5. Choose 5 of these questions to answer. Remind your teacher that the key can be found in the Social Studies mini spark folder.

1. Describe the main theme of this year’s Gingerbread City exhibition and explain how architects are using this theme to showcase future urban design.
2. What unique architectural features did you notice in the gingerbread models that represent sustainable or innovative design concepts?
3. The video mentions “Crystal Towers” – explain how the architects used sugar crystals as inspiration for their design and what makes their concept futuristic.
4. How do the gingerbread models demonstrate the importance of green spaces and environmental considerations in modern architecture? 
5. Compare the different architectural approaches shown in the video. How do the various models represent different visions of future cities? 
6. Explain the significance of the hexagon-shaped design in the university project and how it relates to the Kew Gardens hive installation. 
7. Discuss how this Gingerbread City exhibition might help children become more interested in architecture and design. 
8. Analyze the creative process described by the architects. How do they use research and experimentation in their design approach?
9. Describe the role of technology in the gingerbread city models, including elements like solar panels and air purifiers.
10. Reflect on why architects might use a creative medium like gingerbread to explore serious architectural concepts.

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

Check out Gingerbread Architect and Gingerbread Architect II badges at the EY Website.

Geckos are a type of lizard as you know, but did you know that they differ from other lizards by laying eggs in pairs, vocalizing with chirps and barks, lacking eyelids, and having sticky toes for climbing walls? Learn more about our world while studying geckos!

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #26: Geckos Defying Gravity

2. Read the following writing prompts before you watch the video.

• • What are spatula?  If the spatulae weren’t shaped like spatulas, would it be better for them to be shaped like spheres or cubes? Why?
  • Explain the process that makes the geckos feet “stick” to surfaces.
  • Talk about how the geckos sticky feet can help humans create new materials. How could this help humankind?
  • Optional: There is a section in the video about electrons and charges.  You do not need to understand this 100%, just watch and listen to the narrator explain the process. If you want to explain this in your final project you are welcome to do so.

3. Watch this TED Talk. Pause the video to take notes that will help answer the prompts above.  You may need to watch the video more than once.

4. Choose one of the prompts listed above and create a 3-4 sentence response on your recording sheet. 

5. Read this fact page and National Geographic Kids. Record 5-10 facts on your recording page that are new to you. If you read the page and did not find any new facts, do some outside research so you can add 5-10 new learnings to your recording page.

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

Keep learning about Geckos. Your work on this mini spark can count one the first project  on the Great Geckos Badge at the EY website. 

Breathing. How do we accomplish this crucial and complex task without even thinking about it?  Let’s learn about these hard working organs.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #25: How Do Lungs Work?

2. Watch this TED-Ed lesson which takes us into the lungs to investigate how they help keep us alive. Record at least 5 details from the video on your recording sheet.

3. Your lungs make up one of the largest organs in your body, and they work with your respiratory system to allow you to take in fresh air, get rid of stale air, and even talk. Take a tour of the lungs by reading this article. Record 5 vocabulary words with definitions.

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

• Why do you think the body’s cells need oxygen?
• Why is it better that the lungs are spongy rather than empty like a balloon?
• How do you think your breathing and lungs adapt when you’re exercising?

5. OPTIONAL: Lungs are important for breathing, but also for talking. Do research to find out how your lungs allow you to talk. Create a visual explaining how this process works. Include as many details as possible.

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

The T. rex was one of the largest predators to ever roam the Earth. It could grow up to 40 feet long and stand about 12 feet tall. This dinosaur weighed between 11,000 and 15,500 pounds, which is roughly the size of a school bus and as heavy as an African elephant.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #22:Tremendous T-Rex

2. Read this article to refresh your memory about this giant creatures.  Take detailed notes with at least 5 facts on your recording sheet.

3. T.rex Discoveries lessons: Go to the this page and watch the T-rex discovery lessons. Record at least 5 things you learned.

