Framingham's 21st Century Community Learning Center

Afterschool Enrichment Clubs

Framingham's 21st Century Afterschool Programs provide an enriching environment to deepen student understanding of their regular academic school day learning.  Fun with a purpose is integrated into a variety of activities that provide elementary to high school students with:

  • Enjoyable and interesting academically based enrichment clubs designed to boost confidence and curiosity and help students explore their potential

 

  • A clear academic purpose, such as literacy competency, mathematics communication, and problem solving

 

  • A platform for students to demonstrate effectively what they have learned

 

  • Student ownership, by offering a variety of clubs many of which were student initiated

 

  • A relaxed supportive environment where students can successfully complete homework and club projects to reinforce school day learning

 

  • Low staff/student rations (1:10) and small groups enable educators and community professionals to establish trust and strong working relationships with students
 

Learn More About What is Happening in 21st Century Programs Below

Enrichment activities weave social and emotional development, problem solving, and mathematics into the programming. The mathematics focus is in support of the school district goals of improved math performance. 

Art ideas for clubs:  This binder focuses on fairly simple projects but with a heavy emphasis on math concepts.

  • SYMMETRY AND MANDALAS – students use their names to create a Mandala and learn about 2-dimensional SHAPES and SYMMETRY. (Students will learn different shapes – parallelograms, trapezoids, rectangles, triangles, squares, circles, etc.
  • SYMMETRY AND MASKS – Students make masks of clay utilizing the concept of line symmetry.  The idea is that they must create a mask using a base shape that has a type of line symmetry.
  • RATIOS AND GRID DRAWINGS – This activity is similar to one that is done in the 7th grade Connected Math Program, where students make a "computer character." In this club they make faces using grid and ratios.
  • RATIOS AND PLAY-DOUGH FISH – Students make sculptures of fish and learn about similar figures, fractions and percentages.


Discovery Building Projects: Students are introduced to engineering concepts and the engineering design process by building and testing towers, catapults, gliders and overland vehicles. In some cases they create their own designs, in others they are given models with directions to follow. Both approaches provide hands-on problem solving opportunities

CSI--Framingham: This is a six lesson investigation in which students collect and analyze several different types of evidence.  Most investigations take an hour, but it could take more or less time.  The activity comes in a large plastic container with all the necessary supplies.  There is a Master in the office that we use as a way of making sure things are replenished.  There is a CD that the instructor can use to make his/her own personalized version of this investigation. 


The "Case" is about a Missing Cheese Sandwich and is divided into:

  • Investigation 1 – Fiber Samples – analyze fiber samples to match one found
  • Investigation 2 – Fingerprints – learn the basic types of fingerprints and create samples of their own – compare fingerprints  
  • Investigation 3 – Footprints – compare footprints to several different shoes  
  • Investigation 4 – Chromatography – create chromatograms of each pen and attempt to find a match  
  • Investigation 5 – Bite Sample – compare bite makes on a piece of cheese  
  • Investigation 6 – Interrogation – identifying questions and interrogate suspects then determine which suspect ate the cheese sandwich.

This is a great curriculum, but it does require some serious prep.  The instructor will have to prepare the room and read the directions ahead of time as they are quite elaborate.  When done correctly and thoroughly the students will have a blast!


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Fun with Food: What do middle school students like most to do after school? Hang out and EAT!  As participants in this club, students have an opportunity to do both.  Each week they cook or use food in some way that brings out a basic math skill or concept.  The reward in the end. . . eat up! 

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Jump Start to College:

      This Curriculum is all about encouraging students to think about going to college through visits from professional guest speakers and colleges campuses.  Students receive information about how to prepare for college, what courses to take in high school and where to get more information about the colleges and financial aid.  We take advantage of 6 early Release days and take the students to visit area Colleges such as, Wellesley, Notheastern, Boston College, Framingham State, Mount Ida College, Mass Bay Comm. College, La Salle University and UMass Boston.  

  •      Lesson 1 – the goal is to find out what the students know about College – this first exercise charts what they know, what they don't know and gives them tools to find out more about the College process.
  •      Lesson 2 – Continued discussion on student's career interst based on their strengths and abilities.  Use of the website: www.careergame.com encourages them to start thinking about their interests and personalities
  •      Lesson 4 – Students select one career that they are most interested in and then learn the steps required to achieve the career of their choice.  They then design a plan for achieving their dreams, starting with high school
  •      Lesson 5 – In order to prepare for college, the students go to www.thinkcollegeearly.org that shows them how to prepare for college during their high school years.

