All posts by lspady

#13: Discovering a New Species

Science Mini Spark

Scientists have identified many new species over the  years, such as an electric blue tarantula, two types of pygmy squid, a quiet frog, and small chameleons the size of a thumb. Experts believe that fewer than 20% of the species on Earth have been recorded by Western science. While a species might be new to scientific study, it may already be familiar to local and Indigenous communities, who often have their own common names for them.

Spark you thinking!

1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #13: Discovering a New Species

2. Read this information page. For each question, write 3-4 sentence with information from the article.

  • Have we discovered every species alive on Earth?
  • What does it mean to ‘discover’ a new species?
  • How do scientists formally describe a new species?

3. Record 3 of the new species names from the article and write a description about each one.

4.  What is it like to discover a new species. Watch this video to find out. Take 5 notes on your recording page.

 

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

Check out the New Creature Species badge on the EY website.

 

#12: Nanotechnology

Science Mini Spark

Nanotechnology is like playing with tiny Lego blocks that are smaller than a speck of dust, allowing scientists to build cool gadgets at a scale where even ants would need a microscope to see them. By tinkering with matter at this super small level, they create bizarrely awesome things that could make our everyday lives a bit more sci-fi!

Spark you thinking!

1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #12: Nanotechnology

2. Watch this video that shows how measurements can be done on a very small scale.  On your recording page, write 5 details from the video.

3. Watch this short video to learn about the tiny world that makes up pretty much everything.

4. When you are done watching the video one time all of the way through, rewatch while you answer the questions. Pause the video as needed.

  1. Record the measurement for the human hair in nanometers (it is on the little piece of paper)
  2. Record the measurement for the red blood cell
  3. Record the measurement for when you are smaller than he wave of visible light
  4.  Record the measurement for the Rhino virus
  5. How can nanotechnology be used in the future?

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

Check out the STEAM Mini Spark Nano Details of Our World.

Check out the Lessons on Nanotechnology Badge at the EY website

2022-23 Challenge #3

Current Challenge, Uncategorized

It’s Fall Y’All and when I think of Fall, I think of FOOTBALL!

For this challenge, you will need to…
  1. Build football goal posts out of materials you have around your house.
  2. Fold a paper football (instructions linked below)
  3. Design an experiment, create a competition, or come up with your own original idea to use what you built.  Your project should include collecting some sort of data and analyzing it.
  4. Share your project with your EY Coordinator.

Paper Folding Football Instructions:  https://www.instructables.com/How-To-Make-A-Paper-Football/

Football Image Source: https://openclipart.org/detail/102853/football

#56: Code a Trick or Treat Game

Full STEAM Ahead

Code a spooky game for others to play. Follow the tutorial instructions to make a simple game. Customize your game to make it your very own.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #56: Code a Trick or Treat Game.

2. Watch this video that show how to code this project in scratch junior.

3.  Now you are going to design your own game.

4. Decide if you want to do a trick or treat theme, or use this same idea, but with your own designs.

5. Please have at least 3 items coded in your final project.  Example: the pumpkin the first candy, the second candy.

6. On your recording page, write what project you are going to create.

7. Code your project. If you want to make a split screen, and run the video again as a guide that is an option.

8. Take a screenshot of the blocks for each of your items. Add this to your recording page.

9.  Share your STEAM mini spark recording page and you finished project with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Check out the Scratch Jr coding badge at the EY website.

#90: A Ridiculous, Long Way to Find Out the Day of the Week You Were Born

Math Mini Sparks

Do you know what day of the week you were born on?  If not, you could…

  1. Ask your parent(s)/guardian(s) if they remember the day of the week.

  2. You could “Google”: What day of the week was May 16, 1975 (that’s my birthday)

OR

You can do this ridiculously long way…which is more fun IMO!

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #90: A Ridiculous, Long Way to Find Out the Day of the Week You Were Born

2.  Follow the steps. If you would like to see an example of the steps, scroll down to the bottom of this post.

Step 1: Take the last 2 digits of the year in which you were born.

Step 2: Divide that number by 4 and ignore any remainder.

Step 3: Add the day of the month to the answer from step 2

Step 4: Add the month’s key value to the answer from step 3.

January and October:Key Value = 1

February, March, and November: Key Value = 4

April and July: Key Value = 0

May: Key Value = 2

June: Key Value = 5

August: Key Value = 3

September and December: Key Value = 6

Step 5: Subtract 1 for January or February of a leap year.

Step 6:

Add 0 if the date is in the 1900s

Add 6 if the date is in the 2000s

Add 4 for the 1700s

Add 2 for the 1800s

Step 7:  Add the last 2 digits of the year.

Step 8: Divide by 7 and take the remainder.

Remainder 0 is Saturday

Remainder 1 is Sunday

Remainder 2 is Monday

Remainder 3 is Tuesday

Remainder 4 is Wednesday

Remainder 5 is Thursday

Remainder 6 is Friday

3. Now double-check your work by searching on Google!

4.Create a product that shows your work!  Example:

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

#89 Matrices

Math Mini Sparks

Matrices are rectangular arrangements of rows and columns. In this mini spark, you will learn about the basics of matrices.

