g., banking, retailing, education) rather than products.
Thematic map. A map pertaining to one specific subject or theme.
Timeline. A graphical display of events or people in a chronological order.
Topographic map. A map whose primary purpose is to show the relief of the land through the use of contour lines or other methods.
Trade goods. Articles such as brass kettles, iron axe-heads, guns, coloured cloth, and glass beads offered by Europeans to First Nation peoples in exchange for furs and hides.
Traditional economic system. An economic system in which decisions are made on the basis of customs, beliefs, religion, habit, and so on.
Traditions. Elements of a culture passed down from generation to generation.
Trellis drainage. A pattern of river tributaries lying in the parallel valleys of a steeply folded region.

United Nations. An international organization formed in 1945 to promote peace and economic development.
Upper Canada. An early name for the land at the upstream end of the St. Lawrence River north of lakes Ontario and Erie. Upper Canada formed the southern part of the present-day province of Ontario.
Urbanization. A process in which there is an increase in the percentage of people living and/or working in urban places as compared to rural places.

Weather. The conditions of the atmosphere, including temperature, precipitation, wind, humidity, and cloud cover, at a specific place and time.

Notes from the Director's Visit

2006-09-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

The notes from the Director's visit are posted at-
http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/directors_place/
diary/resources/viscount_montgomery.pdf

Story Bits- Connecting with Home and School

2006-09-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you to a fellow teacher for this link to story bits- little souvenir items that kids can bring home after story time in the library.
http://teachers.net/4blocks/article33.html

Raise a Reader, Adopt a Book is a success

2006-09-29T05:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the many parents and students who took time to browse through the Adopt-a-Book table at our Meet the Teacher event.

There was a great deal of interest in all kinds of kids' picture books. We gave away about 300 books to good homes.

By clearing out some of these older volumes we are able to make space for new materials in our school Library.

Thanks to my great helpers: MG, IB, BF and DW.

Advisor 6C web pages

2006-09-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to some web pages for advisor 6C.
Mr. Brown

http://teacherweb.com/ON/
ViscountMontgomery/Advisor6C/index.html

Search the School Library for a Book

2006-09-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

To search the school library, you can use the following link:
http://hip.hwdsb.on.ca/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=444

Websites by Dewey Number

2006-09-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

Websites for Dewey numbers 000 - 499
http://library.thinkquest.org/5002/Alien/websites1.htm

Websites for Dewey number 500 - 699
http://library.thinkquest.org/5002/Alien/websites2.htm

700 - 799
http://library.thinkquest.org/5002/Alien/websites3.htm

800 - 899
http://library.thinkquest.org/5002/Alien/websites.htm

Book Links, Homework Help Web Sites

2006-09-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

Contains background, and lists of finalists for various Canadian Publisher awards.
http://www.bookcentre.ca/index.shtml

Homework Help (About.com)

Burlington Public Library.Library Homework Help

Hamilton Public Library.Kids Homework Help

Hamilton Public Library.Teen Homework Help

Kingston Public Library.Homework Help Links

London Public Library.I want to know about

Pickering Public Library.Homework Central

Prince Edward County Public Library.Homework Help

TVO: Ask a teacher

2Learn.ca for Teens and Teens Find-a-site Database.

Awesome Interactive Music Web Sites

2006-09-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

Gullah music (evolution of African American music)
www.knowitall.org/gullahmusic/

Carnegie Hall's listening adventure website
www.playmusic.org

Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
www.weillmusicinstitute.org

Medieval and Renaissance Instruments
www.music.iastate.edu/antiqua/instrumt.html

National Arts Centre
www.artsalive.ca

San Francisco Symphony Kids
www.sfskids.org

New York Philharmonic Kids
www.nyphilkids.org

British Vs. American Musical Terms
http://ninagilbert.googlepages.com/British.html

Space Shuttle links

2006-09-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

ISS links
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/video/
station/uslab-destiny/mpg/sts98destiny.mpg
This is an animation of the installation of the Destiny module.

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/
An image gallery for the ISS

Atlantis landing video

View from rocket booster during takeoff

NASA media search page

First Circulation Day!

2006-09-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Mr. Berneche's grade 3 class. They were the first students to sign out books today in our new school year. Mr. Brown has been "weeding" out old books and is getting lots of new book ready to put on display.

Grand Opening of the School Library will be announced soon.

Career Cruising News

2006-09-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

www.careercruising.com is an excellent resource for looking at career information and help on learning what jobs suit you. Here is the Sept. newsletter:

Welcome to the September 2006 Career Cruising newsletter. We hope you had a
great summer!

Confirmation of Access Information

In case you didn't have occasion to use Career Cruising much during the summer, we thought it would be a good idea to confirm your school's Career Cruising access information. To login to Career Cruising, go to www.careercruising.com and enter the following username and password:

Username: hamilton
Password: 15100

As always, we strongly encourage you to share this information with all of your students and colleagues. We also encourage you to share your school's access information with parents whenever you can. Career Cruising can be used on all of the computers at your school and accessed from home by all students, parents, and staff.

