Category Archives: Learning Opportunities

#25: An Eggstronaut Mission-Engineering Design Process Lesson

Full STEAM Ahead, Mini Challenges

How do engineers tackle challenges? They employ the engineering design process to develop the most effective solution. We will guide you through this process step-by-step as we get ready to launch our eggstronaut on an interplanetary journey.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page:#25: An Eggstronaut Mission-Engineering Design Process Lesson

2. Print this engineering design process recording page  or create sections on your recording page for each of the topics on this handout.

3. Learn about the engineering process by watching this video, An Eggstronaut Mission. As the narrator explains each step, pause the video to fill out the form with the information or type each of the steps on your recording page. Hint: When she says the problem you are going to solve write it down, when she says the ways to research, write them down an so on.

4. Watch this video and record how making tacos for a party follows the Engineering Design Process. On your recording page explain the taco making process and how it follows the engineering design process. Use 3-5 sentences.

5. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page and your handout if you printed one with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Use this mini spark as task 2 for the Engineering Design Badge at the EY website.

#29: Snapple Facts

Reading Enrichment

Snapple is a brand of juice drinks. The company was founded in 1972 by Leonard Marsh, Hyman Golden, and Arnold Greenberg, who started selling fresh apple juice called Snapple out of the back of Greenberg’s parents’ pickle store in Queens, New York. The name Snapple is a combination of the words “snappy” and “apple”.  This mini spark isn’t really about Snapple. It is about the facts that are printed on the lids.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #29: Snapple Facts

2. Did you know how much a bumblebee bat weighs? Do you know the national animal of Scotland? Record your guesses on your recording sheet and then click the links to find out.

3. Click the arrows at Snapple Facts to explore more facts.

4. Print this recording sheet or use your recording page and record 5 interesting facts that you found.

5. Do some further research on one fact.  Add at least 5 details to your recording page.

6. Finally, display your researched fact on a Pic Collage or other digital tool.

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

Check out the Snapple Fact Check at the EY Badge Page.

#36: Minimum Wage

Math Mini Sparks

Minimum wage is the minimum hourly wage an employer can pay an employee. This number is determined by the government, and it is illegal for employers to pay their non-exempt workers anything below the minimum wage. This is very important, because it makes sure that employees do not fall into poverty.

My boys and I recently had a conversation about minimum wage and it got me thinking about my first job.  It was the late 1980’s and I was 13 years old.  I worked at Bishop’s Buffet rolling silverware in napkins and I made a whopping $2.15 an hour!

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #36: Minimum Wage
  2. Go to this site and click around on the map to see some of the current minimum wages in the United States. Record several observations on your recording page.
  3. Look at this site and make a table of Nebraska’s minimum wage from 1968 to present.
  4. Using the same site from #3, compare the minimum wage for several states. Make a table and then transfer it to a graph. Use this online graphing tool or another graphing tool of your choice.
  5. Read about Nebraska’s minimum wage at this site. What kinds of jobs offer minimum wage?  Is $12.00 an hour sufficient?
  6. Ask a parent, grandparent, or other adult what their first job was and how much they made per hour.
  7. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#35: The Math Behind the Solar Eclipse

Math Mini Sparks

Taken from NASA.gov:  One of the reasons that ancient peoples could not predict total solar eclipses was because they did not appreciate the mathematics involved in forecasting. Also, many of the parameters needed to accurately predict eclipses had not been astronomically measured until the first century CE.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #35: The Math Behind the Solar Eclipse
  2. Go to this site to read about eclipses. Then click the arrows to go through the quick facts. Record several details.
  3.  Watch this video, The Coincidental Geometry of a Total Solar Eclipse, to learn more about the math involved. Take notes while watching.

4. Read and take notes about total solar eclipses at National Geographic Kids. 

5.  *Advanced: Take the NASA Challenge X Marks the Spot Linear Equations. Print out the activity sheets to get started.

6. *Advanced: Take the NASA Challenge Exploring Angular Diameter.

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

#34: Pizza Math

Math Mini Sparks
Where is your favorite place to eat pizza?  My Top 3 are Sortinos, Mama’s Pizza, and Papa Johns.  Of course whenever we eat pizza as a family, we have to make up some math problems!  Explore some “pizza math”!
Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #34: Pizza Math

2. Watch the video, Pizza Pi, and add details on your recording page.

3. Now watch this video, The Twitter Pizza Equation Explained ,and add details to your recording page showing the math behind the pizza sizes.

4. Omni has a great site with information on pizza math and an pizza size calculator. On the left side there are a few articles about pizza. Record the title of each article and 3 details from each one on your note taking sheet.

5. Now try out the calculator. You can use the measurements from one of the videos or create your own and see what the comparisons are. Record what you find.

6. OPTIONAL: Calculate the area, circumference, and price per square inch of the next pizza you order.  Make a display of the math/calculations.

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

 

#33: Math Madness

Math Mini Sparks

March Madness is an exciting time for basketball fans, where 68 college teams compete in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion. But did you know that math plays a crucial role in understanding and predicting the outcomes of these games?

