Happy Monday! Although summer is not officially over till the end of this week, our team is already fantasizing about apple season (ah…caramel apples). So you can focus on enjoying the last week of summer, we wanted to help you with your school prep by sharing three of our favorite projects:

Paper Blogs

Blogging began as a way for individuals to share their own thoughts and ideas with other people and today it is more important than ever. This project is a tool for students to learn about blogging; to write and share their own unique insights on various topics and build their blogging skills in a safe and supportive environment. This project covers common core standards in the English language arts for grade 4 and 5. Students get a remarkable opportunity to explore various aspects of blogging such as blog content development skills, blog layout and design, the use of tags, using blogs for advertising, etc. With the advent of social media in recent years blogs are even more relevant than before and this project assists students in building essential 21st century skills such as information media and technology literacy as well as communication and social skills. Check it out the project on our website and Edmodo.

GPS Battleship

A fascinating adaptation of the highly popular game “battleship”, this project is an example of project based learning at its finest. It covers common core standards for grade 4 and 5 math; building concepts in geometry, mapping skills, longitude and latitude etc. The project, running over a number of days introduces students to coordinate graphing skills. It engages students’ minds with concepts in technology literacy by introducing real world applications of coordinate graphing such as GPS. This project allows students to master essential 21st century skills such as collaboration skills which are a great asset to have to succeed in life. Playing battleship as part of this project is not only a fun way to capture the students’ interest but also teaches students about strategy. The project Includes 15 printable worksheets and 2 videos to make the process even more interactive and enjoyable. This project is available on our website and Edmodo.

My Trip to the Amusement Park

Students take a trip to an amusement park and learn key math concepts by calculating costs of various elements of their trip. This project covers common core standards in mathematics for grade 4 and 5. This project captures the students’ interest by allowing them to choose an amusement park they would like to visit; students then calculate a number of things on a checklist such as the distance from their house, cost for renting cars, money for gas etc.

The project allows students to work in pairs and compare their findings with their peers creating a positive and motivational environment. It also allows students to polish up on key 21st century skills such as: communication and collaboration skills, critical thinking, problem solving abilities etc. At the end of the project, students present their work to their peers and this builds confidence as well as, fundamental speaking and listening skills. Have your children experience this project on our website or on Edmodo.

Have a great week!