What do you know about earthquakes? Let’s find out!
1. Earthquakes usually happen at the edge of tectonic plates.
Tectonic plates are the outer layer of the Earth.
They are made of rock and are constantly moving.
2. Earthquakes occur when the plates get stuck, but keep trying to move!
The tectonic plates are constantly moving but sometimes they get stuck.
When they get stuck, pressure builds up and the plates will suddenly move.
3. Before an earthquake, foreshocks might occur!
Foreshocks can be one or more small earthquakes which happen in the lead up to a bigger one, which is known as the main shock.
Scientists can often use these to predict big earthquakes.
4. After an earthquake, aftershocks are likely to happen.
An aftershock is one or more small earthquakes after the main one has occurred.
This is because of the Earth’s crust adjusting to the effect of the main earthquake.
They can be very dangerous as buildings might already have damage to them from the large earthquake and so it can often cause them to fall.
5. The shock waves that travel through the ground are called seismic waves.
They are very strong at the centre of the earthquake.
The waves travel to the surface and this is when the ground shakes and destruction happens.
6. Scientists use the Moment Magnitude scale to measure how strong an earthquake is.
This scale measures the energy that is released by the earthquake which makes it very accurate.
In the past, scientists used something called the Richter scale which measured the size of the seismic waves, however, this wasn’t as accurate as it could have been.
7. The place where an earthquake starts is called the hypocenter.
An earthquake has to start somewhere!
It is always under ground, below the Earth’s surface.
8. The ground above where an earthquake starts is called the epicenter.
The epicenter of an earthquake is on the ground directly above the hypocenter.
The difference between them is the hypocenter is under the ground and the epicenter is above the ground.
9. The strongest ever earthquake was in Chile, in the year 1960.
It was a 9.5 on the Moment magnitude scale which is very, very high.
The earthquake lasted for 10 whole minutes.
10. Japan is the country where most earthquakes occur.
This is because Japan is within something known as ‘The Pacific Ring of Fire’.
This is on the edge of the Pacific Ocean and is where there is a tectonic plate edge.
Other countries that are affected are Philippines, United States, Chile and more.
This mini spark will introduce your to a current events resource, the World from A-Z, that promotes critical thinking, civil discourse, and compassion in your classroom.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #56: The Pineapple Express?
2. Watch this current events video that will help you understand the Pineapple Express along with many other topics. Explain the pineapple express in 3 sentences.
3. Choose 3 of the prompts below to answer to show what you learn from the A-Z video.
What is the purpose of the light festival in Copenhagen mentioned in the video?
Explain what an atmospheric river is and its impact on California.
How do atmospheric rivers play a role in providing rainfall on the West Coast according to scientists?
Describe the concept of neuralgia discussed in the video.
What potential benefits and concerns are associated with brain computer interfaces like Neuralink?
Share the historical significance of February 6th as mentioned in the video.
How is scorpion venom used in various fields, as explained in the video?
Describe the process of extracting scorpion venom as outlined in the video
It’s time to start sketching, because this year’s Doodle 4 Google contest is open!
Doodles are the fun, surprising, and sometimes spontaneous changes that are made to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists, pioneers, and scientists.
K-12 students are invited to bring their imagination to life in a doodle of the Google logo, using any medium they choose.
Check out the contest page to see past winners and to get some ideas! Start working on some sketches.
Learn about the Amazon Rainforest and how the Wampís Nation has been protecting the forest and the largest river in the world.
Spark your thinking!
Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #55: Flying Rivers
Watch the video and keep track of at least 3 positive ways the Wampís people are helping our world.
Imagine you are a scientist studying the Amazon rainforest. Write a 2 paragraph journal entry describing the incredible biodiversity you have observed, why it is important to protect this unique ecosystem, and the flying rivers. Please include these words in your journal entry.
Ecosystem: A community of living organisms, along with their nonliving environment, interacting as a system.
Biodiversity: The variety of living organisms in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
Indigenous: Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place.
Share your social studies mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Trees help clean the air. Trees produce the pure oxygen we breathe, and remove air pollution by lowering air temperature, through respiration and by retaining particulates, but can it be bad to plant a tree?
Spark your thinking!
Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #54: Planting Trees
Before watching the video spend a few minutes thinking about possible times/situations when you would not want to plant a tree. Write down your ideas.
Watch this TED EDU video about helping our environment by planting trees. This same video is also about how our environment can be hurt by planting trees. While you watch, take notes tracking new, interesting, and important information.
4. After you are done, write an interview between a reporter and a tree. Choose at least 3 of the questions below to ask the tree.
Sample script
Reporter– Hello, Aspen. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. Will you please tell me the difference between afforestation and reforestation?
Aspen-Of course, I am glad to be here. The words sound similar, and they are but there is a difference between them. Afforestation is the planting of trees in places devoid of any forest, while reforestation is the practice of restoring recently degraded forests.
Question Choices
Why are trees considered a solution to curb climate change?
