Category Archives: Learning Opportunities

#15: Juliette Gordon Low

Full STEAM Ahead, Uncategorized

Inventor, Juliette Gordon Low, or as her friends called her, “Daisy,” was like the superhero of Girl Scouts, zooming around with courage, confidence, and character! In 1912, she waved her magic wand and created Girl Scouts of the USA, where girls could gather to unleash their amazing powers in STEAM—science, technology, engineering, arts, and math! Just like a science experiment gone right, she turned her dream of girls teaming up to celebrate their strengths into a fantastic reality!

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM  mini spark recording page: #15: Juliette Gordon Low

2. Watch this video to learn about Ms. Low. Take notes on your recording sheet.

3. Read and examine all of the pages on these sheets which share Ms. Low’s patent for a liquid container made out of paper.  How do the different labels and figures help understand the drawings.

4. Print page 2 of this information sheet. Work on the folding project. Reminder: You will need to study the patent drawing page to find the steps.

5. Now add your own creativity! Think of 3 new uses for this invention.

6. Take a picture of your product and your three ideas and add it to your recording page

7. Did you know that Juliette Low also has a Design Patent? It may look familiar to you. It is the inspiration for many trademarks utilized by Girl Scouts of America. Study this image. Do some research to find out what a design patent is. Record your findings on your recording page.

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

Check out the Kids Invent Stuff Badge the Problem Solving Invention Badge at the EY website.

Early Enrichment #16: Are We There Yet? (E.1)

Early Enrichment

Have you ever been on a trip and wondered…

Are we there yet?!

Traveling  to a new place can take a long time, a lot a planning, and cost a lot of money. What if you could take a trip from the comfort of your seat? What if you could take out the question “are we there yet?” by taking a virtual fieldtrip?

Starting this week, each month Early Enrichment will take you on a virtual field trip to visit places all around the world. You will be able to see the places, read about them, and learn about their culture.

This week we are traveling to visit the ancient pyramids in 

Mexico!Checkout these activities about the Mayan Culture : 

(1) Engineering Pyramids 

(2) Mayan Mathematics

(3) Mayan Culture

 

#17: Pi Numbers

Math Mini Sparks

Did you know…Among the digits of pi currently known, the concentration of each of the digits 0-9 are pretty close to equal. However, in the first 30 places of pi’s decimal expansion, there is a digit is completely missing?  Which digit is it?

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #17: Pi Numbers

2. Below you will see the first 98 digits of pi.  Record the number of times each digit appears.  Which digit is not used in the first 30 places?  Record your discovery on your recording page.

3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510582097494459230781640628620899862803482534211706

3. Take this Pi Day trivia quiz  If you use a website to find an answer, make sure to note that on your recording sheet.

4. Memorize 100,000 digits of pi using this site:  http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~huberty/math5337/groupe/digits.html  OK…that might be a little extreme, but try to memorize at least 30 places. If you can do 30 already stretch it further.

3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105…

5. Read this article with Pi facts. Record several new ideas on your recording sheet.

6.  Discover the circles around us by posting a Circle Selfie to this Padlet Wall: http://padlet.com/spady_lynn/piday16IMG_4136

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

Early Enrichment #15: Share the Love

Early Enrichment

I wonder who your valentine is this year?

Is it your parents? Maybe a friend?

Valentine's_day_M&Ms_in_the_shape_of_a_heart_(8418026760)

Valentine’s Day is an important holiday around the world. It is a day that we show those around us how much we care. But have you ever wondered about hot it started?

To check out more information go to,  Pebbe Go or by visiting this Valentine’s Day Wonderopolis.

Valentine’s Day is a holiday that we celebrate our love for our friends and families, what else did you learn about the holiday? Comment below!

It’s always exciting having parties and getting cards from your friends, but think about those who might not receive valentines. This week’s early enrichment activity is to  “Share the Love” by creating valentines for senior citizens that live in Westside’s neighborhood. Make a valentine and send it to your EY Coordinator!

#16: Discover Circles

Math Mini Sparks

Circles are EVERYWHERE, and wherever there are circles, there’s math to be done!

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #16: Discover Circles
  2. Read this circle fact page. Record 3-5 ideas on your recording page.
  3. Find circles in your environment and snap some pictures.  Make a Pic Collage (or use another app of your choice). Add the finished project to your recording sheet.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

  4. Get a ruler. Snap a picture of a circle that you have found with a ruler going through the center This is measuring the diameter of the circle.  Calculate the circumference of the circle by taking pi (3.14) times diameter.  C = πd. Record your math and the answer on your recording page
  5. Read the following steps to see how you can get to Pi!

