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Mini Page Archive - April 2007: Issue 15 - 18
The Bill of Rights -- Issue 15 -- April 7-13
The 6th, 7th and 8th Amendments Mini Page activities meet many state and national educational standards.
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:
- Select someone in the newspaper who you think would be a good judge of your classroom rules. Paste the person*s picture on a piece of paper. Write a sentence telling why you would like that person.
- Work with your family to develop a list of three rules you should follow in the house, like cleaning your room or doing your homework at a regular time. Next to each rule, put down what will happen if you do not follow the rule. Post your rules in your room.
- Select six comic strip characters that you think would make good jurors. Paste their pictures on a piece of paper. Next to each character, write a sentence telling why he/she would be good on a jury.
- Think about a rule in your school classroom that you would like to change in some way. Write a paragraph explaining how you would change it and why it should be changed.
- Follow a local trial in your newspaper. Collect the stories. Write at least two paragraphs that discuss the way the trial demonstrates amendments six, seven and eight. Use these questions to guide your discussion: Who was on trial? What was the charge? Who was the prosecutor? Who was the defense attorney? Who were the witnesses for both sides? What did the jury finally decide? If the defendant was found guilty, what was the sentence?
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
Meet Author Susan Patron -- Issue 16 -- April 14-20
This week's standards: Students comprehend and respond to a variety of images and text. Students identify forms and elements of literature. (Language Arts: Reading)
Activities:
- Find a newspaper photo you like and paste it on a piece of paper. Now write several sentences telling a story about the picture.
- Find a newspaper story that Susan Patron might use as an idea for a new book. Explain why you think that newspaper story would make a good book.
- Select a newspaper story about your community that does not have a picture. Draw one to go with the story.
- What about David Wiesner's life tells you that (a) he has a lot of experience with art, (b) he comes from a creative family, (c) he is a hard worker, and (d) he likes activities other than art?
- Create your own story using comic strip characters. Select three different comic strip characters. Identify a setting for the story - it can be anywhere and in any type of climate. Think of a problem the characters can face. Think about how the characters can solve the problem. Now write your story. Design a picture for it. Read your story to family members and friends.
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
Green Houses Are Springing Up! -- Issue 17 -- April 21-27
This week's standards: Students develop abilities of technological design, understanding about science and technology, and abilities to distinguish between natural objects and objects made by humans. (Science: Science and Technology) Students understand how societies use technology for problem-solving. (Technology: Problem-Solving)
Activities:
- Use newspaper words and pictures to make a collage of energy-saving appliances or equipment that people can use in their homes.
- Look around your house or apartment. Name one or two things that your family does to reduce the use of energy. Name two new things you could do to save even more energy.
- Interview family members and friends. Ask them to identify at least two changes they would be willing to make in the way they live in order to save energy. For example, would they reduce water usage for daily chores? Would they be willing to live in a smaller house? Would they be willing to buy more locally produced foods?
- How do these characteristics of bamboo make it a valuable "green" product: (a) the strong but hollow structure of the stem, (b) the many different varieties, and (c) the locations where bamboo grows?
- Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about renewable energy sources. Use these questions to guide your research: Why is energy important in your area? For example, are there many highways? Do you live in a cold climate where you need to heat your home in the winter? Do you live in a hot climate where you must use air-conditioning much of the year? What renewable sources could be used: solar? wind? geothermal? Write a paragraph discussing the ways alternative energy sources would be effective in your community.
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
America's 400th Anniversary -- Issue 18 -- April 28-May 4
This week's standards: Students understand how historical events, people, places and situations contribute to our understanding of the past. (Social Studies: Time, Continuity and Change) Students understand family life in various places long ago. (History)
Activities:
- Divide a large piece of paper into four sections. In each section draw an event from the life of Pocahontas. Write a sentence about each picture.
- Draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper. Label the left side 'Food and Tools Long Ago,' and label the right side 'Food and Tools Today.' Find words and pictures from the newspaper that show the kinds of foods and housekeeping tools the Jamestown settlers might have used. Paste them in the left column. On the right, paste newspaper words and pictures that show food and housekeeping tools we use today.
- Look in the help-wanted section of the classified ads in your newspaper. Find three different jobs that would have been helpful to the Jamestown settlers. List each job and explain how someone with those skills might have made life better for the settlers.
- How would each of these people have added to our knowledge of Jamestown if they had been there and shared their knowledge with us: (a) an artist, (b) a historian, and (c) a scientist?
- How are the events in Jamestown reflected in our society today? Write a paragraph in which you discuss the connections. Use these topics to guide your thinking: government, business and trade, agriculture, and relations with other cultures.
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
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