When you can read you can do almost anything. You can visit places you only dream about

without ever leaving your room. You can learn anything you want if you can understand what you read. But reading,

like any other skill, takes practice. The more you read, the better a reader you will be. What does it mean to be a

good reader? It means that you understand what you read and that you can communicate the meaning to others.

You might communicate by talking or by writing but if you can understand what

you read and can tell others, then you are a good reader and you have the power to make good things

happen for yourself and others.

Imagine what your life would be like if you didn’t understand numbers. What would you do

when you wanted to buy something? What if you went to the store to buy the latest, greatest running shoe

and when you got there you found two pairs that you loved? One pair is marked $59 but is on sale at 15% off. The

other pair is $75 but is on sale at 30% off. Which would you buy and how could you decide if you didn't

know how to read and what the numbers meant?

Life without computers? It’s unthinkable! Science and technology are part of the way you learn, live

and play. Discoveries are made everyday, and when you read the newspaper, you find out right away what’s coming

next in science.

News comes to us from around the world and around the corner but it’s all right in your hands in your

newspaper. You can learn about different countries, different people, and all kinds of current events without ever

leaving your seat! The activities in this supplement will help you improve your skills in reading, writing, math,

science, and social studies.

readysetgoreadysetgo

www.sun-sentinel.com/nie

Get Ready! Get Set! Go!

Dear Florida Educator,

Florida Newspaper in Education Coordinators, Inc. (FNIEC) has a long historyof publishing Newspaper in Education materials correlated to the FloridaDepartment of Education's educational standards and competencies.

As you know, in 1995, the Florida Legislature approved an entirely new setof competencies for Florida students in grades K-12, entitled the SunshineState Standards. These standards identify the essential knowledge andskills that students should learn and for which the state will hold schoolsaccountable.

This "Ready, Set, Go" booklet serves as an introduction to the newspaper forstudents and as an enhancement to the Sunshine State Standards. Activitiesincluded in the "Ready, Set, Go" booklet specifically address the standardsin language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science for grades 3, 5,6, and 8, and demonstrate an appropriate use of the newspaper. All standardswere not used in the project; however, there is a representative sampling ineach subject area and at each grade level.

Florida Newspaper in Education Coordinators, Inc., are proud of Florida'srole in providing a new dimension to the competency movement and hope thatyou will find this publication useful in your classrooms.

For further information about Newspaper in Education (NIE) programs,contact the Sun-Sentinel NIE department directly at: 333 SW 12th Ave.,Deerfield Beach, FL 33442.

readysetgoreadysetgo

Table of Contents

Part I: Activities

Section 1: Language Arts ...................p. 1-6

Section 2: Social Studies....................p. 7-10

Section 3: Mathematics......................p. 11-16

Section 4: Science...............................p. 17-20

Part 2: Index to Activity Benchmarks

Comic Capers (LA.A.2.2.1)

You will need a partner for this activity.Each of you should cut a comic stripfrom the paper. Cut the panels apart,mix them up and give the pieces to yourpartner. Each of you should then look ateach panel of the strip you received.Study what is happening in each paneland decide what order the panels shouldbe in. Put them in order and give themback to your partner. Did you orderthem correctly?

Sentence?(LA.A.1.2.1)

Some headlines are complete sentencesthe way they are written, and someheadlines are not complete. Skimtoday's paper to find four headlines thatare complete sentences and four head-lines that are not complete. Punctuatethe complete sentences and rewrite theincomplete ones, adding whatever isneeded to make them complete. Whatkinds of words are most often left out?

Sportsmanship (LA.A.2.2.3)

The Institute for International Sports isan organization dedicated to encourag-ing all athletes to be good sports and toplay fairly. Make a list of the character-istics that a good sport should have.

Use today's newspaper to find an example of

an athletewho is

demonstrat-ing good

sportsmanshipand explain

why you thinkso. What athletes

are not goodsports? Why

don't you think so?

Fact or Opinion (LA.A.2.2.6)

What is the difference between a factand an opinion? Read an editorial fromtoday's newspaper or listen while yourteacher reads one to you. In the printedcopy, circle the words or phrases thatare facts with one color marker andunderline those that are opinions with

another coloredmarker. Talk aboutwhich words statefacts and whichstate opinions.Did you findmore facts or opinions?

Create aCharacter(LA.A.2.2.8)

The newspaper isfilled with photos ofpeople, places andthings. Create an entirelynew fantasy character by clip-

ping body parts from dif-ferent pictures in the

newspaper. Youmayalso

want tousesome pic-turesfromthecomicstrips.Collect

enough body parts and paste them onpaper to show the new character you'vecreated. Write a story about how thiscreature works. Think up a creativename for it.

Movie Madness (LA.A.1.2.3)

What blockbuster movie might havebeen called “Heavenly Bodies Fighting?”If you guessed “Star Wars,” you areright. This is an example of using wordscalled synonyms (SIN-o-nims). Synonymsare words that mean the same as otherwords. Find the movie listings in today'snewspaper. Skim the titles and chooseone to rewrite using as many synonymsas you can for the words in the title.Take turns reading your titles to yourclass to see if your friends can guesswhich movie you chose.

New Words (LA.A.1.2.2)

You might see words you don't knowin the newspaper, but that doesn't haveto be a bad thing. You can make agood game of it. Find a word in thepaper that you think no one in your class (except your teacher) knows. Foreach word you find, you get a point.Write the words no one knows on thechalkboard. When you have at leastfive, look them up in the dictionary anduse each in a sentence.

Get Ready!

Get Set!Get thePowerto GO!

Section I: Language Arts This first section is all aboutreading and how you can read to succeed!

Think of reading as a sport you would like to play.You know in order to be good at it you have to learneach step and practice it before you go on to the next

step. When you play basketball you dribble, you run, youthrow, you catch and you shoot. Getting better at onepart helps you improve the other parts. Reading and

writing are like that too. Each step you learn helps youget better and go on to the next step. The activities inthe language sections of this supplement will help you

improve your skills in reading and writing. You will learnhow to find the main idea, how to increase your

vocabulary, how to compare readings, howsentences are formed, how to ask a good

question and how to write agreat summary.

1

Predict the Future (LA.A.2.2.2)

What do you think about people whosay that they can tell your fortune? Doyou think anyone can predict thefuture? Read your horoscope fortoday. What does it say about thekind of day you're going to have?Copy the prediction. Write a para-graph telling whether or not youbelieve it and why. Then writeyour own prediction for today. Write anew paragraph tomorrow describingthe kind of day you actually had.Which prediction was closer to reality?

Index Scavenger Hunt (LA.A.2.3.6)

An index helps you find informationquickly in a book, or magazine, ornewspaper. Knowing how to use one isa good skill to have. Find the index intoday's paper. Review the different top-ics the index can help you find. Usethe index to find the following on yourscavenger hunt: a cartoon about a fami-ly; the stock market listings; the stockmarket listings; a sports team in firstplace; an action movie; a bike for sale;a person who died; a story about yourcity; an article about a school; a pieceof opinion writing.

Character Analysis (LA.A.2.3.7)

You can learn a lot about people fromthe newspaper. Search today's newspa-per for a story about more than one per-son. Make a list of the characteristics ofat least two of the people. Comparetheir traits to see how they are similarand how they are different. Write a para-graph telling which qualities you admireand which you view with disapproval.

Comics and You(LA.A.2.3.8)

Look through the comic strips in today'snewspaper for a character who is mostlike you. Make a list of the things youhave in common with this character.What are the best things about the twoof you? What would you like to changeabout yourself?

Smiling Faces(LA.A.1.3.3) (LA.A.1.3.4)

A recent study found that people aresmiling less than they did two years ago– and that is no laughing matter. Smilingshows whether people see the world assafe or scary, according to the study.And smiling makes you feel good.

What is in today's newspa-per that makes you smile?

Make a Top 10 listof items from the

newspaper that couldmake some-

onesmile.

European Vacation (LA.A.2.3.5)

Great news! You just won a free trip toEurope for two weeks. You can go any-where you want, as long as the placesare mentioned in today's newspaper.Plan your trip. List three places you willgo and give a sentence explaining eachchoice. Then make a route for your tripnoting the direction(s) you will travel.Use a globe or atlas and draw a roughmap with indicators for the places youchose.

Sports Glossary (LA.A.1.3.2)

Select an article from the sports page. Asyou read the story, make a list of vocab-ulary words that are about the sport.Then write a definition for each wordand draw a picture to illustrate what theword means. Add any other words youcan think of that also have to do withthe sport, but don't appear in the article.Now you have a sports glossary!

Outline (LA.A.1.3.4)

A good way of taking notes is to makean outline of what you are reading bywriting down the main points and a fewimportant details. Read a news story intoday's newspaper that you think has aninteresting topic. Skim through the arti-cle again to find the main idea in eachparagraph. On a piece of paper, numberthe ideas. The main idea for the firstparagraph would be Number 1, themain idea for the second paragraph,Number 2, etc. Leave space betweenideas. Then look for the supporting factsin each paragraph, write them beloweach paragraph's main idea and labelthem a, b, c, etc. on your paper.

Monthly Magazine (LA.A.2.3.1)

You are in charge of planning a coverfor an important monthly magazine.Look through today's paper for the

five articles that you think would begood to include in your magazine.Design the cover, including titles thatwill make people want to read thearticles and pictures that will catchtheir attention.

Editor in Chief (LA.A.2.3.5)

The newspaper editorial staff determineswhich are the most important stories.These stories are easily identifiedbecause their headlines are in the largestand boldest print and they appear in ahighly visible place in the paper. Look atthe front page of today's paper andchoose five stories. Read the headlinesand arrange them in the order of impor-tance to you. Write an explanation ofyour choices.

Letter to the Editor (LA.A.2.3.2)

(LA.A.2.3.3)

When people want to give an opinionabout something, they may choose towrite a letter to theeditor of the newspa-per. Find the letters tothe editor in today'spaper and read them.Write a summary ofthe types of thingstalked about in theletters. Is there anyone issue morethan othersthat seems tobe in the letters?Do you agreewith the opinions stated in the letters tothe editor?

Chat Rooms (LA.A.1.3.4)

Chat rooms are sites on the Internetwhere people can have conversationsby typing messages that are sent imme-diately. Teens are now spending hourstalking to each other in chat rooms.Look through the news in today's news-paper for a story you might want toshare with someone in a chat room.Chat room messages should be conciseand to the point so write down exactlywhat you would say about the story andlimit yourself to one paragraph.

2

Sure, you think listening is easy, butif you have ever played games like “telephone”

or "whispering down the lane", then you know that lis-tening isn't always as easy as you think it is. Being a good lis-

tener takes skill. When you are a good listener, people really liketalking to you and you are a better friend. School work is easier for

those students who know how to pay attention to what they hear andsee. Some people say that to communicate is the beginning of under-

standing. Listening and speaking are among the most important skills inbeing a good communicator. These activities will build your listening

and speaking skills so you can really understand!

The Ears Have It!Comic Players (LA.C.3.2.3) and

(LA.C.3.2.4)

The comic strips are really like little plays. Youcan practice reading aloud with expression byreading the dialogue in the comics. Chooseparts and read the strips aloud in your class-room. Have fun and feel free to really ham itup!

Comic Headlines (LA.C.3.2.1) and

(LA.C.3.2.5)

The comics are one of the most enter-taining parts of the newspaper. Findthem in today's paper and read some ofthe strips that you enjoy. After reading,write a headline for one of the comicsyou read. Read your headline aloud tothe class to see if your friends can guesswhich strip you read by only hearingthe headline.

Natural Disasters (LA.D.2.2.5)

Look through the paper for a story about anatural disaster - a blizzard, earthquake, vol-cano, hurricane, tornado or fire that occurredin nature. Read the article and pretend you arean on-the-scene reporter. Then write a sum-mary of the story for a television broadcast.Include the who, what, where, when andwhy in the story. Also, think about changesyou will need to make because of the differ-ent medium.

Kindergarten (LA.D.1.2.2)

Kindergarten is no longer as easy as ABC

and 1-2-3. Now children are expected toknow their letters, numbers and even dosome reading and simple math. What doyou think kindergarten students shouldknow before they start school? Plan a les-son for a kindergarten student that isbased on a story found in the newspaper.

Fun with Adjectives (LA.C.3.2.3) and

(LA.B.1.2.2)

Adjectives are words used to describesomething. They are an important way tomake writing colorful and descriptive.Look through today's Sports section andmake a list of five adjectives that give greatdescriptions. Then use your adjectives towrite a poem or rap song about sports.Have each adjective start a line. The linesdon't have to rhyme, but they should befull of action! Read your poems aloud withfeeling!

Make theScene(LA.E.1.2.3)

One of thethings thatmakes somestories great is the description of the setting,or the place where the action happens.Vivid description of the setting helps thereader feel part of the story. Look throughtoday's paper to find a picture of an inter-esting place or a picture with an interestingplace in the background. Write a descrip-

tion of the place pictured, using as manyshowing words as you can. Try to paint apicture of the scene with words. What kindof story could you make up to go with thisplace?

Sequencing (LA.E.1.2.2)

Read a news article or a feature story intoday's paper. Write out the events of thestory in the order in which they hap-pened. Be sure to include all the mainpoints of the story. Draw a picture toshow the most important part of the story.

