Category Archives: Learning Opportunities

#70: Why is there a “B” in doubt?

Reading Enrichment

Cat- C-A-T     Dog. D-O-G. Not all words have spellings that are as clear and easy to remember as these two. Watch this TED ED video about why there is a “B” in doubt.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #70: Why is there a “B” in doubt?

2. Watch this video. Record all of the forms of doubt and double from the video and 3 other details.

3. Do some research to find words with silent letters that are new to you. Record some that you have found on your recording sheet.

4. Read an article from Wonderopolis about silent letters.  Choose one question to answer with 2 sentences.

  1. According to the text, why might it be challenging to create a language where one letter represents each sound?
  2. What historical events led to the introduction of silent letters in the English language, according to the passage?
  3. Why does the author suggest that silent letters can be useful? Give an example from the text that illustrates this point.

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

#55: Fold a Flying Bat

Full STEAM Ahead

Paper airplanes are pieces of art. Watch this video showing a paper airplane that has flapping wings like a bat. After watching, try to make one of your own.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #55: Make a Flying Bat

2. Watch this video about bats. Record 5 details on your recording page.

3. See how researchers are learning more about how bat wings work. Add a few notes to your recording page.

4. For the next step you will need a  few pieces of printer paper (8.5 X 11)

5. Watch this video. The teacher will show you all of the steps for folding your own paper bat. Be patient as any type of paper folding takes some practice. Tip-use a ruler to help you make the creases so they are very crisp.

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

Steps 7 and 8 require teacher permission. Talk with your teacher before proceeding.

7. Try out your paper bat.  Find a space where you will have enough room.

8.  If you are happy with the results, add a few sentences explaining your project.

9. If you would like to go back to the video and try to build a second bat, please do so.

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

#10 Scared of Snakes?

Learning Opportunities, Science Mini Spark

Vipers are sneaky snakes that come with their very own set of sharp, pointy teeth! These special teeth, or fangs, have a little hole in the middle, like tiny straws.

Spark you thinking!

1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #10: Scared of Snakes?

2. Visit this video and learn more about vipers without having to actually see one in person.  Listen for the answers to these questions and add them to your recording sheet.

The word “Viper” comes from what term, meaning giving birth to live young? 

What allows the viper’s fangs to be extra long?  

How does the snake’s rattle make noise? 

 

3. Choose a snake that you don’t know much about. Do research about the snake and create a colorful fact sheet with 8-10 pieces of information and add it to your recording sheet.  If you would like choices here is a list to check out.

4. Share your science mini spark recording page and your fact sheet with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Use step 2 of this mini spark for the Sneaky Snake badge at the EY website.

To learn more about how snakes move, explore this Science mini spark.

 

#69: ULTIMATE Writing Challenge

Learning Opportunities, Reading Enrichment

When reading a favorite story, take some time to notice the length of the sentences you are reading. Writers often use a variety of sentence lengths to create a rhythm. Using long sentences with lots of details, short and sweet to the point sentences, and combined with mid length sentences will make your story flow.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #69: ULTIMATE Writing Challenge

2. Watch this video. Write 3 notes on your recording about what will be easy about this challenge and what will be hard.

3. On your recording page complete the 12 sentence story challenge.

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

Post adapted from http://briantolentino.com/

#88: EWeek

Math Mini Sparks, MS Learning Opportunities

Calling all FUTURE ENGINEERS…Every year in February we celebrate EWeek. No matter what month it is, you can dive into this engineering career study and learn more about what types of work each engineer does to help our world.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #88: EWeek
  2. Learn about 5 different types of engineers. Record the type of engineer and a description of the work they do https://www.mathcounts.org/resources/engineers-week

 3. Look over the descriptions for Hydraulic engineering and Geomatics Engineering.

Hydraulic engineering is a subfield of civil engineering that centers around the transport and management of water resources.Hydraulic engineers design things like channels, canals, dams and levees. They must consider many factors before beginning a project, including the collection, storage, flow, measurement and use of the water, in order to ensure its control, safety and cleanliness

Geomatics engineers collect data and then analyze and interpret it to find solutions  Geomatics engineering plays an important role in construction, transport, communication, mapping and research.

4. Choose one engineering type and work on two (or more if you want) of the problems from the problem set.

Hydraulic engineering problems: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gTPnXgw68FQ03PoWzCNx07jd4m-4gPUWPMRrjutzTYo/copy

–Geomatics Engineering problems:

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p3tkRCP3-rBDfzT8hB11_lsWcKmyjFwD/view?usp=sharing

5. Ask your EY teacher to check your work. Solutions are in the mini spark folder.

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

#58: Jesse Owens

Early Enrichment

Jesse Owens, son of a sharecropper and grandson of a slave, achieved what no Olympian before him had accomplished.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your early enrichment mini spark recording page #58: Who was Jesse Owens?

2. Read this information and make a mini timeline. You can print this timeline or make your own on your recording page.

Who was Jesse Owens?  Track-and-field athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals at

the 1936 Olympic Games. His achievements were important for himself and for many other people at the time. The Games were held in Berlin, Germany. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was in power there. Nazi banners draped the sports field. The Nazis believed white athletes were best. But Owens proved that they were wrong.

James Cleveland Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama, on September 12, 1913. His family later moved to Cleveland, Ohio, in search of better opportunities.

Jesse became a track star at a young age. In 1928 he set track records in the high jump and the running broad jump (long jump). In 1933, while he was in high school, he broke three other records. He then went to Ohio State University.

