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 are featuring some of our top rated activities from our entire database! Renzulli Learning gives students the ability to give activities star ratings! By browsing the activities in their Enrichment Database, students can see star ratings for activities and may be inspired by activities they never thought to try before because it is rated 4 or 5 starts by other students.
Looking for something different? Use the Advanced Search Option as a student, or Search Resources on your Teacher Dashboard to find new activities!
Check out a few of our favorite activities below!
Don’t forget, if you want to assign a weekly activity simply search the title of the weekly activity from your Teacher Dashboard and then send the activity to a student as a favorite! To locate these activities within Renzulli Learning you can SEARCH Enrichment Activities and 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
But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids:Why Do Lions Roar?
Science / Videos and Podcasts
Do you know...Why lions roar? Why crickets chirp? Why bucks shed their antlers every year? How can porcupines and hedgehogs avoid poking themselves? Do fish pee? What is the fastest fish? What do jellyfish eat?
100 Hunt
Math / Online Activities
One hundred is a large number! Can you add ten to each number given to you? Get ready to go on a 100 Hunt! Click the "Start" button. Then look at the number at the lower right. In the table on the left, find the number that is equal to that number plus ten. Click that number and see how many seconds you took! Then click the "Next" button to try another one.
ABC Alphabet StarFall Activity
Reading / Online Activities
Read each letter and listen to the name of the letter. View pictures and words associated with each letter.
3-5
Science / Independent Study
Get the facts with Fact Monster. Everything you need to know about from A to Z! Don't be late, use Fact Monster for your study date. From the solar system to the world economy to educational games, Fact Monster has the info kids are seeking. The possibilities are endless! Make sure you scroll down past the initial advertisements to fully explore this website or use the menu bar at the top of the page!
NASA’s Eyes
Science / Virtual Field Trip
Experience Earth and our solar system, the universe and the spacecraft exploring them, with immersive apps for Mac, PC and mobile devices. An application from NASA, it is an amazing experience! Have fun!
American Museum of Natural History: Mythic Creatures
History / Virtual Field Trip
Do you like fantasy and science fiction? How about animals? Or maybe you're just interested in how fiction and fantasy mix to create legends. If so, you will love this site. Learn about mythical creatures such as dragons, sea serpents, giant squid, unicorns, man-eating birds and more. Some of them are real. Do you know which ones? Find out here!
6-9
Science / Websites
Explore the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon with Western River Expeditions and 360 Labs, a 360º VR production company based in Portland, Or with 10 years experience in creating VR video. We start with a reading from Maj. John Wesley Powell's journal entry as he passed the Confluence area with the Little Colorado River, considered the beginning of the Grand Canyon itself. Then we take you through some of the largest whitewater rapids in North America including Hance, Granite, and Hermit, where 15ft standing waves will definitely rock you! Hold on!
Science / Research Sites
Have you ever wondered why rats behave as they do? B.F. Skinner studied rats and pigeons, and drew conclusions about human behavior. Learn about Skinner's life and the school of psychology known as behaviorism.
Reading / Critical Thinking
What happens to serious writing in an age when there are fewer literary magazines, fewer book reviews, and no pay for reviewers? Essayist Sven Birkerts talks about the changing economics of writing and publishing, working in a bookstore, reading online, and the value of unread books.
10-12
History / Virtual Field Trip
Witness vivid scenes and dramatic portraits of life in America without ever leaving your seat! This amazing exhibit shows early color photographs of America during the Great Depression and the first part of World War II. Click the "Online Exhibition" link to view the photographs.
Writing / Research Sites
As you approach high school, you will be reading more and more non-fiction. Explore this website to learn about 5 Nonfiction Writing Techniques That Will Keep Readers Turning Pages.
Science / Reading / Research Sites
Always wanted to cruise around on the surface of another planet? Well, you’re in luck! In Explore Mars, you will be driving a rover on Mars and collecting information about Martian rocks. First, you will choose a rock to investigate. Then, you’ll send a sequence of commands telling the rover how to get to that rock. Don’t forget to include the command to analyze the rock! This information will then be sent back to scientists on Earth.
Each week, we will send you a few examples of our best and most popular resources. For more ideas to connect 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. Use the Submit Your Resource button on the Teacher Dashboard to send us the resources you already have or submit an idea for a new Super Starter Project!