What is the Bonn Challenge and what is its goal?
Why do companies plant trees?
Why are natural forests better at carbon storage compared to plantations?
Why is it important to consider the species of trees and the lands when planting trees?
What are the unintended consequences of planting trees in regions that naturally reflect sunlight?
What is the current approach of Chile in tree planting efforts?
What are some methods mentioned in the video to re-green the planet?
When is it bad to plant trees?
5. Share your social studies mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
It is helpful to be able to recognize and understand adages and proverbs in the stories you are reading.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #74-Adages and Proverbs
2. Watch this intro video. Record 5 details on your recording page.
3. Read and review some of the more common traditional sayings to help you better understand the meaning of the text. After reading the following information, write a short definition and example for proverb and adage on your recording page.
Proverb
Proverb is a short, well-known saying stating a piece of advice or the general truth.
It can be described as a statement of practical wisdom expressed in a simple way.
It is based on common sense or a person’s practical experience. Proverbs are typically metaphorical or alliterative in form.
Examples
Slow and steady wins the race.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Rolling stones gather no moss.
It is better to be smarter than you appear than to appear smarter than you are.
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
Adage
It is a short, common saying or phrase that tends to be old, known for decades or centuries.
It refers to popular sayings that give advice.
It expresses a general truth about people or the world.
It could be based on facts. It can also come from a specific situation or job.
It is similar to a proverb and proverbs could be adages.
Examples
A penny saved is a penny earned .
Slow and steady wins the race.
Better safe than sorry.
Nothing ventured; nothing gained.
You live, you learn.
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
NOTE
An adage is sometimes called proverb.
They are usually smaller than proverbs.
So don’t worry about mixing both up, as they have mostly similar qualities.
4. Look up the meanings of 3 of the examples from step 3. Explain what it means in your own words.
5. Share your language arts mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
1. Set up your Early Enrichment mini spark recording page: #63: What to Do with a Box
2. Listen to this book written by Jane Yolen and Chris Sheban. On your recording sheet write about the different ideas from the story. Which one was your favorite?
3. What can you create with a box?
4. Print off a challenge sheet to use to record your ideas. You can also record your ideas on your recording page.
5. For a BIGGER challenge take the ABC challenge and use your imagination to turn a box, big or small, into anything at all. You can also do this challenge on your recording page
6. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Check out the Cardboard Challenge badge at the EY webpage and the STEAM Mini Spark STEAM Challenge: Cardboard Box.
Learning Greek and Latin roots can help your understand English better, improve your vocabulary, and learn how to read and spell new words.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #73: Greek and Latin Roots
2. Watch this video. As you are watching pause the video as needed to write down at least 10 root words and at least 5 affixes and their meanings on your recording page.
3. Study this image. On your recording page, write 5 of the the roots and meanings that will be the hardest for you to remember.
4. Make flash cards for each of the pink and blue buttons. On one side put the root and the other side put the meaning. Study the cards. 5 times.
5. Look at the word list and find the matching set of cards for each. Lay them out on your desk. Take a picture and add it to your recording page.
6. Learn how to pronounce the 12 words. You can do this by typing in the word into your search bar and then typing “pronounce”. Practice each word several times.
7. Memorize the spellings of these 12 words. When you are ready, have a friend quiz you on the spellings. Record your quiz score on your recording sheet.
8. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and your note cards with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Constitution Day, which is celebrated every year on September 17th, commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #53: Constitution Day
2. Watch these two videos. Explain the constitution in 3 sentences.
3. Make a 5 question quiz with an answer key to go along with the two videos.
4. Go tothis link to take a quiz. Add your score on your recording page.
5. Share your social studies mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Comets are large objects made of dust and ice that orbit the Sun.
Scientists believe that comets are made up of material left over from when the Sun and the planets were formed. They think that about 100,000 million comets orbit the Sun. Some comets orbit the Sun like planets. Their orbits take them very close to and very far away from the Sun.
As of 2014 there are 5,253 known comets, a number that is steadily increasing as they are discovered. However, this represents only a tiny fraction of the total potential comet population, as the number of comet-like bodies in the outer Solar System is estimated to be one trillion. That’s a LOT!
Learn more about comets by watching the video below.
Go to this link to learn more about comets by reading a small article and then answer the question at the bottom.
Learn about the Amazon Rainforest and how the Wampís Nation has been protecting the forest and the largest river in the world. 
Trees help clean the air. Trees produce the pure oxygen we breathe, and remove air pollution by lowering air temperature, through respiration and by retaining particulates, but can it be bad to plant a tree?
It is helpful to be able to recognize and understand adages and proverbs in the stories you are reading.
Learning Greek and Latin roots can help your understand English better, improve your vocabulary, and learn how to read and spell new words.
4. Make flash cards for each of the pink and blue buttons. On one side put the root and the other side put the meaning. Study the cards. 5 times.
Constitution Day, which is celebrated every year on September 17th, commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787. 