4. T.rex Anatomy and Behavior: Go to the this page and watch the T-rex Anatomy lessons. Record at least 5 things you learned.

5. T.rex Sense and Appearance: Go to the this page and watch the T-rex Sense and Appearance lessons. Record at least 5 things you learned.

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

Check out the dinosaur badges at the EY Website.

Is an eclipse worth seeing? You bet! Join us to find out everything you need to know about watching an eclipse.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #21: Solar Eclipse

2.  Watch this video and record 3-5 interesting details.

3. To earn this mini spark choose an option.

• Use the dates from the video and create a mini timeline with 5-8 items about the history of eclipses.
• Create a teaching page a with 5 details and 3 drawings about a pinhole camera projector, how to make one, and how it works.
• Use the information from the video to write a step-by-step that explains what to expect during an eclipse.
• Use the vocabulary words from the video to create a mini eclipse dictionary page with at least 8 terms.

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

Check out the math behind a solar eclipse math mini spark!

Elements are the basic building blocks of everything around us, including solids, liquids, and gases. They are pure substances made up of just one kind of atom. This means they cannot be broken down into simpler substances or changed into something else without losing their special qualities.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #20: Elements

2. The  periodic table, organizes all discovered elements in rows (called periods) and columns (called groups) according to increasing atomic number. Scientists use the periodic table to quickly refer to information about an element, like atomic mass and chemical symbol. Record the bolded words on your recording sheet.

3. Watch this video. Respond to this prompt on your recording sheet: What is an element, and how does it differ from a compound?

4. To earn this mini spark, choose an activity to complete.

• Explore this element webpage to research an element that is new to you. Click the element you want to learn more about.  Make a colorful learning page with 10 details about the element you choose.
• Review the elements on this webpage.  Choose one element and research that element. Make a quiz game for it using what you have learned. Write 5 questions with answers on your recording page.
•  Learn more about atoms at this page. Make an atom fact list with 10 items on your recording page.

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

Hydrotherapy is the use of exercises in a pool as part of treatment for conditions such as arthritis or back pain. Go along with two cute flamingos as they attend their hydrotherapy session to help them heal.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #19: Flamingos and Hydrotherapy.

2. Read the flamingo fact card and other information at National Geographic Kids. While you are reading record a 3-5 pieces of information on your recording sheet.

3.  Watch this video. How the flamingos are being cared for? Write a 3-5 sentence response on your recording page. Include specific details from the video.

4. Choose one of these projects to complete. Add your work to your recording sheet.

• Write a mini flamingo dairy from the point of view of one of the flamingos from the video. Include 3 entries. Talk about the relationship with the zookeeper, the therapy, as well as the stingray encounter.
• Learn about 3 species of Flamingos and make a list  of 8-10 facts for each one.
• The flamingos in the video at the zoo have different experiences than flamingos in the wild. Do research and create an information page comparing and contrasting the two groups.  Use this image as a guide.

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

The dodo was discovered by Dutch soldiers on an island in the Indian Ocean around 1600. It became extinct less than 80 years later due to deforestation, hunting, and the destruction of their nests by animals introduced to the island by the Dutch.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #18: Dodo Discovery 

2. Watch this video. Record 8 details on your recording page.

3. On our recording g page,  choosed two questions to answer. Please use 3-5 thoughtful sentences for each one.

• Describe the origin of dodos as explained in the video.
• How did dodos adapt to their environment on the island of Mauritius?
• Discuss the factors that contributed to the downfall of dodos.
• How did human activities, such as the arrival of Dutch sailors, impact the dodo population?
• In what ways did the dodo prove to be a survivor on its island home before facing extinction?
• How did the introduction of invasive species contribute to the decline of dodos and other Mauritian animals?
• Reflecting on the extinction of the dodo, what larger lesson can be learned about human impact on wildlife?

4. Take a trip to visit Google arts and Culture and learn more about the dodo.  Scroll down slowly and read all of the information. There is so much to learn. Record your 3 favorite ideas on your recording sheet.

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