All posts by lspady

#15: Rebus Puzzles

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

A REBUS is a picture representation of a name, work, or common phrase. Look at the puzzle in the read box.  Since the word HEAD is over the word HEELS, the answer to the puzzle would be HEAD OVER HEELS!

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #15: Rebus Puzzles

2. Number your recording page from 1-8.  At the rebus quiz page, examine the puzzle, record your guess, and then check your work. Add a star if you got it correct and add in the right answer if needed.

3. Read this teaching page that explains some strategies so you can learn more about how the position of the words will help you solve the puzzle. On your recording sheet make a section for each of these topics:

  • Positioning
  • Try it out 1
  • Highlighting,
  • Font Properties
  • Try it out 2
  • Homophones,
  • Repetition
  • Try it out 3
  • Context and Clues

4. As you read each section on the page, write examples and hint on your recording page.

****NOTE: There are 3 “try it out” sections on this teaching page. For each “try it out”click the link to find a puzzle, record your guesses/thoughts, and then check the answer.

5. Go to this website where you will find 18 rebus puzzles. Number your recording page from 1-18, Choose ten to solve. Record your guess  next to the correct number. When have a guess written down, click the box to check your work. Put a star on your page or write in the correct answer if needed.

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

#15: Juliette Gordon Low

Full STEAM Ahead, Uncategorized

Inventor, Juliette Gordon Low, or as her friends called her, “Daisy,” was like the superhero of Girl Scouts, zooming around with courage, confidence, and character! In 1912, she waved her magic wand and created Girl Scouts of the USA, where girls could gather to unleash their amazing powers in STEAM—science, technology, engineering, arts, and math! Just like a science experiment gone right, she turned her dream of girls teaming up to celebrate their strengths into a fantastic reality!

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #15: Juliette Gordon Low

2. Watch this video to learn about Ms. Low. take notes on your recording sheet.

3. Print this information sheet.

4. Read all of the pages carefully.

5. Work on the folding project. You will need to study the patent drawing page to find the steps.

6. Take a picture of your product and add it to your recording page.

7. Did you know? Juliette Low also has a Design Patent? It may look familiar to you. It is the inspiration for many trademarks utilized by Girl Scouts of America. Study this image. Do some research to find out what a design patent is. Record your findings on your recording page.

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

Check out the Kids Invent Stuff Badge the Problem Solving Invention Badge at the EY website.

Early Enrichment #16: Are We There Yet? (E.1)

Early Enrichment

Have you ever been on a trip and wondered…

Are we there yet?!

Traveling  to a new place can take a long time, a lot a planning, and cost a lot of money. What if you could take a trip from the comfort of your seat? What if you could take out the question “are we there yet?” by taking a virtual fieldtrip?

Starting this week, each month Early Enrichment will take you on a virtual field trip to visit places all around the world. You will be able to see the places, read about them, and learn about their culture.

This week we are traveling to visit the ancient pyramids in 

Mexico!Checkout these activities about the Mayan Culture : 

(1) Engineering Pyramids 

(2) Mayan Mathematics

(3) Mayan Culture

 

#17: Pi Numbers

Math Mini Sparks

Did you know…Among the digits of pi currently known, the concentration of each of the digits 0-9 are pretty close to equal. However, in the first 30 places of pi’s decimal expansion, there is a digit is completely missing?  Which digit is it?

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #17: Pi Numbers

2. Below you will see the first 98 digits of pi.  Record the number of times each digit appears.  Which digit is not used in the first 30 places?  Record your discovery on your recording page.

3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628620899862803482534211706

3. Take this Pi Day trivia quiz  If you use a website to find an answer, make sure to note that on your recording sheet.

4. Memorize 100,000 digits of pi using this site:  http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~huberty/math5337/groupe/digits.html  OK…that might be a little extreme, but try to memorize at least 30 places. If you can do 30 already stretch it further.

3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105…

5. Read this article with Pi facts. Record several new ideas on your recording sheet.

6.  Discover the circles around us by posting a Circle Selfie to this Padlet Wall: http://padlet.com/spady_lynn/piday16IMG_4136

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

Early Enrichment #15: Share the Love

Early Enrichment

I wonder who your valentine is this year?

Is it your parents? Maybe a friend?

Valentine's_day_M&Ms_in_the_shape_of_a_heart_(8418026760)

Valentine’s Day is an important holiday around the world. It is a day that we show those around us how much we care. But have you ever wondered about hot it started?

To check out more information go to,  Pebbe Go or by visiting this Valentine’s Day Wonderopolis.

Valentine’s Day is a holiday that we celebrate our love for our friends and families, what else did you learn about the holiday? Comment below!

It’s always exciting having parties and getting cards from your friends, but think about those who might not receive valentines. This week’s early enrichment activity is to  “Share the Love” by creating valentines for senior citizens that live in Westside’s neighborhood. Make a valentine and send it to your EY Coordinator!

