Category Archives: Reading Enrichment

#16: Biography Study

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

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A biography is the story of a real person’s life, whether they are alive today, from centuries past, famous, forgotten heroes, or a unique group of people.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #16: Biography Study

2. Check out the this website. It contains biographies of many people. You will find world leaders,inventors, scientists and many more. Click on 3 of the names. What topics do the pages introduce?

3. Choose someone you have not heard of before and read that person’s biography. On your recording page, add the person’s name and 3 of the most interesting facts you learned.

4. Create a mini-quiz (5 questions or less) about your subject and add it to your recording sheet. Include an answer key.

5.  Repeat this process for 5 different people.

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

Check out the Who was Making History Badge or the Who was Badge at the EY website

#15: Rebus Puzzles

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

A REBUS is a picture representation of a name, work, or common phrase. Look at the puzzle in the read box.  Since the word HEAD is over the word HEELS, the answer to the puzzle would be HEAD OVER HEELS!

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #15: Rebus Puzzles

2. Number your recording page from 1-8.  At the rebus quiz page, examine the puzzle, record your guess, and then check your work. Add a star if you got it correct and add in the right answer if needed.

3. Read this teaching page that explains some strategies so you can learn more about how the position of the words will help you solve the puzzle. On your recording sheet make a section for each of these topics:

  • Positioning
  • Try it out 1
  • Highlighting,
  • Font Properties
  • Try it out 2
  • Homophones,
  • Repetition
  • Try it out 3
  • Context and Clues

4. As you read each section on the page, write examples and hint on your recording page.

****NOTE: There are 3 “try it out” sections on this teaching page. For each “try it out”click the link to find a puzzle, record your guesses/thoughts, and then check the answer.

5. Go to this website where you will find 18 rebus puzzles. Number your recording page from 1-18, Choose ten to solve. Record your guess  next to the correct number. When have a guess written down, click the box to check your work. Put a star on your page or write in the correct answer if needed.

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

#14: Story Starters

Reading Enrichment

A story starter is one specific type of writing prompt that you can use when you need an idea for a story. In this mini spark, you will find writing starters and comic starters that go along with the Dav Pilkey series: Dog Man, Cat Kid, and Captain Underpants.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #14: Story Starters

2. Who is Dav Pilkey? Read a little about him on this page. Record 5 details on your recording page.

3. Watch this video interview. On your recording page, write 2-3 sentences about how Dav started his writing journey.

4. Look over an example of a  writing starter and a comic starter.

Look at the comic starter for Dog Man.

Look at the writing starter for Dog Man.

After looking at each type, would you prefer to write and illustrate comic or write the next part of the story? Add your response to your recording sheet and explain your choice.

5. Choose one of these starters to complete. You can choose to do the comic starter or the writing starter. Print out your choice to use to create your story.  

Comic starter for Dog Man Lord of the Fleas

Writing starter for Dog Man Lord of the Fleas

Comic starter for Dog Man Fetch-22

Writing starter for Dog Man Fetch-22

Comic starter for Cat Kid Comic Club Influencers

Writing starter for Cat Kid Comic Club Influencers

Comic starter for Dog Man

Writing starter for Dog Man

Comic starter for Captain Underpants 25 ½ Anniversary Edition

Writing starter for Captain Underpants 25 ½ Anniversary Edition

6.  Share your language arts mini spark recording page and project if you printed it, with your teacher/EY coordinator.

There are many more choices at the main Story Starters website. If you are interested in doing these projects for a badge, talk to your teacher or your EY coordinator.

#13: BOTB Reading Goals

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

The Battle of the Books is a quiz-bowl competition where students work on teams to read books from this year’s list.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #13: BOTB Reading Goals

2. Check out the reading lists for elementary and middle school. If the list has not been updated, email your EY teacher so they can be changed.

3. How many books do you want to read this year?  Add a list of the book titles that you are going to read to your recording sheet.

4. Everytime you finish a book, add a picture of the book to your recording sheet.

5. When you meet your goal, share your language arts mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Check out the BOTB badges at the EY Website

#12: Evaluating Writing

Reading Enrichment

Do you love to write?  Do you want to improve your writing? Learning to be a writer takes practice. This mini spark will give you a took to use to think about what makes a writing piece exceptional.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #12: Evaluating Writing

2. One thing you can do to help you become a better writer is to evaluate, or critique, another person’s writing. This website has a large collection of student writing pieces.  Scroll through the list to find the grade level that fits you and then choose the type of writing you want to use for this mini spark. Record these two items on your recording sheet.