Here are three examples.

    

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #89 Matrices

2. Watch the video below and take notes with the teacher and answer the questions that follow. Remind your teacher that the key can be found in the math mini spark folder.

  1. What is a matrix, and how is it defined in the video?
  2. Describe the different ways a matrix can be represented as mentioned in the transcript.
  3. Explain the condition that each row and column must meet in a matrix.
  4. Give an example of a matrix with two rows and two columns, and list its elements.
  5. Why is the arrangement with three elements not considered a matrix according to the video?

3. Watch this second video. Please record at least 5 pieces of information from the video.

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

You can extend your learning by completing the Marvelous Matrices badge!

2022-23 Challenge #2

Current Challenge

Newspaper Challenges

NOTE:  You don’t have to get the daily newspaper to do this challenge.  Ask your neighbors, ask your teacher and/or EY Coordinator and have fun!

Challenge # 1:  Build the tallest freestanding tower with only 2 sheets of newspaper and 12 inches of tape. No wedging or taping to the table or floor! You can manipulate the newspaper in any way you wish.

Challenge #2: Using 10 sheets of newspaper and 18 inches of tape, build a tower that holds a textbook 6 inches above the table for at least 3 seconds. The tower must be free-standing, which means no taping or holding to the table.

Challenge #3:  Use 3 large sheets of newspaper and 24 inches of tape to make a piece of clothing that you can wear.

When you’re finished with your challenge, take a picture and email it to your EY Coordinator.

2022-23 WMS EY Learning Opportunities

MS Learning Opportunities

Welcome to the 2022-23 School Year!  EY at the middle school looks a little different than elementary.

You will not be pulled out of class regularly like you were in elementary.  Instead, there will be various contests/learning opportunities offered throughout the year.

In addition, your WMS teachers work extremely hard to offer voice and choice in their individual classrooms and provide many opportunities for your to challenge yourself.  Make sure to take advantage of those opportunities and continually seek out ways to take ownership of your learning.

The list below is not all-inclusive, but gives you a starting point for some of the opportunities available this year.  Be sure to fill out the Google Form so Dr. Spady can contact you when these opportunities become available.

Battle of the Books: This contest is a mix of comprehension book knowledge along with project based activities specific to the books. Students are not required to read all ten books, but instead the reading can be spread out amongst the team members.  Check out the list of books here: https://ey.westside66.org/2022-23-wms-battle-of-the-books/

United States Academic Pentathlon (USAD): Academic Pentathlon tests students in five different subject areas (math, literature, fine arts, science, and social sciences).  Students can choose to compete in 1, 2, 3, 4 or all 5 subject areas. There will be review sessions prior to the competition and the regional competition will take place in February.

Quiz Bowl: Quiz Bowl will meet on a weekly basis after school on Mondays from 3:20-4:00.  Additional after school times and Warrior Time may be added.  Quiz Bowl members will have an opportunity to participate in various Quiz Bowl competitions throughout the year.

Cribbage and Chess Club (CCC): CCC will meet on a weekly basis after school on Tuesdays from 3:20-4:00.

MATHCOUNTS: MATHCOUNTS provides engaging math opportunities to students of all ability levels in order to build confidence and improve attitudes about math and problem solving.  The WMS MATHCOUNTS Team will meet on a weekly basis after school on Tuesdays from 3:20-4:00.  We may also occasionally meet during Warrior Time.

Writing Contests:  Various writing contests pop up throughout the year and there are usually prizes involved.  If you’re a writer and would like to be notified when a contest starts, mark it on the Google Form.

Spelling Bee:  All WMS 7th and 8th graders will take a qualifying spelling test in their LA class sometime between Oct. 10-21.  Approximately 50 WMS students will be invited to participate in the WMS Spelling Bee which will be Friday, Nov. 18.  This will be an online test provided through Scripps.  The top 2 WMS students will be invited to participate in the District Spelling on December 16.

Geography Bee: All WMS 7th and 8th graders will take a qualifying geography test in their Social Studies/History class in early January.  Approximately 50 WMS students will be invited to participate in the WMS Geo Bee which towards the end of January/early February 2023.  During the WMS Geo Bee, students will also have an opportunity to participate in a Science Bee and a History Bee.

Don’t forget to fill out the Google Form!

#11: Microbes Eating Trash

Science Mini Spark

Every year, humans churn out about 400 million tons of plastic, and shockingly, 80% of it ends up as trash.  But don’t worry, nature has its own cleanup crew in the form of microbes, ready to chow down on our plastic mess.

Spark you thinking!

1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #11: Microbes Eating Trash

2. Watch this TED-Ed video. Record 5 interesting vocabulary words on your recording sheet.

3. After watching this video, answer these questions in an interview format. You are the interviewer and the interviewee is a plastic starfish.

  • How are man made polymers different than those found in nature ?
  • What are some common forms of plastic?
  • How do you break plastic’s chemical bonds?
  • What  never before identified bacteria was found in the lab from this video.
  • Why type of engineers worked on the project to create super enzymes?
  • What was discovered in Japan?

4. Advanced Option:Read this article and record your thoughts about this process.

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