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    • About Us
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    • Información del virus Covid-19
    • Staff & Board of Directors
    • AmeriCorps at TLC
    • Contact Us
    • Employment Opportunities
    • College Internship Opportunities
    • Annual Report and Media
    • Events
  • What We Do
    • Literacy Lab Preschool
    • Tutoring
    • Afterschool Clubs
    • Practice K Summer Program
    • SOAR Summer Program >
      • FAQs
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    • Family Literacy >
      • Language Exchange Program
    • Information for Teachers >
      • Teacher Referral Form
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        • Reading Comprehension
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Resource Blog

Solar Eclipse Activities to Try at Home

8/10/2017

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On August 21st, many of us will be witnessing the first total solar eclipse of our lives. In honor of this upcoming event, we have been running summer camps with a total eclipse theme.

Check out some of the activities below to host your own mini "eclipse camp" at home:

  • Oreo Phases of the Eclipse: We put a twist on a well-known cookie-based moon activity! Before creating your own Oreo phases of the eclipse, discuss what the terms "partial" and "total" mean. Use this template to practice using these two vocabulary words in context. If you are working with an older child, you may also want to discuss the four points of contact that happen during an eclipse! 
  • Myth Telling: Add in a literary component to a scientific topic! There are a number of myths that deal with solar and lunar eclipses. Many of these myths involve an animal that attempts to eat the sun. (Check out this "Reader's Theatre" script we created to see what we mean.) Ultimately, this giant creature is frightened away by the noisy people of Earth who cry loudly in fear, bang on drums, set off fireworks, etc. We read three myths and then completed a three-part Venn diagram to compare and contrast them. After realizing that all three myths involved loud noises, we decided to make our own drums for the upcoming eclipse in Jackson. We also wrote our own myths and decorated our tin-can drums with pictographs symbolizing these stories. 
  • Vocabulary Development: ​Use bubble-lettered words, like these, to practice visually depicting what new terms mean. We colored in the word "solar" so that it looked like a sun. We then fully colored in the word "total", but left some letters in "partial" white to illustrate the difference between totality and partiality. Beyond this, we made the words "solar eclipse" look eclipsed themselves. 
  • Spin Art: Use watered-down paint to create your very own sun and moon. See this blog entry for more information on using salad spinners to do this. Add in an Earth to demonstrate the concept of syzygy. 

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Math Counts! Summer Fun + Math Literacy = Awesome

7/10/2017

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With all the (well-deserved) focus on summer reading during out of school months, it’s easy to let math skills and number sense melt away like a popsicle in the hot July sun. However, we believe that math and literacy go hand in hand.  Here are some fun activities to get the math gears turning in your child’s brain this summer.

1. Chalk Number Line Race: A strong foundation in number sense is especially important for younger students. This activity lets them move their muscles while gaining an understanding of number order, addition and subtraction. How to Play: Make a number line with chalk from 0-20. For older students, step it up to increments of 5, 10, etc. All students start with their feet on 0 to start. Make several “play” cards that students will draw in order to play. For example: “Add 5” or “Subtract 3.” Students take turns drawing play cards and jumping to the number that their card indicates. The first to the end of the number line wins!

2. Plant (and measure) a Garden: What better way to get outside, get a little messy and practice math than to plant a garden? Students will use key math skills like measuring the spaces between seeds and volume of water needed, counting the seeds themselves, and dividing number of seeds per row. You can even graph the seedling height as they grow!

3. Shape Scavenger Hunt: Besides being important precursors to spacial reasoning and geometry, shapes are all around us in nature! Send your child on a scavenger hunt for ovals, triangles, diamonds, and more in the backyard or wherever you may be. Here is a downloadable version to get you started.

4. Start Saving: Not only does budgeting money towards a goal instill responsibility, but it’s also a great opportunity to practice counting and place value. Decide together what you’ll save for and designate a big container where spare change/saved money can go. As you get closer to your goal, subtract your saved amount from your goal amount to figure out how much more you need. Then celebrate when you reach your goal!

5. Map it: Going on a road trip this summer? Get your child involved in helping to plan the route on a map and tracking your progress as you drive. Not only will this keep kids engaged in the back seat and reinforce directional and measurement skills,but  it will also encourage them to read road signs, map legends, etc. Literacy in action!
​
Thanks to the Math Geek Mama and Think Through Learning blogs for generating some of these ideas.

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STEAM-Powered Literacy 

3/13/2017

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STEAM is the study of science, technology, engineering, art and math.   The topic has received significant attention in school districts across the country. At Teton Literacy Center we strive to integrate many STEAM topics into our curriculum.  Join us Thursday March 16th for out S.T.E.A.M Family Literacy Night.  TLC will provide engaging and academic activities for the whole family.  Students will use their literacy skills as they explore each of the STEAM topics.  
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    While literacy is not included in the STEAM acronym, it is still a fundamental building block of science education.  Scientific literacy implies that students can pose and evaluate arguments based on evidence.   Literacy skills can be implemented throughout this process in a variety of ways.  For example, students seeking to learn about their favorite animal need to be able to decipher and pull main ideas from nonfiction text.  This technique of “reading for information” becomes more important as students enter middle and high school, but it is still being practiced at the elementary school level. Reading for information is an important skill which will benefit students throughout their lives as they become informed and literate citizens.  A scientifically literate person is one who can identify scientific issues locally and globally and use source information in order to form an opinion and successfully communicate it.  With the sometimes overwhelming amount of information available to us, it is extremely important to be able to objectively explore and understand material in this way.

    Another important literacy aspect of STEAM is the ability to communicate information.  Students must be able to write about and verbalize information that they are studying.  Scientists must be able to make their arguments clear in order for them to have an impact.  To build this skill, we foster communication and confidence through project based learning.  This gives students an opportunity to design and test their ideas in a small classroom setting where their voice can be heard.   Students who may typically be reluctant to verbalize their opinions and ideas can take a leadership role in their small group.  Through the practice of public speaking and nonfiction writing skills we can set students up for future success.  

    STEAM is currently a popular topic in education, which is due to the fact that it is directly tied to future workforce requirements.  By introducing students to STEAM, parents and teachers can create a fun and engaging way to not only make literacy meaningful but to provide students with the skills to succeed in school and beyond.  
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    Teton Literacy 

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307-733-9242 • info@tetonliteracy.org • PO Box 465 • 1715 High School Rd. #260 Jackson, WY 83001