Las Vegas Newspapers in Education

Mini Page Archive - August 2007: Issue 31 - 35

Traveling by Train -- Issue 31 -- July 28-Aug. 3

This week's standards:

Students understand science and technology.

Students understand the abilities of technological design. (Science:

Science and Technology)

Activities:

1. Design a "game car" for a train that travels long distances. Draw the inside of the car and show the different kinds of activities you would include in the car. Label each of the fun activities.

2. Look at the weather map in your newspaper. Draw a star where your city is on the map.

Now find three major cities you would like to visit anywhere in the country.

Draw a railroad line from your city to each destination. Which direction will you travel to reach each city?

What other cities will you travel through to get to your destinations?

3. Pretend you are taking a train trip from one end of your state to the other. What tourist or historical sites will you travel near on your trip? Research three sites.

Now write a journal telling about your "trip" and describing the sights and sounds that you saw on the way.

4. How are trains important for (a) growers, (b) department and grocery stores, (c) factories and

(d) tourists?

5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about the Transcontinental Railway. Use these questions to guide your research: What type of terrain did each of the competing railroads have to cross? Who were the workers on the railroads? What were the most dangerous jobs the workers had to do to complete the railroad? Write a paragraph discussing your findings.

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

Dog Parks! Bow WOW! -- Issue 32 -- Aug. 4-10

This week's standards:

Students understand the characteristics of organisms. (Science: Life

Science)

Students understand the behavior of organisms. (Science: Life Science)

Activities:

1. Design your own dog park. Draw a picture of the park showing grassy areas, trees, dog runs and water areas.

2. Design a sign that welcomes dogs to your dog park. Use words and phrases from the newspaper that show how much fun dogs will have in the park. Add your own words to your newspaper words. Include drawings of dogs on your sign.

3. Find three items in newspaper ads for toys you could take with you to play with your dog at a dog park.

4. What kinds of problems can be caused in dog parks by (a) owners bringing food,

(b) small children at play, and (c) dog waste?

5. Find three different breeds of dogs in the classified section of your newspaper. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about the characteristics of the dogs. What do they look like? What are their special skills (such as retrieving)? Now write a story about the three dogs having an adventure in a dog park. What does the dog park look like? What problem do the dogs encounter in the park? How is their problem solved? Share your story with family members and friends.

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

To the White House -- Issue 33 -- Aug. 11-17

This week's Standard:

Students understand that history relates to events and people of other times and places by identifying examples of interesting Americans. (Social Studies: History)

Activities:

1. Design a library dedicated to you. Draw a picture of the building that will keep your important papers and favorite things. Around your library, draw pictures of at least three things you would keep in your library.

2. Look at the presidential libraries in today's Mini Page. Which library is closest to where you live? Which is farthest? Which library would you most like to visit? Why?

3. Match three presidents with comic strips you think they might like if they were back in school today. Explain why you think the presidents would like those comic strips.

4. Plan some fun activities in your community for the presidents in today's Mini Page. Find (a) a musical event, (b) a sporting event, (c) a school or community project, and (d) a movie. Explain your choices.

5. If you could have been a classmate of any of the presidents, which would it be?

Why? Write a story about you and that president as classmates in school. Talk about your activities after school as well. Be sure to include information you've learned about the president in today's Mini Page.

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

Horses That Help Heal -- Issue 34 -- Aug. 18-24

This week's standards:

Students understand the characteristics of animals. (Science: Life Science)

Students understand how physical, social and emotional environments influence personal health. (Health: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention)

Activities:

1. Use modeling clay to create a horse, a rider and a therapy helper. Show your clay figures to a friend or family member. Use your clay figures to act out a story about the rider, horse and helper.

2. Draw a picture of a horse in the center of a piece of paper. Then cut out newspaper words that are related to horses. Be sure to look in the sports pages for team names.

Paste your words around the picture of your horse.

3. Make a list of the knowledge, skills and personal qualities a hippotherapist should have. Write a classified ad for a hippotherapist using your list.

4. How can hippotherapy help improve riders' (a) muscle development, (b) language skills,

(c) self-confidence and (d) emotional well-being?

5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn about how horses are part of the Olympics. Use these questions to guide your research: Which Olympic events include horses? What is the history of horses in Olympic events? What is the historical basis of the skills riders and horses have to demonstrate in Olympic events? Write a paragraph discussing your findings.

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