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Reading EnRichment Contests to Check out
List of Writing Contests that are possibilities
Anne Frank Essay Contest – Grades 5 – 8 – Entry due ___________________
Metro Reading Council Writing Contest – Grades K – 12 Entry due ___________________
Americanism Essay Contest – Grades 5 – 8 Entry due ___________________
Totem Head’s Story Contest-Categories for ages 8 and under all the way up to 18 years-Entry due ___________________
Virginia Frank Memorial Writing Contest – Grades 5 – 8 – Entry due ___________________
Writing Contests!!!
List of Writing Contests that are open now:
Anne Frank Essay Contest – Grades 5 – 8 – Entry due 11/20/2015
Americanism Essay Contest – Grades 5 – 8 – Entry due 12/18/15
Metro Reading Council Writing Contest – Grades K – 12 – Entry due 12/15/15
Totem Head’s Story Contest-Categories for ages 8 and under all the way up to 18 years-Entry due 12/31/15
Virginia Frank Memorial Writing Contest – Grades 5 – 8 – Entry due 3/1/2016
Geography Bee Practice Quizzes
Test your geography knowledge and prepare for the Geography Bee at the same time! The links below contain questions from the 2014 Geo Bee so you can get familiar with the types of questions. Take each test and then check with the EY coordinator at your building to find out your scores.
You can also take take a daily GeoBee quiz here: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee/quiz/today/
Good luck!
BOTB Update
Thank you for your patience as the EY Team continues to refine the Battle of the Books competition details. We took your feedback from previous years and we are working hard to make sure we provide a great learning experience for our students. We must also focus on aligning all opportunities with our team goals. Please note the following BOTB details:
- Teams of 3-5 students should register their team online at http://tinyurl.com/wcsBOTB16 by November 30th. NOTE: While students in grades 3-6 are invited to participate, parents need to realize that some of the content in the books may contain sensitive information. Please note the chart at the bottom of this post as it suggests grade levels for each book.
- Each team will need an adult team leader. The role of this person is to support the students as they are reading the books. The team leader may choose to organize lunches and after school meetings where students can meet and discuss the books. The team leader need not attend the BOTB events.
- Some adult leaders choose to read the books along with the students and write sample questions for the students to practice answering. This can be a shared task if there are multiple teams from a particular school. The format of the questions will be fill in the blank, short answer, and multiple choice.
- Teams have until the end of February to read as many of the BOTB books. Some teams have each member of the team read all the books. Others teams split the books up among team members.
- Students that attended BOTB last year are familiar with the projects that went along with each book. While the projects are not required this year, students are encouraged to complete a project for at least 2 of the books they read. A list of possible project ideas can be found here. Librarians and classroom teachers also have suggestions for book projects. If a team qualifies for the BOTB Showdown, each team member will be allowed to submit up to 2 projects for judging.
- All teams will take a Preliminary Qualifying Test at the end of February. Teams will set up a time with the EY coordinator at the building to take this 50-question online test. The test must be completed within 43 minutes.
- The top scoring team from each school (10), plus the next 6 highest scoring teams will be invited to attend the Westside Battle of the Books Showdown on March 10 at the Underwood Hills. During this all day event, the top 16 teams will take part in reading enrichment opportunities, as well as compete in the BOTB competition.
- Adult team leaders may choose to organize a school Battle for any teams not qualifying for the Westside event. If the adult team leaders wish to organize a school Battle, the EY team will share all the rounds of questions.
- The top 4 Westside teams will be invited to attend another Battle with Ralston schools. The date for this competition has not been set yet.
Move over Screen Time…Makerspaces are Moving In!
Please say I’m not the only one that comes up with crazy ways to deal with managing screen time!
- If you read for 30 minutes and exercise for 30 minutes, you can earn 15 minutes of screen time.
- No screen time during the week and two hours on the weekend.
- You can “purchase” screen time with the buttons in your jar. You can earn buttons by doing your chores, going to bed without arguing, and leaving your brothers alone.
- NO SCREEN TIME…EVER! I’m going to hide all the devices including the Wii remotes. You will read and do homework from the minute you get home to the minute you go to bed! (BTW…I’m not proud of that one, but yes, I have said it.)
This summer, I decided to approach screen time from a different angle. Instead of coming up with more rules and regulations, I decided to create some spaces in my basement that might seem more appealing than screens. Check out the the Spady boys’ Makerspaces.
My friend Karin recently gave her daughter Ava’s room a makeover. What do you get when you combine a sewing machine, art wall, marble run, outdoor bird feeder, indoor garden, and a doorbell? A makerspace fit for a queen! What kid wouldn’t love a room like this?! I’m thinking about asking Ava if I can rent the space for myself! 🙂
Makerspaces are popping up in schools too! The library seems to be a good fit for these exploratoriums since students come in and out throughout the day. Librarian and EY Coordinator Miss Heflin (@missheflin) is starting a Tinker Lab in Paddock Road’s library (@PaddockRoad66). How exciting!
So what are your thoughts? Do you have any suggestions for managing screen time? What kinds of materials would be in your ideal makerspace? Do makerspaces belong in schools? Leave a comment and share any resources!
Enrichment Activities for E/I
#3: Let’s Simile
Learn more about how to add spark to your writing.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your mini spark recording page: #3: Let’s Simile
2. Watch this BrainPop Jr. video about Similes. Record a few of the examples from the video on your recording page.
3. Use this image as an example Draw your own image on your recording page.
picture from ehssjadej.edublogs.org
4. Fall Simile Writing Activity. Copy these 3 of these sentence starters on your recording page and create your own similes. You may use your own ideas instead if you wish. Add color/designs to your finished page.
A fall leaf is a red as a _________________________.
A jack-o-lantern is a round as a______________________.
A fall leaf is a crunchy as a___________________________.
A fall leaf is as ____________________ as ________________________.
A pumpkin is _______________________like _______________________.
A bat is as ________________________as __________________________.
Halloween is __________________________as ___________________.
The scarecrow is ____________________like__________________________.
5. Share your mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
#8: Haiku Poem
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.
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
#4: Papel Picado
Papel Picado means “pierced paper” in Spanish. In Mexico, artists use special tools to pierce through many layers of paper at once. In Mexico, people create Papel Picado banners to celebrate holidays and different occasions.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #4: Papel Picado
2. Set up your recording page with these sections
WHAT IS PAPEL PICADO?
PRE-COLOMBIAN PAPER
CULTURAL INFLUENCES CHINA
CULTURAL INFLUENCES SPAIN
GENERATIONAL FOLK ART
2. Read the lesson pages. On your recording sheet write a few sentences for each section.
3. Watch this instruction video. On your recording page write the supplies you will need.
4. Ask your EY teacher to help you find paper and string for your project.
5. Ask your teacher to use this template and print it on the colorful paper for you.
6. If you want to use the template to get started, and then create your own design that is great.
7. Create a simple Papel Picado following the steps from the video. If you want to print out this instruction page you can
8. Take a picture of your project and add it to your recording page.
9. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.