Mind Mapping (LA.E.2.2.4)

Choose an article from the newspaper thatyou think is interesting. You may pick fromany section of the paper. Write down the mainidea in a few words in the center of a piece ofpaper. Then write down some details thatsupport the main idea. Connect the details tothe main idea with lines that look like branch-es. Now you have created a mind map.

Winning’s Not Everything(LA.E.2.2.1)

Read through the Sports pages in today's news-paper and find an article about a game orevent. Suppose you are a fan of the losingteam. Write a paragraph about the game. Besure to include thoughts about how it feels tolose a game or to watch your team lose, whyyour team lost, how the loss will affect theteam. You may want to include some lessonsyou can learn from losing.

3

Disaster Movies (LA.E.2.3.1)

Disasters make great plot material formovies. Some movies are even basedon real life. Imagine you are the producer of a disaster movie and scanthe paper for an event you believewould make a good film. Based onthe article, write a summary of the plotand select classmates to act the parts.Rehearse your play and perform it forthe class. You may even want to recordit on film or video tape. Discuss whydisaster films are such a popular type

of movie.

TelevisionDebate

(LA.C.1.3.1)

Thedebateover thegood

and badof televi-sion con-

tinues.Some say it

rots yourbrain and oth-ers believe it canbe entertaining or eveneducational. Talk about it inclass. Turn to today's television listingsand find examples of shows that fit eachcategory. List a show you feel has noth-ing to offer, one that entertains and onethat educates. Explain your reasoning.

Valuable Values (LA.C.3.3.3)

When you look through the newspaper,you can find examples of different values.Advice columns, editorials and letters tothe editor all show values of the writers.Honesty, politeness or loyalty may be val-ues that are taught in your home orschool. In a small group discuss the differ-ent values that are found in today's paper.Rank them in order of their importance toyou. As a class share each group’s list.Then create a matrix which portrays howeach class member ranks these values.

Radio News (LA.C.1.3.3) and (LA.B.1.3.3)

The way newspapers cover the newsoften helps other media like TV andradio decide what to cover. Usingtoday's paper, set up a radio talk show

forstudents

in yourclass.

Program theshow so that kids

your age would want to listen. Use thenewspaper as a source of subjects theshow will discuss and write an outlinefor the program. What topics will be dis-cussed? What guests will be on? Whatquestions would be asked? Who wouldbe appropriate sponsors?

Animal Antics (LA.D.2.2.2) and (LA.D.2.2.1)

We often describe people by comparingthem to animals. We might say thatsomeone is a sly fox, a silly goose, slowas a snail or busy as a beaver. Workingin small groups, write as many of theseanimal sayings as you can think of.Then, have each person in the groupfind one person in today's newspaperthat you think is showing one of theanimal characteristics you havedescribed.

Car Classifieds (LA.D.2.2.1)

Find the classified ad pages and readthrough some of the ads selling usedcars. Then write an ad to sell thelast car in which you rode. Besure to remember to describe

what's good about the car's color,performance, comfort and features.

How much doyou want to

tell about thethings thatare not-so-good aboutyour car?

EveryPicture Tells a Story (LA.D.2.3.4)

Choose one photo from today's news-paper that you think is interesting.Without reading the caption or thestory try to answer these questionsabout the photograph. What is happen-ing? Who does the photo focus on?Where is it happening? When is it hap-pening? Write your answers to thesequestions, based on your observations.Check the caption to see if you areright. How does the photo help com-municate the article to the reader?

Comic Comments (LA.D.2.3.1)

Comic strips entertain us, but they alsoprovide a commentary on today’s world.Read several comic strips in today'spaper. What is the point of each? How ishumor used to make the point? Nowdraw a three-panel comic strip that dealsin some way with a subject that affectsmany people. The weather would be onechoice; schools another. Display comicson a bulletin board.

4

Making a LiterateAmerica (LA.B.2.2.6)

More than one out of fiveAmericans cannot read a news-paper or a menu or fill out ajob application. Find an articlein today's newspaper that youcould use to teach a readinglesson to someone who islearning to read. How wouldyou go about teaching the les-son? Write a paragraph or anoutline that shows your plan.

Language inAction (LA.B.1.2.2)

Good writing can make languagecome alive. So can the punctua-tion or words a writer uses. Findthe 1following items in today'spaper in this “Language in Action”Scavenger Hunt: a sentence withan exclamation mark, a lively quo-tation, a colorful adjective, a vividadverb, a contraction, an actionverb, a sentence with a questionmark, a headline that makes youwant to read more, the longestsentence you can find.

Before and After (LA.B.2.2.5) and

(LA.A.1.2.1)

Find a photograph in the newspaper thatinterests you. Think about what is going onin this picture. Explain what you think hap-pened just before the picture was taken.Predict what you believe will happen after-wards. Write down your explanation. Thenfor creative writing fun, come up with thewildest events you can think of for whathappened before and after.

On Sale (LA.B.1.2.2)

Display ads are found throughout thenewspaper. They are different from classi-fied ads because they are larger and oftenhave pictures and large letters. Find a dis-play ad that catches your attention. Write aparagraph telling whether or not you thinkit's a good ad. How did it catch your eye?

What would you change about it to make iteven better? Create a display ad to sellsomething in your desk.

Secret Pal(LA.B.2.2.6) and (LA.B.2.2.2)

Pretend you have a secret pal in your class.Use the words from headlines in today'snewspaper to create a friendly message foryour pal. You can cut out the words andpaste your message on a piece of paper, oryou can just choose the words and writeyour message on the paper. Then give yourmessage to your pal.

Adopt a Pet (LA.B.2.2.3)

Pets are often in the newspaper. Sometimesthey make news by doing something likesaving their owner. Often they are found inads. Turn to the classified ads and find thePets for Sale section. Read the descriptionsand decide if one of these pets would be agood pet for you. Write a convincing argu-ment that includes all the reasons youshould have a pet. Do you think it's a goodidea for people who are giving away petsto check out the new owners?

You Be The Judge (LA.B.1.2.2)

Choose an article from the paper that youthink is well-written. Write a paragraphexplaining how its focus, organization, anduse of detail and correct conventions con-tribute to its success.

Picture Perfect (LA.B.1.2.1)

Choose a picture from today's newspaperthat is interesting to you. The photo mayshow an interesting place, a person wholooks interesting, or an interesting situation.Cut out the picture and paste it on a pieceof paper. Without using the caption, makeup a story about your picture to tell yourclass. Your story should be about oneminute long.

Writing for Life!Writing is a greatway to tell howyou feel. You canwrite for manyreasons. Youmight want tosend a note to afriend or create abeautiful card totell the people inyour family howmuch you lovethem. Maybe youneed to write areport or essayfor school. Goodwriting is a skillthat takes lots ofpractice butyou'll use thisskill for the restof your life. Inthis section youwill learn how tofocus on an idea,how to write adraft, how tosupport yourideas withdetails, how toedit and how towrite good, com-plete sentences.Whether youwrite for fun orfor some otherreason, goodwriting will helpyou in so manyways. Now, grabyour pencil andhave fun!

5

Picture Punctuation(LA.B.2.2.c)

The message of a photograph is some-times like the message in a word sen-tence. Look through today's paper andfind pictures whose subject could repre-sent a question mark (?), an exclamationpoint (!), and a period (.). Cut out thepictures and write an original sentencefor each photo telling why you madethis choice.

Picture Stories (LA.B.2.3.2)

Cut out five different, interesting picturesfrom today's newspaper. Look at the pic-tures carefully and then arrange them inany order you like. Your assignment isto really use your imagination to connect these pictures into a story. Writeyour story and read it aloud to the classwhile you show the pictures.

Stress! (LA.B.2.3.3)

Everybody talks about being tense andstressed out. Search the newspaper forfive stressful situations. Put the eventsin order from most to least stressful.Write how you would handle yourselfin what you believe is the Numberone stressful situation.

Subheadings (LA.B.2.3.1)

Headlines are often followed by a sub-headline that gives the reader moreinformation and details about a story.Find a some examples of sub-head-lines in the newspaper. Then choosean interesting short article and write asub-head that introduces the main ideafor each paragraph.

Think Positive (LA.E.1.2.4)

Make a list of people in today's newspa-per who you believe are positive thinkers.Then make a list of the negative thinkers.Compare the people on both lists. Who ismore successful, happy, productive andsatisfied? Write down your conclusions.

Something Good andNew (LA.B.2.3.1)

The news is often about troubles in theworld. But there are often good newsstories as well. Look in today’s newspa-per and Find a story about good news.What makes the news good? Does thestory have any impact on your life? Writea brief summary of your good news andshare it with your class.

Rubric Rating (LA.B.2.3.1)

Select a story that interests you. Rate thearticle using a rubric. A rubric (ROO-brick) is a scale you create to judgesomething using different categories.A rubric for a newspaper article couldinclude the following categories: Is the article organized? Does it have support-ing details? A satisfactory openingparagraph? A satisfactory closing para-graph? Is it fair? Rate your story in eachcategory on a one to six scale with sixbeing the best. Write a reason for your ratings. Compare your story with thosechosen by others in your class. Whichscored the highest?

Movie Promoter (LA.B.1.3.1)

You are a movie promoter. Your job isto get people to come see your movie.Look through the Entertainment sectionof the paper for one of your favoritemovies. Design an advertisement thatwill promote this film. Who are thestars? What kind of film is it? What arethe critics saying? Include all the impor-tant information. Then draw a pictureto place in the ad.

?Barbara Walters is a newswoman

famous for asking many good and interesting questions. Good reporters ask many questions to get the information they

need to write compelling stories. Choose one story in today's newspaperyou think is interesting or fun to read. As you read it, write a list of five questions you think the reporter asked in interviews for that story. Thenwrite three more questions you still would like to have

answered.

Good

Questions(LA.A.2.2.5)

!6

What’s new?What’s hot?What’s up? If you readthe newspaper, you’ll knowthe answers to these questions.And you’ll have new answerseach day because the newspa-per brings you the worldeveryday. If you want to knowwhat happens around theworld and around the block,the newspaper tells you.Surveys show that young peo-ple do care about the world.You care about social issueslike hunger and poverty. Youcare about the environment.You care about conflict aroundthe world and achieving worldpeace. You want to make adifference in the world andhelp to make our world abetter place to live tomorrow.It all starts with you andyour awareness of the world.Welcome to today’snewspaper, welcome totomorrow’s world.

Changing Times (SS.A.1.2 – 3)

Some people think that the worldchanges too quickly. Some things never(or almost never) change. Find onething in the newspaper that has notchanged for at least 100 years. Then findone thing that you think won’t changefor the next 100 years. Write about eachchoice you made.

Symbols (SS.A.2.2 – 1)

Clay tablets have been discovered inEgypt that may represent the earliest-known writings. Archaeologists believethe writings may be a symbol for earlycommerce that happened 5,300 yearsago. What symbols can you find in thenewspaper? Draw a representation ofone symbol and explain what it standsfor.

Getting Around (SS.A.2.2 –2)

How did you get to school today? Didyou walk or take a bus? Did you get aride or ride a bike or scooter? Did some-one pull you in a wagon? There are somany forms of transportation. Talk abouthow everyone in your class got toschool today. Then look through today'snewspaper to find pictures of all of theways people can get from one place toanother. Make a collage of all the pic-tures that you find. What are some ofthe good and bad things about eachway?

My How We’ve Changed (SS.A.3.2. –1)

Skim through today’s newspaper to findpictures of appliances or electronicequipment you wouldn’t have seen 50years ago. Then find those items youthink you won’t see 50 years from now.Choose one piece ofequipment and write adescription of how youthink it will be different.Draw a picture to gowith your description.

Freedom (SS.A.4.2 – 4)

Our national flag is a symbol of free-dom, as is our national anthem, “TheStar Spangled Banner.” Do a search ofcountries in the news and determinewhether thecitizens of thatcountry arefree. Make achart to showthe results ofyour search.

Law Day (SS.A.3.2 – 3)

May 1st is Law Day. Find an article inthe newspaper that discusses a law.Identify the purpose of the law. Howdoes this law affect your life each day?Draw a picture that shows the law inaction.

Violent Crime (SS.C.2.2 – 2)

Violent crime is at a low point, accord-ing to the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.The decline is due to a strong economy,police efforts and after-school programs.Is violent crime dominating the news?Examine the newspaper and decide ifyou think violent crime is decreasing.Write about your findings and conclu-sions.

Passport Please (SS.B.1.2 – 3)

The number of Americans with pass-ports continues to increase. Plan an itin-erary for a trip abroad using places men-tioned in the newspaper. Write a shortdescription of each destination and whyyou would like to go there.

Section 2: Social Studies Show youcare in a changing world

7

Hispanic Heritage (SS.A.6.2 – 4)

September 15th to October 15th marksHispanic Heritage Month. Check thenewspaper for Hispanics who are mak-ing the news. Write a summary of theperson’s story. Do you think there isadequate coverage of Hispanics in yournewspaper?

Geo-Sports (SS.B.1.2 – 1)

You might be surprised to know thatyou can learn a lot about geography byreading the Sports section. Skim the sec-tion to find the names of the home citiesof the professional sports teams. Lookon a map to determine which states arerepresented by the most cities.

