Category Archives: Uncategorized

2021-22 EY Challenge #5

Current Challenge, Uncategorized

Get ready for Computer Science Education (CS Ed) Week!

CS Ed Week is December 6-12 and it is an annual event to inspire students to learn about computer science, advocate for equity, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners in the CS field. https://www.csedweek.org/

             If you want to save your progress:

1. Sign in with google @ code. org

2. Go to course catalog on the top left

3. Scroll down and click on hour of code view more choices.

4. Take a screenshot of your certificate when your project is complete.

 

 

#66: How to use a semicolon

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

The semicolon might appear to be misunderstood. It resembles a combination of a comma and a period, which could explain why we often misuse these punctuation marks, treating them like grammatical confetti. This lesson aims to provide clear guidance and best practices for the correct usage of the semicolon.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #66: How to use a semicolon

2. Watch the video. Pause the video as needed to record notes. Pay special attention to any words that are new to you, rules, specific examples and sample sentences. These items should all be included on your recording page. You should have at least 5 items on your note page when you are done.

3. Write two sentences of your own and include them on the note taking page.

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

Lesson video by Emma Bryce, animation by Karrot Entertainment.

2021-22 EY Challenge #3

Current Challenge, Uncategorized

Prosthetic Hands

Please follow these steps to complete this challenge:
1.  Read the article and answer the quiz questions.
2.  Watch the video on 3D Printed Prosthetic Hands

3.  Create a product based on your learning.  Below are a few tutorials if you need an idea.  NOTE:  Always ask for adult permission/supervision when using tools like hot glue guns, scissors, etc.
Make a video of your product and/or take pictures of it in use.  Upload your project to your drive and make it sharable.  Copy the link and paste it in the Google Submission Form: https://forms.gle/YDo6t5MDXW8vA1q58
This challenge closes October 15.

#64 Misplaced Modifiers

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

Modifiers are words, phrases, and clauses that add information about other parts of a sentence—which is usually helpful. But when modifiers aren’t linked clearly enough to the words they’re actually referring to, they can create unintentional ambiguity.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #64: Misplaced Modifiers

2. Look at this example of an incorrectly placed modifier and write it on your recording page.

Perched up high on a tree branch, I yelled at the cat to leave the sparrow alone.

Meaning: I don’t tangle with a tabby unless I am perched 10 feet up in the air.

3. Look at this example of a correctly placed modifier and write it on your recording page.

Seeing a sparrow perched up high on a tree branch, I yelled at the cat to leave him alone.

Meaning: ohhhh….the sparrow is up in the tree. Watch out little sparrow!

4. Read this teaching page to look over some modifier examples. Record 5 details on your recording sheet.

5. Watch this TED Ed video and record at least 5  notes about modifiers and their placement, dangling , and squinting modifiers.

6. Create a teaching page explaining modifiers along with with examples of how they are used. Include your own sentence with a misplaced modifier and then correct the sentence so that the reader understands the meaning.

7. Optional: Do more research about misplaced, dangling and squinting modifiers. Include what you learned in your visual.

8. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and your visual with your teacher/EY coordinator.

2021-22 EY Challenge #2

Current Challenge, Uncategorized

Another Bitsbox Challenge

Thank you to those of you who tried the first EY Challenge of the year.  If you did, this challenge is an extension of that.  If you didn’t do the first challenge, no worries.  This video should help you get started.  Also, here are some basic steps:

1. Draw a picture on paper or using an app on your iPad.    Start with something simple like an animal. I drew this cow using Drawing Pad.  Take a picture of your drawing or take a screenshot.

2.  Go to Safari and type in bitsbox.com and in the upper right corner select “kids sign in” and use your Westside Google Account to sign in

3.  From there, the video below should walk you through the steps.

This code is in the video, but here is another copy of what you’ll be typing in on Bitsbox.

Don’t forget to submit your work!

This challenge closes September 24

EY Submission Form Link: https://forms.gle/h4BNyDpTESYrSjRK8

NewzBrain Civics Challenge

MS Learning Opportunities, Uncategorized

NewzBrain provides a weekly online Civics Challenge covering a wide variety of topics.  Check out a sample NewzBrain Civics Challenge by clicking the link below to see if it’s something you’d be interested in doing.  https://newzbrain.com/StudentWeb/OnlineLeague/Demo

If you would like a NewzBrain student account to participate in the Weekly Civics Challenge, email Dr. Spady.

Weekly leaders will be posted on our leaderboard at: https://ey.westside66.org/newzbrainleaderboard

Math Pre-Testing

Uncategorized

Pre-Testing in Math

Pre-Testing in math is more than just a way to separate your students into two groups for a unit: those who already know it and those who don’t.  The data collected from a pre-test should inform your instruction for the unit and help you to adjust your plans…move quicker, skip it, do a more creative activity, etc.  For more information on quality pre-tests, check out Byrdseed Six Traits of Quality Pre-Assessments.

#85 Spreadsheets and Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD)

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized

Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) is how far, on average, all data values are from the middle. To find the MAD of the you can follow 3 easy steps:

  1. Find the mean of the values.
  2. Find the distance of each value from that mean (subtract the mean from each value, ignore minus signs which is also the absolute value)
  3. Then find the mean of those distances

For this Math Mini Spark, you’ll be finding the MAD on a spreadsheet.

Spark your math thinking!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #85 Spreadsheets and MAD
  2.  Calculate the MAD of this data set: 3, 6, 6, 7, 8, 11, 15, 16 
    1. Find the mean of the values.
    2. Find the distance of each value from that mean (subtract the mean from each value, ignore minus signs which is also the absolute value)
    3. Then find the mean of those distances

  3. Look over the first part of this post from Math is Fun that outlines the steps. Make sure that each of the steps you did were correct.
  4.  Make a Copy of this spreadsheet by clicking the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ndcgCZ1EeVcKausxtkmBkONVfCeilbQNE6ukdUCWYk8/copy
  5.  Watch the video and complete the steps shown in the video on your own spreadsheet.

 

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

NOTE:  This mini-spark can be used as 1 spreadsheet lesson for the Spreadsheet Superstar Badge.

 

#59: 1 hand book review

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

Before you share a book with a friend, it helps to share a quick, ‘handy’ book review. Learn how in this mini spark.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #59: 1 hand book review

2. Read over these instructions and write down the 5 sentence starters on your recording page.

3. Choose a book that you have recently read and enjoyed. Write the title on your recording page.

4. Open this sheet and read it. You can print it if you want. You will use this as a guide to writing your own.

5. Create your own script on your recording page.

6. Choose at least two people and read your 1-hand book review to them.

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