Category Archives: Uncategorized

NAGC Parent Resources

Uncategorized

As you get to know your sensitive, energetic toddler, watch your 10 year struggle to fit in at school, or agonize with your high schooler about multiple college choices, you may wonder why your child seems different from other children. Is your child gifted?  If yes, what next? NAGC works to provide you the tools you need to help your child succeed.
Advice from William Schlitz, father of Haley Taylor Schlitz, on raising a gifted child.

 

#38: History of Plastics

Social Studies Enrichment, Uncategorized

Plastic is not just used for milk jugs and bottles of soda…it’s EVERYWHERE! Watch the video below about the history of plastic and then do some further research on something specific mentioned in the video.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your social studies mini spark recording page: #38: History of Plastics

2.  Watch this video.  Record the names of plastics along with dates that they are invented, if mentioned.

3. Choose 2 questions to answer after watching the video. Remind your teacher that the answer key can be found in the social studies mini spark folder.

  • Who invented celluloid, and in what year did this invention occur? Describe the characteristics of celluloid that made it unsuitable for billiard balls.
  • What two substances were combined to create Bakelite, and why was it considered an improvement over celluloid?
  • List at least three types of plastics that were developed after Bakelite and briefly describe their uses.
  •  Explain the process of the manufacturing technique was invented that allowed for rapid production of plastic items?  
  • How did the production of plastics change during World War Two? 
  •  Discuss some of the environmental issues associated with plastic production and usage as mentioned in the video.

4. Check out Jeff Kirschner’s TED Talk. Learn more about the environmental impact of plastics and other litter and how solutions as being spread around the world.

The task for this step is to record the cities or countries Jeff Kirschner says in the video on your recording sheet. There will be 6 in total. ***Note: The last two places mentioned at the very end of the video. They are cities, and they both start with H.

5. Look over your list. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see if you have them all recorded. Put a star next to those that you can find on a map easily. Put a check by those places that you need to look up. Use a map to find those places. Change your checkmark to a star..

6. Share your social studies mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oakland (mentioned a few times)

China

San Francisco

Amsterdam

Honolulu

Hanoi

 

Blackout Poetry Contest

MS Learning Opportunities, Uncategorized
According writersdigest.com, a blackout poem is when a poet takes a marker (usually black marker) to already established text–like in a newspaper–and starts redacting words until a poem is formed.  

If you’re not familiar with blackout poetry, this 5ish minute video provides a good overview.

You can also “Google” blackout poetry” and find a plethora of images/examples.

Contest Rules

  • Create a blackout poem.  You can use a newspaper, magazine, book that you own (the EY Team has some to choose from), etc.
  • Submit your blackout poem by Wednesday, October 14 using this Google Form link: https://forms.gle/VDQZYLexB6uwxivX6
  • Prizes will be awarded! Good prizes! You should definitely do this contest!

 

#37: International Dot Day

Full STEAM Ahead, Learning Opportunities, Uncategorized

International Dot Day is on September 15th. There are so many ways to celebrate that dot 365 days a year!  A dot might be small, but it’s a powerful way to show your unique individuality and creativity.

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #37: International Dot Day

2. Get started exploring the dot by watching “The Dot” by Peter H. Reynolds. What is the message of the book? Record your answer on your recording page. Use at least 3 sentences.

3. Go to wonderopolis and read about how this day is celebrated in classrooms. Take the did you get it quiz and add your score to your recording page.

4. Listen to the song, the Dot. What things do you do to encourage others, show persistence, and spread positivity.  Write 3-4 sentences about this on your recording page.

5. Timed Creative Challenge. Have an adult or a friend print this challenge sheet you.  Don’t look at the challenge until you are ready to get started. You need a pencil or colored pencils and a timer set to 3 minutes. Turn the challenge over and read the directions. Start your timer. When you are done add a picture of your drawings to your recording sheet.

OPTIONAL STEPS

6. Create a dot on a piece of paper. You can use markers, crayons, paint, or colored pencils.

Chatterpix Dot Day.gif

7. Animate your dot. Use the app Chatterpix Kids. Launch Chatterpix Kids. Snap a photo of your art, then add a talking mouth. You now have 30 seconds of recording time to talk about your dot!

8. Save the Chatterpix Kids video onto your camera roll, then share it with your teacher.

9. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page, your dot challenge and your Chatterpix with your teacher/EY coordinator.

Check out the Dot badge on the EY Website.

 

 

 

 

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20-21: Weekly Challenge #2-Kitchen Challenge

Current Challenge, Uncategorized

What’s Cooking?

This week’s EY Weekly Challenge has you cooking up something in the kitchen!

For this Weekly Challenge, please choose one of the following options:

  • Ask a grandparent, relative, parent(s), etc. for a family recipe.  Is it something you always have at a holiday gathering?  Something only prepared on a special occasion? Submit a family recipe along with an explanation of its significance to you/your family.
  • Make something in the kitchen and take a picture/video of the process and/or final product.  Make sure your creation has a name and that you provide the ingredients necessary to make your recipe.  Make sure to get an adult’s approval first before you start.