Dateline (SS.B.1.2 – 3)

Select five datelines from around theworld and locate the places on a map.Then find five datelines for cities in theUnited States and locate them on a map,too. Did you think this was an easy orhard assignment?

Map of the Earth (SS.B.1.2 – 5)

The space shuttle Endeavor’s missiononce included taking detailed pictures ofthe Earth’s surface. That map of theEarth was the most complete and accu-rate three dimensional map of theworld. Find the most detailed map inthe newspaper. Write three observationsabout the map.

State of the Union ( SS.C.1.2 –5)

The President of the United States deliv-ers the State of the Union address everyJanuary. Use the stories in the newspa-per to assess the state of the union.What specific points do you think thepresident needs to consider? Write amemo to the president to persuade himto discuss these topics.

Issues of Young People (SS.C.2.2 – 4)

Young people of voting age pay lessattention to how government resolvesissues than older voters do. The youngsay that they don’t trust the governmentand don’t exercise their right to vote.Find stories about important governmentissues in the newspaper. Which issueswould teens be most likely to find inter-esting? Rank them in order of impor-tance for teens.

Volunteering(SS.C.2.2 – 1)

Are you interested in serving your com-munity? Many organizations promoteworthy causes and are in need of volun-teers. Find a project in the newspaperfor which you would like to volunteeryour services. Write a letter to the organ-ization explaining how you could helpfurther the cause.

E-commerce for Teens (SS.D.1.2 – 1)

Profits are soaring for online clothingretailers for teens. The incomes ofteenagers are rising and they love to buyonline. Use the newspaper to identifyproducts for teens that you would liketo buy over the Internet. Make a list ofthe factors you consider when making apurchase.

Teen Allowance (SS.D.2.2 –2)

A new study says that teenagers get amedian allowance of $50 a week. Usethe newspaper to plan an activity thatyou could do for $50. Consider trans-portation, food, and entertainment.Conduct a survey of your classmates tosee how much allowance they receive.Make a graph of the results.

Working in the Comics (SS.D.1.2 – 5)

Comic strips are often about the jobs ofthe characters. Turn to the comic sectionof the newspaper and see if you canfind characters and the jobs that theyperform. Make a list to show the infor-mation. Draw your own job-relatedcomic strip.

Natural Phenomenon (SS.B.2.2 – 2)

The FloridaKeys are themost likelyplace in theUnited Statesto be hit bya hurricane.In Kodiak,Alaska earth-quakes frequently rock their world. Skimthe newspaper for news of a naturalphenomenon. Write how this naturalevent affects the people who live in theregion.

Oil Prices (SS.D.2.2 – 1)

Nationwide, the price of gasoline hasgone up. How will this price rise affectthe prices of other products for con-sumers? Make a list of at least five itemsfrom today’s newspaper that go up inprice when gas prices go up andexplain why.

8

Making Predictions (SS.A.1.3 – 1)

Read the headline ofan article in thenewspaper. Afterreading the head-line, write a pre-diction about

what is going tohappen in the

story. Then read theentire article to find

out if your predic-tion is correct.Make a graphic

organizer or chart to show the sequenceof events in the story. In what ways isyour prediction accurate? How is yourprediction inaccurate?

Technological Advances (SS.A.2.3 –3)

Digital TV will bring clearer pictures,brighter colors and sharper sound. Findfive items in the newspaper that havemade technological advances in the pastfew years. Explain how the advanceshave made these products bet-ter and changed society.

Take Me to YourLeader (SS.C.1.3 –2)

In February, we cel-ebrate Presidents’Day to honor ournation's leaders.Find some informa-tion about the president in today’s news-paper. Write a brief report about hisactivities. Then look through the news-paper to find other leaders of the world.Make a chart to show their name, thecountry they represent and the title thatthey hold. Can you find one importantreason that these leaders are mentionedin the paper?

Livable Cities(SS.A.4.3 –1)

Every year a maga-zine picks the most“livable cities” in theU.S. The honor isbased on achieve-ments that make bet-ter communities, notlocation, climate or natural beauty. Whatdo you think are the most importantcharacteristics of a livable city? Then useyour newspaper to promote your areaas one of “America’s Most Livable” cities.Design a promotional brochure aboutyour city.

Environmental Report Card (SS.A.6.3

– 3)

Is your city or state government doing agood job caring for the environment? Doa newspaper search to justify your opin-ion. Then give both your city and state areport card based on their performance.Include your comments too.

Dangerous Travel (SS.B.1.3 – 1)

The State Department sometimes warnstravelers to avoid certain countriesbecause they are dangerous areas. Lookthrough the newspaper and decide howmany countries you would avoid if youwere about to travel abroad. List thecountries and the reasons why goingthere is risky. Then locate the countrieson a map.

Technology and the Environment(SS.B.2.3 – 6)

Look through the newspaper for an arti-cle that discusses an advance in technol-ogy. How will the environment beaffected by the change? As the head ofthe company, write a public statementexpressing how this change will be ben-eficial to the Earth.

Freedom of the Press (SS.C.1.3 – 1)

The first amendment of the Constitutionguarantees freedom of the press. Doyou think the press has too much free-dom? Write a paragraph explaining youranswer. Use examples from today’snewspaper to support your conclusion.

The West Wing (SS.C.1.3 –2)

The West Wing, the hit NBC series aboutthe White House, deals with all kinds ofgovernment issues. What are the mostimportant issues that are facing the realWhite House today? Skim the newspa-per and outline the main issues.

Government in Action (SS.C.1.3 – 5)

Find a news article in each of these cat-egories – local, state, national and inter-national. Indicate if any of the storieshave something to do with our govern-ment. Write a 5 W summary (who, what,when, where and why) of each storyyou find.

The Supreme Court’s Greatest Hits(SS.C.1.3 - 6)

The new CD, “The Supreme Court’sGreatest Hits,” contains some of thatcourt’s most important decisions. Is therea story about a court decision in today’snewspaper? Write a summary of thecase.

Use what you knowto take action!Social Studies

9

Top Issues (SS.C.2.3 – 5)

A recentnational pollshows theissues ofmost con-cern toAmericansare healthcare, tax cuts, Social Security, Medicare,gun control, and campaign financereform. For which of these issues canyou find stories in the newspaper? Writea letter to an elected official about howyou feel on these issues.

Tolerance (SS.C.2.3 – 6)

Are we a more tolerant society now thanwe were 10 years ago? Using onlytoday’s newspaper as a resource, makesome conclusions about the state of racerelations. Is diversity well represented inthe newspaper? Are there enough storiesabout various groups of people? Arethere any stories about racial issues?Skim the newspaper and choose twopeople of different races, religions,nationalities, or economic classes whocould benefit from a racial-reconciliationproject. Write a description of the peopleyou chose and the project from whichthey could learn about each other mosteffectively.

Making An Impact (SS.A.5.3 –2)

Rosa Parks made a difference in civilrights when she refused to move to theback of the bus. Can you find a politicalcause in today's newspaper that requiressome action? Which cause do you feel isworthy and what action could make adifference? Work in small groups todevelop a plan of action for your cause.

Civics (SS.C.2.3 – 1)

Civics is the branch of political sciencethat deals with the rights and responsi-bilities of citizens. According to a recentsurvey, about one-third of the nation’sstudents do not have a basic knowledgeof civics. Look through today’s newspa-per and find a story that would make agood civics lesson for your class. Write adescription of the lesson plan.

Caring Commercials (SS.D.1.3 – 3)

A new marketing strategy for some com-panies is to promote their image insteadof their products and services. Searchthrough the newspaper for companiesthat are using this strategy in their adver-tising. Why do you think companiesmay use this approach? What are theimportant factors you consider whenmaking a purchase?

House Hunting (SS.D.1.3 – 2)

You are interested in buying a homeand you will have to get a loan. Searchthrough your newspaper for interestrates that banks are offering. Then writea series of questions that you will needto ask the loan officer about borrowingmoney.

Cyber Shopping (SS.D.1.3 – 1)

Millions of Americans are shoppingonline to take advantage of this timesav-ing technology. Are you planning to dosome cybershopping? Look through thenewspaper for items that are availableonline. Make a chart with the followinginformation: the item, the retailer, theweb address and the price. Check outhttp://www.consumer.gov for a list ofprecautions to take when shoppingonline.

Buying a Car (SS.D.2.3 – 2)

Look in the used-car section of theClassified ads. Choose two differentmodels of cars. Make a Venn diagram tocompare the features and pertinent infor-mation of both vehicles. Which wouldyou choose to buy and why?

Dow Versus NASDAQ(SS.D.2.3 – 3)

Investorsin thestockmarket havemade huge gainsin recent times andprojections call for con-tinued economicgrowth, which means opportunities tomake more money. Analysts track stocks

on the Dow Jones and theNASDAQ. If given thechoice, where would youinvest your money to turnthe biggest profit? Study theBusiness section to find evi-dence to support your deci-

sion. Write an e-mail to yourstockbroker to explain your strategy.

Tails of State (SS.A.6.3 –5)

The United States Mint is honoring eachstate with a special quarter. The coinswill be minted in the order that the statejoined the union. George Washington isstill on the “heads” side but you cancheck out the newspaper for a particularnews event to honor your state thatcould appear on the “tails” side. Write abrief statement about this special eventand draw a representative picture for thequarter. Include an outline of your statesomewhere on your drawing.

10

How Old Are You? (MA.A.3.2.3)

What is your age? Can you find someoneyour age in today's newspaper? Skim someof the stories in the paper and find fivepeople whose ages are given. Compareeach age to your own by figuring out howmuch older or younger than you each per-son is. Are most people in your communityolder than you? Why do you think that is?

Salaries (MA.B.3.2.1)

Turn to the Help Wanted section ofthe classified ads in today's paper.Find five jobs that give salary informa-tion. Estimate how much you wouldearn in a week, a month and a yearfor each job. Make a chart to show theresults. Will this information affectyour career choice?

Average Age (MA.E.1.3.2)

Determine the ages of 11 people men-tioned in today's news. List the agesfrom youngest to oldest in a column.Circle the middle number, which iscalled the median. Add up the columnof numbers and divide the total by 11to find the average or mean.

Comic Graph (MA.E.1.2.1)

Comics use lots of characters, includinganimals and people, to tell their stories.If you look closely at the strips, you maybe surprised at just how many differentkinds of characters there are. List thecategories on a piece of paper andcount how many characters for each arefound in the comics, your list will

include: Women, Children, Animals,Men, etc. After counting up the items,create a graph showing the number ofeach. You can make a bar, picture or circle graph.

DoesAnybodyReallyKnowWhatTime It Is? (MA.B.1.2.2)

Checkthe TVgrid inthenewspa-per andfind the

startingtimes for

six showsyou have

watched or would like to watch. Drawclock faces showing what time each ison. Which is the shortest show? Whichis the longest? Which is the longestshow of all those listed on the grid?Compute how long that show lasts inboth minutes and seconds.

Teen Athletes (MA.E.1.1.1)

Some people wonder if we put too muchpressure on teens to be champion athletes.For every teen champion there are count-less others who have failed to make it tothis high status. Make a list of athletes intoday's newspaper who are in their teens.Figure out what fraction are professionals.Make a graph to show their ages. Do youthink that being a professional teen athleteis good or bad? Write a paragraph explain-ing your opinion.

Vowel Tally (MA.E.2.1.2)

Set up a chart with five columns on apiece of paper. Label each columnwith a vowel - A,E,I,O and U. Decidewhich vowel do you think is usedmost often in headlines. Write yourprediction above your chart. Thenmake a mark in each column for eachvowel you see in the headlines onPage One of the newspaper today.Which vowel is used most often? Showthe total number of vowels countedand write a fraction to show how

many times each vowel appears in thattotal.

Averages (MA.E.1.2.2)

How many paragraphs do you thinkare in each story on Page One oftoday's paper? Take a guess and thencount how many are actually in eachstory. With a calculator find the aver-age number of paragraphs found instories on the front page. What is theaverage number of paragraphs in sto-ries on page four? Find the differencebetween the averages on the twopages.

Fashion Plates(MA.E.1.1.1)

Get ready for a seriousshopping spree. Scan thenewspaper ads for the latestfashions and decide what youwill need for the season. Make achart comparing prices of arti-cles of clothing you want tobuy and the stores wherethey are sold. Which storesoffer the best values? Whatis the total cost of all theitems you selected?

Random Acts of Kindness(MA.E.1.2.3)

Skim today's paper and choose ten peo-ple from the stories. Now rate these peo-ple on a 1-10 scale to measure their kind-ness. The kindest people should receivea ten and the least kind a one. Create agraph to show the results. Write a briefexplanation for your ratings as well. Iffive were the middle rating,how many of your news-makers were abovethe middle? Howmany below?

Making numbers work for you!Section 3: Mathematics

If you flip a coin to make a decision, will it landon heads or tails? If you and everyone in yourclass each flipped the coin 50 times and you eachkept records of how it fell, what do you think theresults would be? What is the probability that itwill land on heads more often than tails? If youunderstand data analysis and probability, youknow that if you graphed the results of yourclass experiment, you could easily see the infor-mation and you would know if your predictionwas right. If you can analyze data you canunderstand lots of ways to use numbers.