Please note ALL lessons come with a TEMPLATE that can be used during these 5 weeks.

Besides the visits to area colleges, guest speakers can be invited to come and speak to the students about career opportunities, in particular for our minorities.For more college information, visit the Office of Equity and Achievement's college information page.

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Building with Legos: this Curriculum uses the booklet" Lego Crazy Action Contraptions" that shows the students how to build contraptions that come straight from the "pouch" that is attached to the booklet.  There is also an example of the "Building With Legos Student Journal" that gives the students the opportunity to keep track of their progress.  This Curriculum was written by Phil Reitz, a teacher at Fuller MS.

There is also a whole lesson on "Blind building" that is a fun introduction to the Lego pieces, their functions and their names.

Day 1 – Objectives:

  •      Getting to know each other
  •      Rules of Engagement
  •      Intro to Lego parts and names
  •      Intro to Problem Solving Process

Day 2 – Objectives:

  •      Reviewing Names
  •      Form Engineering teams
  •      Explore the role of "Gears"
  •      Construct a Lego catapult

Day 3 – Build the "Kentucky Do Nothing Machine"

  •      This is a real "team" effort. 
  •      One student actually instructs the others but does not build him/herself
  •      Optional activity – Construct a Lego Train Locomotive Wheel Assembly

Day 4 – Build the "Trap Door Car"

  •      Introduce the word "sensor" and explain what its function is
  •      Suggest the students build another "contraption" that is activated by a sensor or a switch.  Optional activity – Construct a Lego gearbox

Day 5 – Show different Gear mechanisms

  •      Passing out "More Fun with Hears" handout, ask students to build an example and answer the questions
  •      Continue adding gears to the gearbox to make the output shaft go as fast as possible
  •      Construct a Lego winch to pick up heavy weight or construct the fastest fan possible.



Lego 20 Questions – this activity can be done after the students have familiarized themselves with the Lego pieces.  It gives the instructor the "Lego Vocabulary" and shows how to practice it with the students.

As a bonus there are 8 sheets with samples of all the different Lego parts used in this curriculum with their names and a picture of the part. 

Puzzles and Games: Objective is to provide opportunities to solve problems in a supportive environment as well as to increase students awareness and confidence in their ability to solve problems.

SAMPLE GAMES:

  • 12 BITS
  • BALLON VOLUME
  • BLIND DRAWINGS
  • FIVE SQUARES
  • HUMAN MASTERMIND
  • LEADING THE BLIND
  • LOST ON THE MOON
  • THE NUMBER GAME
  • ONE DUCK
  • RAPID RATIOS
  • RHYME OR REASON

Rockets: Students build simple rockets that really work with everyday materials such as straws, film canisters, paper and bottles.  They then LAUNCH them and gather data on the results.  There is the option to end the session making more complicated rockets from a kit.

  •   Lesson 1 – Building Straw Paper Rockets and launching them
  •   Lesson 2 – Building another Straw Paper Rocket with Planets (learning from mistakes of  previous day.
  •   Lesson 3 – Launching the Rockets with a Compressor (has to be brought into classroom).  Fill out the Paper Rocket Test Flight Data Sheet
  •   Lesson 4 – Film Canister Rockets (with Alka Seltzer)
  •   Lesson 5 -  Paper Rockets using Altitude trackers
  •   Lesson 6 – Hitting a target with their Paper Rockets (launching pad needed)

Fishing: The fishing club is a fun way to teach students about the values of patience, determination and an appreciation for nature. Learning a new skill while having a good time with their friends will also help with their interpersonal skills, team-work and just enjoying a nice sunny day!

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r this club

Knitting: The knitting club allows students with a relaxing atmosphere to practice and create great yarn items. This club fosters creativity, patience, memory and the ability to follow a strict set of instructions.  The end products are practical as well as whimsical, from hats and scarves to chicken-shaped egg cozies!

Woodworking: This club has great popularity amongst our students, it's a fun and practical way to learn and reinforce math concepts while acquiring skills that will be helpful in their everyday life as well as in any career path they choose in the future.


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http://Jewelry Making I and II: Students learn to follow patterns and directions to make a variety of jewelry items.  Most involve using beads to create different designs.  Students are also give opportunities to be creative and create their own designs and patterns for different items.  Students learn and practice how to measure different lengths, tie knots, and use clamps to attach clasps, needlework, and more.  Jewelry Making I includes: friendship bracelets with string, 'floating necklaces' with invisible string and beads, stretchy bracelets with beads, memory wire rings, flower bracelets made with beads, and students created their own beads by baking them in the oven.  Jewelry Making II includes: beaded barrettes, 'floating bracelets' made with invisible string and beads, rose key chains made with beads, thicker beaded bracelets and necklaces made on beading looms.  Students are given a variety of projects that they can do independently if they finish with the group's plan for that day.

