Learning Opportunities & Resources

These activities are NOT REQUIRED nor will they be graded.

The information provided is not meant to replace classroom instruction or specially designed instruction.

Learning at Home

During school closures, our hope is that learning will continue (particularly in the core academic areas). This is not a replacement for classroom instruction.

Below are suggested Learning Opportunities:

General Learning Opportunities

Below are general learning opportunities for students and families to consider while away from school. These suggested learning extensions are optional and will not affect students’ grades or ability to complete the semester.

Grades K - 2

Reading

Have your student read a “just right” book daily for 15-30 minutes
Read aloud to your student and ask comprehension questions such as:

What are you picturing as you read/hear this text?
What are you wondering about?
What has happened so far? / What have you learned so far?

English Learners: Continue to speak, read and write in the language that is most comfortable at home.

Writing

After reading a book or portion of a book, select one prompt to respond to:

Write about what happened in the story.
Write about your favorite part and tell why you selected that part.
Write about what might happen next in the story.

Write a story.

Mathematics

Count Everything: Counting is a powerful activity that students can do anywhere.
Count in different ways, by 2’s, 5’s, 10’s. Start counting from different numbers, not just at zero. Celebrate landmark numbers – Clap or jump when you get to multiples of 10 like 10, 20, 30 etc.
Play store! Count while you stock shelves or exchange and count pretend money.
Talk about Shapes: Find, classify and sort shapes in your home. How many circles can you find, how many rectangles – and how many of those are squares.
Measure everything. Use nonstandard tools like a shoe or even your hand to measure how tall a table is or how far you can jump.
Point out fractions – share things - like a can of soup - between people. Each person gets a 1/2 or 1/3. Note how this new kind of number is less than one but more than none!
Read Stories! Mathematize reading time. Most children’s books are ripe with opportunities to notice shapes, count objects, compare two things, notice how things change and grow, and to make predictions about what is going to happen based on the information we already have!
Look at coins and determine how old they are using the date. Sort them from oldest to newest coin. If you have a large collection of coins arrange them into a bar graph based on year or the location, they were minted. What is the most common date or location?

Science

Go outside and make observations. Look for evidence of animal habitats (i.e.: spider webs, bird nests, animal tracks, or leaves with insect bite marks, etc.)
Look for evidence of spring in the plants (i.e.: flowers, buds, new leaves, etc.)
Collect rocks or leaves from outside and let students think of creative ways to put the objects into groups. (i.e.: size, color, shape, texture) Ask students to explain why they chose the grouping they chose.

Grades 3 - 5

Reading

Have your student read a “just right” book daily for 15-30 minutes
Read aloud to your student and ask comprehension questions such as:

What are you picturing as you read/hear this text?
What are you wondering about?
What has happened so far? / What have you learned so far?

English Learners: Continue to speak, read and write in the language that is most comfortable at home.

Writing

After reading a book or portion of a book, select one prompt to respond to:

Write about what happened in the story.
Write about your favorite part and tell why you selected that part.
Write about what might happen next in the story.

Write a story.

Mathematics

Measure, count, and record. Count how many jumping jacks or pushups can be done and how long it takes – or how long it takes to do 10 or 20. Play around with doubling or halving the time. Use non-standard tools, like a shoe, to count how far someone can jump – calculate how far 10, 15, or 20 jumps might take you.
Build something together. Big or small, any project that involves measuring includes counting, adding, and multiplying. It doesn’t matter whether you’re making a clubhouse out of shoeboxes or building a genuine treehouse.
Involve your students in the shopping. Talk about prices as you shop and estimate the cost by rounding to friendly numbers or use a calculator for more accuracy.
Look at coins and determine how old they are using the date. Sort them from oldest to the newest coin. Find the sum of their ages. Find the difference between the oldest and the newest. If you have a large collection of coins arrange them into a bar graph based on year or location where they were minted. What is the most or least common year or location?
Count things and generalize to larger sets. Count how many beans are in one cup and estimate how many are in a larger bag. Count how many students are in their class and estimate how many students are home from their school or from the school district.
Mathematize reading time. Most children’s books are ripe with opportunities to notice shapes, count objects, compare two things, notice how things change and grow, and to make predictions about what is going to happen based on the information we already have!