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #33: Math Madness
  2.  Read an short article about March Madness from DOGO news. Add 3 pieces of information to your recording sheet from the article.
  3. Watch this video about the perfect bracket.  You will need a coin or this online coin flipper.  On your recording page, record your flips totals, and the math that he introduces. Then answer to this question:  What are the chances of choosing the winner of every game in the entire tournament?
  4. Print out this activity from Yummy Math Activity: Does Seeding Matter? Read the page and do problems #1-#5. Reminder for your teacher-the answer key to this activity can be found in the math mini spark folder.
  5. Advanced option: Complete the entire worksheet Does Seeding Matter.
  6. Share your math mini spark recording page and Does Seeding Matter activity with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#18: Ireland

Social Studies Enrichment

This mini spark is all about the Emerald Isle! Ready to discover one of Europe’s most beautiful countries?

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your Social Studies recording page: #18: Ireland Information

2.  Set your timer for 3 minutes. Study this map of Ireland. Record 10 details on your recording page.

3. Read a teaching page all about Ireland at National Geographic Kids.   Record at least 8 facts that you did not know.

4. Do research to determine if these are Irish cities, counties, rivers, or mountains. Record your answers on your recording page. (Don’t peek until you have done the research)

  • Liffey
  • Galway
  • Shannon:
  • Belfast
  • Cork
  • Slieve
  • Bray
  • Erne
  • Wicklow
  • Killarney

When you are done, scroll to the bottom of this post to check your work.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Liffey: The River Liffey is a major river in Dublin, Ireland, that flows through the city and is an important part of its geography and history.
  2. Galway: A city on the west coast of Ireland known for its vibrant culture, arts scene, and as a gateway to scenic areas like Connemara and the Cliffs of Moher.
  3. Shannon: The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland, flowing through several counties and known for its beautiful landscapes and recreational activities.
  4. Belfast: The capital city of Northern Ireland, known for its rich industrial history, cultural landmarks, and as the birthplace of the RMS Titanic.
  5. Cork: A city located in the south of Ireland, famous for its historic architecture and as a center for food and music.
  6. Slieve: Refers to the Slieve Mish Mountains, a mountain range in County Kerry, known for its rugged beauty and hiking trails.
  7. Bray: A coastal town near Dublin, known for its scenic seafront and the nearby Bray Head mountain, popular for walking and stunning views.
  8. Erne: The River Erne is a river in the northwest of Ireland that flows through counties Fermanagh and Donegal, known for its lakes and fishing.
  9. Wicklow: A county in Ireland known for the Wicklow Mountains, which offer beautiful landscapes, hiking opportunities, and rich biodiversity.
  10. Killarney: A town in County Kerry, famous for its national park, lakes, and mountains, making it a popular destination for tourists and nature lovers.

#28: Fairy Tales

Reading Enrichment

What are Fairy Tales?  According to Merriam-Webster, a fairy tale is “a story (as for children) involving fantastic forces and beings (as fairies, wizards, and goblins) – called also fairy story”.  

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #28: Fairy Tales

2. Have you seen Beauty and the Beast? Watch this short clip from the animated movie. Record 4 characters from the clip and explain how they are magical.

3. The original Beauty and the Beast (French: La Belle et la Bête) is a traditional fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins. Read this article about this fairy tale. On your recording sheet record 5 details.

4. Please read this Wonderopolis article, How Old are Fairy Tales?  Make a 5 question quiz and answer key to go along with the article.

5. Go to this website and choose 2 more fairy tales to read. Record the title and a short summary of the story on your recording page.

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

#32: Narcissistic Numbers

Math Mini Sparks

A narcissistic number is a number that is the sum of its own digits each raised to the power of the number of digits. It is also known as a pluperfect digital invariant (PPDI), an Armstrong number (after Michael F. Armstrong) or a plus perfect number. 

Narcissistic Numbers aren’t actually that confusing if you know how to do a couple things.  Check out this math mini spark so that you can learn more about these peculiar numbers!

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #32: Narcissistic Numbers
  2. Watch this video by Numberphile. Take notes on your recording page.

3. Look at the list of Narcissistic Numbers on Wolfram Alpha. Record several of them.

4. Pick a Narcissistic Number to “work out” on your recording sheet to prove it works.  See example below.

IMG_1376

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

#31: Super Bowl Math

Math Mini Sparks

Whether you’re a football fan or not, it’s interesting to look at the history of the Super Bowl.  This math mni spark has you predicting, collecting, and displaying some data related to the Super Bowl.

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #31: Super Bowl Math

2. Make some predictions.  Without looking online for the answers, predict how much a 30 second ad cost to run during the Super Bowl in the following years:  1962, 1972, 1982, 1992, 2002, 2012, 2022.  Record these predictions on your recording page.  Next to your predictions, use this site to record the actual cost for those years.

3. Why is the Super Bowl in roman numerals? Read this article to find out. Record what you learned.

4. This article talks about the geometry, angles, and statistics associated with the Super Bowl. Write a summary of each paragraph on your recording sheet.

5. Your choice Use the data and graph type you would like to show Super Bowl Data

Pictograph idea Pick 5 NFL teams and write those on the x-axis of your graph.  Using this site, record how many Super Bowls each team played in.  Use a helmet, a football, or some other picture to display the data.  Make sure to include a key for your graph (i.e. 1 football = 1 Super Bowl).

Scatter plot idea  Use the data on this site.  Use the x-axis to represent the year and the y-axis to represent the cost of a 30 second ad.  There are several tools you can use to make your graph including Numbers (app on the iPad), Create A Graph website, Scatter Plot Tool, and others.  Share your completed graph with the EY Coordinator at your building.

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