Step 1:  Measure the diameter of a circle.  I used the top of my QT cup in the picture below. I measured the diameter as 11.5 cm.

pi3

Step 2:  Measure the outside of the circle (circumference) with a string (I used a piece of making tape folded in half because I didn’t have a string handy).

IMG_4076     IMG_4077

Step 3:  Measure the string.  I measured the circumference of my QT lid as 36.5 cm.

IMG_4078

Step 4:  Divide the circumference by the diameter (36.5 divided by 11.5).

I got 3.17391304.  Not too bad!

IMG_4079

5. Do steps 1-4 with your own circle. Record all of the math on your recording page.

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

#15: Spheres with Pi

Math Mini Sparks

Learn about how Pi relates to cylinders, cones, and spheres in this math mini spark.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #15: Spheres with Pi
  2. Watch this video. Practice drawing the sphere with the teacher on your recording page. Record 3-5 other details from the video.

3.  Read about cylinders, cones, and spheres. Answer the questions the show up as ????  with a blue background and keep moving along the teaching journey.

4. Read this teaching page that shows how to calculate the surface area of a sphere. Record the steps on your recording sheet.

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

#7: Zip Codes and More!

Social Studies Enrichment

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your Social Studies mini spark recording page: #7: Zip Codes and More!

2. Watch this video about how mail is sorted.  What is culling? Describe the bar codes and explain why they are added to the envelopes.

3. Watch this video. Record 5 ideas from the video on your recording page.

 

4. Zip codes are helpful, but what are some other ways mentioned in the video that we can use to find locations

5.  A full ZIP code has five digits, like 12345. But the first three digits are super important because they tell you which main post office, called a Sectional Center Facility. Look over this list of the first 3 Zip code numbers from all over the US. Find 5 cities you have not heard of before and record the state, city name, and the SCF.

6.  Share your Social Studies mini spark recording page with your teacher or the EY coordinator in your building.

 

Enjoy this spark? Look for these badges at the EY website. 

Early Enrichment #14: One Hundred

Early Enrichment

This week we celebrated 100 days of school!

100-day1

Can you believe that we have been in school for one hundred days! Wow! That is a lot of school! Can you imagine what it would be like if you went to school for a hundred years! That’s even crazier. 

Imagine all of the things you could learn in 100 years.

Imagine all of the things you would have made in 100 years. 

Imagine what a classroom would look like in 100 years. 

Imagine what you would look like in 100 years! (use this app if you are curious!) 

Brainstorm about what a classroom might look like in the year 2116, what you would be like,  and what you may have learned if you were still a student. Create something to share your ideas. You can make a Pic Collage, write a story, comment below, or share your work with your EY Coordinator!

#14: Story Starters

Reading Enrichment

A story starter is one specific type of writing prompt that you can use when you need an idea for a story. In this mini spark, you will find writing starters and comic starters that go along with the Dav Pilkey series: Dog Man, Cat Kid, and Captain Underpants.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #14: Story Starters

2. Who is Dav Pilkey? Read a little about him on this page. Record 5 details on your recording page.

3. Watch this video interview. On your recording page, write 2-3 sentences about how Dav started his writing journey.

4. Look over an example of a  writing starter and a comic starter.

Look at the comic starter for Dog Man.

Look at the writing starter for Dog Man.

After looking at each type, would you prefer to write and illustrate comic or write the next part of the story? Add your response to your recording sheet and explain your choice.

5. Choose one of these starters to complete. You can choose to do the comic starter or the writing starter. Print out your choice to use to create your story.  

Comic starter for Dog Man Lord of the Fleas

Writing starter for Dog Man Lord of the Fleas

Comic starter for Dog Man Fetch-22

Writing starter for Dog Man Fetch-22

Comic starter for Cat Kid Comic Club Influencers

Writing starter for Cat Kid Comic Club Influencers

Comic starter for Dog Man

Writing starter for Dog Man

Comic starter for Captain Underpants 25 ½ Anniversary Edition

Writing starter for Captain Underpants 25 ½ Anniversary Edition

6.  Share your language arts mini spark recording page and project if you printed it, with your teacher/EY coordinator.

There are many more choices at the main Story Starters website. If you are interested in doing these projects for a badge, talk to your teacher or your EY coordinator.

Social Studies Mini-Spark #6: Test Your Geography Knowledge!

Social Studies Enrichment

images

How well do you know the United States of America?

This website tests your knowledge of the geography of the USA!  Go here to take the test:  http://lizardpoint.com/geography/usa-quiz.php

Then, once you’ve mastered US Geography, broaden your horizons!

Test your knowledge of World Geography, Africa, The Americas, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe and more by clicking the links!

In the comment section below, respond with your score!