Another great video tutorial has been posted by our friends at Hopscotch. This video will show you the basics of creating pixel art. Once you’re finished with the tutorial, you’ll be well on your way to creating more images like the ones below.
When you’ve created your own pixel art, take a picture and share it with the EY Coordinator at your building and we’ll post it on our Student Showcase Wiki.
Happy Pixelating!
Check out what the following Westside students created.
As a mother of 4 active boys, I often struggle to find balance with family time, church, homework, sports, and the day-to-day things that just pop-up. I recently took my boys to Kearney to stay in a hotel where they could swim and go down water slides. This was their incentive (OK…maybe it was a bribe) for reading their books and finishing the projects for Battle of the Books.
What I realized in the months leading up to this was that I have 4 boys with very different attitudes and preferences when it comes to reading. We downloaded a couple of the books to my iPad which my 3rd grader seemed to enjoy. My 1st grader is in-between picture books and chapter books and isn’t quite independent yet. My 5th grader prefers non-fiction books about cars and sports, and my littlest one just wants someone to read to him.
This list of 50 Books Kids Should Read Before They’re 12 came in my email the other day from Common Sense Media and I thought it would be a great list to share with parents who may or may not know of some age-appropriate titles for their kids. Check it out and leave a comment below. What are some “must reads” for kids in your opinion? Do you have any advice for motivating kids to read?
Remember that your Battle of the Books Keynotes are due this Thursday, February 19th. You can find directions on how to submit your Keynotes here. You will receive a confirmation email letting you know that your Keynote was received. Once all Keynotes have been submitted and reviewed, you will receive more information about the Battle of the Books event on March 13th.
Is it really mid-February already? Where has the time gone?! It’s been awhile since I’ve written a blog post, so this one will encompass the past couple months. I post more frequently on Twitter if you want to check us out there. You can follow @lynnspady, @wcsey66, and/or @Westgate66.
We spent the beginning of 2nd quarter looking at the basics of circuits. This video explains the the basics of an electrical circuit and this video explains the difference between series and parallel circuits. We looked at schematic drawings and studied the symbols for various components in a circuit.
images taken from http://www.clker.com/clipart-11203.html
After studying the drawings and symbols, it was time to move into Snap Circuit Kits. Students also created a series and parallel circuit using actual light switches. Check out some of the pictures and videos below!
Finally, students put their circuit skills into action by building a Bot Bot. They earned components (LEDs, motor, coin battery, etc.) for their robot by completing current events. Check out their creations below!
Students will spend the remainder of 3rd quarter creating their very own Super Awesome Maker Show modeled after Sylvia’s Show. Stay tuned!
The 2nd Annual WCS Elementary Science Olympiad was a huge success! Throughout the day, students participated in a variety of events that challenged their thinking.
The Zoo School facilitated a Wildlife Safari event where students practiced their observation and inference skills. The Barge Building event challenged students to create a foil structure that would float in water and support the most pennies. Mystery Powders had students identifying substances based on their reactions to different liquids. Other events included Rock Hound, Straw Tower, Mystery Boxes and Edible Vehicle.
It was a great day thanks to the organization of Sheree Person-Pandil and John Thomsen from ESU #3. We also had 9 amazing WHS students who shared their love of science by helping out at each event and facilitating a Science Bowl.
It’s so great to offer these types of opportunities to our students. Seeing the level of engagement and enthusiasm from the students is what makes our job so rewarding! Thank you to everyone involved in making this day a success! Click on the link below to watch a short iMovie trailer of the day.
Each year in conjunction with the annual spring conference, the Nebraska Association for Gifted sponsors a parent/community presentation. This year, the presentation will take place on Thursday, February 26 at the Kaneko Center at 1111 Jones St.
Click here for a flyer with more information about the presentation.
On February 24th, there is going to be
a poetry contest for you and for me.
Write a poem of your own,
and perform it into the microphone.
Submit your original rendition
for a chance to attend the poetry competition!
Who: Poetry Lovers in grades 3 – 6
Where: Underwood Hills
When: February 24th, half-day seminar
What: Write an original poem of your own, read it into the voice recorder on your i-pad, follow the instructions in the link below to submit your poem to your school’s EY coordinator by Wednesday, February 11th.
https://ey.westside66.org/wiki/pages/h3d9U7k6u/Poetry_Out_Loud.html?target=
At the 2015 Nebraska Science Festival Expo, students will experience fun and engaging learning opportunities. Throughout the afternoon, students will find answers to an array of science-related questions through hands-on activities, presentations and demonstrations.
We will take 14 students on Thursday, April 16 and 14 different students on Friday, April 17. In order to be considered to attend this event, you must complete the following activity by February 4. If you are chosen to attend, you will receive a permission form with more information.
Read the following 3 Wonderopolis articles and then answer the questions on the Google Form (linked below).
Coding, Programming, Computer Science, Oh My!
Have your students started coding yet? If not, they should…everyone else is doing it! 😉
For the first time in my teaching career, I have witnessed problem solving at a whole new level. When students are coding, I see engagement, problem solving, and grit. Coding has allowed me to introduce higher level math concepts to our youngest students…and they get it!
There are several free apps and websites that introduce students to the basics of coding. Many of these apps are also open-ended and allow students to be creative and design their own programs.
The wiki linked below is a work-in-progress. Please leave a comment and let me know your ideas/resources. Together we can give students an opportunity to learn the language of their future!
https://ey.westside66.org/wiki/pages/S2s452J6/Coding_Resources.html?target=
In order to participate in the circuit mini-course with Mrs. Spady, please watch the following 2 videos and answer the questions on a separate piece of paper or email your answers to me.
Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2EuYqj_0Uk
The numbers before the question tell you what time in the video when the question is answered.
Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnnpLaKsqGU