Category Archives: Learning Opportunities

#61: STEAM Challenge: Hole Punch

Full STEAM Ahead

Check out this hole punch challenge.  To complete a puzzle, take a square of paper, fold it using as many folds as needed so that if you punch only ONE hole and unfold it, you will match one of the puzzles.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #61: STEAM Challenge: Hole Punch

2. For this STEAM challenge you will need 1 hole punch and 10-12 sheets of paper cut into squares. You can make your own or print this template.

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

4.  To complete a puzzle, take a square of paper, fold it using as many folds as needed so that if you punch only ONE hole and unfold it, you will match one of the puzzles. Your challenge is to create any THREE of the patterns seen here. Optional: Print this task card

5. Take a picture of your 3 final folds and at add it to your recording sheet.

6. Write about 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.

Check out the fold and punch badge on the EY website.

#109: Volume of a Triangular Prism

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized

A triangular prism is a three-dimensional geometric shape characterized by having two identical triangular faces at its ends, connected by three rectangular sides.

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #109:Volume of a Triangular Prism

2. Make a sketch of these triangular prism examples on your recording page

  • Tents: Many camping tents have a triangular prism shape, with the top forming a triangle and the sides being rectangular.
  • Pyramids: Some structures, like certain types of pyramids, can resemble triangular prisms when viewed from the side, especially if they have a rectangular base.
  • Wedges: Tools like doorstops or some types of wedges are often designed in the shape of a triangular prism to provide stability and support.
  • Chocolate Bars: Some chocolate bars are shaped like triangular prisms, with two triangular ends and rectangular sides.

3. Record this formula on your recording page.

4.  Watch the teaching video and pause it to do the math on a piece of paper with the teacher. Add a picture of your notes to your recording page.

5. Do 3 practice problems at IXL. Record your work and your answers on your recording sheet. Add your score when you are done. (Sixth grade HH.5  Volume of triangular prisms 6ZL)

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

#85: Compare and Contrast

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

Looking at how things are alike and different helps us think critically. It allows us to analyze information about animal behavior and ecology, so we can understand and form our own ideas about how animals live and interact with their environment.

Spark your thinking!

1.  Set up your language arts mini spark page #85: Compare and Contrast

2. Read this article about seals and sea lions. Write down 5 details about each animal.

3. This article outlines how the animals are different, but there are ideas in the article that suggest how they are the same as well. On your recording sheet use what you learned to make 4 sentences about seals and sea lions using these sentence starters.

1. __________ and __________ are alike because __________.

2. __________ and __________ are different because __________.

3. The most interesting difference between __________ and __________ is __________.

4.  While __________ and __________ are alike because __________, they have different __________.

5. Read this article about crocodiles and alligators. Make a colorful fact sheet with 3 facts for alligators and 3 facts for crocodiles.

6.  Create a Venn Diagram on your recording page. Record at least 5 items in each section. The far left section will have information that is only true for alligators, the far right section is only true for crocodiles, and the middle section is information that they share.

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

#108: 2025 Math!

Math Mini Sparks

Happy 2025!

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #108: Happy 2025

2. Watch THIS VIDEO and write down at least 3 of the math problems given in the video that equal 2025.

3. Complete THIS WORKSHEET in your notebook putting a checkmark next to the ones that are incorrect and a star next to the ones that are correct.  In your notebook, record the incorrect answers and see if you can write the correct answer.

4. Have your teacher check your work. Remind your teacher that the key can be found in the math mini spark folder

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

 

#84:  The Incredible Octopus

Reading Enrichment

Octopuses possess the capability to tackle challenges, acquire knowledge through watching others, and even utilize tools – similarly to humans. However, what makes the intelligence of octopuses truly remarkable is that it arises from a biological framework that is entirely unlike our own.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts recording page: #84:  The Incredible Octopus

2. Watch this TED Ed video.  Record 5-10 interesting details from the video on your recording page.

3.  Listen to the story Inky the Octopus. The story is written in a poem format. Record the rhyming sets of words as you listen.

4. Look over these reminders about how to write a diary entry.

  • Written in the first person
  • Includes the date and/or time it was written
  • Starts with ‘Dear diary,’
  • Include an introduction to set the scene
  • Signed with the writer’s name
  • Writes events in the past tense
  • Tell events in chronological order
  • Include personal emotions and feelings

5.  Imagine you are Inky the octopus living in the aquarium. Write a 6+ sentence diary entry for the day you planned your escape. Describe what you saw, how you felt, and the challenges you faced. Don’t forget to include the details of your successful escape into the ocean. Check the reminder list before you start.

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

Use steps 2 and 4 from this mini spark to get a start on a new badge! Check out the Inky the Octopus badge at the EY Website.

 

#107: Hidato Puzzles

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized

Hidato Puzzles (or Hidoku Puzzles) are the creation of Dr. Gyora M. Benedek, an Israeli mathematician. The Hebrew word “hida” means riddle. In a hidato puzzle, you are given a grid with a selection of the numbers already filled in.

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #107: Hidato Puzzles

2. Watch THIS VIDEO and write down, in your own words, how to solve a Hidato Puzzle.  A sample sentence can be found at the end of this post.

3. Visit THIS SITE and get some additional information about Hidato Puzzles, as well as some tips for solving them. Write down 3 tips on your recording page.

