Category Archives: Uncategorized

#49: Cool Jobs that Involve Math

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized

Yep! That job requires math! Math is so much more than a bunch of problems on a worksheet or even a series of problems on a website or app.  Begin to imagine the creative ways in which mathematics plays a role in a variety of careers!

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #49: Cool Jobs that Involve Math
  2. Read Cool Jobs: Math as entertainment from Science News for Students.    Pick out one of the jobs mentioned in the article and write about how math is involved in this career.
  3. Read about high school seniors who are getting a head start on their math careers at Society for Science.  Summarize 4 of the projects that were awarded money prizes at the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2024.
  4. How about being a magician for a career? Arthur Benjamin has a super cool TED Talk.

5. Magician Arthur Benjamin mentions that his favorite number is 2,520 because it is the smallest, yes I said smallest, number divisible by all the numbers 1 through 10.  Prove this by doing the math on your recording sheet.

6.  Robotics might be an area of interest for you. Read this article about a few robotics career options. Make a note taking page about these options.

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

#43: Exploring Binary Numbers

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized

01001001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01101101 01100001 01110100 01101000 00100000 01101101 01101001 01101110 01101001 00100000 01110011 01110000 01100001 01110010 01101011 01110011

No, I didn’t just type a bunch of random 0’s and 1’s above.  I actually typed a sentence into a binary translator site and had it converted to binary.  Our number system (Base 10), uses 10 digits…0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.  In the binary number system (Base 2), there are only 2 digits…0s and 1s.  It’s a little confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it, it can actually be quite fun!

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #43: Exploring Binary Numbers
  2. Watch this Binary Number System vide to get started. Take notes along with the teacher. Pause the video as needed.

3. Use the Binary Translator site to figure out what all those 1s and 0s at the top of this post mean.  record the answer on your recording sheet.

4. Then come up with your own sentence to translate to 1s and 0s and put it on your recording sheet.

5. Watch this video where Instagram’s Kevin Systrom explains how binary numbers play into pixels and images.  There’s a LOT of information in this video and it goes fast.  Feel free pause it, re-watch it, etc.

6. There are 10 types of people in this world…those who understand binary and those who don’t. Hopefully after completing this math mini spark you’ll “get” the joke!  🙂

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

#39: Hexaflexagon DIY

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized

Learn how to make a really fun geometric toy—a Hexaflexagon! There are many types of flexagons. The names of flexagons tell the type of polygon and the number of faces.  Hexaflexagons are paper polygons you will create in this math mini spark. They were first discovered in 1939 by Arthur Stone, who set up a Flexagon Committee to investigate their properties.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #39: Hexaflexagon DIY
  2. 3 facts to your recording page about these shapes from the intro above.
  3. Watch this Vi Hart video. Add  5 math terms from the video to your note taking page.

4. Watch this video. Record 5 math terms on your recording page.

5. Print and read the instruction page. READ IT A SECOND TIME VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU START. Write “I READ IT TWICE” ON YOUR RECORDING PAGE.

6. Make your project

** Optional-larger template

7. Snap a picture of your finished project and add it to your recording page.

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

OPTIONAL: Other puzzle options-here is a page with instructions and other templates.

Info from: http://www.auntannie.com/Geometric/HexaHexaFlexagon/

Check out Math Mini Spark #66 for more folding fun!

24: Skyscraper Puzzles

Full STEAM Ahead, Uncategorized

For this mini spark you will create mini skyscrapers and complete the puzzles following the rules outlined.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM  mini spark recording page: #24: Skyscraper Puzzles 

2. Print out this set of starter puzzles and you will need a set of linking cubes or legos that you can use to build towers.

3. Read these instructions 3 times.

How to Solve a Skyscraper Puzzle:

● Build towers in each of the squares provided sized 1 through 4 tall
● Each row has skyscrapers of different heights (1 through 4), no
duplicate sizes
● Each column has skyscrapers of different heights (1 through 4), no
duplicate sizes
● The rules on the outside (in grey) tell you how many skyscrapers you
can see from that direction or how many skyscrapers you could see while looking down that city block from that spot.
● Taller skyscrapers block your view of shorter ones

4. Watch this teaching video for ideas on how to get started.

5.  Create 16 towers.

6. Solve the 4 X 4 puzzles in your booklet.

7.  When you are done with each puzzle you need to check it.  You can ask a teacher or a friend to do this for you.

1st-Look at each row and column and make sure there are only 1 of each size skyscrapers. 2nd-Look at the numbers in the gray boxes and make sure you can only see the number of skyscrapers when looking “down the street” from each gray box.

8. Make changes if needed and snap a picture of your final project.

9. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page and your completed puzzle pictures with your teacher/EY coordinator.

 

Check out the Skyscraper Puzzle Badge on the EY Website.

