Category Archives: Learning Opportunities

Early Enrichment Mini-Spark #47: Moving Mammals!

Early Enrichment

Mammals are everywhere—from the Arctic ice to the driest of deserts. They live on land, in the open ocean, and underground. With more than 5,400 species, mammals move in all kinds of ways. They walk, hop, gallop, and swing from trees. They swim, dive, glide, and even fly!

Go to this website to check out how bats, bears, dolphins, gazelles, gibbons, and/or kangaroos move and learn some fun facts about each!

In the comments below, write down something you learned!

#37: Constitution Day!

Social Studies Enrichment

Constitution Day, also known as Citizenship Day, is observed every year on September 17th to commemorate the signing of the US Constitution. The constitution was created more than 200 years ago in 1787,  and contains the highest rules and laws for the United States.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #37: Constitution Day!

2. Read this teaching page about the US Constitution. Make a list of 10+ bullet points as you read.

3. Watch this Schoolhouse Rock video about the Constitution to celebrate Constitution Day! Write the Preamble of the Constitution  on your recording sheet.

4. Set your timer for 3 minutes. Study this infographic. Record 5+ pieces of information on your recording sheet.

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

#76 World Record Cat

Learning Opportunities, Math Mini Sparks

Sure, most cats are soft and furry. But this one has gone bonkers. Sophie the cat holds the world record for the longest cat fur. Measuring more than 10 inches long, Sophie’s fur might be longer than your own hair.

Judging from the look on her face, we’re not sure she likes having all that fur…and you can’t blame her. Her owners have to brush her out 2-3 times every week to keep it neat. But now that she holds the Guinness World Record for furriest cat, maybe it’s worth it.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #76 World Record Cat
  2. Check out this post about the world record cat, Sophie!
  3. Go to the world record’s page and read about Sophie.
  4. Create a PicCollage on the topic of Sophie and some of the facts . Do a bit of extra research to add a few more bits of information related to the topic.
  5. Research other animals that hold world records.  Add this information to your PicCollege.
  6. Create some of your own math problems using the data from the post about Sophie. Add these and the answers to your PicCollage.
  7. Share your math mini spark recording page and your PicCollage with your teacher/EY coordinator.

 source for lesson: BED TIME MATH Laura Overdeck

Early Enrichment # 46 Record Breaking Cat

Early Enrichment, Learning Opportunities

Check out this post about the world record cat, Sophie!

California rescue cat Sophie sets new record for longest fur | Guinness World Records

 

Sure, most cats are soft and furry. But this one has gone bonkers. Sophie holds the world record for the longest cat fur. Measuring more than 10 inches long, Sophie’s fur might be longer than your own hair. Judging from the look on her face, we’re not sure she likes having all that fur…and you can’t blame her. Her owners have to brush her out 2-3 times every week to keep it neat. But now that she holds the Guinness World Record for furriest cat, maybe it’s worth it.

Your Turn

1. Create a pic collage with the topic from this and some of the facts from the article.

2. Choose a math question to answer from the list below depending on your age.

3. Add question and the the answer to your pic collage.

4. If you want to do more of these challenges, add the Bedtime Math site to your homescreen on your ipad.

 

Wee ones: If Sophie’s fur is 10 inches long and your hair is 6 inches long, whose is longer?

Little kids: The previous record holder, Colonel Meow, had fur 1 inch shorter than Sophie’s. How long was Colonel Meow’s fur?  Bonus: They say eating salmon (a type of fish) makes your hair soft and healthy. If Sophie eats salmon twice a day, how many times does she eat it in a week?

Big kids: If Sophie’s fur grows 1 inch every 2 months starting now, could it be 14 inches long by next May? (We’re starting September now.)  Bonus: If Sophie needs 2 more brushings this week (Wednesday through Saturday) on any 2 days, how many different pairs of days could she be brushed?

Source:
http://bedtimemath.org/fun-math-world-record-cat 
By Laura Overdeck

 

#36: Draw a 3D Art

Full STEAM Ahead, Learning Opportunities

Learn how to draw a 3D ladder and chair. These are  optical illusions from Trick Art for Kids by artist Jon Harris.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #36: Draw a 3D Art

2.  Learn how to draw a 3D ladder.

3. Gather you materials. Materials used: cardstock, Grey Bic Marking Pen (any gray marker will work), Black Sharpie Pen, toy car. Take a picture of your materials and add them to your recording sheet.

4. On your recording page, write about what is going to be hard about this art and what is going to be easier, in your opinion.

5. Using the video as a guide, make the ladder.

6.  Recreate the optical illusion of  cars driving under the ladder. Capture your work with your ipad camera.

7. Create this image as well.

8. Capture your work with your ipad camera.

9. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page and your two art pieces. with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Image from Artist Howard Lee.
Image from Artist Howard Lee.
Image from Artist Howard Lee.

