1. Set up your Early Enrichment Mini Spark recording page: #39:Hello, Baby Panda!
2. Baby Pandas are so cute!! Read this fact page about about a baby panda. Write a description of a baby panda on your recording page.
3. Watch this video about pandas. What are the important differences between pandas and other types of bears? Add this to your recording page.
4. Bamboo is a type of grass. It can grow as tall as a tree and can look more like forest than grassland. Read more about bamboo at Britacanna Kids. Look for these three words while you are reading: culms, rhizome, and scaffolding. Write the meaning of these three words on your recording page.
5. Share your Early Enrichment Mini Spark recording page with your teacher or EY Coordinator.
NEW Wonders of the World? Does that mean they were built in the last few years? NO! It just means they’re different from the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. The new Wonders could be anything built before the year 2000!
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #29: The NEW Seven Wonders of the World
2. What ARE the NEW Wonders of the World? WONDEROPOLIS knows! Read this article. Write a 3 question quiz using the information from the article. Include an answer key.
3. Research each wonder at Britannica. For each wonder make a bullet list with at least 3 details.
4. Look over the list of all of the places in the world that were considered to be the NEW wonders of the world. Choose one of the places to learn more about. Click on it and read the fact page. Write about the wonder runner up you picked and include 3-4 details about why it would be a good 8th wonder.
5. Share your social studies mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Do you know how to ride a bike? Fiona Kolbinger from Germany sure does! She won the ultra-endurance Transcontinental Race back in 2019. In this mini spark you will learn more about this event and review the parts of a friendly letter.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page:#40: Bike Racing and Letter Writing
2. Fiona Kolbinger, a cancer researcher from Germany, outrode 225 men and 39 women to complete the approximately 2,485 mile-race from Bulgaria to France in 10 days, two hours, and 48 minutes. Even more impressive, Kolbinger crossed the finish line almost 11 hours ahead of the second-place winner, Ben Davies of the United Kingdom. Rewrite this paragraph in your own words on your recording sheet.
3. Watch the video below to find out more about the Transcontinental Race. Record several details form the video on your recording sheet.
Musical glasses are a fun way to combine art, math, music and science.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #31: Make Water Glass Music
2. Gather the materials you need. Take a picture and add it to your recording page.
8 identical water glasses
water
a set of measuring cups
food coloring (optional)
1 plastic spoon
1 sheet of paper
Tape
pen/pencil
3. As you create this experiment. Take pictures of all of your steps.
Steps
Use a measuring cup to fill each of the glasses with the correct amount of water. Use the image below as a guide.
For fun, you can add a drop of food coloring to your glasses or two drops to make green, orange, or purple.
3. Label your glasses. Use the image below as a guide.
4. With a plastic spoon, gently tap each glass and listen for the sound it makes.
5. Notice which glass makes a lower sound and a higher sound.
6. Try playing these simple songs or create your own. Take a video of a song.
4. The science of sound is all about vibrations. When you hit the glass with the spoon, the glass vibrates, and it’s these vibrations that ultimately make the sound. You discovered that tapping an empty glass produced a higher-pitched sound than tapping a bottle full of water did. Adding water to the bottle dampens the vibrations created by striking the glass with a spoon. The less water in the bottle, the faster the glass vibrates and the higher the pitch. The more water you add to the bottle, the slower the glass vibrates, creating a lower pitch.
5. On your recording page, write about what you learned from this mini spark.
6. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page and your video with your teacher/EY coordinator
Activity adapted from Musical Water Glasses at https://www.connectionsacademy.com/resources/instructographics/music-water-glasses and https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/pop-bottle-sounds/
In the 2020 Olympic Games, 80,000 tons of mobile phones and small electronic devices around Japan were used in the crafting of every gold, silver and bronze Olympic and Paralympic medal awarded to athletes.
The 2024 Olympic medals are special because they have a piece of the Eiffel Tower in them. The medals contain 18 grams of iron taken from parts of the Eiffel Tower that were replaced during renovations. Athletes who win in the Paris Olympics and Paralympics will receive these unique medals.
Spark your math thinking!
1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #71: Olympic Medals
2. Read this article containing 5 facts about the 2024 games in Paris. Create a note taking page and include any at least 5 interesting details you come across in the article.
3. Dive in deeper to the 2024 medal creation process and learn more about the design at this Olympics 2024 website. Record 5 ideas on your recording page.
4. Read this article about the recycling project from the 2020 Olympics. Record at least 3 number facts on your recording sheet.
5. Watch this video. Record specific details about the makeup of the gold, silver and bronze medals, how many were made for the Olympics in Paris, and the value of a medal.
6. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Egypt, an ancient and fascinating land, is known for its pyramids, the Nile River, and the pharaohs who ruled.
Spark your thinking!
Set up your Social Studies Mini Spark recording page: #28: Egypt
Read this teaching page about Ancient Egypt from National Geographic Kids. Make a tiny info page about the pharaohs on your recording page.
Read this fact page about Egypt. Find 5-8 facts that are interesting to you to record on your recording page.
Look over this map of Egypt. On your recording page write the names of 3 of each of the following items: cities, neighboring countries. bodies of water. Record what you notice about where the majority of the cities are located.
Share your Social Studies mini spark recording page with your teacher or EY Coordinator.
