All posts by lspady

#21:Tridecagon

Math Mini Sparks

While teaching an enrichment lesson to 3rd graders a few weeks ago, one of them asked what a 13-sided figure was called.  Did you know it is a called a TRIDECAGON? Explore polygons and polygon names in this math mini spark.

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #21:Tridecagon

2. Choose 2 activities to complete this mini spark

  • Watch The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns.  Reading this book aloud is my  favorite ways to start a geometry unit.  After watching the video, make a recording on your recording page about your favorite shape and where it appears most often. Pick a polygon and draw 4-5 pictures of where that shape appears.

  • At Math is Fun, research the names of polygons that you don’t already know and create a visual showing what you have learned.
  • Create a “Geometry Around Us Presentation.”  Look at this example: as a starting point.  You can use any tool (Explain Everything, Pic Collage, Canva, etc.) and include as many vocabulary words as you like.  Try to find pictures of polygons in your school or outside.

  • Write your name in block polygon letters.  Color the letters and under each one, write the correct name for each polygon.

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

 

#17: How to use a colon

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

A colon is used to give emphasis, present dialogue, introduce lists or text, and clarify composition titles. Learn about this misunderstood punctuation mark in this mini spark.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #17: How to use a colon

2.  Read this information about colons. Record the bold word and the sample sentence.

Emphasis—Capitalize the first word after the colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. (She had one love: Western Michigan University.)

Dialogue—Write the speaker’s name, followed by a colon and his or her statement. (Reporter: What is the 49th Parallel? Dunn: It is the line of latitude that acts as the boundary separating Canada from the United States in North America.)

Introduce lists—Capitalize the first word after the colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. (I want the following items: butter, sugar, and flour.)

3. Watch the video. Pause the video as needed to record notes. Pay special attention to any words that are new to you, rules, specific examples and sample sentences. These items should all be included on your recording page. You you have at least 5 items on your note page when you are done.

 

4. Look over this teaching page.  Scroll past the video and read the intro sentence and then 1, 2 and 3. Read each one and write down the rule and an example.

5. Write two of your own sentences using a colon correctly.

6. Share your language arts mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

 

 

Social Studies Mini-Spark #11: The Ancient Origins of the Olympics

Thousands of years in the making, the Olympics began as part of a religious festival honoring the Greek god Zeus in the rural Greek town of Olympia. But how did it become the greatest show of sporting excellence on earth? Armand D’Angour explains the evolution of the Olympics.

Below, please view the video about the origins of the Olympics:

More resources for you to explore:

Interested in the Ancient Olympic Games and the mythology behind them? Click here to find out more! Do chariot racing, the pankration, and twenty competitors on one running track at once sound challenging? Visit this site to find out more about the competitions, spirit of the ancient Olympics, and stories of the competitors.

For all things Olympic go to Olympic.org, and take a look at the featured athletes, youth development and future Olympic cities. Which city will host the next Olympic games in 2024? Read about how the next Olympic city will be chosen and the process that goes along with it here. After all the festivities and competitions are done, see “What Becomes of Olympic Stadiums.” Interested in following Olympic news on social media? Visit Twitter!

Ever wonder about the meaning behind the Olympic Symbols? What is the meaning of the five rings, the flame, and the motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius.” Read this and find out their meanings. Interested in Olympic Medals? Are they really made of Gold, Silver and Bronze? Learn the truth here!

Finally, think about the following question and respond in the comments section below with your thoughts:

Do the Olympics encourage sporting activity at all levels or just for elite sportspeople?

#mathcurse with the #spadyboys

Spady Blog, Uncategorized

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I know I’ve blogged about this before, but seriously, you can really turn anything into a math problem!

I recently read a blog post by @raspberryberet3 about teaching financial literacy in the classroom and I couldn’t agree more!  Even better, let’s get into the habit as parents of  pointing out situations when we use math in our daily lives.  I realize I’m a math teacher and sometimes my problems are a S-T-R-E-T-C-H for practical applications, but it does get us talking about math in different ways.  Below are a few ways I talk about math with the #spadyboys.

  • I always point out geometry vocabulary while driving.  It’s not uncommon for me to pull off on the side of the road to take a picture of an object with lots of geometric terms.  This one is one of my favorites!  Can you see the quadrilaterals, triangles, transversals and supplementary angles?

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I have a collection of pictures here: http://tinyurl.com/geopicswg and recently I had my pre-algebra students use these pictures and @explainevrythng on their iPad to define and highlight the “Geometry Around Us.”  It was much better than writing down a bunch of definitions in a notebook.  Check out Tyler’s example here:  https://youtu.be/aDcRaVMiTa8

 

I’m excited about some of the new vocabulary ideas I learned from @rwootenits at NETA this past week!  There are lots of tools and resources we can use to make the vocabulary much more meaningful for our students.

