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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Imagineering In A Box!
Source: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/
Walt Disney Imagineering Partners With Khan Academy To Bring You ‘Imagineering in a Box’
Imagineering fans, get ready! If you’ve ever been one of many guests who’s visited a Disney theme park and found yourself inspired to dream, build and create, there’s a new online program you just can’t miss!
‘Imagineering in a Box’ is a free online program that brings together the diverse talents of Disney Imagineers around the world for a one-of-a-kind learning experience and is part of Disney’s commitment to helping today’s youth create the future they imagine.
The series offers 32 videos in which Imagineers share how they use a wide range of skills – from story development and conceptual design, to math, physics and engineering – to create immersive experiences. The online curriculum aims to ignite curiosity, inspire creativity, and encourage innovation in the minds of students and teachers alike, while creating fun and engaging opportunities to explore new concepts.
Modules range from a tutorial on engineering software, to an interactive exercise where learners are encouraged to gather items around them and create something new. The program’s hands-on components will allow students to relate new concepts to real-world examples to bring treasured Disney stories to life. Each activity is designed to be scalable, allowing individuals to learn on their own or in a classroom setting.
Virginia Frank Memorial Writing Contest
The Friends of Omaha Public Library are currently accepting submissions for the Virginia Frank Memorial Writing Contest. The contest is for students in 5-8th grade. First prize in each grade is $100.
Here is a link to the contest https://omahalibrary.org/virginia-frank-memorial-writing-contest/
The Virginia Frank Memorial Writing contest is held each year in the spring to recognize the creative writing talent of area students. This contest, sponsored by the Friends of Omaha Public Library, recognizes the top three winners from each grade. Each winner receives a cash prize and certificate, is recognized in a ceremony at the library, and has their story published on the library website. The school libraries of each winning student are also recognized with a matching cash prize.
Eligibility Requirements
Stories must be submitted with an entry form to be considered. Complete all fields either online or on a printed entry form and submit with your story.
Students must be in 5th to 8th grade and live in Douglas or Sarpy counties.
Students may be enrolled in public, private, parochial or home school.
Stories must be typed and no longer than 750 words.
Entries must be original fiction featuring a character from a book you have enjoyed and read on your own. Identify the book and author from which your character originated in the title or subtitle of your story.
Only one entry per contestant will be accepted.
The decision of the judges is final.
All entries become the property of Friends of Omaha Public Library (FOPL) and may be featured by Omaha Public Library on its website or social media.
Deadline for entries is February 28, 2020.
Prizes
First ($100), second ($75) and third place ($50)
Prizes will be awarded to the top three winners from each grade.
The school library of the winning students will be recognized with matching cash prizes.
Read the winning stories from the 2019 Virginia Frank Memorial Writing Contest
About Virginia Frank
The Virginia Frank Memorial Writing Contest began in 2003 and is named in honor of a longtime Friends of Omaha Public Library volunteer. Virginia Frank was a Central High and UNO graduate. She acquired a master’s degree from Brown University and taught English literature and creative writing at UNO for many years. Her passion for students and young people inspired everyone around her, and her enthusiasm encouraged many students to explore their creative writing talents. Frank volunteered thousands of hours with the Friends of OPL to help ensuring a bright future for our public libraries.
#29: Bitsbox 1-Get Started
In this STEAM mini spark you will learn how to sign in to Bitsbox and how to code your own app, food fight.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page:#29: Bitsbox 1-Get Started
2. Watch this intro video. Write the first line of code that you will type when creating the app food fight.
3. Copy these instructions on your recording sheet.
4. Click this link to get to bitsbox or go to www.bitsbox.com and follow the instructions from step 3 to get logged in.
5. Click on the food fight icon and follow the written instructions step-by-step to code the whole app. Take a screenshot of your app and add it to your recording page.
6. Now, modify your app it with your own stamp, text, and colors.
7. Take a picture of your new app and add it to your recording sheet.
8. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Check out the bitsbox badge on the EY website.
#38: Celebration Days
Everyday can be a celebration. Did you know that November 3rd is national sandwich day, December 7th is national letter writing day and January 7th is national bobblehead day?
Spark your thinking!
- Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #38: Celebration Days
- Look over this teaching page. On your recording sheet, write about each of the highlighted days, its history, and how it is celebrated.
- What day do you feel deserves to add to the list of national celebrations? Pickle day? It’s observed on November 15. How about National fuzzy sock day? It’s a day people celebrate on December 21st! What would be a day that you would LOVE to celebrate? Start brainstorming. Create a list of 10 days that you would enjoy having as special days on the calendar.
- Choose your very favorite day from the list you created. Create a colorful information page about your day. Include this information:
The name of your day
3-5 facts about your topic
How can people celebrate this day?
Do research to find out if your day is already celebrated. If so, add that date to your project.
- Read about the process of how to formally submit your national day idea for review.
- Share your project with your teacher or the EY coordinator in your building.
Geography Study Sites
#61: Math Contest
Who’s up for a contest? Mathematics competitions or mathematical olympiads are competitive events where participants complete a math test. Help to prepare for these events by doing a short practice contest.