1 716

3

910

21

11

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 2 0

Interesting Interest (MAE.A.1.1.1)

When you borrow money from a bankyou have to pay a charge called inter-est. The amount you pay is a percent-age of the amount you borrowed. Thatpercentage is called the interest rate.This rate changes all the time and is dif-ferent at each bank. Look through theBusiness pages for five advertised inter-est rates. Make a graph showing thevarious rates and then write three state-ments about your graph.

What’s My Line?(MA.E.3.2.1)

Advertisements offer products or servic-es for sale. Take a section of today'snewspaper and look at all the displayads in it. Count how many of the adsare selling products, how many are sell-ing services and how many are sellingboth. Total up the three categories.Make a graph to show the results.Whichtype of graphs could be used? Writeeach category as a fraction or percent-age of the whole.

Local,State,National,World (MA.E.3.2.1)

News can happenanywhere. Look atthe front page of the newspaper andgroup the news that appears there.How many of the stories are about alocal issue? How many are about yourstate, the nation or the world? Decidewhich stories fit into each of these fourgroups. Make a bar or circle graphshowing how many stories are in eachgroup.

TV and the NFL (MA.E.1.3.1)

Talk about a big deal. The NationalFootball League signed record-break-ing contracts for the rights to televisefootball games. Look through thepaper, especially the Business pages,to find other big deals that have beenmade. What companies and/or peoplewere involved?

Couch Potatoes (MA.E.3.2.1)

How much time do you spend watch-ing TV? Turn to the television page inthe newspaper today and pick out allthe television shows that you are plan-ning to watch this evening. Add up thenumber of hours you will watch.Compare how many hours you watchTV with your classmates' totals. Make aclass graph to show the results ofeveryone. Compare the TV watchingtime to the time spent on home chores,homework, and other recreation.

Graphing the Stock Market(MA.E.3.3.1)

Check out the Business pages and findthe information on the stock market.The stocks that are leading gainers orlosers or the most active are listed forthe New York Stock Exchange,American Stock Exchange and NAS-DAQ National Market. Pick one of thecategories (e.g., most active) and makea bar graph to show the results.Remember to title your graph. Whatquestions can you answer according tothe information on your graph?

Top Advertisers (MA.E.1.3.1)

The top advertisers on a typical weekof television are Sears, J.C. Penney,McDonald's, Wal-Mart and RadioShack. Based on the size of their ads,who are the top advertisers in today'snewspaper? Make a graph to showyour findings.

Celebrate the Differences(MA.E.1.1.1)

Skim through the pictures in the news-paper. Count the number of differentraces and ethnic groups that are repre-sented in the paper. How many malesand females are there? You may wantto work in small groups with eachgroup counting a section of the news-paper. What conclusions can be madeby the results of the information? Writedown three facts about your discoveries.

Box Scores (MA.E.1.4.1)

Just by reading the box scores you canfind an amazing amount of informa-tion about a baseball game . Lookthrough the Sports pages to find thebox scores from one of the games.Make a chart for both teams showingsome of the important information butdo not include the final score. Pass thedata to a classmate to see if he or shecan figure out who won the game.What conclusions can you draw fromthis activity?

Television Graphing (MA.E.1.2.1)

Check the TV listings in the newspa-per for today's shows. Count the num-ber of talk shows, sporting events,game shows, drama, cartoons, andcomedies. Are there other categories that you could include?Count them as well. Make a bar or cir-cle graph to show how many of eachtype of show are scheduled for today.Write three facts about your graph.Which is your favorite type of show?

Mean,Medium,Mode

(MA.E.1.3.2)

List the high temperaturefor sevencities in the UnitedStates. Add thenumbers togetherand divide by seven. The answer isthe average or mean. List the tempera-tures from highest to lowest. Find thenumber that is in the middle or fourth.This number is the median. Are any ofthe temperatures the same? Whichnumber came up most often?

12

Numbers, Numbers Everywhere!In this section you’ll practice number sense so that you canunderstand what numbers mean and how you can use themin your life everyday. You will also practice operations likeaddition, subtraction and multiplication so you can use thenumbers wisely and well. So, get ready! Get set! Get thepower to go! Count numbers as your friends.

Sports Math (MA.A.1.2.3)

Skim today's Sports section to find interestingstories about two different sports. Read the sto-ries and list all the ways that math is used ineach sport. Do you think sports could existwithout math? Why or why not? Can you thinkof a sport that doesn't use numbers to keep thescore of each individual game? Assuming that

you chose stories about sports that use numbers to keepscore, can you think of a way to keep score for each sportwithout using numbers?

Pricing (MA.A.3.2.2)

Find an advertisement in the paper that gives the cost of a prod-uct. How much would it cost if you bought two items? Howmuch would you spend if you purchased one for every memberof your family or your class? Suppose the item was 1/2 off orreduced by 30%? Find the cost.

Point Spread (MA.A.3.2.1)

Practice your math skills while skimming the Sports pages forinformation. Create a chart with four columns on a piece ofpaper. You will be finding sports scores to complete your chart.In the first column write the name of the sport. In the secondcolumn write the name of each team and the score each earned.In the third column compute the difference between the twoscores, or the point spread and in the fourth column put the totalpoints scored by both teams. Find the scores for at least fivegames.

It’s Odd (MA.A.5.1.1)

Odd numbers always have a 1,3,5,7, or 9 in the ones column.What makes them odd numbers? Write an explanation to showthat you know what makes a number odd. Now look throughyour newspaper and create a list of ten odd numbers. Use somenumbers that have at least 3 digits. Can you write the numbersusing words? Where did you find most of the numbers?

Auto Numbers (MA.A.2.2.1)

Find a page in the newspaper that has pictures of cars for sale.Pick five cars with prices and circle all the numbers in the onescolumn in red. Circle the tens column numbers in blue, the hun-dreds column numbers in yellow and the thousands in green.Does one number show up in the ones column more than anyother? Why do you think this is so?

Plan an Activity (MA.A.4.2.1)

Search through your newspaper for an activity or an event thatyou would like to do with your family. Is there an admissioncost? Does the activity involve eating? What will those costs be?Be sure to include the travel expenses such as bus fare, gas, orparking. Make an educated guess to figure out what you willspend. What is the total cost of the outing? What makes it agood family event?

Roman Numerals (MA.A.2.2.2)

Select a page from today's newspaper and list 25 numbers thatare on the page. How many of those can you convert to Romannumerals? What's the highest number you found? Which did youfind most frequently? Not using page numbers, can you find num-bers for the age of each of your family members? Write their agesin Roman numerals. What’s the highest number you found?What’s the lowest? Which number did you find most frequently?Can you arrange your Roman Numerals in numerical order?

Use Your Brain (MA.A.3.2.1)

You can use the number of pages in each section of the news-paper to create math problems for your classmates to solve.Find out how many pages there are in each section. Then usethat information to write simple math problems for your friendsto compute. For example, “Take the number of pages in onenewspaper section and add your age. What do you have?” Writethree problems and exchange them with a friend. Solve theproblems you receive.

–+When a major league batter's average is .340, is that good or bad? If a football player runs 10 yards for a touchdown is that a longdistance or a short jog? If you want to buy a car and it costs $18,095, how long will it take you to pay for it if you are paying 4.9%interest for five years? What mathematical operations will you need to know to figure these out? When you understand number con-cepts, you really know what you need in order to make important decisions about life. You'll know what you need to know tosurvive and be a smart shopper, and you'll even know how to enjoy life and have fun! The activities in this section will help youget ready to go and conquer the world of math in everyday life.

13

Patterns (MA.A.2.1.1)

Patterns are found throughout mathematics. Cut out numbersfrom the newspaper and paste them on to a sheet of paper tocreate some math pattern problems. Leave blank spaces thatneed to be filled in to complete your pattern. For example,you could have a problem that reads 5, __, 15, __. Or youcould have 2, 4, 6, __. Make sure to know and rememberwhat your pattern is. Then exchange your paper with a part-ner to see how well others understand the patterns. See whocan create the most challenging pattern.

Stock Market Prices (MA.A.1.2.4)

Instead of counting in money amounts, the stock marketmeasures prices in fractional parts. A law was introduced inCongress to change this practice. Do you think that is a goodor a bad idea? Look through the stock listings in today's news-paper. List the different fractional parts that are quoted on thestock exchange. Then convert the fractions you find into decimals.

Cost of Living (MA.A.3.3.2)

Use the House for Sale ads to find 10 houses that you mightlike to purchase. List the houses in orderof least to most expensive. Compare themost and least expensive homes. Whatdoes the most expensive house have thatthe least expensive one does not have? Ifyou put 20% down on the most expen-sive house, how much money will youneed to borrow to pay for the rest?

Shopping for Mortgages (MA.A.3.3.3)

Most people who want to buy a house borrow money from abank or a mortgage company in order to pay for their home.They shop around to find a low interest rate so the cost will beless. Look through the Business section of the newspaper forinformation about interest rates for borrowing money. Mortgagecompanies and banks often advertise their rates. Make a list ofthe rates and put them in order from lowest to highest.

It’s for Sale (MA.A.3.3.3)

Products and services are for sale throughout the newspaper.Find some of the things that you are interested in buying. Makea list of five possible purchases. How much does each onecost? If there was a 1/2 off sale what would item cost? Figureout the prices if they were reduced by 1/3 and 1/4.

O h No! Tax Time! (MA.A.3.3.3)

By April 15 of every year Americans are responsible for payingtheir taxes to the government. If their forms aren’t on the wayto the Internal Revenue Service by that day, they are late. Theformula can be complicated but, most taxpayers pay about 30%of their income to the government. Look through the HelpWanted ads and find the salaries for five jobs. Figure out what30% of those salaries would actually be.

Buying Advertising (MA.A.4.3.1)

Because newspapers are widely read, advertising is an effectiveway to make people aware of a product or service. Suppose afull page of black and white advertisement costs $5,000. Findfive ads of different sizes in the newspaper. How much wouldeach one cost based on the $5,000 per page price? How couldyou figure out if advertising is worth it for your business?

Nifty Fifties (MA.A.4.3.1)

For $50,000 you can buy a flashy sports car, a power boat or areally fancy vacation. What is worth $50,000 to you? Findsomething in the paper that you think is worth $50,000. Youcan estimate the cost if necessary. Then find items worth$5,000, $500, $50 and $5. Why do you think each is worth theprice?

Sports Coverage (MA.A.1.3.1)

Are men and women treated equally insports coverage? Look through today'sSports section and count how manyarticles are about men and how many areabout women. What is the difference in thenumber for each group? For a challenge, figure out the percent-age of stories about men, compared to the stories aboutwomen. Write a sentence explaining why you think there is adifference between the numbers.

Stock Splits (MA.A.1.3.2)

Stocks are shares people can buy to become part owners of acompany. It's great news to stockholders when a stock "splits."Often, this means that the number of shares doubles while thevalue of each share is cut in half. Look at the stock marketpage and find a symbol that indicates a stock has split recently.Then choose any five stocks and figure out how much eachshare would be worth if the stock split as above. What is theadvantage of having a stock split? Is there a disadvantage?

Sports Budgeting (MA.A.3.3.1)

Think about what equipment you would need to field a pro-fessional sports team. Look in the Sports pages and find thebox scores to see how many players are on a team. Lookthrough the paper and price any equipment or whatever elseis necessary for all your players. Make a chart to show yourfindings.

Car Costs (MA.A.1.2.2)

New cars cost a great deal of money, however, if you shopthrough the newspaper you just might be able to find a “greatdeal.” Use the ads in today’s paper to find a new car for lessthan $10,000. If you really want a challenge, try to find the leastexpensive new car in today’s ads. Write a description of thenew car you found. Would you buy this car? Why or why not?

x–

14

Round Off (MA.A.4.3.1)

Before you begin this activity, you’llwant to review with your teacher theprocess of rounding off numbers to thenearest hundred. Then, with your class,find the ads for cars in today’s newspa-per. Choose 10 cars that are picturedwith their prices. Round off each priceto the nearest hundred. Compare theprice differences between the mostexpensive car and the other cars. Makea chart to show the results.

Temperature (MA.B.4.2.2)

Check the newspaper for the predictedhigh and low temperatures in your area.Make two drawings of thermometers andshow both of the temperatures on thescale. What is the difference between thehigh and the low? Draw a thermometerthat indicates the temperature of yourclassroom. Do you have thermometers inschool to measure the temperature out-side?

Movie Time (MA.B.3.2.1)

Reading the newspaper can be entertain-ing but the paper is also a great place toget information about other entertainingactivities. The newspaper tells us aboutmovies, sports, theater programs, festi-vals, and recreational events that wemight want to attend. Find the movie list-ings in today’s paper. Circle at least threemovies you would like to see. Estimatethe length of time of the movie. Estimatethe length of time needed to get themovie, see it, and return home.

Metric Search (MA.B.2.2.2)

Many sports use measurement for regula-tion of events. (length of a race, height ofjumps, etc.) Some sports use US custom-ary measurements (foot, yard, mile) andsome use metric (meters, kilometers, kilo-grams). Some sports use both. Skimtoday’s Sports section to find a sport thatuses metric measurement and a sport thatuses our customary measurement. Write aword problem about each sport using theform of measurement you found.Exchange your word problems with afriend to solve.

Time Is On My Side (MA.B.4.2.1)

News stories tell about what happens andwhen it happens. Words that tell whenan event took place can be foundthroughout the newspaper. Make a list ofall the words that are related to the timethat a news event occurred.