4. Try solving some Hidato Puzzles on your own!  THIS LINK will take you to several puzzles at varying difficulty levels.  Work with your EY Coordinator to decide how many you need to complete to finish this Mini Spark.

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

 

Want to go further?  You can by earning the Hidato Puzzle Badge!  Check out the requirements HERE.  NOTE:  Scroll to the bottom of the page.

 

 

Sample Sentence:  One can solve a Hidato Puzzle by connecting numbers in ascending order (starting at 1)  to the next number either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

 

#106: Plethora of Patterns

Math Mini Sparks

  

Patterns are EVERYWHERE!

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #106: Plethora of Patterns

2. Watch the video and try to create the pattern.  If you have toothpicks, GREAT!  If not, don’t worry.  Just draw lines with your pencil to represent the toothpicks.  Take a picture of your pattern and add it to your recording page.

3. Watch the video and write down at least 3 of the patterns given on your recording page.

4. Watch the video and write down at least 5 notes/images about triangular numbers.

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

#105: The Birthday Problem

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #105: The Birthday Problem

2.  Watch this video. Write a summary of the birthday paradox to someone who has not heard of it before. Use at least 3 sentences.

3.  Carefully read this article from Wonderopolis.  Record three ideas from the article.

4. Watch this video from the beginning. Take notes while watching when they start to do the math around 2:00 and record the percents as well. Continue to take notes. On your recording page, explain why people are not able to answer the birthday problem very easily.

5. Advanced option-Read this lesson at Math is Fun.  Record details as you work through the lesson.

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

 

#104: Probability

Math Mini Sparks

The concept of this math mini spark is straightforward. The probability of an event happening is the number of times you expect that event to happen out of many tries. Probabilities always fall between 0 and 1.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #104: Probability 

2. Make a chart like this on your recording page.

Event Probability→ Fraction Probability→Decimal
P (yellow)
P (green) 
P (not red)
P (green or orange)
P (blue)

3.Watch this intro video.  Pause the video @ 3:40 and record the probability of each of the events on the chart on your recording page. You can use a calculator for the decimals.

4.  Copy this chart in your notebook.

5.  Number your recording page from 1-5. Read each example and record if it is experimental or theoretical. Scroll down to the bottom of this post to check your work. Add a star if it is correct or add in the correct answer.

Probability Puzzles: Theoretical or Experimental?

  1. A fair six-sided die is rolled. What is the probability of rolling an even number? Is this theoretical or experimental probability?
  2. Sarah flipped a coin 50 times and got 28 heads. What is the probability of getting heads based on Sarah’s experiment? Is this theoretical or experimental probability?
  3. In a bag, there are 3 red marbles, 4 blue marbles, and 5 green marbles. What is the probability of picking a blue marble without looking? Is this theoretical or experimental probability?
  4. A weather station recorded that it rained on 12 out of the last 30 days. Based on this data, what is the probability that it will rain tomorrow? Is this theoretical or experimental probability?
  5. A spinner has 4 equal sections colored red, blue, yellow, and green. Jack spun it 40 times and it landed on red 8 times. What is the probability of the spinner landing on red based on Jack’s results? Is this theoretical or experimental probability?

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

 

 

 

 

  1. A fair six-sided die is rolled. What is the probability of rolling an even number?theoretical
  2. Sarah flipped a coin 50 times and got 28 heads. What is the probability of getting heads based on Sarah’s experiment? experimental
  3. In a bag, there are 3 red marbles, 4 blue marbles, and 5 green marbles. What is the probability of picking a blue marble without looking? theoretical
  4. A weather station recorded that it rained on 12 out of the last 30 days. Based on this data, what is the probability that it will rain tomorrow? theoretical * note since “tomorrow” hasn’t happened yet it isn’t experimental.
  5. A spinner has 4 equal sections colored red, blue, yellow, and green. Jack spun it 40 times and it landed on red 8 times. What is the probability of the spinner landing on red based on Jack’s results? experimental probability

#103: Combinatorics 

Math Mini Sparks

Combinatorics is a branch of mathematics which is about counting – and we will discover many exciting examples of “things” you can count.  You can use combinatorics to calculate the “total number of possible outcomes”. 

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #103: Combinatorics

To do this mini spark you need to know a little about factorials. Steps 2 and 3 will review them for you.

2. The factorial function (symbol: !) says to multiply all whole numbers from our chosen number down to 1. Example: 4! = 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 24.

Complete these two problems so that they look similar to the example:

Example: 6! = 6 x 5 x 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 720

5! =

9! =

Scroll to the bottom of this post to see if you are correct. If you got it correct, add a star. Add the correct answer if needed.

3. Watch this short video that show you how to divide factorials. Don’t worry. It isn’t hard. Do the problems with the teacher on your recording page.

4. Study this teaching page.  Write the type of the formulas and the formulas on your recording page.

5.  Watch this video. Do the first two math problems with the teacher on your recording page. Try the last problem by yourself on your recording page. The answer is at the end of this post.

 

Advanced: Check out this teaching page. Each of the sections has a mini lesson, a practice problem, and a solution.  Read each lesson and try the problem on your recording page. Check your work. If you complete this, talk with your EY teacher about using this as a badge option.

Factorials

Permutations

Combinations

Combinatorics and Pascal’s Triangle

Combinatorics and Probability

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

 

 

 

 

5! = 5 x 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 120

9! = 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 362,880

 

 

50 people are in a race. How many ways can gold, silver, and bronze be awarded?