Category Archives: Learning Opportunities

#60: Steam Challenge: Newspaper

Full STEAM Ahead

Are you ready for a fun NEWSPAPER building challenge? Grab some newspaper and tape, and let’s get started! With just these two materials, you can create amazing structures.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #60: Steam Challenge: Newspaper

2. Look over the three options for your STEAM challenge.

Challenge # 1:  Build a freestanding tower with only 2 sheets of newspaper and 12 inches of tape. No wedging or taping to the table or floor! You can manipulate the newspaper in any way you wish.

Challenge #2: Using 10 sheets of newspaper and 18 inches of tape, build a tower that holds a textbook 6 inches above the table for at least 3 seconds. The tower must be free-standing, which means no taping or holding to the table.

Challenge #3:  Use 3 large sheets of newspaper and 24 inches of tape to make a piece of clothing that you can wear.

3. Decide what challenge you are going to do and record in on your recording sheet. Record all of the materials you will need.

4. Make a sketch of what your structure will look like and any ideas that you have. Add a picture to your recording page.

3.Gather the materials you will need. Ask an adult to help you find a newspaper if necessary.

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

5. Take a picture of you final project at add it to your recording sheet. Write about what you did well on this challenge and where you can improve.

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

 

#59: tiny football

Full STEAM Ahead

Make a tiny a football game with goal posts that you can play with your friends. Materials needed for your game: One piece of paper!

Spark your learning!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page:#59: Football STEAM.

2. Watch the video to see the game and how it works. Record the materials you will need on your recording page.

3. On your recording page write these items:

  • the rules explained clearly
  • what you will use for a playing surface
  • how to keep score
  • how to keep track of how to win (time or the first one to so many points)
  • the rules of the goal posts. For example, wrists need to be on the table when making the goalpost.
  • Rewatch the video to find any of this information if needed

4. Use a piece of paper to make your football. You can decorate it if you want. Add a picture of your football to your recording sheet.

Starting at step 5, you need to have permission from your teacher to play the game. You will need to play the game at least 2 times so you can make modifications to the rules/set up/ and so on. Talk with your teacher about options. You can also set up your game at home.

5. Play one time. Record the scores on our recording sheet for each game. Figure out what adjustments need to be made. Record these on your recording sheet.

6. Play the game again and see if you changes made the game run more smoothly. Make a few more notes on your recording sheet to document how your changes impacted the game.

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

# 94: Pixel Power

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized

Pixels are the smallest unit in a digital display. Up to millions of pixels make up an image or video on a device’s screen. Each pixel comprises a subpixel that emits a red, green and blue (RGB) color, which displays at different intensities. In this mini spark, you will learn about the basics of pixels and pixel colors.  

Spark your math thinking!

1. Start by taking out your math notebook or opening your math mini spark doc.  Put the date at the top and put the title of this mini spark. Record all of your work on this page.

2. Use this slideshow of images, which zooms a picture of raft. The final slide shows that the entire photo is actually made from individual squares of color. How does looking at these pictures help explain creation of the digital images that you see? What other images might you see today that are made from pixels?

 

3. Watch these two videos. The first video is a reminder binary numbers. It will help to see this before watching the second video. Take notes as you watch both videos.

4. After watching the second video answer these questions in your notebook. What is the RGB name for turquoise? How does a computer name turquoise? Draw the math steps that were used in the video to explain how a function is used to filter an image.

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

Check out the Playing with Pixels badge at the EY website.

#93 Cake Pop Math

Math Mini Sparks

Did you hear that Scooter’s Coffee broke the Guinness World Record for the largest cake pop?!  This mini spark will give you the opportunity to learn more, explore spheres, and maybe even make your own cake pops!

 

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #93 Cake Pop Math
  2. Read the article and leave a comment about something new you learned:  https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local-news/scooters-coffee-breaks-guinness-world-record-for-the-largest-cake-ball
  3. Learn about SPHERES at https://www.splashlearn.com/math-vocabulary/geometry/sphere and think of a creative way to show what you learned.
  4. Look at the website linked below to find the diameter of some of your favorite sports balls.  Calculate the SA and Volume and display your learning in a creative way.  https://www.topendsports.com/resources/equipment/ball-size.htm
  5. Have you ever bought a cake pop?  How much was it and was the cost worth the taste?  Explore the price of cake pops from different stores and make a table comparing the data.  You can find out the cost by visiting a place in-person, or find a website that tells you the information.  Display your data in a creative way.
  6.  Look up a few recipes for cake pops. Which one would you like to try?
  7.  Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#58: Burj Khalifa

Full STEAM Ahead, Uncategorized

Explore the engineering innovations that made the construction of Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper, possible. Notably, it stands at a height of 828 meters (2,717 feet) and features a unique Y-shaped design that enhances stability and reduces wind forces.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #58: Burj Khalifa

2. Watch this video and record details on your recording page.

3. For this STEAM mini spark please choose 5 of the following questions to answer on your recording page. Please use 2-3 sentences for your responses. Remind your teacher that the answer key is in the STEAM mini spark folder.