In the 1936 Olympics Owens won gold medals for the running broad jump, the 100- and 200-meter races, and the 4 × 100-meter team relay. He also set new Olympic and world records.

Owens graduated from college in 1937 and worked for the Illinois Athletic Commission. He later got involved in guidance activities for young boys. He also made goodwill visits to countries in Asia for the U.S. government. Owens died in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 31, 1980.

3. To learn more about Jesse Owens, watch the video below.  Record 1 idea you would like to remember, 2 words to describe Jessie, and 3 facts.

4. What is the most important thing you learned about Jesse Owens? Add this to your recording sheet.

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

 

 

Social Studies Spark #48: African-American Athletes in the Winter Olympics!

Social Studies Enrichment

Source: https://news.yahoo.com/7-notable-black-athletes-made-184117774.html

February marks the beginning of Black History Month, and it is also the month when the Winter Olympics of 2022 kick off! This post honors both of those events.

There have been some big moments for Black athletes in the Winter games. Of course, the Winter Olympics is not historically known for its racial diversity, but that hasn’t stopped a few superstars of color from making their mark, like figure skater Debi Thomas, who became Team USA’S first Black athlete to win an Olympic medal! It was in 1988 in Calgary that she took home the bronze.

And it wasn’t until 2002, just 20 years ago, that Vonetta Flowers became the first Black athlete from any country to win gold in the Winter Olympics. She was a Team USA bobsledder at the Salt Lake City games.

In Beijing, keep an eye out for Erin Jackson, who is back at the Olympics after becoming the first Black woman to qualify for the US Olympic Long Speed Skating Team four years ago.

And one of my personal favorites, the Jamaican four-man bobsled team, they’re back at Beijing– this time around, their first Winter Olympics in more than 20 years. And if folks recall, “Cool Runnings” may have an opportunity for a comeback.

As you watch the Olympics this month, who do you think is an outstanding athlete of color?

Comment below!

#68: National Opposite Day

Reading Enrichment

We celebrate national opposite day on January 25th. We don’t have to only celebrate opposite day on January 25th. Check out some of these resources to celebrate any day of the year!

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #68: National Opposite Day

2.  Watch this video. Oh, SpongeBob! Write about your favorite part on your recording sheet.

3. On your recording page, make a list of 10 things you could do today that are the opposite of what you would normally do. Examples: eat breakfast for dinner, greet your friends with “goodbye” instead of “hello”, or write your name backwards all day.

4. Palindromes are words written the same forward as backward. Mom and Dad Are Palindromes, written by Mark Shulman, has many examples palindromes. Watch the video and write down your 5 favorite palindromes from the story on your recording page.

5. Contronyms are words that have contradictory or opposite meanings.

  • CLIP can mean to “cut off” (as in clipping a coupon) or “attach” (as you do with a paperclip)
  • DUST can mean to “to remove particles” or “add fine particles” (as in dusting a cake with sugar)
  • LEFT can mean “remaining” (as in one piece left) or “departed” (as in “she left ten minutes ago.”)
  • SEED can mean ” seeds put in” (as in “seeded with native grasses”) or “to remove seeds” (as in “seeding a watermelon”).

Add these words to a list on your recording page and think of 2 more on your own.

6. Check out more examples here and add a few more to your list.

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

Lesson ideas are from Big Ideas for little Scholars . 

#67: Literary Device Lesson-Personification

Reading Enrichment

Personification is when we give human traits or feelings to things that aren’t human. For example, when we say the wind “whispers” or the trees “dance,” we are making it seem like these things can act like people. It’s a fun way to make stories and poems more lively and interesting!

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #67: Literary Device Lesson-Personification 

2. Watch this video clip that illustrates the use of personification. Record 3 examples from the video on your recording page.


3. Check out how these examples of personification are illustrated.

Choose activity 4 or 5 to completez:

4. Draw and color an illustration to match each example of personification and then one of your own.  You can draw these on your recording sheet or click on image to open the document to print.


5. Write a story about a day in the life of an object, using plenty of personification. Include an illustration. You may do this on your recording sheet or on the template linked below (click on image).

6. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and any other pages with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#87: Palindrome Party

Math Mini Sparks

From time to time we are lucky and have a Palindrome “Week”. In May 2025 we had a 10 day stretch where the dates could be written as a palindrome!

The date reads the same forward as it does backwards.  This doesn’t happen often!

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #87: Palindrome Party

2. Check out these palindromes for kids: https://www.cbc.ca/kids/articles/palindromes-theyre-the-same-backwards-and-forwards. Pay special attention to any words that are new to you and phrases that are palindromes. These items should all be included on a taking page.

3. Watch the video about palindromes and pause the video as needed to record any new words/phrases that are palindromes.

 

4. Check out this AMAZING trick write about the patterns you observe and the steps you see: http://somethingorotherwhatever.com/sum-of-3-palindromes/. 

5. Check out some palindrome phrases at: https://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/brainteasers/palindromes/index.htm

What is your favorite phrase from this post?

6. On a piece of paper, make a list of the answers to the following math problems.  You may use a calculator.  11 x 11       111 x 111          1,111 x 1,111.                   11,111 x 11,111           111,111 x 111,111     Based on these answers, can you predict what the answer will be to 111,111,111 x 111,111,111?

7. OPTIONAL: Where can you find 🅿🅰🅻🅸🅽🅳🆁🅾🅼🅴🆂? Look for these around your school, home, and when you are out and about. Write about what you have noticed.

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

Check out the palindrome badge at the EY website.