Category: Contest/Fun

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Keep Active With MOVE IT

Tired of sitting at your desk or the computer? Do you need your students to release a bit of energy?

If you answered yes to either question, then Move It is certainly worth a try. Get the Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store. It’s the easiest way to be reminded that you need a break. Set the notification interval and your screen will present you with a random brain break and exercise to complete in less than a minute. Hit done and the next break will arrive after the designated interval elapses again.

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Epic! Reading Challenge K-5

Join the Epic! Classroom and be automatically entered in the fall reading challenge for a chance to win prizes. Contest runs Monday, October 1st – Friday, October 5th. That’s just a 5 day week to read, read, and read.

Epic! is free for educators with access to 25,000 books. If you don’t have an account, sign up today and be ready for the challenge. You can monitor your classroom’s progress after logging in and clicking on the Epic! Reading Challenge button.

Epic!’s digital library includes many of the best kids books, popular ebooks, and videos such as Fancy Nancy, Big Nate, Warriors,  and National Geographic Kids.

10 Creative Ways to use Epic! in the Classroom

  1. Use Epic! for the “Listening” portion of Daily 5 using Read-to-Me and Audiobooks
  2. Project Epic! on your interactive whiteboard to teach a specific skill or strategy
  3. Use non-fiction books for research projects, such as reports on animals
  4. Students create a “wish list” of books and then partner up to explain that list
  5. Epic! is perfect for Read Aloud, Shared Reading & Independent Reading Time
  6. Students create book reviews and recommend favorites to classmates
  7. Expose students to different expressions and intonations using Read-to-Me books
  8. Perform experiments using ideas in Epic!’s STEM books
  9. Create book commercials using multimedia tools such as iMovie, Telestory or ChatterPix
  10. Compare two books by the same author
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Earth Science Photography Contest

To celebrate Earth Science Week, October 14-20, 2018, the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is sponsoring a photography contest. The photography theme for this year is “Inspired by Earth.” The contest is open to interested persons of any age, who are residents of the United States. Entries must be original, authentic, unpublished photographs that capture evidence of ways people are inspired by Earth in their art, whether through dance, sculpture, or some other art form. A panel of geoscientists will judge the photographs on creativity, as well as on relevance to and incorporation of the topic. The winner will receive a prize of $300 and a copy of AGI’s The Geoscience Handbook. In addition, the winner’s name and photograph, and the names of the finalists will be posted on the Earth Science Week website.

Deadline: October 19, 2018, 5 p.m. (ET), for entries

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Summertime Learning for Young Children

* App to Grow a Plant

Wouldn’t it be fun to grow a plant from a seed and then create a time-lapse movie of it?

Seedling’s Grow is a free iOS app that will excite students to grow a plant by themselves. The interactive platform walks them through each step of the germination process, from planting seeds to sprouting leaves. Once their plant has grown, students can create and share time-lapse videos with family and friends. 

The app also provides gardening tips and facts to educate children about plants and inspire them to become ecologically aware.

* APP to explore nature with image recognition

Seek by iNaturalist is a free iOS app that encourages outdoor exploration and learning by harnessing image recognition technology to help users identify plants and animals from their photos.

Students can choose from a list of nearby plants, animals, and fungi and collect photographs of as many species as they can find. They can earn badges as they photograph new species, become more engaged with the wildlife around them, and learn cool facts about the critters and plants that live in the outdoors of their neighborhood. Registered users can pin their finds to their personal collections, provided the app’s recognition technology produces a match.

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STEAM Solve for Tomorrow Contest

Samsung ContestDesigned to boost interest and proficiency in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM), the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest challenges public school teachers and students in grades 6–12 to create solutions using STEAM skills that can be applied to help improve their community. All you have to do now is start thinking about a local or relevant issue that impacts your school. Once the next school year begins, Samsung will remind you to brainstorm a solution with your students for a chance to win a share of $2 million in Samsung technology for your school. Sign up now to receive Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest emails and updates to be the first to know when the contest officially starts.