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July 5, 2022
Summer Issue #3
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Weekly activities and lessons to keep your child thinking and progressing throughout the school year and summer. |
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“The principle goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done.”
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Hello and Happy Tuesday,
I hope you had a safe and enjoyable holiday. Summer is officially in full swing now, and this week's flyer continues to evolve into summer form. I think you and your children will enjoy the learning activities.
The weekly book recommendation is a true gem. I can't believe I hadn't read it or suggested it yet. You will love the main character and his captivating story. It is well researched and well written with many open ended questions that keep the reader guessing and turning pages. You won't be able to put it down.
I've taken a turn in the Inquiry Quest. I hope you and your children will take some time investigating some of these resources and activities about The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is an important time in our history and I feel that the more we all know about our rights the better we can fight to defend them.
Week 3 of our summer adventure takes us into the kitchen and explores summer foods. I feel that there is no better way to integrate learning than in the kitchen. Don't worry about the mess. Get cooking.
At the end, I'm including a series of my favorite type of puzzles. These word pictures/puzzles can be challenging, but when you get it, you really get it. Don't give up if you don't see the answer right away. Sometimes you have to really bend your thinking. Have fun!
If you know anybody who you think would benefit from the weekly learning activities in this flyer, please share it with your friends and encourage them to join The McManus Files mailing list by following the links on this page.
Have a great week. Keep Thinking and Keep Learning
Mr. McManus :-)
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Children acquire skills throughout the school year, but they can lose ground if learning stops during the summer break. Fortunately, learning never has to stop. Children who read throughout the summer gain skills, can start the new school year with a better understanding of language and the world around them, and discover the joy of reading. The more they like to read, the more they will read.
It's not hard to help your children keep their interest in reading and learning. Children learn through a variety of activities, and almost everything we do presents an opportunity to read. Here are weekly activities that involve reading and related skills. There's no special order, and you don't have to do everything listed in a particular week. Just pick the ones that look interesting and fun!
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Week 3: Discover recipes for fun
• List all the ice cream flavors you can think of. Now put them in A-B-C order.
• Invent a recipe for a cool summer drink. Write it on a recipe card. Serve the drink to your friends.
• Go to the library and find a cookbook. Make the most interesting dish in the book.
• Read the directions on a box of gelatin. Ask a parent if you can help make dessert tonight.
• Work up an appetite by reading a story about food. Make and eat the food you read about.
• Word game! How many smaller words can you find in the word watermelon?
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Habits of Mind
This method of thinking helps students process information when they don’t have all the answers. It allows students to gain something positive from their experiences, even when making guesses or mistakes. Through understanding the Habits of Mind, we realize that when a mind is reaching for information and making critical connections to arrive at conclusions, it is truly learning.
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The 16 Habits of Mind include:
• Persisting
• Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision
• Managing impulsivity
• Gathering data through all senses
• Listening with understanding and empathy
• Creating, imagining, innovating
• Thinking flexibly
• Responding with wonderment and awe
• Thinking about thinking (metacognition)
• Taking responsible risks
• Striving for accuracy
• Finding humor
• Questioning and posing problems
• Thinking interdependently
• Applying past knowledge to new situations
• Remaining open to continuous learning
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Thinking & Communicating with Clarity and Precision
What is it? – Being very precise with our communications, avoiding exaggeration or understatements, being clearly understood. Including important details without too much detail.
Sounds like – “What you will need to know to successfully complete this task is the following.” “Today we accomplished this….because…….” “I understand what you are saying!” “Your being clear helps me to……”
Looks like – Facing one another. Eye contact. Nodding.
Feels like – This person provided me with enough information so that I clearly understand. This person cares enough to really explain this to me. Understanding, Comforting, Trusting, Precise, Clear.