One of the things some students struggle with when taking Algebra is the use of letters (variables) to represent numbers. However, if we remove the letters and replace them with pictures, somehow Algebra becomes a little more manageable.
Spark your math thinking!
Set up your math mini spark recording page: #70 Algebra in Pictures
Figure the picture puzzle stating what the ? represents in the final “equation”. Images to create this puzzle taken from pdclipart.org
Create your own picture puzzle. I used Keynote, but you could use Explain Everything, Pic Collage, or another iPad app. Pictures for your puzzle can be found at https://www.pdclipart.org/ . Please include an answer key.
Solve at least 6 of these 11 puzzles pictured below. Each on
Thank you Mrs. Bridwell for the inspiration to create this post! Thank you to Mrs. Bridwell’s 6th graders for all the great puzzles below!
Puzzle 1
Puzzle 2
Puzzle 3
Puzzle 4
Puzzle 5
Puzzle 6
Puzzle 7
Puzzle 8
Puzzle 9
Puzzle 10
Puzzle 11
5. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Check out one of the solvemoji badges on the EY badge page.
Create 1, 2, or 3 different graphs to display the data above from Omaha or data from the UNL site if you prefer. Use the Create-A-Graph website to make a graph of the data. Be sure to include a title and label your axes.
Top 5 Snowiest Februarys
The Top 5 Snowiest Winter Seasons (Dec-Jan-Feb)
Top 5 Snowiest Winters (Jul 1- Jun 20).
Take a look at the graphs in the image below. For a larger image of the graphs, click here. The information in the blue box is particularly helpful in reading the graphs. Answer any of the following questions by leaving a comment and/or leave a question for someone else to answer.
How many times in January/February 2019 did the temperature range fall mainly in the record highs? What about the record lows?
On how many dates was the temperature range very small (short blue bar)?
How many times did the temperature range fall in the average section (green)?
What do you find interesting about these graphs?
5. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
In 1879, the United States made Washington’s February 22nd Birthday a federal holiday. Today, the third Monday in February is frequently referred to as “Presidents’ Day.” So which is it? Let’s get to the bottom of what’s official and what’s not.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #27: Presidents’ Day? The Truth Behind the Holiday
2.
According to mountvernon.org, George Washington was a humble man who did not enjoy flashy celebrations. During his lifetime, Washington didn’t really celebrate his birthday, choosing instead to use the day to respond to letters or attend to matters at Mount Vernon. However, national celebration of his birthday began while he was alive and continued after his death.
The road to what the majority of people in the United States now recognizes as Presidents’ Day is a long and confusing one. After Washington died in 1799, his birthday was informally celebrated across the country. But, it wasn’t until January 31, 1879, that Washington’s birthday became a federally recognized holiday.
Washington’s birthday is also recognized in another unique fashion. Starting in 1896, it has become a tradition to read Washington’s Farewell Address on February 22nd (the actual day of his birth) in the US Senate by a current member. This tradition reminds us of a man whose patriotic spirit still inspires us to this day, particularly federal workers who uphold what he helped create.
On June 28th, 1968, Congress passed the “Uniform Monday Holiday Act”. This law aimed to provide uniform annual observances of certain legal public holidays on Mondays. The act was also created to provide federal employees with more three-day weekends. Under this new law, Washington’s birthday would be celebrated on the third Monday of February, partially losing the value and identity of the importance of his birthday. Washington’s birthday has not been celebrated on the actual day of his birth since the law took effect in 1971.
Today the nation typically combines Washington’s Birthday with Presidents’ Day, celebrating both days on the third Monday in February. However, Presidents’ Day is not the official name of the holiday. While the name “Presidents’ Day” was proposed for this Monday holiday in 1951, the U.S. government never officially changed the name. In the 1980s, thanks to advertising campaigns for holiday sales, the term became popularized and largely accepted.
The idea behind the name was to create a holiday that did not recognize a specific president, but rather celebrated the office of the presidency. This joint recognition would also celebrate President Lincoln’s February 12th birthday within the same period. Both great men, both important to our country.
The Famous Holiday of Love, Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated around the world. Some countries celebrate this day in February, but not all. Learn about the holiday along with history of chocolate in this mini spark.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #26: Valentine’s Day
2. Read about the history of Valentine’s Day at Wonderopolis. Record 3 details about the history of Valentine’s Day on your recording page.
3. A few weeks before February 14th rolls around, what types of commercials do you see more often? If you guessed ones about flowers, rings, and chocolates, you’re exactly right! These are gifts that are commonly given on the holiday that celebrates love: Valentine’s Day. Learn about the history of chocolate and Valentine’s Day. Record 10 details form the video on your recording sheet.
4. Watch the video to find out how Valentine’s day is celebrated around the world. Include details about three celebrations from around the world.
5. Share your social studies mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Do you know how to ride a bike? Fiona Kolbinger from Germany sure does! She won the ultra-endurance Transcontinental Race back in 2019. In this mini spark you will learn more about this event and review the parts of a friendly letter.
Musical glasses are a fun way to combine art, math, music and science.
Images to create this puzzle taken from 
The Famous Holiday of Love, Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated around the world. Some countries celebrate this day in February, but not all. Learn about the holiday along with history of chocolate in this mini spark.