  • My favorite place to take the #spadyboys is the @DollarTree.  Before we get to the checkout, they have to calculate the sales tax.  Food isn’t taxed so they have to figure out how many non-food items we have.  Then, if it’s 7% sales tax, that’s $0.07 for every dollar we spend.  They often have the total calculated before the checker scans all the items.
  • Percents show up everywhere!  When I read @raspberryberet3‘s blog post, I immediately thought of my awesome shoe deal at @DSWShoeLovers last month.  The shoes shown at the top of this page were originally $60.00 marked down to $39.94 on the yellow sticker.  The yellow sticker meant that I could take an additional 80% off!  What was the final price for the shoes?  Figure it out and leave a comment below!  Whenever I can, I stress that we don’t always need calculators or tip cards to figure out percents.  With a little rounding and estimating and moving decimal places, we can do it all mentally!
  • I have a fascination with palindromes and get super excited when my odometer (currently at 159710 miles) reads a palindrome.  Not only does it make for a cool pattern of numbers, but we can also figure out when the next palindrome will take place.  BTW…how many more miles do I have to drive in order to reach a palindrome?  Palindromes pop up all the time on the clock!  Even my 5-year-old is getting the hang of it!

You truly can turn anything into a math problem.  Whether it’s a practical application of percents or a fun pattern of numbers that create a palindrome, let’s work on turning the #mathcurse into #mathopportunities!

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#23: Dream Learning Spaces

Early Enrichment

Our schools and classrooms may begin to look very different as schools are updated and remodeled.  Have you ever imagined your classroom looking different?

Spark your thinking!

  1. Set up your early enrichment mini spark recording page: #23: Dream Learning Spaces
  2. Look over these design ideas. Which one would you like in your classroom?

Would you have cool seating in your classroom?

Seats  Seats2

What about a place to create?

How will you showcase your learning?

Are you like me, and like quiet areas to read?

Reading Nook

 

 

 

 

 

2. Here’s your chance to become an architect and design your new learning space.  Design your dream classroom or learning space. Grab a poster and other materials to create your new learning space. You can add whatever features you think would help your learning, but make sure to include  the following:

(1) A place to collaborate or work with your classmates

(2) A area to create and make things 

(3) A space to showcase your learning

(4) A quiet area to work and read

3. Share your early enrichment mini spark recording page with your teacher or the EY coordinator in your building.

 

 

#22: Roman Numerals

Early Enrichment

I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X

I just counted to ten can you believe it?! It doesn’t look like I did, because they are letters,  but long ago that is how numbers looked liked. Numbers like that have a special names-Roman Numerals.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your early enrichment mini spark recording page: #22: Roman Numerals

3. We don’t use Roman Numerals often, but you can find them on clocks, in books, and even at the super bowl each year. Watch this video.  The teacher give a sentence as a way of remembering the numbers. Pause the video and add that to your recording page.

4. Look at this chart.  On your recording page write your age, your favorite number, and the number of students in your classroom.

5.  Share your early enrichment mini spark recording page with your teacher or the EY coordinator in your building.

#20: Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Math Mini Sparks

Take Me out to the Ball Game! The baseball/softball season is upon us and what better way to prepare for the fun than by studying the ways in which math is used in these fine sports.

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #20: Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2.  Watch this video about how to calculate batting average. Comment about something new you learned from the video on your recording sheet.

 

3. Print off this page and calculate batting averages. Worksheet Source: http://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/future-eligibles#2017-eligibles

4. Watch this PBS video-Real Life Math Baseball. What math does he discuss in the video? Add several ideas to your recording page.

5. Share your math mini spark recording page and batting average practice sheet with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Film Seminar Ticket

Uncategorized

 

film

Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thondon_entertainment.jpg

In order to be considered for the Film Seminar, please complete the tasks below by Friday, April 15.  There are only a few spots available for elementary students so make sure to turn in your very best work.  Submit your work to the EY Coordinator at your building.

Tasks
  • Watch this video on the History of Movies: https://youtu.be/rrJPICybdj8
  • Write a summary of what you learned from the video.
  • Complete the project that is mentioned at 2:45 in the video.

 

Contest: Become a TFK Kid Reporter!

Other Events & Contests
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Do you dream of being a reporter or an editor? Are you a good writer who loves the news? If so, you may have what it takes to be a winner in the TFK Kid Reporter Talent Search.
TFK is looking for 12 students from around the nation to be members of the TFK Kid Reporter team for the 2016–2017 school year. ****Event closed****Check back in the spring for the new contest
Next year’s team will continue the tradition of reporting local and regional news stories for TIME For Kids magazine and timeforkids.com.
Professional journalists from TIME For Kids will select this team. In the past, TFK Kid Reporters have:
★  Interviewed national leaders, celebrities, and other newsmakers.
★  Written news stories, reviews, and opinion pieces for TIME For Kids.
★  Learned about the news business from award-winning journalists who work at TIME.
★  Appeared on television to talk about their work.

 

How to Enter

To apply, visit www.timeforkids.com/2016kr and complete the required fields and the official entry form. Be sure to read the official rules and share them with your parent or guardian, who must sign your entry form and submit it electronically. Entries must be submitted by June 17, 2016. You must be 14 years of age or younger on September 1, 2016.

Visit this website to view the official rules:

http://www.timeforkids.com/krcontest

#21: Caves

Early Enrichment

Where are there ice caves filled with hot springs? What unique feature do many cave-dwelling fish have? What animals lived in Britain’s caves during the Ice Age? find out the answers to these questions in this mini spark.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your early enrichment mini spark recording page: #21: Caves 

2.  Watch this video about caves.  Write down the names of 3 different types of caves mentioned in the video.

3. Read this fact page about caves.

 

4.

5.  Share your early enrichment mini spark recording page with your teacher or the EY coordinator in your building.