Digital Resources for May

May the 4th Be With You Star Wars Library Cinco de Mayo Library Memorial Day Library May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Spring Library

Google Slides at Middleton Public Schools

Students at Fuller Meadow and Howe Manning use Google Slides to share the information that they gather during research in all classes. Using Google Slides for presentations in elementary school is a fantastic idea! It's user-friendly, offers creative options, and can make the presentation process more engaging for both students and teachers.

Here's a simple guide on how to use Google Slides for elementary school research presentations:

Creating a New Presentation: Log in to your Google account and navigate to Google Drive. Click on the "+ New" button and select "Google Slides" from the dropdown menu.

Choose a Theme: Google Slides offers a variety of pre-designed themes. Students can choose a theme that suits the topic of their research or simply select a playful theme that appeals to them.

Adding Slides: Each slide should focus on a specific aspect of the research. Common slides include title slide, introduction, main points, facts, images, and conclusion. Click on the "+" button to add new slides.

Research Content: Students can type or copy-paste the information they've gathered from their research onto the slides. Encourage them to use bullet points, short sentences, and visuals to make the content easy to understand.

Visual Elements: Google Slides allows students to insert images, videos, and even audio clips to enhance their presentations. They can use this feature to include relevant pictures, diagrams, or even short video clips related to their research topic.

Formatting Text and Images: Teach students how to change font styles, sizes, and colors to make their text more visually appealing. They can also resize, crop, and arrange images to fit the slides neatly.

Practice and Rehearse: Once the slides are complete, students should practice presenting their research. Encourage them to speak clearly, maintain eye contact, and use gestures to engage the audience.

Collaboration: Google Slides allows multiple users to work on the same presentation simultaneously. Students can collaborate with their peers, teachers, or parents to gather feedback and make improvements to their presentations.

Sharing: When the presentation is ready, students can share it with their classmates, teachers, and parents. They can choose the sharing settings to allow viewing or editing access as per the requirements.

Presenting: On the day of the presentation, students can use Google Slides' built-in presentation mode to display their slides fullscreen. They can navigate through the slides using arrow keys or by clicking on the screen.

Using Google Slides not only helps students develop their research and presentation skills but also introduces them to valuable digital tools that they can use in their academic and professional lives.

The Solar Eclipse is coming - Get your resources

The next solar eclipse is this Monday, April 8, 2024. In order to engage elementary students with the wonder of a solar eclipse, providing digital resources can offer an interactive and educational experience. Through carefully curated online platforms, students can access a variety of materials including videos, simulations, and informative articles tailored to their age group, allowing them to grasp the science behind this celestial event in an accessible manner. Interactive maps illustrating the path of totality, live streaming of the eclipse, and virtual reality simulations can transport students directly into the phenomenon, fostering curiosity and understanding. Additionally, incorporating interactive quizzes or games can make learning about eclipses both fun and informative, encouraging active participation and retention of knowledge. By leveraging digital resources, educators can enhance students' learning experiences, making the solar eclipse a memorable and enriching event in their academic journey.

Link to lower elementary resources

Link to upper elementary resources

Link to resources

Teaching Resources for the Eclipse

STEM in Kindergarten

In our kindergarten classes, our students engage in hands-on STEM activities. In March, we had the challenge of constructing bridges capable of supporting a cup filled with shiny pennies. Armed with colorful pipe cleaners, clay, and an abundance of creativity, these budding engineers delved into the realms of science, technology, engineering, and math. With giggles and determination, they experimented with different designs, applying basic principles of balance and stability. Through trial and error, they learned the importance of structural integrity and problem-solving, all while fostering a love for STEM that will undoubtedly shape their future endeavors. As their bridges took shape, so did their confidence, as they celebrated each success and embraced each setback as an opportunity to learn and grow. Indeed, in our classrooms, the foundations of innovation are being laid, one cup of pennies at a time.