Category Archives: Learning Opportunities

2024 Junior Library Guild Bookmark Contest: Due May 13

Learning Opportunities, Other Events & Contests, Uncategorized

2024 JLG Bookmark Contest

The National Library Week theme for 2024 is “Ready, Set, Library!” and from now until May 13, readers are encouraged to submit their very own JLG bookmark design!  Click here to learn more about the contest.

Rules

  1.  All designs must be submitted by an adult (librarian, media specialist, teacher, etc.) to be considered
  2. Each bookmark must depict a JLG Selection (past, present, or upcoming titles)
  3. Only one entry per reader
  4. ANY reader can submit an entry, even if their library is not subscribed to JLG 

Contest Winners

One winner will be chosen from each age group: elementary, middle, and high school.  The winning libraries will receive a $250 JLG backlist credit and have their winning design professionally printed on bookmarks for their entire school! Winning libraries will be contacted via email in May.

Language Arts Mini Spark #75-The Fijian myth of Dakuwaqa

Reading Enrichment

Across the Pacific, myths and legends are passed down through oral tradition. The myth of Dakuwaqa is deeply rooted in Fijian culture and serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness between humans and the natural world, as well as the consequences of greed and disrespect for the environment.

Mini spark project choices

Write a simplified version of this myth for a younger audience.

Read about kids helping sharks.  Write about several of the projects and the kids behind the project.

Research sharks and create an information page about them.

Learn about other myth stories that involve sharks.  Take notes on the information from this article.

 

Earthquakes!!

Early Enrichment

What do you know about earthquakes?  Let’s find out!

1. Earthquakes usually happen at the edge of tectonic plates.
  • Tectonic plates are the outer layer of the Earth.
  • They are made of rock and are constantly moving.
2. Earthquakes occur when the plates get stuck, but keep trying to move!
  • The tectonic plates are constantly moving but sometimes they get stuck.
  • When they get stuck, pressure builds up and the plates will suddenly move.
3. Before an earthquake, foreshocks might occur!
  • Foreshocks can be one or more small earthquakes which happen in the lead up to a bigger one, which is known as the main shock.
  • Scientists can often use these to predict big earthquakes.
4. After an earthquake, aftershocks are likely to happen.
  • An aftershock is one or more small earthquakes after the main one has occurred.
  • This is because of the Earth’s crust adjusting to the effect of the main earthquake.
  • They can be very dangerous as buildings might already have damage to them from the large earthquake and so it can often cause them to fall.
5. The shock waves that travel through the ground are called seismic waves.
  • They are very strong at the centre of the earthquake.
  • The waves travel to the surface and this is when the ground shakes and destruction happens.
6. Scientists use the Moment Magnitude scale to measure how strong an earthquake is.
  • This scale measures the energy that is released by the earthquake which makes it very accurate.
  • In the past, scientists used something called the Richter scale which measured the size of the seismic waves, however, this wasn’t as accurate as it could have been.
7. The place where an earthquake starts is called the hypocenter.
  • An earthquake has to start somewhere!
  • It is always under ground, below the Earth’s surface.
8. The ground above where an earthquake starts is called the epicenter.
  • The epicenter of an earthquake is on the ground directly above the hypocenter.
  • The difference between them is the hypocenter is under the ground and the epicenter is above the ground.
9. The strongest ever earthquake was in Chile, in the year 1960.
  • It was a 9.5 on the Moment magnitude scale which is very, very high.
  • The earthquake lasted for 10 whole minutes.
10. Japan is the country where most earthquakes occur.
  • This is because Japan is within something known as ‘The Pacific Ring of Fire’.
  • This is on the edge of the Pacific Ocean and is where there is a tectonic plate edge.
  • Other countries that are affected are Philippines, United States, Chile and more.
Which of these 10 facts surprised you the most?

 

 

 

Social Studies Spark #56 What Is the Pineapple Express?

Social Studies Enrichment

This mini spark will introduce your to a current events resource, the World from A-Z, that promotes critical thinking, civil discourse, and compassion in your classroom.

Watch this current events video that will help you understand the Pineapple Express along with many other topics.

Choose several of the prompts below to answer to show what you learn from the A-Z video.