#16: Discover Circles

Math Mini Sparks

Circles are EVERYWHERE, and wherever there are circles, there’s math to be done!

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #16: Discover Circles
  2. Read this circle fact page. Record 3-5 ideas on your recording page.
  3. Find circles in your environment and snap some pictures.  Make a Pic Collage (or use another app of your choice). Add the finished project to your recording sheet.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

  4. Get a ruler. Snap a picture of a circle that you have found with a ruler going through the center This is measuring the diameter of the circle.  Calculate the circumference of the circle by taking pi (3.14) times diameter.  C = πd. Record your math and the answer on your recording page
  5. Read the following steps to see how you can get to Pi!

Step 1:  Measure the diameter of a circle.  I used the top of my QT cup in the picture below. I measured the diameter as 11.5 cm.

pi3

Step 2:  Measure the outside of the circle (circumference) with a string (I used a piece of making tape folded in half because I didn’t have a string handy).

IMG_4076     IMG_4077

Step 3:  Measure the string.  I measured the circumference of my QT lid as 36.5 cm.

IMG_4078

Step 4:  Divide the circumference by the diameter (36.5 divided by 11.5).

I got 3.17391304.  Not too bad!

IMG_4079

5. Do steps 1-4 with your own circle. Record all of the math on your recording page.

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

#15: Spheres with Pi

Math Mini Sparks

Learn about how Pi relates to cylinders, cones, and spheres in this math mini spark.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #15: Spheres with Pi
  2. Watch this video. Practice drawing the sphere with the teacher on your recording page. Record 3-5 other details from the video.

3.  Read about cylinders, cones, and spheres. Answer the questions the show up as ????  with a blue background and keep moving along the teaching journey.

4. Read this teaching page that shows how to calculate the surface area of a sphere. Record the steps on your recording sheet.

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

Social Studies Mini-Spark #7: Learn about Elections!

Social Studies Enrichment

images

Image courtesy of Congressforkids.net

Today, February 1st, our nation takes the first step toward electing the next President of the United States of America!  Voters in Iowa caucus today to cast their vote for who will run for the highest office in our country.  This begins the primary election season.

To learn more about the election process, go to the website below and explore! Read about our nation’s election process and quiz yourself as you go!  Also, check out the right-hand side of the page, where you can “Surf with Uncle Sam”, play “Word Spy”, and even do an independent project!  Respond below in the comment section with something important you learned from this website.  Or, if you completed one of the projects, take a picture and send it to your EY coordinator!

http://www.congressforkids.net/Elections_index.htm

Early Enrichment #14: One Hundred

Early Enrichment

This week we celebrated 100 days of school!

100-day1

Can you believe that we have been in school for one hundred days! Wow! That is a lot of school! Can you imagine what it would be like if you went to school for a hundred years! That’s even crazier. 

Imagine all of the things you could learn in 100 years.

Imagine all of the things you would have made in 100 years. 

Imagine what a classroom would look like in 100 years. 

Imagine what you would look like in 100 years! (use this app if you are curious!) 

Brainstorm about what a classroom might look like in the year 2116, what you would be like,  and what you may have learned if you were still a student. Create something to share your ideas. You can make a Pic Collage, write a story, comment below, or share your work with your EY Coordinator!

#14: Story Starters

Reading Enrichment

A story starter is one specific type of writing prompt that you can use when you need an idea for a story. In this mini spark, you will find writing starters and comic starters that go along with the Dav Pilkey series: Dog Man, Cat Kid, and Captain Underpants.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #14: Story Starters

2. Who is Dav Pilkey? Read a little about him on this page. Record 5 details on your recording page.

3. Watch this video interview. On your recording page, write 2-3 sentences about how Dav started his writing journey.

4. Look over an example of a  writing starter and a comic starter.

Look at the comic starter for Dog Man.

Look at the writing starter for Dog Man.

After looking at each type, would you prefer to write and illustrate comic or write the next part of the story? Add your response to your recording sheet and explain your choice.

5. Choose one of these starters to complete. You can choose to do the comic starter or the writing starter. Print out your choice to use to create your story.  

Comic starter for Dog Man Lord of the Fleas

Writing starter for Dog Man Lord of the Fleas

Comic starter for Dog Man Fetch-22

Writing starter for Dog Man Fetch-22

Comic starter for Cat Kid Comic Club Influencers

Writing starter for Cat Kid Comic Club Influencers

Comic starter for Dog Man

Writing starter for Dog Man

Comic starter for Captain Underpants 25 ½ Anniversary Edition

Writing starter for Captain Underpants 25 ½ Anniversary Edition

6.  Share your language arts mini spark recording page and project if you printed it, with your teacher/EY coordinator.

There are many more choices at the main Story Starters website. If you are interested in doing these projects for a badge, talk to your teacher or your EY coordinator.