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Mini Page Archive - January 2007: Issue 1 - 5
2007 CALENDAR -- Issue 1 -- Dec. 30-Jan. 5
This week's standards: Students understand people and events honored in commemorative holidays. (History)
Activities:
- Select one of the holidays or events that take place in the month a friend or family member was born. Design a greeting card for that special day. Share your greeting card with that friend or family member.
- Select three comic strip characters in the newspaper. Paste pictures of the characters down the side of a piece of paper. Now find a holiday or week/month that you think would appeal to each character. Write the holiday next to the character and explain why you made that choice.
- Select a non-religious holiday from today*s Mini Page. Design a community event to celebrate the day. Identify three people from the newspaper whom you would invite to your event. Why would you select those people?
- Which of the holidays, weeks or months in The Mini Page calendar relate to (a) famous people, (b) different cultures, (c) science, (d) religion and (e) nature?
- Use resource books and the Internet to learn why special topics or cultural groups are celebrated in particular months. Select five special recognitions, such as Women*s History Month, National Inventors* Month or National Dairy Month. Research the celebrations to
discover: Why was the recognition selected for special attention? What individuals or groups proposed and supported the recognition? Why was the recognition placed in the month it is? How is the week/month celebrated?
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
BRIDGES -- Issue 2 -- Jan. 6-12
This week's standards: Students understand science and technology. Students understand the abilities of technological design. (Science: Science and Technology)
Activities:
- Have a bridge-building contest with your friends. Collect miniature marshmallows, toothpicks, uncooked spaghetti, cardboard and rubber bands. Use these materials to create different bridges. Who can build the tallest bridge? Who can build the longest bridge? Whose bridge can hold a toy car? Several toy cars? Draw pictures of your bridges.
- Look in the hardware store ads of the newspaper for at least five examples of tools or materials that someone might use to construct a small bridge. For example, you might find saws, hammers, lumber, nails, etc. List the items on a piece of paper. Next to each item, write a sentence telling how it could be used to build a bridge.
- Find a bridge near where you live or travel. Draw a picture of your bridge. Now write a short paragraph describing your bridge. Include this information in your paragraph: What type of bridge is your bridge? Why is that design good for the location?
- Which type of bridge do you think is best in each of these locations: (a) across a small stream, (b) across a deep canyon between two tall mountains, (b) across a shallow canyon between two hills, and (d) across water in a river to connect two islands? Explain why your selections would work best.
- Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about common bridges such as trestle bridges or pontoon bridges. Use these questions to guide your research: Where is this type of bridge used most frequently? What are its advantages? How difficult is the bridge to construct? Write a paragraph about the bridge you investigate.
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
Our First Amendment -- Issue 3 -- Jan. 13-19, 2007
This week's standards: Students understand the purpose of government. (Social Studies: Power, Authority and
Governance) Students identify key ideals of the United States* democratic republican form of government.
(Social Studies: Civic Ideals and Practice)
Activities:
- Draw a picture showing you exercising one of the freedoms in the First Amendment. Write a sentence or two telling about your picture.
- Cut out newspaper words and pictures to make a collage about the First Amendment. Include these examples on your collage: religious services, news about the state or national government, and news about a community meeting.
- Find a news story about a decision made by a local government group, such as a city council or school board. Write a paragraph explaining what will happen to people in your community because of that decision.
- Which of the First Amendment freedoms would protect your right to (a) put a Christmas nativity display on your lawn, (b) hold a peaceful demonstration outside a government office, (c) write a letter to the editor of this newspaper, and (d) ask a state legislature to propose a new law?
- Find a news story about a decision made by the national government. Identify different groups who will support the decision and write a brief paragraph explaining why each group supports the decision. Identify different groups who will oppose the decision and write a brief paragraph explaining why each group opposes the decision. Now write several sentences stating your position on the decision.
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
World of Facts - Issue 4 -- Jan. 20-26, 2007
The Seven Continents
This week's standards: Students understand the physical and human characteristics of places. (Geography: Places and Regions)
Students compute fluently and make reasonable estimates. (Mathematics: Numbers and Operations)
Activities:
- Create your own continent. Draw its shape on a piece of paper. Put in mountains and rivers. Give your continent a name. Write a sentence telling about your continent.
- Try to find news stories from as many continents as possible. Write the headlines from the stories on a piece of paper. Next to each headline, write the name of the country and continent where the news happens. Are you missing any continents? Why do you think the newspaper doesn't have stories from there?
- Which continent would you visit if you wanted to (a) see a lot of snow and ice, (b) tropical rain forests and mountains, (c) a long river and huge desert, and (d) many different climates?
- Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about one of the continents in today's Mini Page. Use these questions to guide your research: What is the geographic location of the continent? What are its physical features - rivers, mountains, shoreline, etc.? How does its geography relate to the continent's natural resources? How do the natural resources affect its economy? How have the natural resources and economy of the continent influenced the social and cultural development of the people who live there? Write a detailed paragraph discussing your findings.
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
Happy Birthday, Boy Scouts! -- Issue 5 -- Jan. 27 - Feb. 2
This week's standards: Students understand that physical activity provides opportunities for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and social interaction. (Physical Education) Students understand how groups and institutions work to meet individual needs and promote the common good. (Social Studies: Individuals, Groups and Institutions)
Activities:
- Draw a picture of yourself doing an activity boys learn about in the Boy Scouts. Write a sentence telling about your picture.
- Make a list of the Boy Scout merit badges. Share the list with family members and friends. Ask them to suggest a new merit badge. What suggestions do they have? Was any new badge suggested by more than one person?
- Find a newspaper story about a situation in which an individual or group needs help. Write several sentences explaining how Boy Scouts could help in that situation.
- Select three different merit badges shown in today*s Mini Page. Find at least two items in the newspaper that could be used to help a Boy Scout earn each badge. Explain your choices.
- Prepare a new manual for young people about how to survive in a different setting, such as a school or a city. Include suggestions for how to find your way in that setting, what *equipment* you would need and what skills you would find useful. Also include advice on how to help other people in specific situations in that setting. Suggest at least five merit badges for your setting.
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
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