Triangular Stamps (MA.C.1.1.1)

The U.S. Postal Service is no longersquare, thanks to its new triangular-shaped stamps. One three-sided stampfeatures a clipper ship and a second pic-tures a stagecoach. Find 10 triangles, 10squares and 10 rectangles in the paperand trace them. Which shape was easiestto find? Write a sentence explaining whythat is the case. Finish by finding an itemor article in the paper that you thinkwould be a good subject for a new trian-gular stamp.

Fraction Funnies (MA.A.1.2.4)

Turn to the comics page in the dailynewspaper. Have you ever noticed that

some comics are divided into fractionalparts? Select one of the strips and color in1/4 of the strip. Now color in 2/4. Whatfraction is equivalent to 2/4? Can you finda comic strip that is divided into thirds?Can you find a comic strip that is notdivided into equal, fractional parts?Combine two four-part comic strips andcolor in 3/8. What other fractional partscan you create from the panels of comicstrips?

Graphing Pro Sports (MA.E.1.3.1)

Turn to the Sports section and pick five ofyour favorite professional teams. Make adouble bar graph showing each team'swins in red and losses in blue. Be sure tolabel the name of each team on thegraph. Write three questions to ask aclassmate about the graph.

Weather Watch (MA.B.1.2.1)

Find the weather section in your newspa-per. Select the high temperatures of fivecities. Compare the temperature of thosecities with the temperature where youlive over a period of five days. Make aline graph to show the information, usinga different color for each city. Write downthree questions that can be answered bylooking at your graph. See if someone inyour class can answer the questions.

Comparison Shopping (MA.B.3.3.1)

Your newspaper can help you savemoney when you buy items you needor want. Skim today’s paper for a prod-uct that is advertised by more than onestore. The items will need to have adescription. Televisions and VCR's areusually easy to find. Find two ads forthe same or similar product. For exam-ple, can you find two ads for 25" colortelevisions? Give the ad to a partner,but be sure the price is not visible. Canyour partner figure out which productis most expensive by using the informa-tion he/she has been given? Then com-pare the actual prices by subtracting thelower price from the higher price. Thenfind the percentage of difference whencompared to the lower price.

If you think about it, you probablyknow a lot about measuring and frac-tions and temperature. After all, whenyou order a pizza and there are eightpeople sharing, you probably know that each of youwill get 1/8 of the pie. When you getdressed for school and it's 95 degreesyou know to wear something differentthan what you wear when it's 60degrees outside. When you shop andyou have $20 to spend you probablycan quickly figure out whether or not you canafford three things that each cost$5.95. The things you do everyday —shopping, eating, getting dressed —all of these need good math skills. Thissection helps you practice skills ofmeasuring and estimation so that youcan learn how to use math quickly tomake your life easier.

time15

True or False? (MA.B.1.3.1)

Do you think this statement is true —A newspaper contains about 60 per-cent ads and 40 percent news. Findout by working in small groups. Eachgroup can do this with a different sec-tion of the newspaper. Find the area ofthe amount of space on one pagewith a calculator. Multiply by the num-ber of pages in the section. That num-ber is the total space of that section.Next measure the space filled withadvertising, both classified and display ads. Combine the data from allthe groups and divide the advertisingspace by the total space. Multiply by100 to find the percent. What do youthink determines the size of the news-paper, the ads or the news?

Math Is All Around (MA.B.1.1.1)

How many measurement concepts canyou find in today's newspaper? Skim thenewspaper to find words about time(dates, ages, clocks), length (distance,height, dimensions), weight, tempera-ture, and capacity (volume). Using theinformation you find, write two wordproblems on a separate piece of paper.Exchange with a classmate and solve theproblems. For more of a challenge, seeif you can find the solution numbers inthe paper without using any of thepages used to create the math problemsyou were given to solve.

Per Square Foot (MA.B.2.4.2)

Look through the classified ads for the"Homes for Sale" section. Find three tofive ads that give you the price of thehome and the square footage. Squarefootage is the amount of area inside ahouse. Figure out how much eachhouse costs per square foot. How muchdoes this cost vary? What factors otherthan size might affect the cost of ahouse?

Column Inches (MA.B.1.3.1)

The price that advertisers pay for ads isbased on the size of the ad. An ad thatis three columns wide and four inches

long is 12 column inches (3 x 4 = 12).Use a ruler to measure five ads intoday’s paper. Measure the ads and usethe multiplication formula to figure outthe total column inches. Which ad isthe largest and which is the smallest?

Map Reading (MA.B.1.3.4)

Find the largest map in today’s newspa-per. The map will need a scale to meas-ure distance. Use a ruler and the scale tofind the distance between two points onthe map. Pick several other locations andfind the distance between them. Recordyour information in a chart.

Bull Market (MA.B.3.3.1)

People are investing in the stock marketand making lots of money. Informationabout stocks can be found in theBusiness section. Find the NYSE listings(New York Stock Exchange) in theBusiness pages or section. Go shoppingusing the stock charts provided. Pick onestock that you like. Find the column thatshows the price under the columnmarked LAST. Convert the figure to adollar amount (131/2 = $13.50). Howmuch would your stock cost if youbought ten shares? Compute the cost often shares each of five different stocks.Check the newspaper listings tomorrowto find out if your stock is worth moreor less. Keep a record over time to deter-mine how much you could earn withthis stock.

Fractional PartsScavenger Hunt (MA.A.1.2.3)

Fractions are a often used to show partof something. Fractions can be foundeverywhere in life. See if you can find

any of these fractions in today's newspa-per: a fraction that is more than two-tenths (2/10); two-thirds (2/3) of a comicstrip; a store that is giving one-quarter(1/4) off; a team that has won more thanhalf its games; an advertisement thattakes up more than one-half (1/2) of apage; a picture that is one-quarter (1/4)of a page; a stock that gained seven-eighths (7/8) of a point. Convert thesefractions to decimals.

The Survey Says (MA.E.3.2.1)

Look at the index of the newspaper.Create a questionnaire to survey the stu-dents in your class about their favoritesitems or sections in the paper. Write atleast five questions that would make upyour questionnaire. Make a chart orgraph that illustrates the results of thesurvey showing everyone’s favorite partof the paper. What did you learn fromthe survey?

Sports Space (MA.E.1.2.1)

Skim through the Sports pages of thenewspaper and list all the sports that arecovered. Based on your observations,which sports are receiving the most cov-erage? List the sports in order from mostspace to least space. Would you expectthe same result at a different season ofthe year? Write a paragraph to describehow you determined the results.

Photo Op (MA.B.1.4.1)

Find the largest picture on the frontpage. Use a metric ruler to measure thetop of the picture and one of the sidesand then find the area of the picture.Use the same steps to find the area offour other pictures.

Money

temperature16

THE NEWSPAPER IS A WONDERFUL SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR ITS READERS. When youuse it in your science classroom, it can motivate you to learn more about the

ways science affects your life. As you read the stories of how science is relevantand important, you will become aware of how science touches every part of your

life. From the machines you play with and learn with, to the tools that make your lifeeasier, science is part of everything you do. And the best part about learning science

through the newspaper is that you can be really up-to-date because the newspaper isfresh each day. You’ll learn today about the science making news today. You won’t haveto wait until tomorrow to see the future! Think about this – how many electronic items canyou find in today’s newspaper that did not even exist ten years ago? Yes, science changesour lives everyday and the newspaper lets you know just what’s happening so you won’tmiss a thing!

REACHFOR THE FUTURE

PROBLEM SOLVING(SC.H.3.2.4)

Find a story in the newspaper about ascience-related problem. Think of threeways science might help solve the prob-lem. List the kind of science that wouldbe involved with each solution.

HIGH TECH (SC.H.1.2.4)

Search the ads in today’s newspaper for ahigh-tech product you use. Write a sen-tence stating how you think this productwill change in the next 10 years. Drawan ad for your new product.

ELECTRICITY (SC.B.1.2.2)

Search the ads in today's newspaper tofind pictures of 5 things that are electri-cally powered. Choose one you couldlive without and write a paragraph tellingwhy.

WATER (SC.D.1.2.2)

Scientists have discovered an extraterres-trial ocean on one of the moons ofJupiter. It is the first ocean discoveredsince Balboa discovered the PacificOcean 500 years ago. Use the newspaperto find other bodies of water and make alist of the ones you find. See if you canlocate them on a map, too. Do youknow how much of the Earth’s surface iscovered by water?

DISCOVERIES (SC.H.3.2.3)

Look through today’s newspaper for astory about a scientific discovery. Write asentence explaining why the discovery isimportant.

RECYCLING(SC.D.2.2.1)

Search through the newspaper for itemsthat can be recycled. Make a list of theitems and write what material each ismade of. Then make a graph showingwhich recyclable material is most com-monly found. Write three observationsabout your graph.

CLONING (SC.G.2.2.1)

Cloning is a way of copying a neworganism from a single cell. Scientists areable to clone animals and plants andcloning people could be next. What per-son in the news would you want toclone if you could? List your reasons forchoosing this person.

INVENTIONS (SC.H.3.2.1)

Thomas Edison’s creative ideas led tomany great inventions. Choose onemachine or appliance in an ad in today’snewspaper and write a paragraph tellinghow your life would be different if some-one had not invented it.

SCIENCE SEARCH(SC.H.1.2.3)

Take a guess about how many sciencestories you might find in today's newspa-per. Write your guesses on the board.Then, working in small groups, with eachgroup taking a different section of thepaper, count the stories that have somescience in them. What are some of thetopics and how close was your guess tothe actual number?

WEATHER REPORT(SC.H.2.2.1)

Check out the weather report in yournewspaper. How accurate was the fore-cast? Write which parts of the report werecorrect and which were incorrect. Canyou find any weather news in today’snewspaper, besides the forecast? Write asummary of where the weather storytook place and why it was news.

17

Section 4: Science

WEATHERDOTS

(SC.D.1.2.4)

If yournewspaperhas a weath-er map andinformation,try this activ-ity. Take ared crayonand put a

dot on thefive cities with the warmest tempera-tures. Use a blue crayon to dot the fivecoldest cities. Circle any cities where it israining. Underline the cities that havesunny weather. Select the place that youwould like to be.

HEATH CLUBEXPLOSION (SC.F.1.2.1)

The number of health clubs has dramati-cally increased, as people are concernedwith maintaining a healthy life style. Findfive health-related items in the newspa-per and write a brief statement abouteach, explaining how these items pro-mote healthy minds and bodies.

THE SENSES (SC.G.1.2.2)

The five senses are sight, smell, taste,hearing and touch. Our senses help usto interact with the world around us. Usethe newspaper to find words and pic-tures that go with each of the senses.Then make a chart to illustrate the yourfindings.

MEASURE ME (SC.A.1.2.1)

Select a photograph from the newspaper.Measure the height and width of thephoto. Can you figure out the perimeter?How about the area?

TECHNOLOGY WORKS( SC.H.3.2.1)

Make a “Technology Works for Me”poster. Divide into groups and huntthrough the newspaper for products thatuse technology. Cut out the pictures,paste them on a poster and write a sen-tence about how each one helps you.

MACHINE MADNESS( SC.H.1.2.2)

Find a picture or an article about amachine. Write a paragraph thatdescribes the machine and how it oper-ates. How does this machine impact onyou, your family and society?

ELECTRONICCOMMUNICATIONS(SC.H.1.2.1)

Use your newspaper to see how manydifferent types of electronic communica-tions you can find. Record the method ofcommunication and its specific use on achart. Then list other ways each onecould be used.

SOURCES OF ENERGY(SC.B.2.2.3)

Scan your newspaper and make a list often items that need an energy source tooperate. What type of energy powerseach item? What is the purpose of eachitem? Make a chart to show your find-ings.

POLLUTION WATCH(SC.D.2.2.1)

We need the Earth’s resources to surviveso it is important to take care of ourenvironment. Search your newspaper forexamples of pollution. Find a type ofpollution in each of these categories –air pollution, water pollution and noisepollution. Write about the causes of eachkind of pollution

NATURAL DISASTERS(SC.D.1.2.5)

Look through the newspaper for storiesabout natural disasters - hurricanes, tor-nadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes, floods,and wildfire. Read the story and pretendyou are an on-the-scene-reporter. Write asummary of the story for a televisionbroadcast and include how the environ-ment has changed as a result of thecatastrophe.

CHANGING SEASONS(SC.E.1.2.1)

What season is it now? Make a list or acollage of the signs of the season thatyou find in the newspaper. You can usethe ads, the stories and the photos. Whatdo you like about this time of the year?

DOMESTIC ANIMALS( SC.F.1.2.3)

Animals that make good pets are calleddomestic animals. Lions and tigers wouldnot be good pets and are not domesticanimals. Skim the Pet for Sale orAdoption ads to find a pet that would beright for you. Write a letter to that ani-mal, inviting it to live in your home.

EARTH DAY (SC.G.2.2.3)

April 22nd is Earth Day, a day set asideto celebrate and protect our environ-ment. What organizations in the newsare friends of the earth? Which organiza-tions are not? Make a list for each cate-gory.

18

SMART APPLIANCES(SC.B.1.3.1)

Imagine refrigerators that keep track offood and mixers that do their ownmeasuring. Smart appliances like thesedo exist. Design your own smart appli-ances, based on ones you see in thenewspaper. From what sources will theyreceive energy? Write a description ofyour new creations.