Google Form Link: https://forms.gle/RzHSWDHtnonnRvFu7

Image Source: https://www.clipart.email/clipart/kid-chef-clipart-33460.html

Weekly Challenge #1 Highlights

Uncategorized, Weekly Challenge Highlights

Wow! Over 80 mask submissions for our first Weekly Challenge!

Thank you all for submitting your fun, fashionable, functional and fitting mask designs for the first EY Weekly Challenge!  Each week, we will pick out a few of our favorites to highlight.

Calista from Loveland went the fashionable route for her mask.  Check out the reversible Halloween mask that her and friend Katie sewed themselves!
Whitney from Rockbrook sewed a mask with her Grandma.  The pleats make for a functional and comfortable fit!
Click here to see Whitney’s mask.
Logan from Loveland went the functional route with cooling fans and a zipper for eating and talking.

Alondra from WMS looks like she is on her way to a business opportunity with her mask design!

Ada from Loveland was resourceful in her design as she up-cycled a sock for her mask.
Thanks for checking out the highlights for Weekly Challenge #1!  Make sure to check back for the highlights of Weekly Challenge #2!

#2: Shadow Science 

Science Mini Spark, Uncategorized

Learn about shadows, including what they are and how they form. Discover the way solid objects block light to form shadows and how shadows can change shape when the light source changes

Spark you thinking!

1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #2: Shadow Science

2. How are Shadows formed? Watch this video. Record all of the vocabulary words tha pop up on your recording sheet. If it is a new word for you, write a short definition as well.

3. Shadow puppetry is the art of using the shadows of puppets to entertain the audience. Research this art form at Wonderopolis and make a fact page about its history. Add a picture of your project to your recording page.  

4. A long time ago, people observed the way shadows were formed by the sun and utilized this principle in making the world’s most primitive clocks, the sundials. Learn about sundials. Take notes about the process on your recording sheet.

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

Check out the Shadow Science Badge at the EY Website.

#49: Descriptive Writing

Reading Enrichment, Uncategorized

The primary purpose of descriptive writing is to describe a person, place or thing in such a way that a picture is formed in the reader’s mind. Capturing an event through descriptive writing involves paying close attention to the details by using all of your five senses.

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #49: Descriptive Writing

2. Watch this Ted-Ed Video. Watch this video. Record the sentence from Hurricane Fever on your recording sheet. Explain how the words are chosen to help the reader connect with the story with their senses.

3. In the video, the narrator describes the characteristics of descriptive writing and gives several examples. Read these 4 reminders and summarize each one on your recording sheet.

  •  Good descriptive writing includes many vivid sensory details that paint a picture and appeals to all of the reader’s senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste when appropriate. Descriptive writing may also paint pictures of the feelings the person, place or thing invokes in the writer.
  • Good descriptive writing often makes use of figurative language such as analogies, similes and metaphors to help paint the picture in the reader’s mind.
  • Good descriptive writing uses precise language. General adjectives, nouns, and passive verbs do not have a place in good descriptive writing. Use specific adjectives and nouns and strong action verbs to give life to the picture you are painting in the reader’s mind.
  • Good descriptive writing is organized. Some ways to organize descriptive writing include: chronological (time), spatial (location), and order of importance. When describing a person, you might begin with a physical description, followed by how that person thinks, feels and acts.

4. Give it a try! For the following sentences, rewrite it using rich descriptive language. Keep the five senses in mind. You can use the following and rewrite each OR use one as a prompt and write a descriptive paragraph or stort story. Record all work on your recording sheet.

  • Sight – The girls went to the city park.
  • Sound/Hearing – We went to the stadium to watch our favorite team.
  • Smell – The waitress brought our food to the table.
  • Taste – My grandma made us cookies.
  • Touch – I walked to school this morning not knowing they had called a snow day.

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

#34: Animal Robots

Full STEAM Ahead, Uncategorized,

While the word “robot” can conjure up an image of a cyborg human with lights for eyes and super powers, animal-inspired robots are accomplishing tasks in all kinds of medical, military and rescue work. These anibots perform tasks that would be difficult and often dangerous for mere mortals, or even human droids, to accomplish

Spark your thinking!

1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #34: Animal Robots

2.   Pneupard is a robot that is designed to be agile and fast like cheetahs and other cats. Pneupard has artificial muscles made from rubber tubing that are covered in nylon and filled with air. The pneumatic muscles have lifelike skills that allow the bot to replicate the range of motion and strength of a real cat!

3. On your recording sheet define Pneupard.

4. Watch this video about Pneupard. Record 5 details from the video on your recording page.

5. Answer the following questions.

  • How are these engineers using robots to learn about nature?
  • Why are cheetah’s ultra complex to recreate?
  • What did the engineers learn when the were in the park
  • What animal would you choose to recreate as a robot? What part or parts of this animal would be ultra complex to recreate?

6. One modern robot flier is called ornithopter. Ornithopter looks and flies much like a real bird. One sweet little ornithopter is used as a nano-spybot, equipped with a tiny camera.

7. On your recording sheet define ornithopter.

8. Watch this video about Ornithopter and write a summary of the video on your recording page.

9. On your recording page, answer these questions.

  • What materials are used to make this robot?
  • What other material come to mind that might work?
  • Have you ever seen a servo motor? If not where else might it be used? If you have seen one, what was its purpose?
  • What is visually interesting to you about this robot? What woud you change?

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