Inside Khan’s Grade 2-10 reading & vocabulary courses, you’ll find: several units, each with a mix of practice exercises, fun and insightful video instruction, and vocabulary articles.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #45: Khan Academy Reading Course.

2. The courses are set up in units and each unit has several lessons.

3. Choose the grade level that fits you. If you need help deciding, ask your teacher to help.

• 2nd grade
• 3rd grade
• 4th grade
• 5th grade
• 6th grade
• 7th grade
• 8th grade
• 9th grade
• 10th grade

4. On your recording sheet, add the grade level you choose.

5. If you want, you can take the course challenge before you start (pre-test). When doing the course challenge, if you don’t know an answer, just click skip and move on.

6. To earn this mini spark complete at least 3 lessons. Add your lesson scores to your recording page.

7. Would you recommend this learning resource to other students? why or why not. Please record your opinion on your recording sheet.

OPTIONAL: Khan Academy also has a grammar section for you to explore.

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

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a civil rights activist in the 1950s and 1960s. He led non-violent protests to fight for the rights of all people including African Americans. He hoped that America and the world could become a colorblind society where race would not impact a person’s civil rights. He is considered one of the great orators of modern times, and his speeches still inspire many to this day.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #44: I Have a Dream

2. Add this information to your recording page

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Occupation: Civil Rights Leader
• Born: January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, GA
• Died: April 4, 1968 in Memphis, TN
• Best known for: Advancing the Civil Rights Movement and his “I Have a Dream” speech

3. Read about Martin Luther King, Jr. at National Geographic Kids. Add a short summary for each section to your recording sheet.

4. Read this article and add 5 details to your recording sheet.

5.  Read these Interesting Facts about Martin Luther King, Jr. On your recording sheet add 3 more facts that you found in your research.

• Dr. King was the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a national holiday.
• At the Atlanta premier of the movie Gone with the Wind, Martin sang with his church choir.
• There are over 730 streets in the United States named after Martin Luther King, Jr.
• One of his main influences was Mohandas Gandhi, who taught people to protest in a non-violent manner.
• He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
• The name on his original birth certificate is Michael King. This was a mistake, however. He was supposed to be named after his father who was named for Martin Luther, the leader of the Christian reformation movement.
• He is often referred to by his initials MLK.

6. Take a quiz to see how much you learned about this great man! Record your score on your recording page.

7. OPTIONAL Read or listen to Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. After reading/listening to the speech, record your thoughts on your recording page.

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

You already know that precipitation is any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to the earth. It comes in many forms, like rain, sleet, and snow. Do you know what a Pensee Poem is? In this mini spark you will find out and write a poem about precipitation.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #43: Precipitation Pensee Poem

2. Read an article from Wonderopolis, “What’s the Best Thing to do on a Snow Day?”.  What do you like to do on snow days? Make a list on your recording page.

3. Click on the video to listen and read along with The Cat in the Hat to see what Sally and her brother do on a rainy day! Make a list of what these two did on the rainy day.

4. Read this article all about sleet.  Record 3 new facts on your recording page.

6. A pensee poem (pronounced pahn-say) is a 5-line, non-rhyming patterned poem that is both fun and easy to create!  Go to this site and read the instructions and the example. Use the poem generator to create your own poem. Write the finished poem to your recording page or take a screenshot of the poem. Some kids like to write more than one. That is up to you.

OPTIONAL: Add illustrations to your poem

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

Learn all about William Shakespeare, the world-famous playwright and poet in this mini spark

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #26: Shakespeare.

2. Read this post about William Shakespeare at National Geographic Kids. Create a fact page about him on your recording page.

3.  Look over all of his works. If you click on the play it will give you a summary. Find 5 that you have not heard of before. Record the title and a short summary on your recording page.

4.  Watch this video about words created by authors. Record at least 10 words and the author who created the word.

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

If you head out to any apple-picking adventures  in orchards around and in Omaha, you might hear about the legend of Johnny Appleseed. Who was this man? And, did he really exist?

