Spotlight on Sources:
Welcome to Renzulli Learning’s Spotlight on Sources, some of our most engaging resources to excite and inspire your students!
This week we have a Spotlight on Sources for you all about how to find engaging resources based on subject area!
Renzulli Learning sorts students’ Enrichment Activities by Category AND by Subject! The capability to search the Enrichment Database by Subject Area enables teachers to efficiently infuse differentiated activities into their content area curriculum! This week we focused on Writing resources, but you don’t have to stop there!
Renzulli Learning offers thousands of independent study activities across many different subject areas.
To locate these activities within Renzulli Learning:
Under the 'Teach' navigation, click 'Search'.
On the Search page, type in the title of the activity you would like to locate.
For more ideas to infuse enrichment activities with your curriculum, please visit the Unit Supplements on the Teacher Site, under “Teach.” We can also link these enrichment resources to your regular curriculum if you send us a theme or topic.
K-2
2 Bee or Not 2 Bee
Online Activities
What's the buzz all about? Help the bees make their honey! Find flowers for them by choosing the correct verb tense that completes the sentence.
ABC & 123 Magnets
Mathematics
You can practice the alphabet, numbers, and punctuation by clicking and dragging magnets to the refrigerator. You will hear letters and numbers when you click on a magnet. You will have so much fun writing names, birthdays and even short messages!
BBC Teach: Sentence Grammar- Sentence Structure
Writing
What makes a sentence? A sentence is a group of words that makes sense on its own. A sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a punctuation mark. A subject and verb must also be present. Try to make sentences in these mixed-up excerpts! (This website uses the British name for the period at the end of a sentence: "full stop".)
3-5
Author's Purpose
Reading
What is an author's purpose? An author writes to inform, to entertain, or to persuade! Take a closer look at each of these reasons and learn what types of texts fall into each category. Let's focus on a purpose!
BBC Skillswise Words: Root Words
Writing
What are root words? Visit this website to find out more about them. You can test yourself on root words and print out a worksheet for even more practice.
Diary of a Spider Quick Write
Reading
A spider has eight legs. What other information do you know about spiders? Print off this worksheet and start writing down information about spiders!
6-9
Ancient China: Writing
Writing
Writing
Chinese writing is very different from the way we write in English. On this site, explore the writing on ancient artifacts; then read a story about "dragon bones". Do you think you understand this beautiful-looking system of communication? Test yourself by taking the writing challenge–it's harder than it looks!
BBC Teach: Types of Text
Writing
Writing
To persuade, to inform, to describe, or to instruct? That is the question! Try this online activity to find out more about why authors write texts and what they are trying to accomplish by writing them.
Confusing Words
Online Activities
Online Activities
There are so many confusing words in the English language. When do you use "to", "two", or "too"? This page gives you the definitions of many confusing words and sample sentences to help you get a better understanding.
10-12
Harvard College Writing Center: A Brief Guide to Writing the English Paper
Research Site
Research Site
A Brief Guide to Writing the English Paper
Annenberg Learner: Elements of a Story Interactive
Reading
Reading
Everyone enjoys a good story! A good story is not only entertaining, but it contains all the necessary elements: setting (time and place), characters (heroes and villains), and plot (sequence, exposition, conflict, climax, and resolution). Check out this online story and interactive lesson to learn about each one of these elements so that you can apply them to your own writing!
California State University: Using Textual Evidence
Writing
Writing
Are you needing to use text to illustrate the point you are trying to make in an essay? This article gives examples of three main ways to use evidence or examples from text, including how to cite your sources. Be sure to read the "Cautions" at the end.
Thanks for being a part of the Renzulli Learning family and we hope you find these resources helpful.
Your Renzulli Learning Team