Category Archives: Learning Opportunities

#48: Make a Crystal

Full STEAM Ahead

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #48: Make a Crystal

2.  Watch this video that shows the steps for making a crystal.

3. Gather your materials. Take a picture and add it to your recording page.

  • measuring spoon
  • colored pencil
  • pipe cleaner
  • hot water
  • food coloring (optional)
  • spoon
  • Borax (Available at grocery stores in the laundry soap section. Use 20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster, not Boraxo soap.)
  • a glass or jar

Safety first! Borax can irritate your skin, eyes and lungs, and it can be harmful if you swallow it. Ask a grown-up for help handling borax, and don’t touch your crystal once it’s done

4. Watch the video again and work on your experiment.  Take pictures while you are working and add them to your recording sheet.

5. The following day, take a picture of your crystal and add it to your recording sheet.

6. Read this information and add a summary to your recording sheet.

Understanding Borax Crystals.

Borax is a type of crystal, defined as “a solid with flat sides and a symmetrical shape due to its molecules being arranged in a specific, repeating pattern.” Each crystal exhibits a unique repeating pattern that corresponds to its shape. Crystals can vary in size, but they all share this characteristic structure. Examples of crystals include salt, sugar, and Epsom salts. Salt crystals typically form in a cube shape, while snow crystals display a six-sided design.

How Do Borax Crystals Form?

Hot water can dissolve more borax than cold water. This is because the molecules in heated water spread further apart, allowing more borax to dissolve. When no additional borax can dissolve in the solution, it is considered saturated. As the solution cools, the water molecules come closer together, creating less space for the dissolved borax. This change allows crystals to start forming as the water evaporates and releases the excess borax.

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

#47: STEAM Challenge: Paper

Full STEAM Ahead

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #47: STEAM Challenge: Paper

2. Look over the STEAM challenge.

3. Make a sketch of what your structure will look like and any ideas that you have. Add a picture of your sketch to your recording page.

4. Gather the materials you will need. Ask an adult to help you if necessary.

5.  Take a picture of your supplies before you start. Add the picture to your recording sheet.

6. Take a picture of you final project at add it to your recording sheet. Explain your project,  what you did well on this challenge and where you can improve.

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

Early Enrichment Spark #51: National Cookie Day!

Early Enrichment

Friday is National Cookie Day!!  This is a great time of year for cookies! I know I can’t stop eating them!

Here’s a quick, but fun, video about the history of the cookie – did you know they were invented by accident? Find out how by clicking below:

Then, who is the most FAMOUS lover of cookies???  Well, Cookie Monster! Who else? To help celebrate National Cookie Day, sing along with the video below!

Finally, I think I have the BEST recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I’ve shared it below.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup Shortening
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 cups Flour
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
12-oz. pkg. Chocolate Chips

Preparation

Cream shortening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Sift together dry ingredients. Stir into creamed mixture. Blend well. Add chips.
Drop from tsp. 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet (or a non-stick baking sheet). Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) for 8 – 10 minutes.
Makes 6 dozen.

SHARE YOUR FAVORITE COOKIE RECIPE IN THE COMMENTS!

#42: Famous Firsts in World History

Social Studies Enrichment

 

Check out this mini spark and explore a list of famous firsts throughout human history. Take the challenge and learn more about an event that happened in history.

Spark you thinking!

1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #42: Famous Firsts in World History

2. Watch this video and record all of the firsts on your recording page.

 

2. Each famous first is briefly highlighted – not much information is given. The idea is to spark an interest in you to know and learn more. Which of the 7 events do you want to learn more about? Record this on your recording page.

3. Choose one. Do research to find 10 details about the famous first you picked.

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

Check out the famous firsts badge on the EY website. This mini spark help you with the badge.

 

#55: Bio Poems

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

A bio poem is a simple poem that provides biographical information about a person, historial figure, or literary character.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #55: Bio Poems

2. A bio poem is a simple poem written about a person, and it follows a predictable pattern. Bio poems generally don’t rhyme, and they can be autobiographical (about another person) or biographical (about yourself). Record this information on your recording sheet.

3.  Decide who you want to research for your Bio Poem. Here are some options to get your brainstorming kick started.

  • American Presidents
  • African American Leaders
  • Influential Women
  • Favorite Athlete, Musician or Artist
  • Family Member or Friend
  • Yourself

4. Research your selected person (or interview family member) so that you have content for your Bio Poem. Take notes on your recording page.

5. Read the sample Bio Poem below about Rosa Parks.

6. Use the guide and template below to draft your own Bio Poem!

Optional: Draw or include a picture of your selected person.

