Las Vegas Newspapers in Education

Mini Page Archive - March 2008: Issue 9 - 12

Connect to Our World -- Issue 9 -- March 1-7

This week's standards:

Students read and understand a variety of texts. (Language Arts: Reading

Students explore factors that contribute to one's personal identity, such as interests, capabilities and perceptions. (Social Studies: Individual Development)

Activities:

1. Create a newspaper front page that tells all about you. Draw "photos" of important events in your life.

Write headlines that tell about the things you like to do.

2. Draw a large circle on a piece of paper. Divide the circle into three parts. On one part, paste newspaper words or pictures that tell about you as a person. On another section, paste words or pictures that tell about things you like to do outside of your home. On the last section, paste words and pictures that tell about something you like to read.

3. Look through the newspaper with a family member or friend. Each of you circle five headlines of stories you think you would like to read. Talk about your choices together. Then read at least one of the stories.

4. In which part of the newspaper would you look to find (a) the score of a local baseball game, (b) what's happening in a political race, (c) a toy that is on sale, and (d) the newspaper's opinion on an important issue?

5. Compare the print and online versions of your newspaper. Spend five minutes looking through each version. Then ask yourself these questions: Which version is easier to read? In which version is it easier to locate specific information or stories? Which version has the best photos? Which version shows what stories are the most important? Write a paragraph discussing why you prefer one version over the other.

(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)

How Did Music Begin? -- Issue 10 -- March 8-14

This week's standards:

Students understand music in relation to history and culture. (Music)

Students use appropriate terminology in explaining music, music instruments and voices, and music performances. (Music)

Activities:

1. Create a "Mad About Music" poster for your room. Paste newspaper words and pictures about music on a large piece of paper. Draw pictures of your favorite instruments on your poster.

2. Put together a comic strip "band." Paste five comic strip characters on a piece of paper. Now draw a musical instrument in each character's hand. Give your band a name.

3. Find these examples of musical performances in your newspaper: (a) a solo performance, (b) a small instrumental group, (c) a small vocal group, and (d) a large music group.

4. Look in the classified ads section of your newspaper for instruments for sale. Circle string instruments in red, wind instruments in blue, and percussion instruments in green. Put a star next to the instrument you would like to learn to play.

5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about an instrumental musician. Use these questions to guide your research: What is the instrument? Who became famous for playing the instrument? When did the musician live? What was special about the musician?

How did the musician increase the popularity of the instrument? Write a paragraph about the musician and the instrument.

(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)

Keeping Pace With Pandas -- Issue 11 -- March 15-21

This week's standards:

Students understand the characteristics and life cycles of organisms.

(Science: Life Science)

Students understand the interactions of animals and their environments.

(Science: Life Science)

Activities:

1. Draw a large panda on a piece of paper. Then cut out newspaper words that describe the panda and its lifestyle. Paste them on your drawing.

2. Create a series of panda trading cards. Draw pictures of pandas on 3-by-5-inch cards. On the back of each card, write a fact about pandas. Share your cards with friends.

3. Use the classified ads to find three jobs that would be helpful in a zoo or panda conservation program. List the jobs. Explain how a person with that job would benefit a panda program.

4. Find four pieces of athletic or sports equipment in the newspaper that an Olympic athlete might use to develop the muscles needed in handball or water polo. Paste your pieces of equipment on a piece of paper. Explain how the equipment would help develop important muscles.

5. Use resource books and the Internet to expand your knowledge of pandas and other bears.

Select another bear (brown, black, grizzly or polar) to study. List information about the bear's physical characteristics, lifestyle and food. Now write a paragraph comparing your bear and a panda. How are they the same? How are they different?

(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)

Energy for the Future -- Issue 12 -- March 22-28

This week's standards:

Students develop abilities of technological design, understanding about science and technology. (Science: Science and Technology)

Activities:

1. Cut out newspaper words and pictures about energy. Paste them on a large piece of paper to make an 'Energy Works' collage.

2. Make a list of three chores you do around your house. Now find items or equipment in the newspaper that you could use to do your chores. Find items that don't use electricity and items that do use electricity to do those same chores.

3. Go through the newspaper, and with a colored marker circle items that use electricity. Circle items that use gasoline with another marker. Circle items that use natural gas with another marker. Which source of energy was used the most?

4. Which sources of energy (a) use plants, (b) use the movement of natural elements, (c) have been used in space, and (d) can be used to operate cars, trains and planes?

5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about the forms of alternative energy that could be effective where you live. Use these questions to guide your research: What is the weather like where you live? Are there long periods of sunshine? Are there many windy days? What geological features are near you, such as rivers, oceans, volcanoes or hot springs? Write a paragraph discussing how alternative energy sources could benefit your community.

(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)