PHYSICS IN SCIENCE(SC.C.2.3.1)

Stories in the Sports section oftendescribe how technology affects players.Rules of gravity or friction affect howballs or pucks behave. Summarize astory in today's Sports section that some-how connects science to sports.

INTERNETACTIVITIES (SC.H.3.3.6)

Use the newspaper to plan a day’sworth of activities. Select activities thatoffer additional information about themon the Internet. Then make a scheduleand write a description of each activitythat could work into your schedule.What other information could you findon the Internet?

E-COMMERCEEDUCATION (SC.H.3.3.5)

With the growing demand for experts inbusiness and technology, colleges areoffering a new major in e-commerce.What information should be taught inthese courses? Use your newspaper tohelp design a class in e-commerce. Writean outline of your course description.

GREENHOUSE EFFECT(SC.G.2.3.4)

Are you worried about acid rain and thegreenhouse effect? Find evidence in thenewspaper that new technologies cancreate a cleaner environment. Use thenews to uncover new technologies thatare causing more pollution.

DO THE RIGHT THING(SC.H.3.3.1)

Look through the newspaper today orfor several days and find stories aboutdiscoveries in medicine or science. Foreach, list what you think would be a“right” use and what you think wouldbe a “wrong” use.

WEB PAGES (SC.H.3.3.7)

Web pages are everywhere. Just for fun,skim the newspaper to find how manyweb pages are mentioned, either in thenews or in the ads. It may be easiest towork in small groups with each groupchecking one section of the paper. Thencreate graphs categorizing the types ofbusinesses that have web pages.

GRAPH IT (SC.H.1.3.4)

Find an ad in today’s paper that has pic-tures of several appliances or electronicitems. Survey your class to find out howmany of each item shown are in thehomes of your classmates. For example,how many TVs are there in each homeand how many is that altogether? Take acount of each item pictured and make agraph showing the results of the count.

CAR FEATURES (SC.H.3.3.4)

The latest model cars offer high-techfeatures for luxury and safety. Lookthrough advertisements in the newspa-per for mention of some of theseoptions. Find a photo of a car and labelthe features. Give each feature a priceand total the prices.

SOLAR SYSTEMS (SC.E.2.3.1)

Astronomers have discovered the firstmultiplanet solar system outside of ourown. Although it seems unlikely thatthere is life on these planets, imaginethat you could communicate some infor-mation to beings of these planets. Write3 important pieces of information fromthe newspaper that should be shared.

GOING UP (SC.E.1.3.2)

With the development of aninternational space station the worldnow has a laboratory for biology, medi-cine and Earth science. Find an article inthe newspaper that deals with one ofthe sciences that will be researched onthe station. Underline the main idea ofeach paragraph and then write a sum-mary of the story.

19

Science and Technology The Bridge to a New World

SPACEPORTS (SC.E.1.3.1)

A new space race is on to create aspaceport with rocket ships coming andgoing. The new venture will provideopportunities for new jobs. Check theclassifieds and then write your own helpwanted ad for a new job classificationthat will be needed for this spaceport.Be creative!

A HOT YEAR (SC.D.1.3.3)

Check out the weather page and indi-cate which cities of the world have tem-peratures above the 58.1 average tem-perature and which are below the aver-age. Does there seem to be particularweather patterns in the hottest cities?Then write a paragraph explaining whythe temperatures might be getting hotter.

PRESERVATION ORPROGRESS (SC.D.2.3.2)

Search the newspaper for an article thatdeals with an environmental problem.Using the article as a resource, list threereasons why progress is necessary andthree reasons why protecting the envi-ronment is impor-tant.

TECHNOLOGYAND THEENVIRONMENT (SC.G.1.3.4)

Search your newspaper for a reportabout an advancement in environmentaltechnology. What company is responsi-ble for the progress? Imagine that youare a company executive and write apublic statement expressing how thechange will benefit the earth.

BODY TYPES (SC.F.2.3.2)

There are three types of bodies - endo-morphs which are solid, round andpowerful, mesomorphs which are mus-cular yet agile, and ectomorphs whichare lean and long. Most people are amixture of all three. Look at some of thepeople pictured in the newspaperand find examples ofthe different bodytypes. Which is mostlike you?

OBESITYEPIDEMIC(SC.F.1.3.5)

Americans are gaining more andmore weight, according to arecent study. Use yournewspaper to find activities thatprovide good exercise. Which activitiesin the newspaper would not be goodexercise? Explain how each of yourchoices fits into the appropriate catego-ry.

GYM CLASS (SC.F.1.3.7)

Today children spend a great deal oftime in front of televisions and comput-ers. They eat lots of fast food whichcauses a rise in childhood obesity. Thiscould translate into a generation withweak hearts and a potential health-caredisaster. New gym classes put moreemphasis on lifetime approaches to fit-ness so all children can get the neces-sary physical activity. Design a physicalfitness exercise class using portions ofthe various sports mentioned in thenewspaper. You could throw a basket-ball through a hoop, run the length ofthe court and jump over a hockey stick.Then evaluate how much physical activi-ty you actually get each day.

CONFUSED ABOUTHEALTH? (SC.H.3.3.3)

There are many different health reme-dies on the market and Americans areconfused about what really works toimprove health. Check out the ads for ahealth product that clearly makes itspoint. Answer the 5 W’s -- who, what,when, where and why about the prod-uct. How can consumers find out aboutthe risks and benefits?

MEDICAL E-MAIL (SC.F.1.3.1)

Busy doctors have replaced the housecall with e-mail. Now patients can getthrough to their doctors without havingto call. What medical news can you findin today’s newspaper? Make a list of 5questions that youwould like toask a doctor.

HEALME (SC.H.1.3.1)

A new medical text-book is now on theInternet. Experts say itis one of the bestonline resources. Morethan two million peopleare already using that Web site,Emedicine.com. Find a medical problemin the news that needs to be solved.Identify the who, what, where, when,and why in an outline of the story.

20

INDEX TO BENCHMARKSSECTION 1: LANGUAGE ARTS

Page 1 Activities:

Comic Capers - LA.A.2.2.1The student reads text and determines the main idea or essen-tial message, identifies relevant supporting details and facts,and arranges events in chronological order.

Sentence? - LA.A.1.2.1The student uses a table of contents, index, headings, cap-tions, illustrations, and major words to anticipate or predictcontent and purpose of a reading selection.

Sportsmanship - LA.A.2.2.3The student recognizes when a text is primarily intended topersuade.

Fact or Opinion - LA.A.2.2.6The student recognizes the difference between fact and opin-ion presented in a text.

Create a Character - LA.A.2.2.8The student selects and uses a variety of appropriate referencematerials, including multiple representations of informationsuch as maps, charts, and photos, to gather information forresearch projects.

Movie Madness - LA.A.1.2.3The student uses simple strategies to determine meaning andincrease vocabulary for reading, including the use of prefixes,suffixes, root words, multiple meanings, antonyms, synonyms,and word relationships.

New Words - LA.A.1.2.2The student selects from a variety of simple strategies, includ-ing the use of phonics, word structure, context clues, self-questioning, confirming simple predictions, retelling, and usingvisual cues to identify words and construct meaning from vari-ous texts, illustrations, graphics, and charts.

Page 2 Activities:

Predict the Future - LA.A.2.2.2The student identifies the author's purpose in a simple text.

Index Scavenger Hunt - LA.A.2.3.6The student uses a variety of reference materials, includingindexes, magazines, newspapers, and journals, and tools,including card catalogs and computer catalogs to gather infor-mation for research topics.

Character Analysis - LA.A.2.3.7The student synthesizes and separates collected informationinto useful components using a variety of techniques, such assource cards, note cards, spreadsheets, and outlines.

Comics and You - LA.A.2.3.8The student checks the validity and accuracy of informationobtained from research, in such ways as differentiating factand opinion, identifying strong vs. weak arguments, and

recognizing that personal values influence the conclusions anauthor draws.

Smiling Faces - LA.A.1.3.3 and LA.A.1.3.4-The student demonstrates consistent and effective use ofinterpersonal and academic vocabularies in reading, writing,listening, and speaking. (LA.A.1.3.3)-The student uses strategies to clarify meaning, such as reread-ing, note taking, summarizing, outlining, and writing a grade-level-appropriate report. (LA.A.1.3.4)

European Vacation - LA.A.2.3.5The student locates, organizes, and interprets written informa-tion for a variety of purposes, including classroom research,collaborative decision making, and performing a school orreal-world task.

Sports Glossary - LA.A.1.3.2The student uses a variety of strategies to analyze words andtext, draw conclusions, use context and word structure clues,and recognize organizational patterns.

Outline - LA.A.1.3.4The student uses strategies to clarify meaning, such as reread-ing, note taking, summarizing, outlining, and writing a grade-level-appropriate report.

Monthly Magazine - LA.A.2.3.1The student determines the main idea or essential message ina text and identifies relevant details and facts and patterns oforganization.

Editor in Chief - LA.A.2.3.5The student locates, organizes, and interprets written informa-tion for a variety of purposes, including classroom research,collaborative decision making, and performing a school orreal-world task.

Letter to the Editor - LA.A.2.3.2 and LA.A.2.3.3-The student identifies the author's purpose and/or point ofview in a variety of texts and uses the infor-mation to con-struct meaning. (LAA.2.3.2)-The student recognizes logical, ethical, and emotional appealsin texts. (LA.A.2.3.3)

Chat Rooms - LA.A.1.3.4The student uses strategies to clarify meaning, such as reread-ing, note taking, summarizing, outlining, and writing a grade-level-appropriate report.

Page 3 Actvities:

Comic Players - LA.C.3.2.3 and LA.C.3.2.4-The student speaks for specific occasions, audiences, andpurposes, including conversations, discus-sions, projects, andinformational or imaginative presentations. (LA.C.3.2.3)-The student uses eye contact and gestures that engage theaudience. (LA.C.3.2.4)

Comic Headlines - LA.C.3.2.1 and LA.C.3.2.5-The student speaks clearly at an understandable rate and usesappropriate volume. (LA.C.3.2.1)-The student participates as a contributor and occasionally actsas a leader in a group discussion. (LA.C.3.2.5)

Natural Disaster - LA.D.2.2.5The student understands that a variety of messages can beconveyed through mass media.

Kindergarten - LA.D.1.2.2The student understands that language formality varies accord-ing to situations and audiences.

Fun with Adjectives – LA.C.3.2.3 and LA.B.1.2.2 -The student speaks for specific occasions, audiences, andpurposes, including conversations, discussions, projects, andinformational or imaginative presentations. (LA.C.3.2.3)-The student drafts and revises writing in cursive that focuseson the topic; has a logical organizational pattern, including abeginning, middle, conclusion, and transitional devices; hasample development of supporting idea; demonstrates a senseof completeness or wholeness; demonstrates a command oflanguage including precision in word choice; generally hascorrect subject/verb agreement; generally has correct verb andnoun forms; with few exceptions, has sentences that are com-plete, except when fragments are used purposefully; uses avariety of sentence structures; and generally follows the con-ventions of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling;(LA.B.1.2.2)

Make the Scene - LA.E.1.2.3The student knows the similarities and differences among thecharacters, settings, and events presented in various texts.

Sequencing - LA.E.1.2.2The student understands the development of plot and howconflicts are resolved in a story.

Mind Mapping - LA.E.2.2.4The student identifies the major theme in a story ornonfiction text.

Winning's Not Everything - LA.E.2.2.1The student recognizes cause-and-effect relationships inliterary texts

Page 4 Activities:

Disaster Movies - LA.E.2.3.1The student understands how character and plot development,point of view, and tone are used in various selections to sup-port a central conflict or story line.

Television Debate - LA.C.1.3.1The student listens and uses information gained for a varietyof purposes, such as gaining information from interviews, fol-lowing directions, and pursuing a personal interest.

Valuable Values - LA.C.3.3.3The student speaks for various occasions, audiences, and pur-poses, including conversations, discussions, projects, and infor-mational, persuasive, or technical presentations.

Radio News - LA.C.1.3.3 and LA.B.1.3.3-The student acknowledges the feelings and messages sent ina conversation. (LAC.1.3.3)-The student produces final documents that have been editedfor correct spelling; correct punctuation, including commas,colons, and semicolons; correct capitalization; effective sen-tence structure; correct common usage, including subject-verbagreement, common noun-pronoun agreement, common pos-sessive forms, and with a variety of sentence structures,including parallel structure; and correct formatting. (LA.B.1.3.3)

Animal Antics - LA.D.2.2.2 and LA.D.2.2.1-The student identifies and refers to symbol, theme, simile,alliteration, and assonance in oral and written texts.(LA.D.2.2.2)-The student understands that word choices can shape reac-tions, perceptions, and beliefs. (LA.D.2.2.1)

Car Classifieds - LA.D.2.2.1The student understands that word choices can shape reac-tions, perceptions, and beliefs.

Every Picture Tells A Story - LA.D.2.3.4The student understands how the multiple media tools ofgraphics, pictures, color, motion, and music can enhance com-munication in television, film, radio, and advertising.

Comic Comments - LA.D.2.3.1The student selects language that shapes reactions, percep-tions, and beliefs.