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

#79 Really Big Numbers

Math Mini Sparks

What is the biggest number you can think of?  What does that number mean?  For this math mini spark, you will be exploring some “really big numbers” and what they mean.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #79 Really Big Numbers
  2. In the episode, “Have You Seen This Snail?”, SpongeBob SquarePants is given a challenge of hitting a paddle ball 29,998,559,671,349 times in a row.  This causes SpongeBob to neglect Gary (his pet snail) and so Gary leaves.  Write this number out in words.

image source: https://images.app.goo.gl/6adwmDetkF9r1Vds7

3. Visit https://www.britannica.com/science/Avogadros-number and write down Avogadro’s Number and what it means.

4. How many different positions are there on a standard Rubik’s Cube?  Visit this site and record the number in your notebook. BONUS: Write the number out in words.

5. Read this Calvin and Hobbes comic strip and record the really large number found in it.  BONUS: Read about another number found in a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip and record it in your notebook.

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

Thank you https://sites.google.com/site/pointlesslargenumberstuff/ for inspiring this this math mini spark.  It definitely sparked my curiosity!

#46: Make Oobleck

Full STEAM Ahead, Uncategorized

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #46: Make Oobleck

2. Watch this video. Record the science terms from the video on your recording page. When you see the materials needed to make oobleck, pause the video and record the list on your recording page. Also write a summary of the directions.

3. Gather your materials. Add a picture of your materials to your recording page. **Note a bowl works better than a cup for this project.

4. Make the oobleck. Take a few pictures during the process and at the end.

5. Record the answers to these questions on your recording sheet.

  • What do fluids and solids do, what determines their shape, and can they be compressed?
  • How is Oobleck like a fluid?
  • How is Oobleck like a solid?

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

#41 – Forever Ago Podcasts

Social Studies Enrichment, Uncategorized

Forever Ago® is a history show for the whole family! Every episode explores the origin of just one thing — like sandwiches, video games, clocks and more — while teaching listeners to think critically about history.

1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #41 – Forever Ago Podcasts

2. Watch this brief video about the Forever Ago podcasts. Explain Forever podcasts using exactly 8 words.

 

3.  In step 4 you will listen to one of the episodes. After listening you will tell others what you learned. Print this  review planner or make your own digital copy to organize your thoughts.

4. Choose 1 episode from the list below. Each episode is about 30 minutes so write down your stopping point if you can’t listen to the entire episode all at once. Write the name of the episode you choose on your recording sheet.

5. Fill out the review planner digitally or on paper.

6. OPTIONAL: Take a video of yourself reading your digital planner and share it with your teacher.

7. Share your social studies mini spark recording page and your planner with your teacher/EY coordinator.

 

#45: Science Buddies Contest

Full STEAM Ahead

K-12 students worldwide are invited to give engineering a try with the annual Engineering Challenge from Science Buddies. Announced every January, the Science Buddies Engineering Challenge lets students use their problem-solving skills to design, build, and test contraptions. The challenges use simple materials and are free for all to participate.

Spark your learning!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #45:Science Buddies Contest

2. Each challenge that science buddies has prepared for you has an introduction video that show the challenge and what you will build. Look at the list below and choose 6 that sound interesting. Add those to your recording sheet.

3. Watch each of the videos you picked. For each one,  record the name of the challenge, the materials needed, and summarize the project in one sentence.

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

Check out the Engineering Design Challenge badge at the EY Website if you want build one of the challenges.

Check out the STEAM mini spark #25 to learn about the engineering design process.

#54: What’s Cooking

Reading Enrichment

This mini spark has you wring all about cooking up something in the kitchen!

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #54: What’s Cooking

2. Learn how to write a recipe. Watch this video to show you the steps. Take simple notes on your recording page about  the procedural text steps.

3. Learn how to write a recipe like a professional. Read this article which outlines the process.  This is very detailed, but has some really good pointers. On your recording page, write about how this article is helpful.  Include a question you have about writing recipes as well.

4. Ask a grandparent, relative, parent(s), teacher, etc. for a recipe idea. Add a picture of the recipe to your recording sheet

5. Using the recipe that you have been given, create a more formal version using the information from the video and the article.  The recipe should be typed and please include all of the procedural text steps.

OPTIONAL: Make something in the kitchen and take a picture/video of the process and/or final product.  Make sure your creation has a name and that you provide the ingredients necessary to make your recipe.  Make sure to get an adult’s approval first before you start.

6. Share your language arts mini spark recording page, starting recipe, and final recipe with your teacher/EY coordinator.