Category Archives: Uncategorized

#10: Benefits of Fire

November 20, 2015Full STEAM Ahead, Learning Opportunities, Uncategorizedlspady

Why would anyone want to start a forest fire on purpose? In this STEAM mini spark you will find out the answer to this question along with many more ideas about this topic.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #10: Benefits of Fire

2. Find the answers to these questions using the sources below.

How can you conduct a controlled burn/prescribed burn?
What types of scientists/professionals work in this field?
What components of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) are important to the controlled burn process?

Research Links: While reading/watching each resource, record information that is new to you, is interesting, or sounds important.

National Geographic article, Controlled Burning.

Firefighter from Florida interview question 1, “How has a place like Florida been shaped by fire?”

Firefighter from Florida interview question 2 “What does it mean to do a prescribed fire or controlled burn?”

Fontenelle Forest Website page, Prescribed Fires

Smokey Bear Website page, Benefits of Fires

National Geographic article, The Ecological Benefits of Fire

3. Record your answers to the 3 questions on your recording sheet.

4. When you are finished researching and answering the 3 questions, display your learning somehow. Push yourself to try a new app or a new way of showing your learning. Here are some examples:

Write a letter Fontenelle Forest
If you could interview a restoration biologist, what questions would you ask?
Make an infographic with terms, images, and details about the topic.

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

Check out the Natural Disaster Reporter badge at the EY website.

Early Enrichment #6: Alternative Endings

November 1, 2015Early Enrichment, Uncategorizedlspady

Have you ever wished a story ended differently in a book?

I know I have!

Maybe it was missing more action, a happy ending, or a hook that makes you want to read more.

Try your hand in being an author, and write an ending for a story. You can use a book that you have read before, or checkout the ideas at this website.

http://www.stuartstories.com/activities/finishme.html

Comment below how you would end the stories!

#11: That’s hard to pronounce!

October 30, 2015Reading Enrichment, Uncategorizedlspady

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/

Quarter 1 is behind us!

October 22, 2015Sindt Blog, Uncategorizedlspady

First quarter is over! Wow – this year is flying by already!

We have had a busy, fun first quarter. Our focus has been on invention and innovation, which has always been a fun theme for students. We had a variety of events and experiences that provided students with the opportunity to explore invention and innovation both inside and outside the classroom.

One such event was the Invention Convention Seminar in September. This was open to all students grades 2 – 6 (at two separate seminars) and had a focus on the engineering process, as well. Fifth and sixth grade students had the opportunity to create their own musical instrument, work through the reverse engineering process, market their invention, and look at improving the world through inventions all while creating an engineering notebook. Second through Fourth graders worked through the process of engineering by creating electrical circuits and they even got to put together a light up greeting card using a circuit they made. It was exciting to see all of the innovative thinkers we have at Westside!

Math and Reading enrichment classes are in full swing now. For reading enrichment, we are doing some higher-level novel studies. The students enjoy digging deeper into their reading and writing. When we’re not working on a novel, students are encouraged to complete their Current Events on the Google Doc, and look into Reading Enrichment opportunities in the EY Blog. For math enrichment, we’re working off of a Math Enrichment menu, which gives students the opportunity to personalize their own math enrichment experience.

We continue to encourage all students to check out the EY blog regularly for enrichment opportunities in many interest areas both within their classrooms, and beyond. Please encourage your student(s) to explore the blog at home as well. Like I always say…the blog doesn’t ever take a day off!

Thank you for making this first quarter a success!

#7: Mayan Math

October 22, 2015Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorizedlspady

The Mayans were a classical civilization of Mesoamerica. Originating in the Yucatan around 2600 B.C.E., they rose to prominence around A.D.E. 250 in present-day southern Mexico, Guatemala, western Honduras, El Salvador, and northern Belize.

Spark your math thinking!

1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #7: Mayan Math

2. Mayan Math was the most sophisticated number system ever developed in the Americas. Astronomers and architects used Mayan Math, but it was also simple enough to be used by uneducated traders and farmers. Where we use ten different symbols to represent numbers (1, 2, 3, 4 , 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0), the Mayans used only three: a dot for a one, a bar for five, and a symbol (usually a shell) for zero. (The Maya were the first civilization to discover and understand the concept of zero.) The chart below shows the Mayan numbers 1 – 19. Draw this chart on your recording page or use this online tool to practice making the numbers 1-19.

3. We use a decimal system, based on the number ten, but the Mayans used a vigesimal system, based on the number twenty. So, where we learn to count on our fingers, Mayan children counted on their fingers and toes. In fact, the number twenty was very important to the Mayans, so much so that the words for “human being” and “twenty” share the same root in most Mayan languages. Record a summary of this information on your recording sheet.

Watch a video about base 20 and how it is used. Record important details on your recording sheet.

4. The Mayans wrote their numbers from top to bottom rather than from left to right, but apart from that, their system was not so different from ours. For example, to write the number 34, we place a three in the tens column and a four in the ones column. The Maya put a one in the twenties column and a fourteen in the ones column. Draw this image on your recording sheet.

Screen Shot 2015-10-22 at 12.25.02 PM

5. Practice making larger numbers at Round 2 at Mayan Math Games. Then you will move to Round 3 at Mayan Math Games where you make numbers in the base 20 system. If you think you can move to round 3 without starting in round 2 that is ok. Add a note to your recording page about what you learned.

6. Adding in the Mayan system is simply a matter of juggling the dots and bars. To calculate 36 + 13, for example, you start by adding the units (i.e., 16 + 13). This gives you 29, so you leave 9 in the ones column and carry the 20 up, giving you a grand total of 2 twenties and 9 ones = 49.

Pretty smart, right? Especially, when you consider that the Ancient Egyptians never cracked the concept of zero and that complex calculations with Roman numerals were way too complicated for ordinary Romans. Practice adding in Round 4 at Mayan Math Games.

7. Optional: If you would like to try subtraction go to Round 5 at Mayan Math Games.

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

Check out the ancient number systems badge at the EY website

#9: The dove dove.

October 14, 2015Reading Enrichment, UncategorizedJenny Henningsen

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

Early Enrichment #5: Matific Episodes

October 9, 2015Early Enrichment, Uncategorizedlspady

Matific is a math website/app that features hundreds of playful interactions called “episodes.” Practice your math skills by practicing some of their free episodes!

Go to the link below, click the box to continue to website, and choose one of the activities on their homepage.

https://www.matific.com/us/en-us

(note: activities found off of the homepage will require an account created by classroom teachers. Scroll down to see some of the free episodes).

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