Category Archives: Uncategorized

#92: π Day

Math Mini Sparks, Uncategorized

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!

  1. Set up your math mini spark recording page: #92: π Day
  2. 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.
  3. Learn about other interesting Pi Facts at https://www.piday.org/pi-facts/. Create a info page about what you learned
  4. 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! 
  5. Choose an interesting way to represent Pi! Check out the ideas at the end of this post.
  6. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Check out the Pi Masters badge at the EY website.

PiSong1

Screen Shot 2016-03-01 at 10.28.23 PM

Pi Grid Art

#60: Thanksgiving Lessons

Early Enrichment, Uncategorized

Thanksgiving is one of the favorite holidays we celebrate in America. As we get ready, let’s take a look at some fun facts about the holiday.

Spark your thinking!

1.  Set up your Early Enrichment Mini Spark recording page: #60: Thanksgiving Lessons

2.  Read these thanksgiving facts. On your recording page record one of the facts that you did not know.

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.

3. Thanksgiving is a time to be THANKFUL! Watch a video below to see what Kid President is thankful for! List 5 reasons you are thankful.

4. Share your Early Enrichment Mini Spark recording page with your teacher or EY Coordinator.

 

2022-23 Challenge #3

Current Challenge, Uncategorized

It’s Fall Y’All and when I think of Fall, I think of FOOTBALL!

For this challenge, you will need to…
  1. Build football goal posts out of materials you have around your house.
  2. Fold a paper football (instructions linked below)
  3. 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.
  4. 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

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 using a semi colon  in each one 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