#38: Duplicator Lab Riddles

Math Mini Sparks, Mini Challenges, Uncategorized

This Math Mini Spark is brought to you by Steve Wyborney.  Steve is an award-winning teacher and instructional coach from Oregon.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #38: Duplicator Lab Riddles
  2. Click here to watch the Duplicator Lab Riddle Video. It does not have sound.
  3. Answer 1, 2, and/or 3 riddles posed at the end of the video. Do all math on your recording page.
  4. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator. *reminder answers for are in the math mini spark folder.

L. Arts Mini-Spark #31: Growth Mindset Part 2

Learning Opportunities, Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

What did you learn today?  What mistake did you make that taught you something?  What did you try hard at today? ~Carol Dweck

Learn more about Growth and Fixed Mindset by completing the LearnStorm course on Khan Academy.  There are 6 activities total and each one has an accompanying worksheet (linked below).

You can either print the activity sheets yourself by clicking the links above, or you can ask your classroom teacher or the EY Coordinator at your building for copies.  When you are finished with all the activities, hand in your papers to your classroom teacher or EY Coordinator.  Make sure to fill out the Badge Request Form to earn your Mindset Badge.

brain image taken from: https://pixabay.com/photo-1295128/

#30: 10 Sentence Story Challenge-Mystery Object

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

Follow the steps given in this mini spark to practice your writing.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #30: 10 Sentence Story Challenge-Mystery Object

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

3.  If you want to print out this handout you can, or open it up to look at as you write.

4. Work on your story.  Check off each step from the handout as you write.

5. Go back to your story and underline each of the words the you used that were given by this challenge. Example: In sentence 1 you will underline the name that you picked.

6.   Turn in your language arts mini spark to your teacher or EY coordinator.

#36: Animal Names in ASL

Early Enrichment, Uncategorized

Learn how to sign animal names in this early enrichment mini spark.

Spark your thinking!

  1. Set up your Early Enrichment ment recording page: #37: Animal Names in ASL
  2. Watch this video one time. On your recording page write down the 5 animal names that you want to learn. You can learn more than 5 if you would like.

  1. Watch the video several times and practice the signs you will learn. Put at star on your recording sheet when you have the sign memorized.
  2. Create a video of yourself doing the animals signs you learned.
  3. Share your early enrichment mini spark recording page and your video with your teacher or EY Coordinator.

Check out the sign language badges at the EY webpage. 

 

#26: Use Every Meaning

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

Homonyms can also have identical pronunciations and spellings but different meanings, such as “quail” (the bird) and “quail” (to cringe). Homographs are words that are spelled the same, have different meanings, and MAY be pronounced differently. This mini spark will let you be creative in your writing to create fun sentences.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #26: Use Every Meaning

2.  This morning before school, I made a racket when I dropped my racket down the stairs.

Check out this website that shows some words with multiple meanings. Pick out the 2 most interesting and record each of the meanings on your recording page.

3. Watch this short clip two times.  Do research and record all of the meanings of not, knot, and naught.   How could you use one of the other definitions of knot to add to this clip?

3. Look over this sentence with the word “subject” used in different ways. On your recording page, write all three of the definitions for subject.

Evil King Byrd liked to subject his subjects to lectures about his favorite subject: the history of the toothpick.

4. Choose one of the options below to complete on your recording sheet

Option A. Research the word “bow” and record as many definitions as you can find.

OPTION B. Write 2 of your own sentences that are like the sample above.  If you want to look at a list to get started then click here. You are not limited to just using words with two meanings. You can use your own ideas as well. Record your sentences on your recording sheet.

OPTION C.  On your recording page, write the all of the definitions for duck, bank, and dove as used in this sentence

The skateboarding dove banked her skateboard off a river bank, ducked into a spin, and then dove under the water, barely missing a duck.

Set your timer for 3 minutes. Try to think about how to add one more sentence that fits with the story using another meaning not used. Ideas for you

Bank: a place to store money

Bank: Storage: A collection or supply of things kept for future use, like a blood bank or a data bank

Duck: Fabric: A heavy, strong cotton cloth used for tents or clothes.

OPTION D:  Include multiple meanings of three different homographs in one or two sentences like the duck/bank/dove sentence above.  As a reminder a homograph are words that is spelled the same but has a different meaning and potentially a different pronunciation.

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

Lesson adapted from https://www.byrdseed.com/homographs-homonyms/

Looking to try more word puzzles? Check out the Rhyme Out badge at the EY website.

#25: Sweet Math

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized

This math mini spark has you diving into a box of donuts and solving a variety of math problems.

“Donut” let this opportunity slip by!

Start solving these “sweet” math problems today!

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #25: Sweet Math

2.”You can think of almost anything as a math problem!” Ms. Fibonacci in Math Curse by Jon Scieszka.

3. Print out the PDF or make a copy of the digital version of the doughnut activity page. Due to the complexity of some of the questions, It’s acceptable to use your resources (ie. teacher, older brother or sister, Internet to look up a formula, etc.) and ask for help.

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