Page 5 Activities:

Making A Literate America - LA.B.2.2.6The student creates expository responses in which ideas anddetails follow an organizational pattern and are relevant tothe purpose.

Language in Action - LA.B.1.2.2The student drafts and revises writing in cursive that focuseson the topic; has a logical organizational pattern, including abeginning, middle, conclusion, and transitional devices; hasample development of supporting ideas; demonstrates a senseof completeness or wholeness;

Before and After- LA.B.2.2.5 and LA.B.1.2.1-The student creates narratives in which ideas, details, andevents are in a logical order and are relevant to the story line.(LA.B.2.2.5)-The student prepares for writing by recording thoughts,focusing on a central idea, grouping related ideas, and identi-fying the purpose for writing. (LAB.1.2.1)

On Sale - LA.B.1.2.2The student drafts and revises writing in cursive that focuseson the topic; has a logical organizational pattern, including abeginning, middle, conclusion, and transitional devices; hasample development of supporting ideas; demonstrates a senseof completeness or wholeness; demonstrates a command oflanguage including precision in word choice; generally hascorrect subject/verb agreement; generally has correct verb andnoun forms; with few exceptions, has sentences that are com-plete, except when fragments are used purposefully; uses avariety of sentence structures; and generally follows the con-ventions of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling;

Secret Pal - LA.B.2.2.6 and LA.B.2.2.2-The student creates expository responses in which ideas anddetails follow an organizational pattern and are relevant to thepurpose. (LA.B.2.2.6)-The student drafts and revises writing in cursive that focuseson the topic; has a logical organizational pattern, including abeginning, middle, conclusion, and transitional devices; hasample development of supporting ideas; demonstrates a senseof completeness or wholeness; demonstrates a command oflanguage including precision in word choice; generally hascorrect subject/verb agreement; generally has correct verb andnoun forms; with few exceptions, has sentences that are com-plete, except when fragments are used purposefully; uses avariety of sentence structure and generally follows the conven-tions of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling; (LA.B.2.2.2)

Adopt a Pet - LA.B.2.2.3-The student writes for a variety of occasions, audiences, andpurposes.

You Be The Judge - LA.B.1.2.2The student drafts and revises writing in cursive that focuseson the topic; has a logical organizational pattern, including abeginning, middle, conclusion, and transitional devices; hasample development of supporting ideas; demonstrates a senseof completeness or wholeness; demonstrates a command oflanguage including precision in word choice; generally hascorrect subject/verb agreement; generally has correct verb andnoun forms; with few exceptions, has sentences that are com-plete, except when fragments are used purposefully; uses avariety of sentence structure; and generally follows the con-ventions of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling;

Picture Perfect - LA.B.1.2.1The student prepares for writing by recording thoughts, focus-ing on a central idea, grouping related ideas, and identifyingthe purpose for writing.

Page 6 Activities:

Picture Punctuation - LA.B.2.2.cThe student writes for a variety of occasions, audiences, andpurposes.

Picture Stories - LA.B.2.3.2The student organizes information using alphabetical, chrono-logical, and numerical systems.

Stress - LA.B.2.3.3The student selects and uses appropriate formats for writing,including narrative, persuasive, and expository formats accord-ing to the intended audience, purpose, and occasion.

Subheadings - LA.B.2.3.1The student writes text, notes, outlines, comments, and obser-vations that demonstrate comprehension of content and expe-riences from a variety of media.

Think Positive - LA.E.1.2.4The student knows that the attitudes and values that exist in atime period affect the works that are written during that timeperiod.

Something Good and New - LA.B.2.3.1The student writes text, notes, outlines, comments, and obser-vations that demonstrate comprehension of content and expe-riences from a variety of media.

Rubric Rating - LA.B.2.3.1The student writes text, notes, outlines, comments, and obser-vations that demonstrate comprehension of content and expe-riences from a variety of media; demonstrates a command oflanguage including precision in word choice; generally hascorrect subject/verb agreement; generally has correct verb andnoun forms; with few exceptions, has sentences that are com-plete, except when fragments are used purposefully; uses avariety of sentence structure; and generally follows the con-ventions of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling;

Movie Promoter - LA.B.1.3.1The student organizes information before writing according tothe type and purpose of writing.

SECTION 2: SOCIAL STUDIES

Page 7 Activities:

Changing Times - SS.A.l.2.3The student understands broad categories of time in years,decades, and centuries.

Symbols - SS.A.2.2.1The student knows the significant scientific and technologicalachievements of various societies.

Getting Around - SS.A.2.2.2The student understands developments in transportation andcommunication in various societies.

My How We've Changed - SS.A.3.2.1The student knows significant people and their contributionsin the field of communication and technology.

Freedom - SS.A.4.2.4The student knows significant social historical documents andthe principal ideas expressed in them.

Law Day - SS.3.2.3The student understands the types of laws and governmentsystems that have developed since the Renaissance.

Violent Crime - SS.C.2.2.2The student understands why personal responsibility and civicresponsibility are important.

Passport Please - SS.B.1.2.3The student locates and describes the physical and culturalfeatures of major world political regions.

Page 8 Activities:

Hispanic Heritage - SS.A.6.2.4The student understands the perspectives of diverse cultural,ethnic, and economic groups with regard to past and currentevents in Florida.

Geo-Sports - SS.B.1.2.1The student uses maps, globes, charts, graphs, and othergeographic tools including maps keys and symbols to gatherand interpret data and to draw conclusions about physicalpatterns.

Dateline - SS.B.1.2.3The student locates and describes the physical and culturalfeatures of major world political regions.

Map of the Earth - SS.B.1.2.5The student knows ways in which people view and relate toplaces and regions differently.

State of the Union - SS.C.1.2.5The student knows the basic purposes of government in theUnited States and knows the basic things governments do inone's school, community, state, and nation.

Issues of Young People - SS.C.2.2.4The student knows examples of the extension of the privi-leges and responsibilities of citizenship.

Volunteering - SS.C.2.2.1The student understands the importance of participationthrough community service, civic improvement, and politicalactivities.

E-commerce for Teens - SS.D.1.2.1The student understands that all decisions involve opportunitycosts and that making effective decisions involves consideringthe costs and the benefits associated with alternative choices.

Teen Allowance - SS.D.2.2.2The student understands the roles that money plays in a mar-ket economy.

Working in the Comics - SS.D.1.2.5The student understands the concept of earning income andthe basic concept of a budget.

Natural Phenomenon - SS.B.2.2.2The student understands how the physical environment sup-ports and constrains human activities.

Oil Prices - SS.D.2.2.1The student understands economic specialization and howspecialization generally affects costs, amount of goods andservices produced and interdependence.

Page 9 Activities:

Making Predictions - SS.A.l.3.1The student understands how patterns, chronology, sequenc-ing, and the identification of historical periods are influencedby frames of reference.

Technological Advances - SS.A.2.3.3The student understands important technological develop-ments and how they influenced human society.

Take Me to Your Leader - SS.C.l.3.2The student understands major ideas about why governmentis necessary and the purposes government should serve.

Livable Cities - SS.A.4.3.1The student knows the factors involved in the development ofcities and industries.

Environmental Report Card - SS.A.6.3.3The student knows how the environment of Florida has beenmodified by the values, traditions, and actions of variousgroups who have inhabited the state.

Dangerous Travel- SS.B.1.3.1The student uses various map forms and other geographicrepresentations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process,and report geographic information including patterns of landuse, connections between places, and patterns and processesof migration and diffusion.

Technology and the Environment - SS.B.2.3.6The student understands the environmental consequences ofpeople changing the physical environment in various worldlocations.

Freedom of the Press - SS.c.1.3.1The student knows the essential ideas of American constitu-tional government that are expressed in the Declaration ofIndependence, the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, andother writings.

The West Wing - SS.C.1.3.2The student understands major ideas about why governmentis necessary and the purposes government should serve.

Government in Action - SS.C.1.3.5The student knows the major responsibilities of his or herstate and local governments and understands the organizationof his or her state and local governments.

Supreme Court's Greatest Hits - SS.C.1.3.6The student understands the importance of the rule of law inestablishing limits on both those who govern and the gov-erned, protecting individual rights, and promoting the com-mon good.

Page 10 Activities:

Top Issues - SS.C.2.3.5The student understands how he or she can contact his orher representatives and why it is important to do so andknows which level of government he or she should contactto express his or her opinions or to get help on a specificproblem.

Tolerance - SS.C.2.3.6The student understands the importance of participation incommunity service, civic improvement, and political activities.

Making An Impact - SS.A.5.3.2The student understands ways that significant individuals andevents influenced economic, social, and political systems inthe United States after 1880.

Civics - SS.C.2.3.1The student understands the history of the rights, liberties, andobligations of citizenship in the United States.

Caring Commercials – SS.D.1.3.3The student understands the variety of factors necessary toconsider when making wise consumer decisions.

House Hunting - SS.D.1.3.2The student understands the advantages and disadvantages ofvarious kinds of credit.

Cyber Shopping - SS.D.1.3.1The student knows the options and resources that are avail-able for consumer protection.

Buying a Car - SS.D.2.3.2The student understands that relative prices and how theyaffect people's decisions are the means by which a marketsystem provides answers to the three basic economic ques-tions: What goods and services will be produced? How willthey be produced? Who will buy them?

Dow Versus NASDAQ - SS.D.2.3.3The student knows the various kinds of specialized institu-tions that exist in market economics.

Tails of State - SS.A.6.3.5The student understands how Florida has allocated and usedresources and the consequences of those economic decisions.

SECTION 3: MATHEMATICS

Page 11 Activities

How Old Are You? - MA.A.3.2.3The student adds, subtracts, and multiplies whole numbers,decimals, and fractions, including mixed numbers, and divideswhole numbers to solve real-world problems, using appropri-ate methods of computing, such as mental mathematics, paperand pencil, and calculator.

Salaries - MA.B.3.1.1The student using a variety of strategies, estimates lengths,widths, time intervals, and money and compares them to actu-al measurements.

Average Age - MA.E.1.3.2The student understands and applies the concepts of rangeand central tendency (mean, median, and mode).

Comic Graph - MA.E.1.2.1The student solves problems by generating, collecting, organ-izing, displaying, and analyzing data using histograms, bargraphs, circle graphs, line graphs, pictographs, and charts.

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? - MA.B.1.2.2The student solves real-world problems involving length,weight, perimeter, area, capacity, volume, time, temperature,and angles.

Teen Athletes - MA.E.1.1.3The student analyzes real-world data by surveying a samplespace and predicting the generalization onto a larger popula-tion through the use of appropriate technology, including cal-culators and computers.

Vowel Tally - MA.E.2.1.2The student predicts which simple event is more likely, equal-ly likely, or less likely to occur.

Averages - MA.E.1.2.2The student determines range, mean, median, and mode fromsets of data.

Fashion Plates - MA.E.1.1.1The student displays solutions to problems by generating, col-lecting, organizing, and analyzing data using simple graphsand charts.

Random Acts of Kindness - MA.E.1.2.3The student analyzes real-world data to recognize patternsand relationships of the measures of central tendency usingtables, charts, histograms, bar graphs, line graphs, pictographs,and circle graphs generated by appropriate technology,including calculators and computers.

Page 12 Activities:

Interesting Interest - MA.E.1.1.1The student displays solutions to problems by generating, col-lecting, organizing, and analyzing data using simple graphsand charts.

What's My line? - MA.D.3.2.1The student represents and solves real-world problems graphi-cally, with algebraic expressions, equations, and inequalities.

Local, State, National, World - MA.E.3.2.1The student represents and solves real-world problems graphi-cally, with algebraic expressions, equations, and inequalities.

TV and the NFL - MA.E.1.3.1The student collects, organizes, and displays data in a varietyof forms, including tables, line graphs, charts, and bar graphs,to determine how different ways of presenting data can leadto different interpretations.

Couch Potatoes - MA.E.3.2.1The student designs experiments to answer class or personalquestions, collects information, and interprets the results usingstatistics (range, mean, median, and mode) and pictographs,charts, bar graphs, circle graphs, and line graphs.

Graphing the Stock Market - MA.E.3.3.1The student formulates hypotheses, designs experiments, col-lects and interprets data, and evaluates hypotheses by makinginferences and drawing conclusions based on statistics (range,mean, median, and mode) and tables, graphs, and charts.

Top Advertisers - MA.D.1.3.1The student describes a wide variety of patterns, relationships,and functions through models, such as manipulatives, tables,graphs, expressions, equations, and inequalities.

Celebrate Differences - MA.E.1.1.1The student displays solutions to problems by generating, col-lecting, organizing, and analyzing data using simple graphsand charts.

Box Scores - MA.E.1.4.1The student interprets data that has been collected, organized,and displayed in charts, tables, and plots.

Television Graphing - MA.E.1.2.1The student solves problems by generating, collecting, organ-izing, displaying, and analyzing data using histograms, bargraphs, circle graphs, line graphs, pictographs, and charts.

Mean, Medium, Mode - MA.E.1.3.2The student understands and applies the concepts of rangeand central tendency (mean, median, and mode).

Page 13 Activities:

Sports Math -MA.A.1.2.3The student understands concrete and symbolic representa-tions of whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percents inreal-world situations.

