Category Archives: Uncategorized
#63: What to Do with a Box
1. Set up your Early Enrichment mini spark recording page: #63: What to Do with a Box
2. Listen to this book written by Jane Yolen and Chris Sheban. On your recording sheet write about the different ideas from the story. Which one was your favorite?
3. What can you create with a box?
4. Print off a challenge sheet to use to record your ideas. You can also record your ideas on your recording page.
5. For a BIGGER challenge take the ABC challenge and use your imagination to turn a box, big or small, into anything at all. You can also do this challenge on your recording page
6. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Check out the Cardboard Challenge badge at the EY webpage and the STEAM Mini Spark STEAM Challenge: Cardboard Box.
Upcoming Events & Contests
January 8-19: Qualifying Geography, Science, and History Bee Tests (taken in Science, History/Social Studies Class)
Friday, Feb. 9: Mad Hatter Quiz Bowl at ESU 3
Friday, Feb. 9: Science of Pour Painting and Printmaking
Saturday, February 10: Marian High School Math Contest (girls only)
Monday, February 12: WMS History Bee (Warrior Time)
Tuesday, February 13: WMS Geography Bee (Warrior Time)
Friday, February 16: WMS Science Bee (Warrior Time)
Friday, February 23: Virginia Frank Memorial Writing Contest due
Friday, April 19: Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl Competition
Tuesday, May 7: Extreme Math at ESU 3
Friday, May 10: Middle School Battle of the Books at ESU 3
*****
Thursday-Saturday, September 28-30: Code Crush at UNO for 8th Grade Girls Only
Friday, October 6: Mixed Media Grunge Cake Art Seminar with Julie Fjell (12pm – 3pm)
Tuesday, Oct. 10: Middle School Science Olympiad at Gifford Farm
Week of October 23: Qualifying Spelling Test in ELA Classes
Friday, October 27: NPR Podcast Challenge Workshop
Wednesday, November 1: Deadline for Spooky Saga Creative Writing Contest
Friday, November 17: Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl Competition (9th Period & Warrior Time)
Monday, November 27: WMS Spelling Bee
Thursday, November 30: WE-SIDE Contests due
Friday, December 15: District Spelling Bee at WMS
Friday, December 15: The Stars and Stripes Forever Essay Contest due
# 94: Pixel Power
Pixels are the smallest unit in a digital display. Up to millions of pixels make up an image or video on a device’s screen. Each pixel comprises a subpixel that emits a red, green and blue (RGB) color, which displays at different intensities. In this mini spark, you will learn about the basics of pixels and pixel colors.
Spark your math thinking!
1. Start by taking out your math notebook or opening your math mini spark doc. Put the date at the top and put the title of this mini spark. Record all of your work on this page.
2. Use this slideshow of images, which zooms a picture of raft. The final slide shows that the entire photo is actually made from individual squares of color. How does looking at these pictures help explain creation of the digital images that you see? What other images might you see today that are made from pixels?
3. Watch these two videos. The first video is a reminder binary numbers. It will help to see this before watching the second video. Take notes as you watch both videos.
4. After watching the second video answer these questions in your notebook. What is the RGB name for turquoise? How does a computer name turquoise? Draw the math steps that were used in the video to explain how a function is used to filter an image.
5. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Check out the Playing with Pixels badge at the EY website.
#58: Burj Khalifa
Explore the engineering innovations that made the construction of Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper, possible. Notably, it stands at a height of 828 meters (2,717 feet) and features a unique Y-shaped design that enhances stability and reduces wind forces.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #39: Tallest Buildings
2. Watch this video and record details on your recording page.
3. For this STEAM mini spark please choose 5 of the following questions to answer on your recording page. Please use 2-3 sentences for your responses. Remind your teacher that the answer key is in the STEAM mini spark folder.
4. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
#92: π Day
Pi is one the most studied numbers in mathematics and on March 14 (or 3/14), we celebrate Pi Day because 3.14 are the first digits of pi.
Spark your math thinking!
- Set up your math mini spark recording page: #92: π Day
- Learn about 18 ways that NASA uses Pi! https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/list/oh-the-places-we-go-18-ways-nasa-uses-pi/. Record a few ideas on your recording page.
- Learn about other interesting Pi Facts at https://www.piday.org/pi-facts/. Create a info page about what you learned
- Find your “Pi Day” using this site. Type in your birthday and record where in pi your date appears. Do this for a friend or your teacher and record their pi day. I put in my birthdate and the sequence of numbers does not show up until digit 169, 266!
- Choose an interesting way to represent Pi! Check out the ideas at the end of this post.
- Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Check out the Pi Masters badge at the EY website.
PiSong1
Pi Grid Art
Early Enrichment #60: What Are You Thankful For?
Next week is Thanksgiving! As we get ready, let’s take a look at some fun facts about the holiday:
- The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 over a three-day harvest festival. It included 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians. It is believed by historians that only five women were present.
- Turkey wasn’t on the menu at the first Thanksgiving. Venison, duck, goose, oysters, lobster, eel, and fish were likely served, alongside pumpkins and cranberries (but not pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce!).
- President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday on October 3rd, 1863. Sarah Joseph Hale, the woman who wrote “Mary Had A Little Lamb”, convinced him to make Thanksgiving a national holiday after writing him letters for 17 years!
- There are 4 towns in the United States named “Turkey”. They can be found in Arizona, Texas, North Carolina, and Louisiana.
- The average number of calories consumed on Thanksgiving is 4, 500!
- The tradition of football on Thanksgiving began in 1876 with a game between Yale and Princeton. The first NFL games were played on Thanksgiving in 1920.
Thanksgiving is a time to be THANKFUL! Watch a video below to see what Kid President is thankful for!
Comment below to let us know what YOU’RE thankful for!!
2022-23 Challenge #3
It’s Fall Y’All and when I think of Fall, I think of FOOTBALL!
For this challenge, you will need to…
- Build football goal posts out of materials you have around your house.
- Fold a paper football (instructions linked below)
- Design an experiment, create a competition, or come up with your own original idea to use what you built. Your project should include collecting some sort of data and analyzing it.
- Share your project with your EY Coordinator.
Paper Folding Football Instructions: https://www.instructables.com/How-To-Make-A-Paper-Football/
Football Image Source: https://openclipart.org/detail/102853/football
Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl 7th & 8th Grade
When: Friday, April 8 at 1:30 pm
Where: PAC at WMS
If you are interested in participating, please email Dr. Spady at spady.lynn @ westside66.net
image source: https://pixabay.com/vectors/buzzer-hand-button-press-ringing-158285/
Battle of the Books 2022-Volunteers Needed March 18 & 19
