All posts by Jenny Henningsen

#29: Bitsbox 1-Get Started

Full STEAM Ahead, Uncategorized

In this STEAM mini spark you will learn how to sign in to Bitsbox and how to code your own app, food fight.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page:#29: Bitsbox 1-Get Started

2. Watch this intro video.   Write the first line of code that you will type when creating the app food fight.

3. Copy these instructions on your recording sheet.

4. Click this link to get to bitsbox or go to www.bitsbox.com and follow the instructions from step 3 to get logged in.

5.  Click on the food fight icon and follow the written instructions step-by-step to code the whole app. Take a screenshot of your app and add it to your recording page.

6. Now, modify  your app it with your own stamp, text, and colors.

7. Take a picture of your new app and add it to your recording sheet.

8. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Check out the bitsbox badge on the EY website.

#29: Bitsbox 2-Code an App

Full STEAM Ahead, Mini Challenges

In this STEAM mini spark you will watch how to code an app at Bitsbox and code your own apps. You will learn about the text and stamp commands and as how to work with coordinates.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page:#29: Bitsbox 2-Code an App

2. Watch this intro video.  On your recording page, record 5 coding terms from the video.

3. Click this link to get to bitsbox or go to bitsbox.com. Click kids sign in on the top right, then click the sign in with google button to get to your tablet.

4. Click this link to get to a few free coding projects provided by Bitsbox. If you would like, you can print them out.

5. Click the new app button. and then add in the 4 digit code on the coding card.

6. Code 1 or 2 of the projects. Take a screenshot of your code and add it to your recording page.

7. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Check out the Bitsbox badges at the EY website.

#28: Rocket Launcher

Full STEAM Ahead, Learning Opportunities, Mini Challenges

National STEAM day is celebrated on November 8, but you can create STEAM all year long! Check out this rocket launcher experiment that you can do to celebrate the national day dedicated to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #28: Rocket Launcher

2. Watch this video. Write down the materials you will need on your recording page

3. Collect the materials you need. Contact the EY coordinator in your building via email if you need help with this step. Add a picture of of your supplies to your recording page.

4. Go back to step 2 and rewatch this video while you are working.

4. Take pictures from your experiment and add them to your recording page.

5. Take a video of your rocket launcher.

6. On your recording page, create a one paragraph summary about your project.

7. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page and your video with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Check out the DIY superstar badge on the EY website

Post adapted from https://projectmc2.mgae.com/#/experiments

#37: Create Your Own National Day

Reading Enrichment

Everyday can be a celebration. Did you know that November 3rd is national sandwich day, December 7th is national letter writing day and January  7th is national bobblehead day?

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #37: Create Your Own National Day

2. Look over this teaching page. On your recording sheet, write about each of the highlighted days, the history, and how it is celebrated.

3. What day do feel deserves to add to the list of national celebrations? Pickle day?  It’s observed on November 15. How about National fuzzy sock day? Wear your cozy socks and keep your feet toasty warm all day long. People celebrate this day on December 21st!  Look over this national day list and find 5 more funny days that are national days.

 

4. What would be a day that you would LOVE to celebrate? Start brainstorming to think of a special day that you would like added to the calendar that is not already observed. Make a list of 5-10 days.

5. Choose your very favorite day from the list you created. Create a colorful information page about your day. Include this information:

The name of your day

3-5 facts about your topic

How can people celebrate this day?

Add color and illustrations to your project.

6. Read about the process of how to formally submit your national day idea to be selected as a “National Day of Celebration”. What information is most important to know about the process.

7. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and project with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#38: Celebration Days

Early Enrichment, Uncategorized

Everyday can be a celebration. Did you know that November 3rd is national sandwich day, December 7th is national letter writing day and January 7th is national bobblehead day?

Spark your thinking!

  1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #38: Celebration Days
  2. Look over this teaching page. On your recording sheet, write about each of the highlighted days,  its history, and how it is celebrated.
  3. What day do you feel deserves to add to the list of national celebrations? Pickle day? It’s observed on November 15. How about National fuzzy sock day? It’s a day people celebrate on December 21st! What would be a day that you would LOVE to celebrate? Start brainstorming. Create a list of 10 days that you would enjoy having as special days on the calendar.
  4. Choose your very favorite day from the list you created. Create a colorful information page about your day. Include this information:

The name of your day

3-5 facts about your topic

How can people celebrate this day?