3. Choose a piece of writing to read and evaluate. Read it one time. Add a 3 sentence summary of what you read to your recording sheet.

4. Print this rubric as a guide to help you critique the writing piece you chose. Read it over carefully. On your recording sheet write a sentence about what will be easy to do when evaluating writing and one about what might be harder.

5. On your recording sheet, respond with the following:

  • The title of the piece you chose to evaluate
  • The rating (1-4) for Linguistic Complexity and a brief explanation for the rating
  • The rating (1-4) for Vocabulary Usage and a brief explanation for the rating
  • The rating (1-4)  for Language Control and a brief explanation for the rating

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

#11: That’s hard to pronounce!

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

A heteronyms are words that have the same spelling but different pronunciations and meanings.  For example, wind and wind can easily cause confusion since both word are spelled the same BUT can be pronounced differently and have different meaning. We’ll outline heteronyms and some other words that are hard to pronounce in this mini spark.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #11: That’s hard to pronounce!

2. Write this definition on your recording sheet. A heteronym occurs when two or more homographs – words which the same spelling – are pronounced differently. In a written text, this can be confusing.

3. Watch this video. On your recording page record at least 10 ideas you learned from this video.

 

4. Look at this list of words. Practice the different ways the word can be pronounced.  Ask your teacher to listen to you say the words in the correct format. Have your teacher put her signature on your recording sheet by step 4.

  • Bass – a fish, or a low-pitched instrument
  • Bow – a thing you fire arrows with, or when you bend over in a respectful greeting
  • Desert – to abandon, or a (usually sandy) area with little rain
  • Moped – when you were sad, or a low-powered alternative to a motorbike
  • Perfect – when you get really good at something, or when something is flawless
  • Polish – when you make something metal look great, or something from Poland
  • Wind – when you twist something, or when the air moves

5.  Number your recording sheet from 1-9.  Your challenge is to try to think of a word that will fit into both blanks. These are tricky but spend at least 5 minutes trying to work on these challenge.  GOAL-Try to solve at least 6!  After 5 minutes or when you have at least 6, scroll way to the end of this page to check your work. Put a star for those that were correct and add in correct answers for those that were blank.

    1. She will ———- if you try to bring that ugly ———-into her house.

     2. I saw a ——– in her eye when he threatened to ——– up the agreement.

     3. They were able to ———- the gates before the enemy got too ———-.

     4. The secretary will ——– the items until she has a complete ———-.

     5. A ———- occurred when the prisoners were ordered to line up in a ———-.

     6. It took less than a ———— to identify the ———— virus.

     7. His followers will ———- him if he forces them to live in the arid ——–.

     8. He ——– all that he can to protect the ———- from harm.

     9. The will written by the ———- was declared by a lawyer to be ———-.

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

Check out mini spark #9 The Dove Dove which is about words and how they are used.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANSWERS

1. Object

2. Tear

3. Close

4. Record

5. Row

6. Minute

7. Desert

8. Does

9. Invalid

Lesson idea from https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/aug/12/super-quiz-heteronyms/

#10: Silly Zoo Stories

Reading Enrichment

Use the ideas from this mini spark and the story starter guide to make your own silly animal themed story.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #10: Silly Zoo Stories

2.  Listen to the book, A Couch for Llama. What did you learn about this llama in the story. Write two sentences.

3. Listen to the book, Books Aren’t for Eating.  Write 3 examples of how Leopold is good at his job.

4. You are to write your own silly animal story. Open up or print this super silly story starters page to get some for ideas.  Look it over and decide which of the prompts you will use for this mini spark. Record 3 prompt ideas on your recording page.

5. Start thinking about your animal’s personality. Here are some question to answer on your recording page before you start your story.

  • What kind of personality does the animal have? Is it shy or outgoing, even-tempered or grumpy, be specific.
  • What does your animal like to do for fun?
  • Why does the animal choose to live where it lives?
  • What does the animal like to eat and what does the animal NOT like to eat at all???
  • Who are the animal’s best friends. Who is your animal afraid of seeing?

