Category Archives: Reading Enrichment

#69: ULTIMATE Writing Challenge

Learning Opportunities, Reading Enrichment

When reading a favorite story, take some time to notice the length of the sentences you are reading. Writers often use a variety of sentence lengths to create a rhythm. Using long sentences with lots of details, short and sweet to the point sentences, and combined with mid length sentences will make your story flow.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #69: ULTIMATE Writing Challenge

2. Watch this video. Write 3 notes on your recording about what will be easy about this challenge and what will be hard.

3. On your recording page complete the 12 sentence story challenge.

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

Post adapted from http://briantolentino.com/

#68: National Opposite Day

Reading Enrichment

We celebrate national opposite day on January 25th. We don’t have to only celebrate opposite day on January 25th. Check out some of these resources to celebrate any day of the year!

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #68: National Opposite Day

2.  Watch this video. Oh, SpongeBob! Write about your favorite part on your recording sheet.

3. On your recording page, make a list of 10 things you could do today that are the opposite of what you would normally do. Examples: eat breakfast for dinner, greet your friends with “goodbye” instead of “hello”, or write your name backwards all day.

4. Palindromes are words written the same forward as backward. Mom and Dad Are Palindromes, written by Mark Shulman, has many examples palindromes. Watch the video and write down your 5 favorite palindromes from the story on your recording page.

5. Contronyms are words that have contradictory or opposite meanings.

  • CLIP can mean to “cut off” (as in clipping a coupon) or “attach” (as you do with a paperclip)
  • DUST can mean to “to remove particles” or “add fine particles” (as in dusting a cake with sugar)
  • LEFT can mean “remaining” (as in one piece left) or “departed” (as in “she left ten minutes ago.”)
  • SEED can mean ” seeds put in” (as in “seeded with native grasses”) or “to remove seeds” (as in “seeding a watermelon”).

Add these words to a list on your recording page and think of 2 more on your own.

6. Check out more examples here and add a few more to your list.

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

Lesson ideas are from Big Ideas for little Scholars . 

#67: Literary Device Lesson-Personification

Reading Enrichment

Personification is when we give human traits or feelings to things that aren’t human. For example, when we say the wind “whispers” or the trees “dance,” we are making it seem like these things can act like people. It’s a fun way to make stories and poems more lively and interesting!

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #67: Literary Device Lesson-Personification 

2. Watch this video clip that illustrates the use of personification. Record 3 examples from the video on your recording page.


3. Check out how these examples of personification are illustrated.

Choose activity 4 or 5 to completez:

4. Draw and color an illustration to match each example of personification and then one of your own.  You can draw these on your recording sheet or click on image to open the document to print.


5. Write a story about a day in the life of an object, using plenty of personification. Include an illustration. You may do this on your recording sheet or on the template linked below (click on image).

6. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and any other pages with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#66: How to use a semicolon

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

The semicolon might appear to be misunderstood. It resembles a combination of a comma and a period, which could explain why we often misuse these punctuation marks, treating them like grammatical confetti. This lesson aims to provide clear guidance and best practices for the correct usage of the semicolon.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #66: How to use a semicolon

2. Watch the video. Pause the video as needed to record notes. Pay special attention to any words that are new to you, rules, specific examples and sample sentences. These items should all be included on your recording page. You should have at least 5 items on your note page when you are done.

3. Write two sentences of your own using a semi colon  in each one and include them on the note taking page.

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

Lesson video by Emma Bryce, animation by Karrot Entertainment.

#65: Spelling Bee Prep

Reading Enrichment

Get ready for spelling bee season by reviewing some strategies to help you spell new words.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #65: Spelling Bee Prep

2. Watch this video, pause to write the word on your recording page that you think is correct. Check your work as you go. Spend at least 3 minutes doing this activity.

3. Make sure you know how to pronounce all of the top 10 commonly misspelled words. Number your paper from 1-10.  At Safari, type in the word in the search bar and then word”dictionary” and the pronunciation will pop up for you.  Put a checkmark on your recording page after you have listened to the word a few times.

Advanced Option-

If you know all of the pronunciations, record the pronunciation with diacritical marks for each word.  Type the word in the search bar and the word “dictionary” and under the word you will see the pronunciations typed out with diacritical marks. Record these for each of the words on this list. For those of you typing , from Google Docs, go to Insert > Special characters to find the special characters.

4. Write each word from the list on your recording sheet two times.

5. Learn to spell all 10 words.

Start with the first five words. 

Step 1-Write each one 2 times on your recording page

Step 2- Whisper spell each one 3 times.

Step 3-Look at one word quickly then close your eyes and spell the word in your head. Open your eyes and check your spelling from the list.

Step 4-Keep practicing until you can spell all 5 correctly.

Repeat with the next 5 on the list.

Step 1-Write each one 2 times on your recording page

Step 2 -Whisper spell each one 3 times.

Step 3-Look at one word quickly then close your eyes and spell the word in your head. Open your eyes and check your spelling from the list.

Step 4-Keep practicing until you can spell all 5 correctly.

6.  Write the word on your spelling page that was the hardest for you to remember.

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

Check out the Super Speller Set badge at the EY webpage.

#64 Misplaced Modifiers

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

Modifiers are words, phrases, and clauses that add information about other parts of a sentence—which is usually helpful. But when modifiers aren’t linked clearly enough to the words they’re actually referring to, they can create unintentional ambiguity.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #64: Misplaced Modifiers

2. Look at this example of an incorrectly placed modifier and write it on your recording page.

Perched up high on a tree branch, I yelled at the cat to leave the sparrow alone.