Science

Keep a “Spring Changes” journal by making daily observations of the weather, plants, and animal changes that occur as the spring approaches. Draw pictures and write about what evidence you see of the coming spring season. Record the questions you have.
Using household items, design and build the tallest free-standing structure you can build.

Grades 6 – 8

Reading

Suggested reading time for middle school students is 30-45 minutes a day.
Questions to consider while you read:

What questions do you have about the text?
What inferences and/or predictions are you making as you read?
What connections do you have to the text?

English Learners: Continue to speak, read and write in the language that is most comfortable at home.

Writing

Below are questions to consider during and after reading. Remember to use text evidence to support your responses.

What is the main idea or theme?
Who is the intended audience? How do you know?
How is the text structured or organized?
What is your connection to the text?
What is the author’s purpose and/or message?

Mathematics

Have students consider the math they have done in middle school. Examples might be fractions, percent, ratios, solving proportions, proportional relationships, linear relationships, geometry, or any others. Have them record (pictures, video, drawing) places in their homes, or neighborhoods where they see this math happening. Have them write math problems about the math they see!

Science

Read a news source on the coronavirus daily.

Research the validity of the claims using expert sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), to identify inconsistencies.
Based on your readings, why does the CDC recommend you wash your hands for 20 seconds and not touch your eyes and nose?

World Languages

Language – Practice using phrases and vocabulary from the language you are studying (Spanish, Chinese, French, etc.). Practice using these phrases and vocabulary by speaking and writing, as well as texting or chatting with friends.
Literacy – Practice reading and writing in the language you are studying (Spanish, Chinese, French, etc.). Do this by trying to write summaries of daily headlines or events. Choose 2-3 headlines or events a day and write 4-5 sentences for each. If you have internet access through a computer, library or phone you can also search for articles in your language of study and read for phrases, words, and ideas you recognize.
Culture – Choose a country that speaks the language you are studying. Explore how this country is currently being impacted by COVID-19. Make a daily journal of different headlines and news reports about the impact of COVID-19 on this country.

Grades 9 - 12

Reading

Suggested reading time for high school students is 45-60 minutes a day.
Questions to consider while you read:

What questions do you have about the text?
What inferences and/or predictions are you making as you read?
What connections do you have to the text?

English Learners: Continue to speak, read and write in the language that is most comfortable at home.

Mathematics

High school students should spend 30 minutes/day for math review and activities.

Data Collection:

In most high school math courses, statistics is a focus of study. In our daily lives, data and statistics is present and presented to us to better understand the world around us, used to persuade or influence people on an issue, or to make predictions about how past and current events will play out in the future.

Geometry design and measurement:

Geometric measurements are used in design. For example, angles and area are considered when creating graphic designs. Lengths and volume are considered when designing packaging. Angles and area are considered in designing playgrounds.
Students can design something that involves measuring, angles, and area and/or volume calculations. For instance, students can take an existing package and improve upon its design (more efficient, lower cost, etc.) Students could calculate the amount and dimensions of lumber needed to build a bookshelf. Students could use trigonometry to calculate the height of a tree or tall building in the neighborhood.

Probability:

Play card or dice games and calculate probabilities of getting different outcomes.

Science

Read a news source on the coronavirus daily.

Research the validity of the claims using expert sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), to identify inconsistencies.
Guiding Question for HS Chemistry: What is your hypothesis about why the CDC recommends people to use hand sanitizer in addition to hand washing? How does hand sanitizer work?
Guiding Questions for HS Biology: How does the coronavirus infect a cell? How does it move from organism to organism? How can this virus potentially mutate?

World Languages

Language – Practice using phrases and vocabulary from the language you are studying (Spanish, Chinese, French, etc.). Practice using these phrases and vocabulary by speaking and writing, as well as texting or chatting with friends.
Literacy – Practice reading and writing in the language you are studying (Spanish, Chinese, French, etc.). Do this by trying to write summaries of daily headlines or events. Choose 2-3 headlines or events a day and write 4-5 sentences for each. If you have internet access through a computer, library or phone you can also search for articles in your language of study and read for phrases, words, and ideas you recognize.
Culture – Choose a country that speaks the language you are studying. Explore how this country is currently being impacted by COVID-19. Make a daily journal of different headlines and news reports about the impact of COVID-19 on this country.