Las Vegas Newspapers in Education

Mini Page Archive - August 2010: Issues 31 - 35

An Ocean of Oil -- Issue 31 -- July 31-Aug. 6, 2010

This week's standard:

Students understand the characteristics of renewable, nonrenewable and flow resources. (Geography: Environment and Society)

Activities:

1. Draw a picture of people helping animals in the oil spill. Write a sentence about the animals.

2. Find three stories about renewable energy. Explain how they can help with our energy problems.

3. In a journal, collect news stories about the oil spill and the effects on wetlands and shores.

4. What has been used to (a) trap oil in the water, (b) break oil into small parts, (c) remove oil from the water, and (d) stop the oil from escaping from the well?

5. Use the Internet to learn how people have handled earlier oil spills. Write a paragraph about your findings.

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

A New School Year -- Issue 32 -- Aug. 7-13, 2010

This week's standard:

Students understand how rules and expectations set for them at home, in school and on playgrounds are related to broader principles of responsibility. (Social Studies: Civics)

Activities:

1. Draw a backpack on a piece of paper. Paste newspaper words and pictures of school supplies on your backpack.

2. Paste newspaper pictures of clothes you would like to wear to school on a piece of paper. Tell why you chose these items.

3. Circle newspaper stories about helping the planet, health and families. 4. Name one thing you could do to (a) get ready for school, (b) make friends, (c) help your teacher, and (d) study hard.

5. Write a story of yourself and some friends going back to school.

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

These Horses Are Wild! -- Issue 33 -- Aug. 14-20, 2010

This week's standard:

Students understand the interactions of animals and their environments. (Science: Life Science)

Activities:

1. Draw a picture of wild horses in the West. Paste newspaper words that describe wild horses around the edge of your picture.

2. Write two lists on a piece of paper: good things about wild horses and negative things about them.

3. Circle any references to horses or other wild animals in the newspapers. Include comics and sports teams.

4. Why are these groups important to wild horses: (a) the U.S. Border Patrol, (b) Bureau of Land Management, (c) early Spaniards, and (d) the San Diego Zoo?

5. Use the Internet to learn about training horses. Then write a story about a family adopting a wild horse.

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

Cracking the Word Code -- Issue 34 -- Aug. 21-27, 2010

This week's standard:

Students use knowledge of word identification strategies to comprehend texts. (Language Arts)

Activities:

1. Write the prefix "re" (again) at the top of a piece of paper. Now make new words for things you would like to do again, like re-play a game.

2. Find five examples of words with the suffix "er/or" (someone who does something) in the newspaper. Draw a picture to go with each word.

3. Circle prefixes on newspaper words in red and suffixes in blue.

4. Find number prefixes in the newspaper: uni (1), bi (2), tri (3), quad (4).

5. Select a newspaper word that has a root and a prefix and/or suffix (such as "television"). List other words that use those same roots, prefixes or suffixes. (standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)

Meet Author Grace Lin -- Issue 35 -- Aug. 28-Sept. 3

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:

1. Draw a book cover for a story about you and your friends. Paste newspaper words for your title.

2. Ask your friends to name their favorite books. What titles have many votes?

3. Find newspaper stories that would make good books about people. Find an athlete, a student and an entertainer.

4. Which of the award books are about (a) families, (b) girls, (d) nature, and (d) fantasies?

5. Many writers say that in order to be a writer, you have to also be a reader. Write a paragraph about what writers mean by that statement.

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