Meaning: I don’t tangle with a tabby unless I am perched 10 feet up in the air.

3. Look at this example of a correctly placed modifier and write it on your recording page.

Seeing a sparrow perched up high on a tree branch, I yelled at the cat to leave him alone.

Meaning: ohhhh….the sparrow is up in the tree. Watch out little sparrow!

4. Read this teaching page to look over some modifier examples. Record 5 details on your recording sheet.

5. Watch this TED Ed video and record at least 5  notes about modifiers and their placement, dangling , and squinting modifiers.

6. Create a teaching page explaining modifiers along with with examples of how they are used. Include your own sentence with a misplaced modifier and then correct the sentence so that the reader understands the meaning.

7. Optional: Do more research about misplaced, dangling and squinting modifiers. Include what you learned in your visual.

8. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and your visual with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#63: All About Axolotls

Reading Enrichment

Axolotls are really cool creatures!  These fun little animals are often pink or white and have feathery gills that stick out from their heads. Let’s dive into the amazing world of Axolotls and discover more about their unique traits and habitats!

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #63: All About Axolotls

2. What do you know about axolotls?

3. Read the species profile page and answer these reflection questions on your recording sheet.

What new information is most interesting to you?

Axolotls are an endangered species. What types of things could be done to help the species survive and thrive?

4.  Did you know that Axolotls have an incredible ability to regenerate? Watch the video below to learn more!  Record 5  details on your recording sheet.

 

5.  Create! Show us what you learned about axolotls in a creative way. Choose from one of the following options.

  1. Social Media Post – Using this templates create a post from the perspective of an Axolotl.
  2. Minecraft Habitat – Design an ideal habitat or underwater playground for the Axolotl using Minecraft. You will need to complete this option at home. Take a photo or screenshot and send to your EY Coordinator so it can be added to your recording page.
  3. PicCollage- Explain the process of regeneration. What other amphibians have the ability to regenerate? Create a PicCollage that shows us what you discovered.

6. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and any other pages you made with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#62: Literary Device Lesson-Simile

Reading Enrichment

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #62: Literary Device Lesson-Simile

2. What is a simile? Write the official definition of a simile on your recording page

a simile is a noun that means: “a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid.”

3. Watch this word girl video. Record 3 similes that you hear.

4. Come up with a funny scenario for each simile and write it on your recording page.

Example: as sly as a fox-Hillary was as sly as a fox as she to gingerly placed the fruit bat into her backpack.

  • Easy as ABC
  • Like two peas in a pod
  • Straight as an arrow
  • Wise as an owl

5.  Watch and listen to the book, “My Dog Is As Smelly As Dirty Socks”. Write about your favorite page on your recording page.

 

6. Write a “Simile Me”.

  • First, jot down five words you would use to describe yourself.
  • Use your five words and make comparisons to something else, writing your own version of a “Simile Me”

Here is my example:

1 – busy                                                                                                                                 

2 – creative

3 – hardworking

4 – happy

5 – sleepy

I’m as busy as a timer,

As creative as a stained glass window,

As hardworking as an elephant,

As happy as a well-loved dog,

And as sleepy as a pillow.

7. Use an app of your choice to create a fun illustration/visual of your “Simile Me”

8. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and your final project with your teacher/EY coordinator.

#61: Caption This!

Reading Enrichment

Even if a picture is worth a thousand words, it still needs a caption. Captions are easy to write if you begin with the basics.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #61: Caption This!

2. Caption:  A caption is text that gives additional information about a picture or illustration. Record this definition on your recording page.

3. Look over this example. Add one more sentence to the caption that includes an adjective.

4. Look over these steps on how to write your own caption and record them on your recording page.

Step 1-Begin by brainstorming Who, What, When, Where, Why and How from the picture and writing down those details.

Step 2- Write a caption that gives these details and some additional information

5. Record this Caption Writing Checklist on your recording page.

  • describe the picture
  • provide additional information
  • written in complete sentences
  • include adjectives and additional details

6. Choose one of these pictures. First, brainstorm on your recording page.  Then, write your own caption your recording page.  Finally, look at the checklist to make sure you did all 4 items.

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

Check out the Caption This! Badge at the EY Website.

 

Teachers: Ask your EY Coordinator for this 65 page resource (PDF), would be great for warms ups and exit tickets to help students practice caption writing!

 

 

#60: 1 word sentences

Reading Enrichment

Is it possible to make a complete sentence using just one word over and over? Complete this mini spark to find out.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #60: 1 word sentences

2. ‘Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo’ is a grammatically correct sentence. How? Emma Bryce explains how this and other one-word sentences illustrate some lexical ambiguities that can turn ordinary words and sentences into mazes that mess with our minds. Record 3 details from the video on your recording sheet.

3. Try figuring out the meaning to these sentences. Record your ideas on your recording sheet.

Police police Police police police police Police police.
Will, will Will will Will Will’s will?
Rose rose to put rose roes on her rows of roses.
If it is it, it is it; if it is it is it, it is.

4. After thinking about the sentences above check out this  guide which will have clues for you and a few more example. Write about your favorite example from this page.

5. To wrap up this mini spark, use this info page to find words to help you create your own silly sentence using one word. Record your sentence of your recording page.

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