  1. Describe the main challenge architects faced by the end of the 20th century when designing skyscrapers.
  2. What innovative material helped buildings to shed weight and reach new heights in the early 20th century?
  3. Explain the concept of tubular design introduced by Fazlur Rahman Khan and its significance in skyscraper construction.
  4. How did the buttressed core design contribute to the stability of the Burj Khalifa?
  5. What design feature of the Burj Khalifa helps to minimize the impact of strong winds?
  6. Discuss the human cost associated with the construction of the Burj Khalifa as mentioned in the video.
  7. Why was the construction of the Burj Khalifa completed in a short period of five years considered significant?
  8. What are some of the criticisms faced by the United Arab Emirates regarding worker protection laws after the Burj Khalifa’s completion?
  9. In what way did the design of the Burj Khalifa differ from traditional skyscraper designs?
  10. Reflect on the importance of prioritizing workers’ rights in future construction projects. Why is this significant?

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

#92: π Day

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized

Pi is one the most studied numbers in mathematics and on March 14 (or 3/14), we celebrate Pi Day because 3.14 are the first digits of pi.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #92: π Day
  2. Learn about 18 ways that NASA uses Pi!  https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/list/oh-the-places-we-go-18-ways-nasa-uses-pi/. Record a few ideas on your recording page.
  3. Learn about other interesting Pi Facts at https://www.piday.org/pi-facts/. Create a info page about what you learned
  4. Find your “Pi Day” using this site. Type in your birthday and record where in pi your date appears.  Do this for a friend or your teacher and record their pi day. I put in my birthdate and the sequence of numbers does not show up until digit 169, 266! 
  5. Choose an interesting way to represent Pi! Check out the ideas at the end of this post.
  6. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Check out the Pi Masters badge at the EY website.

PiSong1

Screen Shot 2016-03-01 at 10.28.23 PM

Pi Grid Art

#61: Martin Luther King, Jr.

Early Enrichment

In January, we celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. If you could change something about the world, what would you change?

Spark your thinking!

1.  Set up your Early Enrichment Mini Spark recording page: #61: Martin Luther King, Jr.

2. Read these informational points. On your recording sheet record all of the bold words.

  • Martin Luther King Jr.’s father was a pastor at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Martin was a very smart student and earned several university degrees.
  • He wanted to be a minister, and he gave his first sermon at his dad’s church when he was just 18 years old.
  • In December 1955, Rosa Parks, a Black woman, was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for not giving up her bus seat to a white man.
  • Martin Luther King Jr. became the president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which organized a bus boycott, where people stopped using the buses to make a change.
  • The bus boycott lasted 381 days, and in the end, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that segregation was not allowed anymore.
  • Martin believed in peaceful protests, but he faced many dangers, including having his house bombed and being arrested multiple times. Sadly, he was shot and killed at the age of 39 in Memphis, Tennessee.
  • His famous speech, “I Have A Dream,” was heard by 250,000 people, and now Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated as a public holiday in the USA on the third Monday of January.

3. Watch Kid President tell the story of Martin Luther King, Jr.  On your recording page, tell us how will you celebrate and honor Dr. King.

4. Share your Early Enrichment Mini Spark recording page with your teacher or EY Coordinator.

#52: The Acropolis

Social Studies Enrichment

Ancient cities were often built around a fortress on top of a hill. When a city spread to the area below, the high part came to be called the acropolis, which means “city at the top” in Greek. The best-known acropolis is in Athens, Greece.  The Acropolis of Athens contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #52: The Acropolis

2. Watch this introduction video and respond to this prompt: Why was it important to the Greeks to have a location high above the city? 

 

3.  You will go on a virtual tour of the Acropolis of Athens. The Virtual Tour of the Acropolis highlights the most prominent monuments. Record these 4 monuments on your recording sheet: The Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike. Leave room so you can record 3-4 details about each one.

4.  Watch this introduction video.

Go to https://www.acropolisvirtualtour.gr/ to start your tour. Add details on your recording sheet for each monument.

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

Check out the Greek Mythology badges at the EY website.

#57: Ice Ice Baby!

Full STEAM Ahead

Explore a frozen castles, frozen caves, and frozen music in this STEAM mini spark.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #57: Ice Ice Baby!

2. Complete a 3-2-1 for the video Building Frozen Castles with the Master of Ice

3 new things you learned

2 things you wonder

1 question you have

3. Complete a 3-2-1 for the video This Chinese Ice Cave Never Thaws

3 new things you learned

2 things you wonder

1 question you have

4. Complete a 3-2-1 for the video BAIKAL ICE live sound

3 new things you learned

2 things you wonder

1 question you have

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

#91: Mythical Mathematical Mind Reader

Math Mini Sparks

This is an interesting game to solve. When you are done, challenge yourself to explain your math thinking.

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #91: Mythical Mathematical Mind Reader

2. Go to The Mind Reader website created by Transum and follow the instructions

         

The Mind Reader

4. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Record all of your math step-by-step on your paper.

5. Do the puzzle several times. Look for patterns. Make a chart.  Do the symbols stay the same each time or change?

6. Brainstorm possible reasons why The Mind Reader is able to predict your symbol every time.

7. At the end of the 5 minutes, write a several sentences about how you think this game works.

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

lesson adapted from https://www.transum.org/Maths/Investigation/Mind_Reader/ and Yummy math