We want students to learn to be precise and clear with their language. This enhances their cognitive ability and provides for taking appropriate actions. Enriching the complexity of and specificity of language simultaneously produces effective thinking. Language and thinking are closely entwined; like the side of a coin, they are inseparable. Intelligent people strive to communicate accurately in written and oral form, taking care to use precise language; defining terms; and correct names, labels, and analogies. They strive to avoid over generalizations, deletions, and distortions. We sometimes hear students and other adults using vague and imprecise language. They use non-descriptive words, vague nouns and pronouns, and/or nonspecific verbs that hinder understanding and undermine their ability to communicate effectively. Being precise shows clear thinking.
“I do not so easily think in words……after being hard at work having arrived at results that are perfectly clear…… I have to translate my thoughts in a language that does not run evenly with them.”
Francis Galtron, Geneticist
“Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood.” Jr. Teague
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I've always steered away from books about 9/11. I'm not sure why. Maybe it was I didn't want to relive the tragedy and the most surreal day of my life, but this touching novel is a delight. It is a heartfelt story told by a boy named Alex who is turning eleven on 9/11. It is told through Alex's point of view as he struggles to take care of his sister, convince his parents to get him a dog, deals with a bully, and tries not to think about whether his dad may not be coming home. By reading this book I learned about what is was like for an eleven-year old kid on 9/11, and what the power of guilt can do. The book is also briefly told from the point of view from The Man In The White Shirt. This man was actually in the building when it got bombed. You realize how these people had no power over what happened, how heartbroken they were, and how much they want to help. You don't find out The Man In The White Shirt's identity until the end of the book. I won't spoil it, but I have to say it surprised me and I almost started crying. At the end, I felt much more settled and informed about the 9/11 tragedy and feel much more empathy for all the innocent people affected by this bit of history. Eleven stars for Eleven. Enjoy!
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Do you know your rights?
On December 10th 1948 the UN General Assembly in Paris The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. In our rapidly changing world, it is more important than ever to be aware of our rights and to fight to protect them whenever we see an injustice. The power of the Universal Declaration is the power of ideas to change the world. It inspires us to continue working to ensure that all people can gain freedom, equality and dignity.
The other day, an email came to my inbox about a free course for children teaching about The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The timing just seemed perfect. The course is designed for children and it is very accessible. You will have to register with an email and create a password so you can resume the lessons. This is a really important, really interesting and really fun topic to learn about. Take a look at this course... Sign up and give it a whirl. You won't be disappointed. If you cannot enroll in the course, please watch the introductory video below. It will inspire you to dig a little deeper into these revolutionary idea.
In this course, you’ll learn:
- The 30 human rights every person has
- How human rights started and why we have them
- The importance of human rights for everyone
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• Click HERE to see 1 minute videos on all 30 Human Rights
• Click HERE to visit a fun, interactive website from the Australian Human Rights Commission
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If you feel your child might benefit from a group or individual tutoring program to prepare them for the next phase of their education, please contact McManus Tutoring.
Programs are structured so that students learn independence, accountability, and self-possession. They will develop a repeatable structure that can be used to build success in the future.
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Three Writing Prompts and an Essay Topic
These prompts and questions will help jump-start your daily writing. Just as it's important to read for at least 30 minutes each day, you should also write for 30 minutes a day. Don't worry about your organization or spelling, just write!
"I thought I was going to play pinball, but when I put my quarter in, suddenly..."
"The stuffed animal on my bed was still wet when..."
"The candle blew out, and I knew it was time to..."
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Newspaper article written by dogs (or your favorite animal)
Imagine there is a secret underground dog newspaper that dogs write and distribute that tells the news of the day from their perspective. Write some articles for that paper as a doggie journalist. Consider possible titles like “Scuffle at the Dog Park,” “Duck Befriends Dog,” or “Frisbee Competition Wows All.”
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You own a pet store. If you put in one canary per cage, you have one canary too many. If you put in two canaries per cage, you have one cage too many. How many canaries and cages do you have? |
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Last week's answer...
Alligator breeder #1 had 49 alligators, and alligator breeder #2 had 35.
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