 

 

 

Social Studies Mini-Spark #36: Alexander Hamilton – Washington’s Right-Hand Man

Social Studies Enrichment

If you watched “Hamilton” on Disney+, or are lucky enough to have seen it in-person, you know that Alexander Hamilton was an important founding father who probably doesn’t get enough credit for his role in our history.

Go to this link and watch 2 short videos to learn more about how Hamilton and George Washington’s relationship became key  to the American victory in the Revolutionary War. Then, in the comments section, answer the following question:

How did Alexander Hamilton and George Washington benefit each other in their relationship during the Revolutionary War?

#75 Make Anything into Math

Learning Opportunities, Math Mini Sparks

You know, you can think of almost anything as a math problem!

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #75 Make Anything into Math

2. Check out this video
~Ms. Fibonacci from Math Curse https://vimeo.com/44966140

3. Take a snapshot of anything that reminds you of a math concept/problem.

4. Create a pic collage or another visual of your choice with your picture and a math problem goes along it. Create an answer key as well.

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

Early Enrichment #45 Improve Our School

Early Enrichment, Early Enrichment Badges

Design Challenge: Improve Our School

You will need to collect a small quantity of three types of materials .

Here are the items you will need

Your job is to imagine and build a prototype of something that will make our school a better place.

A prototype is a model that represents an idea. It does not have to be built to scale or actually work.

The purpose of the activity is to dream and imagine new solutions. 

You only have 10 minutes of work time. 

Afterward your timer goes off, make a pic collage and present your prototype and describe what they chose to build and why it will help our school.  Share your idea with your teacher. 

Post idea: Ann Gadzikowski

#49: Descriptive Writing

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

The primary purpose of descriptive writing is to describe a person, place or thing in such a way that a picture is formed in the reader’s mind. Capturing an event through descriptive writing involves paying close attention to the details by using all of your five senses.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #49: Descriptive Writing

2. Watch this Ted-Ed Video. Watch this video. Record the sentence from Hurricane Fever on your recording sheet. Explain how the words are chosen to help the reader connect with the story with their senses.

3. In the video, the narrator describes the characteristics of descriptive writing and gives several examples. Read these 4 reminders and summarize each one on your recording sheet.

  •  Good descriptive writing includes many vivid sensory details that paint a picture and appeals to all of the reader’s senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste when appropriate. Descriptive writing may also paint pictures of the feelings the person, place or thing invokes in the writer.
  • Good descriptive writing often makes use of figurative language such as analogies, similes and metaphors to help paint the picture in the reader’s mind.
  • Good descriptive writing uses precise language. General adjectives, nouns, and passive verbs do not have a place in good descriptive writing. Use specific adjectives and nouns and strong action verbs to give life to the picture you are painting in the reader’s mind.
  • Good descriptive writing is organized. Some ways to organize descriptive writing include: chronological (time), spatial (location), and order of importance. When describing a person, you might begin with a physical description, followed by how that person thinks, feels and acts.

4. Give it a try! For the following sentences, rewrite it using rich descriptive language. Keep the five senses in mind. You can use the following and rewrite each OR use one as a prompt and write a descriptive paragraph or stort story. Record all work on your recording sheet.

  • Sight – The girls went to the city park.
  • Sound/Hearing – We went to the stadium to watch our favorite team.
  • Smell – The waitress brought our food to the table.
  • Taste – My grandma made us cookies.
  • Touch – I walked to school this morning not knowing they had called a snow day.

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

#35: Olympic Medal Designer

Full STEAM Ahead, Mini Challenges

Every two years, a selection committee creates the medals that symbolize triumph at that year’s Olympic Games. They must adhere to certain guidelines while also having the creative freedom to design medals that reflect the true essence of the Olympics.

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #35: Olympic Medal Designer

2. Watch this video and record 5 ideas about the process of creating medals for the Olympics hosted in Japan on your recording sheet.

3. View the history of Olympic Medals.  Pick 3 different years and compare the medals from those years (designer, composition, diameter, and mint).  Display your findings in a creative manner and add a picture to your recording sheet.

4. Imagine you are part of the Olympic Medal Design committee! Design your own Olympic medal that pays tribute to the world’s top athletes in a distinctive manner. Answer these questions on your recording sheet

  • Which Olympic Games will your medal represent — an upcoming event or a fictional one?
  • Will you concentrate on the Summer or Winter Olympics?
  • Will you maintain the classic design features on one side of your medal, or will you opt for innovative concepts?
  • What figures, locations, or symbols will you choose to celebrate on the front of your medal?

5. Do some planning and research. Add ideas to your recording sheet

6. Design your medal on paper or digitally. Add a picture of your design to your recording page.

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

Idea adapted from https://kid-museum.org/maker-playground/olympic-medals/