Pricing - MA.A.3.2.2The student selects the appropriate operation to solve specificproblems involving addition, subtraction, and multiplication ofwhole numbers, decimals, and fractions, and division ofwhole numbers.

Point Spread - MA.A.3.2.1The student understands and explains the effects of addition,subtraction, and multiplication on whole numbers, decimals,and fractions, including mixed numbers, and the effects ofdivision on whole numbers, including the inverse relationshipof multiplication and division.

It's Odd - MA.A.5.1.1The student classifies and models numbers as even or odd.

Auto Numbers - MA.A.2.2.1The student uses place-value concepts of grouping basedupon powers of ten (thousandths, hundredths, tenths, tens,hundreds, thousands) within the decimal number system.

Plan an Activity - MA.A.4.2.1The student uses and justifies different estimation strategies ina real-world problem situation and determines the reasonable-ness of results of calculations in a given problem situation.

Roman Numerals - MA.A.2.2.2The student recognizes and compares the decimal numbersystem to the structure of other number systems such as theRoman numeral system or bases other than ten.

Use Your Brain - MA.A.3.2.1The student understands and explains the effects of addition,subtraction, and multiplication on whole numbers, decimals,and fractions, including mixed numbers, and the effects ofdivision on whole numbers, including the inverse relationshipof multiplication and division.

Page 14 Activities:

Patterns - MA.A.2.1.1The student understands and applies the concepts of counting(by 2s, 3s, 5s, 10s, 25s, 50s), grouping, and place value withwhole numbers between 1 and 100.

Stock Market Prices - MA.A.1.2.4The student understands that numbers can be represented ina variety of equivalent forms using whole numbers, decimals,fractions, and percents.

Cost of Living - MA.A.3.3.2The student selects the appropriate operation to solve prob-lems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and divi-sion of rational numbers, ratios, proportions, and percents,including the appropriate application of the algebraic order ofoperations.

Shopping for Mortgages - MA.A.3.3.3The student adds, subtracts, multiplies, and divides wholenumbers, decimals, and fractions, including mixed numbers,to solve real-world problems, using appropriate methods ofcomputing, such as mental mathematics, paper and pencil,and calculator.

It's for Sale - MA.A.3.3.3The student adds, subtracts, multiplies, and divides wholenumbers, decimals, and fractions, including mixed numbers,to solve real-world problems, using appropriate methods ofcomputing, such as mental mathematics, paper and pencil,and calculator.

Oh No! Tax Time - MA.A.3.3.3The student adds, subtracts, multiplies, and divides wholenumbers, decimals, and fractions, including mixed numbers,to solve real-world problems, using appropriate methods ofcomputing, such as mental mathematics, paper and pencil,and calculator.

Buying Advertising - MA.A.4.3.1The student uses estimation strategies to predict results and tocheck the reasonableness of results.

Nifty Fifties - MA.A.4.3.1The student uses estimation strategies to predict results and tocheck the reasonableness of results.

Sports Coverage - MA.A.1.3.1The student associates verbal names, written word names, andstandard numerals with integers, fractions, and decimals; num-bers expressed as percents; numbers with exponents; num-bers in scientific notation; radicals; absolute value; and ratios.

Stock Splits - MA.A.1.3.2The student understands the relative size of integers, fractions,and decimals; numbers expressed as percents; numbers withexponents; numbers in scientific notation; radicals; absolutevalue; and ratios.

Sports Budgeting - MA.A.3.3.1The student understands and explains the effects of addition,subtraction, multiplication, and division on whole numbers,fractions, mixed numbers, and decimals, including the inverserelationships of positive and negative numbers.

Car Costs - MA.A.1.2.2The student understands the relative size of whole numbers,commonly used fractions, decimals, and percents.

Page 15 Activities:

Round Off - MA.A.4.3.1The student uses estimation strategies to predict results and tocheck the reasonableness of results.

Temperature - MA.B.4.2.2The student selects and uses appropriate standard and non-standard units of measurement, according to type and size.

Movie Time - MA.B.3.2.1The student solves real-world problems involving estimates ofmeasurements, including length, time, weight, temperature,money, perimeter, area, and volume.

Metric Search - MA.B.2.2.2The student selects and uses appropriate standard and non-standard units of measurement, according to type and size.

Time Is On My Side - MA.B.4.2.1The student determines which units of measurement, such asseconds, square inches, and dollars per tankful, to use withanswers to real-world problems.

Triangular Stamps - MA.C.1.1.1The student understands and describes the characteristics ofbasic two- and three-dimensional shapes.

Fraction Funnies - MA.A.1.2.4The student understands that numbers can be represented ina variety of equivalent forms using whole numbers, decimals,fractions, and percents.

Graphing Pro Sports - MA.E.1.3.1The student collects, organizes, and displays data in a varietyof forms, including tables, line graphs, charts, and bar graphs,to determine how different ways of presenting data can leadto different interpretations.

Weather Watch - MA.B.1.2.1The student uses concrete and graphic models to developprocedures for solving problems related to measurementincluding length, weight, time, temperature, perimeter, area,volume, and angle.

Comparison Shopping - MA.B.3.3.1The student solves real-world and mathematical problemsinvolving estimates of measurements including length, time,weight/mass, temperature, money, perimeter, area, and vol-ume in either customary or metric units.

Page 16 Activities:

True or False? - MA.B.1.3.1The student uses concrete and graphic models to derive for-mulas for finding perimeter, area, surface area, circumference,and volume of two- and three-dimensional shapes, includingrectangular solids and cylinders.

Math Is All Around - MA.B.1.1.1The student uses and describes basic measurement concepts,including length, weight, digital and analog time, temperature,and capacity.

Per Square Foot - MA.B.2.4.2The student solves real-world problems involving rated meas-ures (miles per hour, feet per second).

Column Inches - MA.B.1.3.1The student uses concrete and graphic models to derive for-mulas for finding perimeter, area, surface area, circumference,and volume of two- and three-dimensional shapes, includingrectangular solids and cylinders.

Map Reading - MA.B.1.3.4The student constructs, interprets, and uses scale drawingssuch as those based on number lines and maps to solve real-world problems.

Bull Market - MA.B.3.3.1The student solves real-world and mathematical problemsinvolving estimates of measurements including length, time,weight/mass, temperature, money, perimeter, area, and vol-ume in either customary or metric units.

Fractional Parts Scavenger Hunt - MA.A.1.2.3The student understands concrete and symbolic representa-tions of whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percents inreal-world situations.

The Survey Says - MA.E.3.2.1The student designs experiments to answer class or personalquestions, collects information, and interprets the results usingstatistics (range, mean, median, and mode) and pictographs,charts, bar graphs, circle graphs, and line graphs.

Sports Space - MA.E.1.2.1The student solves problems by generating, collecting, organ-izing, displaying, and analyzing data using histograms, bargraphs, circle graphs, line graphs, pictographs, and charts.

Photo Op - MA.B.1.4.1The student uses concrete and graphic models to derive for-mulas for finding perimeter, area, surface area, circumference,and volume of two- and three-dimensional shapes, includingrectangular solids, cylinders, cones, and pyramids.

SECTION 4: SCIENCE

Page 17 Activities:

Problem Solving - SC.H.3.2.4The student knows that through the use of science processesand knowledge, people can solve problems, make decisions,and form new ideas.

High Tech - SC.H.1.2.4The student knows that to compare and contrast observationsand results is an essential skill in science.

Electricity - SC.B.1.2.4The student knows the many ways in which energy can betransformed from one type to another.

Water - SC.D.1.2.2The student knows that 75 percent of the surface of the Earthis covered by water.

Discoveries - SC.H.3.2.3The student knows that before a group of people build some-thing or try something new, they should determine how itmay affect other people.

Recycling - SC.D.2.2.1The student knows that using recycling and reducing the useof natural resources improve and protect the quality of life.

Cloning - SC.G.2.2.1The student knows that all living things must compete forEarth's limited resources; organisms best adapted to competefor the available resources will be successful and pass theiradaptations (traits) to their offspring.

Inventions - SC.H.3.2.1The student understands that people, alone or in groups,invent new tools to solve problems and do work that affectsaspects of life outside of science.

Science Search - SC.H.1.2.3The student knows that to work collaboratively, all teammembers should be free to reach, explain, and justify theirown individual conclusions.

Weather Report - SC.H.2.2.1The student knows that natural events are often predictableand logical.

Page 18 Activities:

Weather Dots - SC.D.1.2.4 The student knows that the surface of the Earth is in a contin-uous state of change as waves, weather, and shifts of the landconstantly change and produce many new features.

Health Club Explosion - SC.F.1.2.1The student knows that the human body is made of systemswith structures and functions that are related.

The Senses - SC.G.1.2.2The student knows that living things compete in a climaticregion with other living things and that structural adaptationsmake them fit for an environment.

Measure Me - SC.A.1.2.1The student determines that the properties of materials can becompared and measured (e.g. using rulers, balances, and ther-mometers).

Technology Works - SC.H.3.2.1The student understands that people, alone or in groups,invent new tools to solve problems and do work that affectsaspects of life outside of science.

Machine Madness - SC.H.1.2.2The student knows that a successful method to explore thenatural world is to observe and record, and then analyze andcommunicate the results.

Electronic Communications - SC.H.1.2.1The student knows that it is important to keep accuraterecords and descriptions to provide information and clues oncauses of discrepancies in repeated experiments.

Sources of Energy - SC.B.2.2.3The student knows that the limited supply of useable energysources places great significance on the development ofrenewable energy sources.

Pollution Watch - SC.D.2.2.1The student knows that using, recycling, and reducing the useof natural resources improve and protect the quality of life.

Natural Disasters - SC.D.1.2.5The student knows that some changes in the Earth's surfaceare due to slow processes and some changes are due to rapidprocesses.

Changing Seasons - SC.E.1.2.1The student knows that the tilt of the Earth on its own axis asit rotates and revolves around the sun causes changes in sea-son, length of day, and energy available.

Domestic Animals - SC.F.1.2.3The student knows that living things are different but sharesimilar structures.

Earth Day - SC.G.2.2.3The student understands that changes in the habitat of anorganism may be beneficial or harmful.

Page 19 Activities:

Smart Appliances - SC.B.1.3.1The student identifies forms of energy and explains that theycan be measured and compared.

Physics in Science - SC.C.2.3.1The student knows that many forces act at a distance.

Internet Activities - SC.H.3.3.6The student knows that no matter who does science andmathematics or invents things, or when or where they do it,the knowledge and technology that result can eventuallybecome available to everyone.

E-Commerce Education - SCH.H.3.3.5The student understands that contributions to the advance-ment of science, mathematics, and technology have beenmade by different kinds of people, in different cultures, at dif-ferent times, and are an intrinsic part of the development ofhuman culture.

Greenhouse Effect - SC.G.2.3.4The student understands that humans are a part of an ecosys-tem and their activities may deliberately or inadvertently alterthe equilibrium in ecosystems.

Do the Right Thing - SC.H.3.3.1The student knows that science ethics demand that scientistsmust not knowingly subject coworkers, students, the neigh-borhood, or the community to health or property risks.

Web Pages - SC.H.3.3.7The student knows that computers speed up and extend peo-ple's ability to collect, sort, and analyze data; prepare researchreports; and share data and ideas with others.

Graph It - SC.H.1.3.4The student knows that accurate record keeping, openness,and replication are essential to maintaining an investigator'scredibility with other scientists and society.

Car Features - SC.H.3.3.4The student knows that technological design should requiretaking into account constraints such as natural laws, the prop-erties of the materials used, and economic, political, social,ethical, and aesthetic values.

Solar Systems - SC.E.2.3.1The student knows that thousands of other galaxies appear tohave the same elements, forces, and forms of energy found inour Solar System.

Going Up - SC.E.1.3.2The student knows that available data fro various satelliteprobes show the similarities and differences among planetsand their moons in the Solar System.

Page 20 Activities:

Spaceports - SC.E.1.3.1The student understands the vast size of our Solar System andthe relationship of the planets and their satellites.

A Hot Year - SC.D.1.3.3The student knows how conditions that exist in one systeminfluence the conditions that exist in other systems.

Preservation or Progress - SC.D.2.3.2The student knows the positive and negative consequences ofhuman action on the Earth's systems.

Technology and the Environment - SC.G.1.3.4The student knows that the interactions of organisms witheach other and with the nonliving parts of their environmentsresult in the flow of energy and the cycling of matter through-out the system.

Body Types - SC.F.2.3.2The student knows that the variation in each species is due tothe exchange and interaction of genetic information as it ispassed from parent to offspring.

Obesity Epidemic - SC.F.1.3.5The student explains how the life functions of organisms arerelated to what occurs within the cell.

Gym Class - SC.F.1.3.7The student knows that behavior is a response to the environ-ment and influences growth, development, maintenance, andreproduction.

Confused About Health? - SC.H.H.3.3.3The student knows that in research involving human subjects,the ethics of science require that potential subjects be fullyinformed about the risks and benefits associated with theresearch and of their right to refuse to participate.

Medical E-Mail - SC.F.1.3.1The student understands that living things are composed ofmajor systems that function in reproduction, growth, mainte-nance, and regulation.

Heal Me - SCH.H.1.3.1The student knows that scientific knowledge is subject tomodification as new information challenges prevailing theoriesand as a new theory leads to looking at old observations in anew way.