Spark your math thinking!
- Set up your math mini spark recording page: #61: Math Contest
- Find the contest choices here
- You MAY use a calculator, but please work by yourself!
- Pick the grade level that fits you
- Do all of the work on your recording page and click “I am done” at the bottom. It will score your contest for you.
- Take a screenshot of your contest and share it along with your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Check out the math contest master badge for more contest practice
#34: Dragon Study
Dragons have been an important character in fairy tales and fantasy stories for ages. Learn about these fantastic creatures in this LA mini spark.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #34: Dragon Study
2. Write each word, its part of speech, and a short definition.
geomythology caldera mastodon geothermal
3. Scroll to the bottom of this post to check to see that your definitions are correct. Add any missing information.
4. Watch this TED ed about the origin of dragon myths.
5. Read these fact cards about dragons. Create a mini quiz to go along with the content. Make an answer key as well.
6. Share your language arts mini spark recording page and your final project with your teacher/EY coordinator.
You can use parts of this mini spark as tasks on the Dragon Tales Badge at the EY website.
geomythology ( noun )
Definition: The study of how myths and legends are related to the geology and geography of a place.
Example: Geomythology looks at how stories about dragons might be connected to real fossils or volcanoes.
caldera ( noun )
Definition: A large, bowl-shaped depression formed when a volcano erupts and collapses.
Example: The big caldera was formed when the Kilauea volcano caved in.
mastodon ( noun )
Definition: An extinct, large mammal similar to a mammoth or elephant, with cone-shaped cusps on the molar teeth.
Example: Maybe old storytellers made up Cadmus’ tale after finding these mastodon fossils.
geothermal ( adjective )
Definition: Relating to the internal heat of the Earth.
Example: Other dragon actions, like breathing fire, may have been connected to geothermal elements like volcanoes and hot springs.
#55: Coordinate Geometry
Coordinate Geometry is one of my favorite areas of math. There’s just something about getting a sheet of ordered pairs and carefully plotting them on graph paper…connecting the dots to reveal a picture. If that’s your sort of thing too, check out Option 3 below. Happy plotting!
Spark your math thinking!
1. Set up your math mini spark recording page:#55: Coordinate Geometry
2. Learn the basics of coordinate geometry by watching this video. Take picture notes on your recording sheet.
3. Read about the inventor of coordinate plane geometry, Rene Descartes.
4. This video gives a musical explanation of his accomplishments. Put together a note page about him.
5. Print out (or have your teacher print out) this project. Plot the ordered pairs on the graph paper and reveal a spooky surprise! Take a picture of your completed drawing and send it to the EY Coordinator at your building.
6. Create your own coordinate plane art. Plot the points and connect them with the colored lines. Take a picture after you have practiced for at least 10 minutes.
7. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
#53: Cribbage
My family enjoys playing pitch, 31, sevens and trash. However, my absolute FAVORITE game is cribbage! It involves strategy and math, which is why I like it so much!
Spark your math thinking!
- Set up your math mini spark recording page: #53: Cribbage
- Read about cribbage and record some details.
- What is one “thing to remember” when playing cribbage.
- Record this information. In cribbage, the Jokers are removed from the deck. The Ace is worth 1. The face cards (Jack, Queen, and King) are each worth 10. The other cards (2 through 9) are each worth their number value
- Here are some of the ways you can earn points when playing cribbage.
One of the ways to earn points in cribbage is to have cards that add up to fifteen. In the picture below, the King and one of the 5’s make 15 so that is 2 points. The King and the other 5 also make 15, which is another 2 points. You might notice that there is a 5 that is face up on the deck. This can also be paired with the King for 15 for another 2 points. Finally, the three 5’s (2 in the hand and one on the deck) add up to 15. This is an additional 2 points.
When you have a pair of the same card, you earn 2 points. The pair could be in your hand, or one of your cards could be paired with the card that is face up on the deck. If you have 3-of-a-kind, that is worth 6 points. In the picture above, there are two 5’s in the hand and one 5 face up on the deck. Not only does that make 15, but it is also 3-of-a-kind which earns you 6 points.
A “flush” is when you have 4 or more of the same suit (clubs, spades, hearts, or diamonds). If you had 4 hearts in your hand, you would earn 4 points. If the card that is face up on the deck is also a heart, you would get 5 points. The hand below shows 5 clubs so you would get 5 points.
A “run of 3” is when you have 3 cards in numerical order. You could also have a run of 4 or 5 cards. Let’s say you had a 3, 4, 5, and 6 in your hand. You would have a “run of 4” which is 4 points. If the card on the deck was a 2 or 7, you would have a run of 5. The hand below shows a run of 5.
6. The pictures below show several cribbage hands. See if you can add up the points correctly! Record the “hand #” and an explanation of the total points.
7. What are other ways you can earn points in a cribbage game? Do a little research and to find some.
8. Share your math mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Check out the Cribbage Master Badge from the EY website.