Kids Can Cook: Kids Can Cook is a cooking class designed to integrate cooking and baking skills with mathematical concepts.  Students are placed in cooperative groups each week and are given a recipe to make by the end of class.  Each recipe is kid-friendly, includes simple instructions, and offers students choices on how to customize the recipe to their liking.  The goal of this program is to provide students with a way to integrate math skills with practical cooking skills they can use on their own.

Recipes include:

  •      Chocolate and Peanut Butter Rice Squares
  •      Super Easy Rice and Chees-y Nachos
  •      Personal Pizzas
  •      French Toast Dippers
  •      Now that's Italian Pesto Pasta Salad
  •      Baby Burgers
  •      Yummy Baked Ravioli
  •      Pasta with Broccoli that even kids will eat
  •      Egg-ceptional Egg Salad
  •      Chicken Soup to Warm your Soul

There are also:

  •      Math Challenges
  •      Standard Cooking Conversion Charts
  •      Standard Cooking Abbreviations
Pre-assessment Forms – "So You Think You can Cook?" – this is a good exercise to do BEFORE you start cooking with the students J

Scrapbooking club:  The students create beautiful painted and marbleized papers that are glued onto the front and back covers of the scrapbooks. The students are then engaged in arranging collages of papers, photos and stickers on each page of their scrapbook. Near the end of the club, students will bind their books together with colorful ribbons, and prepare to display them.

F-PAC TV: F-PAC is an afterschool activity that is a part of C-Camp.  It is a place where they teach you how to use cameras then you film in school and out and then it turns into a video and goes on TV. It takes place at Fuller.  You get to do all kinds of activities like talent shows and other things.  Last trimester we went in and learned how to use cameras and how to make a TV show.  So my class and I made a little video called teachers caught on camera.  We went around and asked the teachers questions and saw teachers do the funniest things.  The one we made was not going on air because that was just a video to teach us how to make a video.  Next trimester some students will go on air while others will be editing.  I think anyone who likes to be on TV, likes cameras, and wants to have fun should join F-PAC. (This review of the club was written by a student for the Cameron Newspaper "The Cougar Chronicle")

FitMath: This curriculum was developed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The goal of FITMATH is to utilize aerobics and fitness as a means to support a better understanding of mathematical vocabulary and concepts.

In order fo r the instructor to be able to choose a variety of activities for each class session, several different was to demonstrate each concept – for example – a step routine could be used to demonstrate "horizontal, vertical, parallel, perpendicular, rotations and reflections

The Instructor needs to:

  •      Be a fitness professional, phys ed teacher or extensive knowledge
  •      Know how to choreograph a series of movements
  •      Have a basic knowledge of anatomy, physiology and math
Adequate gym space is essential.

Origami: Activities Simple activities with great results. Learn the basics of the beautiful Japanese art of folding paper. Students will learn how to make:

  •      PAPER CUP
  •      HAT
  •      BOX
  •      PAPER CRANE
  •      FLOWERS – Morning Dew, Tulip, Iris
  •      CARDS – Note card, Triangular card, square note card, card and envelope
  •      STARS – Magic star – pinwheel, paper star
  •      PROJECTS – Photo frame, checkbook cover, napkin server, bookmark, shirt, frog, Christmas Tree

     ORIGAMI WITH DOLLAR BILLS – The Ring, The Bow Tie, Gift Box

Fun with Healthy Foods: by Karen Weinberg, Consultant, Whole Foods Corporation.

This Curriculum is basically 10 recipes that substitutes "unhealthy" ingredients for "healthy" ingredients.  At the end of each lesson, there is a "Math Challenge".

Recipes are:

  •      Fruit Kebobs with Dip
  •      Super Easy Cheese Nachos
  •      Pumpkin French Toast Dippers
  •      Tasty Veggie Pizza
  •      Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
  •      Pesto Pasta and Veggie Salad
  •      Peanut Buller & Chocolate Rice Crispy Squares
  •      Apple Crisp
  •      "Healthy" Salad Dressings
  •      Fruit Smoothies

At the end there is:

  •      a Chart that tells the students what foods they should say "YES" to
  •      an explanation of different foods and what vitamins they provide as well as "what it means to you to eat this"
  •      a "Heathy Eating Quiz"
  •      and answers to the Math Challenges.