Las Vegas Newspapers in Education

Mini Page Archive - April 2008: Issue 13 - 17

Frogs Are Facing Extinction -- Issue 13 -- March 29-April 4

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. On a large piece of paper, draw a picture of a frog near a pond. Cut out newspaper words and pictures that tell about the frog's habitat and paste them on your picture.

2. Draw a large circle on a piece of paper. Divide your circle into three equal parts. Label the sections:

things that jump, things that are green, things that like water. Paste newspaper words or pictures that match each of the three categories in the correct part of the circle.

3. Go on an environmental scavenger hunt in the newspaper with a friend. You should have different-colored markers. Look through the newspaper page by page. Circle pictures or words of items that are good for the environment. Be creative; for example, a bike doesn't use gasoline, and window blinds conserve energy.

4. How are frogs affected by (a) climate change, (b) water pollution, (c) human development, and (4) the fungus chytrid?

5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about the kinds of frogs that live in your area. Use these questions to guide your research: What are the names of some of the frogs that can be found in your part of the country? Is the frog population stable, increasing or declining? What environmental elements are important to the lives of frogs in your area? What do the frogs eat? What animals eat the frogs? Write a paragraph discussing your findings.

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

Dr. King's Work Lives On -- Issue 14 -- April 5-11

This week's standards:

Students understand people and events honored in commemorative holidays.

(History)

Students understand the deeds for which our nation honors leaders from the past, including political, scientific, social and military leaders. (History)

Activities:

1. Create a poster that celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Use words and pictures from the newspaper on your poster.

2. Find people and items in the newspaper that would help Martin Luther King Jr. accomplish his goals today. Think about these categories: communication devices, transportation, people with political skills and people with knowledge about issues. Add any categories of your own. List your selections on a piece of paper and write a sentence about why you chose each one.

3. Find a newspaper story about a situation you think should be changed.

Write several sentences

explaining why you think things should change. Now list three non-violent acts you could do to encourage people to see your point of view.

4. What evidence can you find in today's Mini Page that shows that King (a) followed religious teaching,

(b) was intelligent, (c) was respected by others, and (d) supported different causes?

5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about one of King's specific causes: the Montgomery boycott, the Poor People's Campaign, his anti-war work, or the Memphis garbage workers' strike. Use these questions to guide your research: What was the cause? What caused King's interest in it? What leadership did he provide < what did he tell people to do? What were the results of his actions? Write a paragraph discussing your findings.

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

Meet Author Laura Amy Schlitz -- Issue 15 -- April 12-18

This week's standards:

Students comprehend and respond to a variety of images and text. (Language

Arts: Reading)

Students identify forms and elements of literature. (Language Arts:

Reading)

Activities:

1. Draw an outline of Brian Selznick or Laura Amy Schlitz on a piece of paper. Cut out newspaper words that describe your person and paste them on the outline. Write a sentence telling about your person.

2. Make several "Mystery Book" posters. Cut out newspaper words and pictures that tell about one of the books in today's Mini Page. Paste them on a piece of construction paper but don't use any words from the book's title. Show your posters to friends and see if they can guess the correct book from your clues.

3. Make a list of the books featured in today's Mini Page. Find a newspaper story that matches each title in some way. Discuss your choices with a friend.

4. Which of the award-winning books in today's Mini Page are (a) about real people, (b) about people in a different time period, and (c) are fiction, not about real people?

5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about one of the Coretta Scott King awardwinning authors or illustrators. Use these questions to guide your research: How old is the individual? When did he/she become interested in writing or illustrating? What training did the person have? What was the individual's first book? How was that book accepted? What advice does the individual give to young readers? Write a paragraph discussing your findings.

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

Explore China's Regions -- Issue 16 -- April 19-25

This week's standards:

Understand the physical and human characteristics of places. (Geography: Places and Regions)

Understand how culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions. (Geography:

Places and Regions)

Describe the effects geography has had on societies, including their development of urban centers, food, clothing, industry, agriculture, shelter, trade and other aspects of culture. (World History)

Activities:

1. Create an "Around China" poster. Divide a piece of paper into four sections. Label the sections: Central, Eastern, Northwest, Himalayas. Draw a picture that represents each section in that section's block.

2. Select one of the areas from your poster. Find five items or pieces of equipment in the newspaper that would be useful in that area. Paste them on a piece of paper. Write a sentence next to each one telling how it could be used in that part of China.

3. Look at the different sports represented in the sports pages of the newspaper. Circle any stories about sports that are played by singles or doubles. Put a star by any story about an Olympics sport. How many different sports do you have? Which sport would you like to play? Why?

4. What destinations in China would you recommend to a (a) chef, (b) farmer, (c) botanist, (d) zoologist and

(e) historian? Explain your choices.

5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about a geographic area in China. Use these questions to guide your research: Where is the area? What is the weather like? How many people live there? What jobs or industries are available in the area? What are two historical events that took place in the area? Write a paragraph discussing your findings.

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

What Is Cinco de Mayo? -- Issue 17 -- April 26-May 2

This week's standards:

Students understand the characteristics, distribution and migration of human populations on the Earth's surface. (Geography: Human Systems)

Students understand how historic events, people, places and situations contribute to our understanding of the past. (Social Studies: Time, Continuity and Change)

Activities:

1. Draw a large plate on a piece of paper. Cut out newspaper words and pictures for Mexican foods.

Paste the foods on your plate. Put a star by your favorite food.

2. Plan a Cinco de Mayo party. Use the newspaper to find food you would serve at your party, the entertainment you would hire and three people you would invite. Explain your choices.

3. Use a colored marker to circle examples of Mexico-U.S. connections in the newspaper. Look for names of people or places, arts or entertainment opportunities, sporting events, and government relations between the United States and Mexico.

4. See if you could organize a mariachi band. Look in the classified ads of the newspaper to find trumpets, violins and guitars for sale. Look for a place where you could take music lessons to learn to play the instruments. Finally, see if you can find any ads for musicians.

5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about Benito Juarez.

Use these questions to guide your research: Who was Juarez? What was his childhood like? How did he become the leader of Mexico? What did he do for the people of Mexico? Why is he honored? Write a paragraph discussing your findings.

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