6. Choose one prompt and add it to your recording page.

7. Write your story on your recording page. Reminder: INCLUDE YOUR ANIMALS PERSONALITY AS YOU WRITE!

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

OPTIONAL: If you would like to write more stories using this guide, please do! Talk with your EY coordinator or teacher about making these into a badge.

Lesson adapted from https://craftingagreenworld.com/writing/funny-journal-prompts/.

#9: The dove dove.

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

 A homograph is a group of words that are spelled the same way, but have different meanings. They may or may not be pronounced the same way, although the difference in pronunciation is often just a shift in the accented syllable.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #9: Homographs

2. Here is a sentence that uses the homograph “dove.”  Write the two meanings of the word dove on your recording page.

The dove looked elegant as it dove underneath the tree branch to catch the bug.

Here is a sentence that uses the homograph “bank.”Write the two meanings of the word bank on your recording page.

After swimming at the river bank, we went to the bank to get some money to buy ice cream.

3. Read this article.  Write down a 4 of sets of words and the meanings that you think are hard for some kids to remeber.

3. Strengthen your brain by playing a matching game. You will be given two lists of word definitions. Find the pair that has the homograph in common. Here is a sample
Find the matching pairs and write them on your recording sheet. The answers are at the bottom of this mini spark. Check your work.
4. Go to this website. Choose the level that fits you. Record the level you choose on your recording sheet.
5. Play the game 3 times. Write your answers on your recording sheet.
Don’t click “hint” until you have guesses made.
Then click the word “hint”. That will give you the words and you will be able to check to see if your guesses are correct. Correct your work on your recording sheet.

6. On your recording sheet, build a 2 column form like the game you played in step 5. Use these 5 words. If needed, use a dictionary to help you with your definitions.

minute, coordinates, produce, entrance, down

7. Make an answer key to go along with your definitions.

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

Check out mini spark which is about heteronyms, homographs that are pronounced differently.

 

 

Answer for step 3: 1 & B, 2 & D,  3 & A, 4 & E, 5 & C

 

#8: Haiku Poem

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry. It often centers around nature. Haiku poems don’t rhyme and they follow a pattern.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #8: Haiku Poem

2. Record this haiku poem on your recording page.

cloud-205bdge

3. Watch this video. Record 3 details from the video.

4. Record the pattern on your recording page:

The pattern for haiku is the following:
Line 1: 5 syllables
Line 2: 7 syllables
Line 3: 5 syllables

5. Count out the syllables in an example written by Basho Matsuo. Record the answers on your recording sheet for each line.

An old silent pond…               (How many syllables did you count?)

A frog jumps into the pond,           (How about this line?)

splash! Silence again.                  (Does this line follow the rule?)

6.  Follow these bulleted points to write your own weather Haiku Poem.

  • Example topic : weather
  • Example words : rain, clouds, soft breezes.
  • Choose the words that you like from this list and start working on arranging those into your poem with other filler words.
  • Count the syllables
  • Put them together using the pattern.

7. Choose a your topic or theme (nature, sports, family, school, friendship, etc.) and brainstorm a list of many words related to your topic.

8. Write 2 or 3 haiku style poems about the topic/theme you picked out.
Follow the 5-7-5 pattern

9. OPTIONAL Draw an illustration for one of the poems.

10. Send your work to the EY coordinator in your building.

 

Image : http://heightstechnology.edublogs.org/files/2010/10/cloud-205bdge.jpg

 

 

#7: Super Snail Detectives

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

Finding ideas and inspiration for writing a story can be tricky for both children and adults alike. This mini spark makes it easy to start writing since the idea has been chosen-Super Snail Detectives!

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #7: Super Snail Detectives

2. Watch this video about silly snail detectives. The narrator of this video offers a TON of suggestions on how to develop your own snail characters.

3.  After watching the video one time, go back and watch it again, pausing to record details on your recording page to answer the questions he asks.  This will help you develop your characters for your own Super Snail Detectives Story!  Aim for 10-15 pieces of information on your recording sheet for this step.

4. Using your notes as a guide, write the first chapter of your your own Super Snail Detectives Story.

5. Ask for edits to be make for your first chapter and make the suggested changes.

6. OPTIONAL: Create some illustrations to go along with your chapter.

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

Do you want to keep working on your snail story? Talk with your teacher or EY coordinator about what steps you need to take to make this into a badge.