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Mini Page Archive - March 2006: Issue 10 - 13
Information, Please Issue 10 -- March 4-10
This week's standards: Students read and understand a variety of texts. (Language Arts: Reading) Students use the structure of text to construct meaning. (Language Arts: Reading)
Activities:
- Create a "Newsy News" collage by cutting out your favorite parts of the newspaper
and pasting them on a large piece of paper.
- Interview three family members or friends. Ask them to tell you two different kinds
of information they use from the newspaper ‹ such as the weather, TV schedules or
local news.Was the same kind of information mentioned by several people?
- Find a chart or table in the newspaper. Paste it on a piece of paper. Now write
several sentences that describe the kind of information you can get from the chart
or table.
- Look in the newspaper to find (a) a TV show you would like to see, (b) a toy or
game you would like to have, (c) a story about your community, and (d) tomorrow¹s
weather.
- Design a newspaper page that will provide information about you, your family and
your friends. Use a large piece of blank paper to create your page. Give your
newspaper a name. Now write stories that are true and factual. Make large, dark
headlines for the stories you think are most important. Draw pictures to go with
your stories. Include a map, chart or table on your page. Share your page with
your family and friends.
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
Signing the Constitution Issue 11 -- March 11-17
This week's standards: Students understand the purpose of government. (Social Studies:
Power, Authority and Governance) Students identify key ideals of the United States¹
democratic republican form of government. (Social Studies: Civic Ideals and Practice)
Activities:
- Write the words "Working Together" at the top of a large piece of paper. Then find
newspaper comic strips that show people working together to do a job or solve a
problem. Paste them on your paper.
- Get together with several friends. Together, write down some rules about how you
will play together. Now, have everyone sign the agreement.
- Find a newspaper story about a local government body, such as a city council or a
school board, passing a law or setting a policy. What different points of view are
represented by the people who must vote on the law or policy? Write a paragraph
describing the arguments presented by each side.
- Collect several letters to the editor in which citizens are urging legislators to
take action on a problem. Paste each letter on a piece of paper. Then write several
sentences expressing your opinion on the topic.
- Pretend you are a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. Make a list of three
reasons why the delegates should vote for the Constitution. Now write a speech
trying to persuade the other delegates to sign the Constitution.
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
Clara Barton Issue 12 -- March 18-24
This week's standards: Students understand the deeds for which our nation honors leaders from
the past, including political, scientific, social and military leaders. (History) Students
understand that history relates to events and people of other times and places by identifying
examples of interesting Americans. (Social Studies: History)
Activities:
- Make a set of Clara Barton trading cards. On one side of a card, draw a
picture of an event in Clara Barton's life. On the other side, tell about the event.
- What would you need if you wanted to help people after a flood or fire?
Find five items in the newspaper that you would use. Explain your choices.
- Find three newspaper stories about people or events where Clara Barton
would probably want to help. Write several sentences explaining what you think she
would do in that situation.
- What shows you that Clara Barton was (a) intelligent, (b) determined,
(c) brave and (d) generous?
- Pretend you are Clara Barton. Write a paragraph explaining how you were
changed by one of these important events in your life: nursing your brother, starting
a school, or helping soldiers in the Civil War.
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
Electricity From the Wind Issue 13 -- March 25-31
This week's standards: Students understand changes in the Earth and sky. (Earth and Space
Science) Students understand science and technology. (Science: Science and Technology)
Activities:
- Draw a picture of yourself playing with friends on a windy day. Write a sentence
telling about your day.
- Collect newspaper stories and pictures that show the effects of wind. You might
find an ad that shows a gentle breeze or a news story about a storm. Put your
pictures and stories together to create a wind collage.
- Interview several family members and friends. Ask them to name three good things
about the wind. How many named wind as a source of energy? What answers were given
by more than one person?
- Which part of the nacelle does each of these jobs: (a) controls the speed of the
blades of the turbine, (b) measures the speed of the wind, (c) produces electricity
from the wind, and (d) stops the motor?
- Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about wind turbines and wind
farms. Use these questions to guide your research: Where are some wind farms located?
How long have the wind farms been in place? How much money did it cost to put the
wind farms in place? How long did it take for the wind farms to become profitable?
What environmental issues were raised when the farms were established? What has been
the impact of the wind farms on those environmental issues over time? What important
lessons have we learned about wind farms?
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
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