Category Archives: Learning Opportunities

2025-26 Virginia Frank Memorial Writing Contest Opens in Jan 2026

Events & Contests, Learning Opportunities, Other Events & Contests, Reading Enrichment

Website: https://omahalibrary.org/virginia-frank-memorial-writing-contest/

Create your own original fiction featuring a character from a book you read on your own.

Deadline:  TBD

Check out the website for more details and read the winning entries from last year’s contest.

 

The Friends of Omaha Public Library are currently accepting submissions for the Virginia Frank Memorial Writing Contest.  The contest is for students in 5-8th grade.  First prize in each grade is $100.

The Virginia Frank Memorial Writing contest is held each year in the spring to recognize the creative writing talent of area students. This contest, sponsored by the Friends of Omaha Public Library, recognizes the top three winners from each grade. Each winner receives a cash prize and certificate, is recognized in a ceremony at the library, and has their story published on the library website. The school libraries of each winning student are also recognized with a matching cash prize.

Eligibility Requirements

    • Stories must be submitted with an entry form to be considered. Complete all fields either online or on a printed entry form and submit with your story.
    • Students must be in 5th to 8th grade and live in Douglas or Sarpy counties.
    • Students may be enrolled in public, private, parochial or home school.
    • Stories must be typed and no longer than 750 words.
    • Entries must be original fiction featuring a character from a book you have enjoyed and read on your own. Identify the book and author from which your character originated in the title or subtitle of your story.
    • Only one entry per contestant will be accepted.
    • The decision of the judges is final.
    • All entries become the property of Friends of Omaha Public Library (FOPL) and may be featured by Omaha Public Library on its website or social media.
    • Deadline for entries is February 28, 2020.

    Prizes

    • First ($100), second ($75) and third place ($50)
    • Prizes will be awarded to the top three winners from each grade.
    • The school library of the winning students will be recognized with matching cash prizes.

 

About Virginia Frank

The Virginia Frank Memorial Writing Contest began in 2003 and is named in honor of a longtime Friends of Omaha Public Library volunteer. Virginia Frank was a Central High and UNO graduate. She acquired a master’s degree from Brown University and taught English literature and creative writing at UNO for many years. Her passion for students and young people inspired everyone around her, and her enthusiasm encouraged many students to explore their creative writing talents. Frank volunteered thousands of hours with the Friends of OPL to help ensuring a bright future for our public libraries.

#55: Flying Rivers

Geography Bee, Social Studies Enrichment

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!

  1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #55: Flying Rivers
  2. Watch the video and keep track of at least 3 positive ways the Wampís people are helping our world.

  1. 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.
  1. Share your social studies mini spark recording page  with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#54: Planting Trees

Geography Bee, Social Studies Enrichment

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!

  1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #54: Planting Trees
  2. 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.
  3. 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

  1. Why are trees considered a solution to curb climate change?
  2. What is the Bonn Challenge and what is its goal?
  3. Why do companies plant trees?
  4. Why are natural forests better at carbon storage compared to plantations?
  5. Why is it important to consider the species of trees and the lands when planting trees?
  6. What are the unintended consequences of planting trees in regions that naturally reflect sunlight?
  7. What is the current approach of Chile in tree planting efforts?
  8. What are some methods mentioned in the video to re-green the planet?
  9. When is it bad to plant trees?

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

#74-Traditional Sayings

Reading Enrichment

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.

 

https://www.enchantedlearning.com/english/adages/index.shtmlAdages

#63: What to Do with a Box

Early Enrichment, Uncategorized

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? Print  a challenge sheet to use to record your ideas. You can also record your ideas on your recording page.

4. OPTIONAL: 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

5. Share your early enrichment 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.

 

 

#73: Greek and Latin Roots

Reading Enrichment

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.

Lesson idea adapted from Khan and SpellPundit

#53: Constitution Day

Social Studies Enrichment

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 to this 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.

#62: Comets

Early Enrichment

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.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your early enrichment mini spark recording page #62: Comets

2. As of 2021 only about 4,584  comets have officially been cataloged, 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!  Write the number one trillion on your recording page.

3. Learn more about comets by watching the video below. Write 3 facts about comets on your recording page.

4. Go to this link and watch a short video to learn more about comet tails. Draw a picture of a comet tail on your recording page.

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

#72: Golden Line Writing

Reading Enrichment

Stretch your thinking and unravel your ideas with this Golden Line activity!

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #72: Golden Line Writing

2. Watch this introductory video about the Golden Line Writing Activity. Write 2 sentences about how people become good writers.

3. Print the Golden Line Activity and begin writing with the provided “Golden Line” by  C.S. Lewis. You can also open the page and record your writing on your recording page.

4.  Now that you have experienced this writing strategy. Research some other quotes that would make great writing prompts. Make a list of three to five quotes on your recording page.

5. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and Golden Line writing page with your teacher/EY coordinator.