Hour of Code

Hello!

By 2020 it is estimated there will be 1.4 million computing jobs, but only 400,000 students studying computer science.

How can we help get kids interested in computer science and coding at a younger age?  Let’s get them coding!  The first week of December is dedicated to teaching students across the world to code.  Like learning a new language, the younger we start, the better!

Join the Hour of Code movement and plan a computer science lesson for December 5th-9th. Don’t worry, your kids will enjoy it so much, you can code the rest of the school year too!  You can even do a lesson on coding without computers.  (These lessons and tutorials can be incorporated into the curriculum any time of year.)

Here’s are some of the lesson ideas with tutorials for the students to follow:

• Code a Video Greeting Card with JavaScript (Writing)
• Use geometry and angles to code a working analog clock (Math)
• Use HTML to code a pixel character of a story (Reading)
• Code a game to label and learn the parts of a cell (Science)
• Draw Flags with JavaScript (Social Studies)
• Stop-Frame animation (Art)
• Many more lessons for every content area

Want to find out more?  Where do you start? Check out this easy step-by-step guide.  I can help you plan a coding lesson integrated into a variety of content areas.

Dec 1st! #D59Chat on Student Choice

Join us Dec 1st for an insightful chat with CCSD59 educators!

75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor- Virtual Field Trip

Click here to sign-up to participate on December 7th!

• LIVE Webcast from Pearl Harbor ceremonies and activities
• Hear from locals and military who witnessed the attacks (or just listen to other students ask) 
• Visit the museum
• See artifacts and attack sites
• Participate in live polls
• 5th-8th grade curriculum materials to support the event

Sign up now to learn more!

Cubs win the World Series!

Wow, what a game!

If the students have nothing but baseball on the mind, and your classes or study halls need a little brain break, these resources might be fun to share!

Curse of the Billy Goat (11 min)  Very informative, and fun video about the history of the curse and Chicago baseball.  Could spark a great conversation on what this win means to so many generations (something I think many of our students don't quite understand yet!)

Can the curse be proved with math?  Make a graph in Google Sheets

1900's World Series Trivia- Partner students to search for the answers

Top Ranking Cubs players of all time Students choose one player to research and write a persuasive article on why the player they choose deserves to be on a list of top ten Cub's players.  Display the stop ten in the room with a "Hall of Fame" board.  

Here's an article with many more great ideas and resources on how to incorporate World Series themed lessons into different content areas. World Series Classroom Activities

GO CUBS!

The innovative learning team is excited to invite you to this month’s Twitter chat on Partnerships. Join us this Thursday, November 3rd at 8:00pm at #D59Chat to connect with colleagues around these Partnership questions. One lucky participant will win a new professional learning book, too! Check out the #D59Chat Schedule Flyer for topics and dates that might interest you.