New School Staff

If there have been any staff changes at your school, we would really appreciate it if you could update us on who will be using Career Cruising this year. If you are able to send us the names and email address for any new Career Cruising users, we will be sure these people receive the email newsletter and any other updates we may send during the year. We also encourage you to provide these people with our contact information so they know how to reach us if they need any help with Career Cruising.

Increased Portfolio Storage Space

Computer hardware technology continues to progress at a rapid pace. Over the summer we replaced all of our website servers with brand new, cutting edge equipment to ensure that we are providing the most reliable service and best user experience possible.

With these new servers in place, we are very pleased to be able to provide students with significantly more storage space in the "Your Files" section of their portfolios. The storage limit is now 10 MB, 20 times the old limit of 500 KB. To put these numbers in perspective, students now have enough storage space to save two copies of the complete works of Shakespeare. The
"Your Files" section allows students to add any files (essays, letters of reference, scanned artwork, etc.) that they feel are useful additions to their portfolio.

Updated Support Material

All of the Career Cruising support material (user's guides, classroom activities, etc.) have recently been updated. The 2007 versions of all of these files are now available for viewing and downloading from the website. To access these documents, simply login to Career Cruising with your school's username and password and then click on the "Resources for Career Advisors and Teachers" link under the Helpful Information heading on the Main page.

New Occupations

Our writers and researchers are continuing to work on adding new occupation profiles to Career Cruising. New occupations added during the past couple of months include the following: Adoption Counselor, Importer/Exporter, Medical Transcriptionist, Neurologist, Surface Driller, and Water Well Driller.

Links to Good Book Reviews

2006-09-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.literaturecircles.com/book_reviews.htm

http://www.literaturecircles.com/kids.htm

http://www.lfhs.org/reading/Web%20Design%20Read%20A-Latte/
Read%20A-Latte%20Home%20Page.html

http://www.litcircles.org/

Source for Maps on line

2006-09-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/
index.html?Parent=world&Rootmap=&Mode=d&SubMode=w

This is an easy source for maps of continents, countries or the world.

Arts and Culture Links

2006-09-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/sujets-subjects/arts-culture/index_e.cfm
This is the link for Canadian Heritage web site, Arts and Culture.
TONS of stuff here!
GB

DinosarDays web site

2006-09-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.dinosaurdays.co.za/
This is a goldmine of INFO for bands from days gone by.

Permission to Photograph - Watch for the Form

2006-08-31T17:23:00.000-07:00

Parents,

Watch for the permission form during the first few days of school that asks for your signature. Your child's teacher will be sending it home. In order for the school to be able to use photographs of student and school activities containing your child, we request your permission to do so. The form provides space for you to specify particular circumstances where you will or will not grant permission.

For example, some parents may grant permission to have photos posted in a bulletin display in the school, but not on the school web site.

For your information, on the school web site, a reasonable degree of personal privacy is maintained by using group pictures and by not naming the students photographed. However, we will still only publish photographs of students who have returned the completed permission form.

Thanks,

Mr. Brown, web site committee

Library Survey

2006-08-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

Here is the link:
http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB225MBYD5T9B

Art Web Sites

2006-08-29T16:41:00.002-07:00

http://www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/sparkers.html

http://www.ficml.org/jemimap/style/color/wheel.html

http://www.sanford-artedventures.com/

http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/artstudio/

http://www.magixl.com/heads/index.html

http://www.coloring.com/

http://www.education-world.com/arts/visual.shtml

http://www.permadi.com/java/spaint/spaint.html

http://teacherpathfinder.org/School/arts.html

http://www.mmwindowtoart.com/page2a.html

http://www.kids.albrightknox.org/index_launched.html

http://www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/index.html

Grolier On-Line Encyclopedia

2006-08-29T06:54:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

We have just received a memo from the Ministry regarding the username and password for Grolier Online Encyclopedia that's available until April 1, 2008.

http://go-ontario.grolier.com

Username: hamwdsb
Password: hamw7124

Welcome!

2006-08-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone....students and parents.

I'm looking forward to serving the school community through our school library and information centre. In the coming weeks I'll be meeting students of all grades and classes as they visit the library on a regularly scheduled basis. Watch this web site for the latest information about the library.

Mr. Brown, teacher librarian

Mission Statement

2006-08-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

Since the school's opening in 1952, the School Library and Information Centre has served the students, staff and families of Viscount Montgomery School in many ways. It provides relevant, up-to-date reading and research materials for students of all ages, internet access with instructional support for using web-based information and educational programs and graded reading materials and picture books for beginning and developing readers. The library also stores and coordinates the maintenance of the school's audio-visual equipment. Student and adult volunteers assist with the tidying up and reshelving of books and other helpful tasks.

Our Mission Statement, in draft form, reads as follows:

"The Mission of the School Library and Information Centre is to reflect, promote and assist the educational activities of our school community. We will do this by providing the best resources possible, managing them with excellence and scheduling time equitably. We embrace flexibility, teamwork and volunteer spirit in all we do."