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #41: Who Was Johnny Appleseed? 

2. Read this article to find out some information about Johnny Appleseed. On your recording page, write down 5 notes about his life.

3. Print out a crossword puzzle with words from this story to complete. Add a picture to your recording sheet or save it to turn in with your mini spark recording page.

4. Watch this news clip about Johnny Appleseed. Write a few sentences about what you learned.

5. Choose two of these prompts and write a two sentence response for each on your recording sheet.

• What have you learned from the legend of Johnny Appleseed?
• Johnny Appleseed was also known for his kindness to animals. What animal do you value, and why?
• In your opinion, what is the best form to enjoy an apple? Why?
• Johnny Appleseed slept outside under the trees. Have you ever slept outside? Write about an experience when you did not sleep in your bed.
• Johnny Appleseed is a legend and known for his good deeds. What would you like to be known for throughout your life?
• If you could travel around planting seeds, where would you go and why?

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

Do you know how to ride a bike? Fiona Kolbinger from Germany sure does! She won the ultra-endurance Transcontinental Race back in 2019.  In this mini spark you will learn more about this event and review the parts of a friendly letter.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page:#40: Bike Racing and Letter Writing

2. Fiona Kolbinger, a cancer researcher from Germany, outrode 225 men and 39 women to complete the approximately 2,485 mile-race from Bulgaria to France in 10 days, two hours, and 48 minutes. Even more impressive, Kolbinger crossed the finish line almost 11 hours ahead of the second-place winner, Ben Davies of the United Kingdom.  Rewrite this paragraph in your own words on your recording sheet.

3. Watch the video below to find out more about the Transcontinental Race. Record several details form the video on your recording sheet.

4. Read this article about Fiona’s amazing win!

5. Review the parts of a letter by watching this video.  Record the 5 parts on your recording page.

6. On your recording page, write Letter to Fiona, including what you found most impressive about her win!

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

For many years, the heart was a mystery.  What did it do?  What was it there for?  Let’s learn all about this muscle.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #39: It’s All About the Heart

2. This TED-Ed lesson will help you investigate how the heart keeps you alive. Record 5 details from the video on your recording page.

3. Years ago, people thought emotions came from the heart!  Read this article to find out more about how the heart works. Record 3-5 facts that you did not already know.

4. Choose one of these prompts and respond with 3-5 sentences.

• What are some ways to keep your heart healthy?
• What are the four chambers of the heart called, and what does each chamber do?
• Why was it so difficult for scientists and doctors to figure out what the heart was for?

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

Learn about the interesting Upside-Down Catfish by completing this reading mini spark.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #38:The Mystery of the Upside-Down Catfish

2. Watch video about the upside down catfish. Record a few parts of the script that you thought were interesting.

3. Respond with 3-4 sentences for each prompt.

• Using many details, explain why an upside-down catfish swims upside-down.
• How does this fish use camouflage?
• What part of the video was most interesting to you and why?

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

Everyday can be a celebration. Did you know that November 3rd is national sandwich day, December 7th is national letter writing day and January  7th is national bobblehead day?

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #37: Create Your Own National Day

2. Look over this teaching page. On your recording sheet, write about each of the highlighted days, the history, and how it is celebrated.

3. What day do feel deserves to add to the list of national celebrations? Pickle day?  It’s observed on November 15. How about National fuzzy sock day? Wear your cozy socks and keep your feet toasty warm all day long. People celebrate this day on December 21st!  Look over this national day list and find 5 more funny days that are national days.

4. What would be a day that you would LOVE to celebrate? Start brainstorming to think of a special day that you would like added to the calendar that is not already observed. Make a list of 5-10 days.

5. Choose your very favorite day from the list you created. Create a colorful information page about your day. Include this information:

The name of your day

3-5 facts about your topic

How can people celebrate this day?

Add color and illustrations to your project.

6. Read about the process of how to formally submit your national day idea to be selected as a “National Day of Celebration”. What information is most important to know about the process.

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