  1. What is the purpose of the light festival in Copenhagen mentioned in the video?
  2. Explain what an atmospheric river is and its impact on California.
  3. How do atmospheric rivers play a role in providing rainfall on the West Coast according to scientists?
  4. Describe the concept of neuralgia discussed in the video.
  5. What potential benefits and concerns are associated with brain computer interfaces like Neuralink?
  6. Share the historical significance of February 6th as mentioned in the video.
  7. How is scorpion venom used in various fields, as explained in the video?
  8. Describe the process of extracting scorpion venom as outlined in the video

Check out more episodes at The World A-Z Video choices 

Link to EY badge-The World from A-Z

Calling All Doodlers! Contest Closes March 14th, 2024

Events & Contests, Learning Opportunities, Other Events & Contests

It’s time to start sketching, because this year’s Doodle 4 Google contest is open!

Doodles are the fun, surprising, and sometimes spontaneous changes that are made to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists, pioneers, and scientists.

K-12 students are invited to bring their imagination to life in a doodle of the Google logo, using any medium they choose.

Check out the contest page to see past winners and to get some ideas! Start working on some sketches.

All information can be found  @ https://doodles.google.com/d4g/.

EY Badge link 

 

Social Studies Spark #55 The Largest River in Our World is in the Sky!

Geography Bee, Social Studies Enrichment

Learn about the Amazon Rainforest and how the Wampís Nation has been protecting the forest and the largest river in the world. Watch the video and keep track of all of the positive ways the Wampís people are helping our world.

To earn the mini spark, imagine you are a scientist studying the Amazon rainforest. Write a  journal entry describing the incredible biodiversity you have observed and explain why it is important to protect this unique ecosystem. Please use include these words in your journal entry.

  • Ecosystem: A community of living organisms, along with their non-living environment, interacting as a system.
  • Biodiversity: The variety of living organisms in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
  • Indigenous: Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place.

Social Studies Spark #54 Planting Trees

Geography Bee, Social Studies Enrichment

Can it be bad to plant a tree? Before watching the video spend a few minutes thinking about possible times/situations when you would not want to plant a tree.

Watch this TED EDU video about helping our environment by planting trees. This same video is also about how our environment can be hurt by planting trees. While you watch take notes tracking new, interesting, and important information.

After you are done write an interview between a reported and a tree. Choose at least 3 of the questions below to ask the tree.

Sample script

Reporter– Hello, Aspen. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. Will you please tell me the difference between afforestation and reforestation?

Aspen-Of course, I am glad to be here. The words sound similar, and they are but there is a difference between them. Afforestation is the planting of trees in places devoid of any forest, while reforestation is the practice of restoring recently degraded forests.

Question Choices

  1. Why are trees considered a solution to curb climate change?
  2. What is the Bonn Challenge and what is its goal?
  3. Why do companies plant trees?
  4. Why are natural forests better at carbon storage compared to plantations?
  5. Why is it important to consider the species of trees and the lands when planting trees?
  6. What are the unintended consequences of planting trees in regions that naturally reflect sunlight?
  7. What is the current approach of Chile in tree planting efforts?
  8. What are some methods mentioned in the video to re-green the planet?
  9. When is it bad to plant trees?

Language Arts Mini Spark #74-Adages and Proverbs

Reading Enrichment

It is helpful to be able to recognize and understand adages and proverbs in the stories you are reading.

Like idioms, proverbs and adages can be used in conversation or in writing. They are also unique to a particular language. Unlike idioms, however, proverbs and adages generally have more literal meanings. Their meanings match more closely to the meaning of the individual words that make up the expression.

It is helpful to review some of the more common adages to help you better understand the meaning of the text. Look over this information

Proverb

  • Proverb is a short, well-known saying stating a piece of advice or the general truth.
  • It can be described as a statement of practical wisdom expressed in a simple way.
  • It is based on common sense or a person’s practical experience. Proverbs are typically metaphorical or alliterative in form.

Examples

  • Slow and steady wins the race. 
  • Birds of a feather flock together. 
  • Rolling stones gather no moss. 
  • It is better to be smarter than you appear than to appear smarter than you are. 
  • Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. 
  • Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. 

Adage

  • It is a short, common saying or phrase that tends to be old, known for decades or centuries.
  • It refers to popular sayings that give advice.
  • It expresses a general truth about people or the world.
  • It could be based on facts. It can also come from a specific situation or job.
  • It is similar to a proverb and proverbs could be adages.

Examples 

  • A penny saved is a penny earned .
  • Slow and steady wins the race. 
  • Better safe than sorry.
  • Nothing ventured; nothing gained.
  • You live, you learn.
  • Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Keep in mind

  • An adage is sometimes called proverb.
  • They are usually smaller than proverbs.
  • So don’t worry about mixing both up, as they have mostly similar qualities.

Create a colorful note taking page to show what you have learned.

 

 

https://www.enchantedlearning.com/english/adages/index.shtmlAdages