Do research to find out if your day is already celebrated. If so, add that date to your project.

  1. Read about the process of how to formally submit your national day idea for review. 
  2. Share your project with your teacher or the EY coordinator in your building.

#36: 6 Ways to Start a Sentence

Reading Enrichment

Know what you want to write but aren’t sure where to start? These sentence prompts will help. Remember these 6 openings and you can write anything you want

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #36: 6 Ways to Start a Sentence 

2. Watch this video and take notes on your recording page for each of the ideas.

3.  This is an article on this same topic. Read the article, 5 tips, and the example paragraphs. Write down 5 new ideas.

4. On your recording page write a 6 sentence paragraph about a topic of your choice.  Use a different strategy for each sentence. Underline each beginning with a different color.

5. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and poem with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#35: Living Poetically

Reading Enrichment

Many years ago, it was common for students to regularly be assigned the memorization of a poem or part of a historical document.  Today, that does not happen in schools as regularly.  But, did you know that memorization is good for you???

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #35: Living Poetically

2. Here are three big ways that memorization will improve your reading and speaking skills.  First, reciting a piece that is memorized will help you learn to articulate your words (speak clearly).  Second, memorization has been shown to increase your vocabulary because you familiarize yourself with words that you may have not otherwise come across.  Lastly, increasing your vocabulary has been shown to increase your reading comprehension.  Wow! Write these 3 items on your recording sheet.

3. The following link has some more suggestions of what to memorize AND gives some pointers on how to memorize. Read the whole article and record 3-5 points on your recording sheet.

4. Pick one of the poems off of the memorization list to print. Record your choice on your recording page.

5. Work on this project for a few days.

6. The EY Coordinator/teacher would love to get a video of you reciting a poem or part of a historical document. Practice until you are ready and then take a video with your ipad reading the poem you picked. Make sure to say the name of the poem and the author before you start.

7. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and your video with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#54: Multiplication Tricks

Math Mini Sparks

Multiplication. It is one of the four types of operations you learned in math (along with addition subtraction and division). There are many different ways to multiply numbers. However, sometimes, multiplying really big numbers can be a challenge. Luckily, there are many different techniques you can use to solve large multiplication problems.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #54: Multiplication Tricks
  2. Watch this video about multiplying using lines. Take some notes as you watch to track the process.

3. Print out (or have your teacher print out) this worksheet. Use the method in the video to come up with answers to multiplication problems. You can check your answers on the second page of the worksheet.

4. If you feel comfortable with those problems and want to try multiplying bigger numbers, then print out this worksheet.

5. Share your math mini spark recording page and Explain EDU project with your teacher/EY coordinator.

*Lesson inspired by multiplication lessons from East Asian schools

#52: Super Egg

Math Mini Sparks

Numberphile is a YouTube channel that posts many videos about many different math concepts. The channel has numerous videos on many real life examples. It is a great channel to learn about concepts not necessarily taught in school. One video that the channel contains is about a super egg, or a superellipse.

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #52: Super Egg

2. Watch the Numberphile Video and share something new you learned about math, geometry, and engineering on your recording sheet.

3. After watching the videos, click on this link and answer the questions. Write how you think you did on the quiz on your recording sheet.

4. Write 3 things you liked about the video and 2 questions you have and 1 thing you did not like about the video.

5. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

*Lesson inspired by Numberphile video about superellipses.

#50: Pandigital Numbers

Math Mini Sparks

Why is 361,654,729 awesome? Dive into this math mini spark and find out!

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #50: Pandigital Numbers
  2. Check out this video about pandigital numbers.

3.  Check out the 3 levels of the Pandigital  Number Quiz  at Transum.  Pick the level that suits you. Keep playing your level until you earn a trophy. Add a screenshot of your trophy to your recording page.

Level 1 – Basic questions about pandigital numbers

Level 2 – More challenging questions about pandigital numbers

Level 3 – Excruciatingly difficult questions about pandigital numbers

4. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.