1. Earth Day

Earth Day is April 22. As a class, use this week’s newspapers to learn about the environment and what people are doing to protect it. Then work together to create a short list of things you can do to help protect the environment. Finish by making a drawing showing one thing people can do to help the environment.

Common Core/National Standards: Conducting short research projects that build knowledge about a topic; engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions; using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points.

2. Helping Kids Lose Weight

About one-third of American children ages 2 to 19 are obese or overweight, and three new health studies have suggestions for concerned parents. Reported in the children’s health journal Pediatrics, the studies recommend that parents (A.) serve meals on smaller plates; (B.) pay attention to kids’ TV habits; and (C.) be sure kids get enough sleep. Larger portions can add as much as 50 percent to the extra calories that children absorb, the researchers note, because “kids eat more than they would if the portion sizes were smaller.” Another study noted a clear connection between teens paying primary attention to TV and having a higher Body Mass Index, which indicates how heavy someone is. The potential culprit, the researchers speculate, may be commercials for “high-calorie, nutritionally questionable snack foods.” Another study notes that a growing body of research links too little sleep to the rise in adolescent obesity because it increases levels of a chemical “hunger” hormone and decreases that of a hormone that makes people feel “full.” One way to keep weight under control is to get lots of exercise. In teams or pairs, find an activity in the newspaper that would be fun to do while giving you exercise. Write a paragraph describing the benefits of this activity and why it would be fun to try with a friend.

Common Core/National Standards: Conducting short research projects that build knowledge about a topic; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions; writing informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

3. Rhinos Protected from the Air

Unmanned drone aircraft are now widely used by the U.S. military to hit targets without risking the lives of pilots. But such flying drones are not just used for destroying things. In the Asian nation of India, for example, wildlife authorities are using drones to oversee a natural game park to protect the one-horned rhinoceros from poachers who hunt and kill the animals. The remotely piloted aircraft — equipped with cameras and monitored by security guards — fly at regular intervals to keep an eye on Kaziranga National Park, a 185-square-mile preserve in Assam, where poachers killed 22 rhinos last year, and have already killed 16 this year. People use technology in many ways. In the ads or stories of the newspaper, find a technology device. Write a paragraph describing how the device is used and how it helps people.

Common Core/National Standards: Integrating information presented in different media or formats to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue; producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

4. Masterpieces and Master Crooks

The Louvre museum in Paris, France, may be the most visited museum in the world, attracting almost 10 million people last year. Unfortunately, some of those people have been pickpockets. The problem has grown so bad that 200 guards went on strike to protest the pickpockets, some so bold they buy entry tickets, threaten guards and attack tourists. The protest forced the museum to shut for a day. It has since promised to beef up security forces. As a class, talk about different ways that crime can affect a community. Then find a story about a crime in the newspaper and discuss how the crime could have been prevented. Finish by drawing a comic strip for the newspaper showing a way that the Louvre museum might stop pickpockets. Share comics as a class.

Common Core/National Standards: Engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions; using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points.

5. Giant Snails Threaten Florida

The giant African land snail has become a major environmental problem in the state of Florida since the first one was spotted by a Miami homeowner less than two years ago. One of the world’s most destructive invasive species, it feeds voraciously on more than 500 plant species and can also chew through plaster walls in search of the mineral calcium that it needs for its shell. Nobody is sure how the snails got to the United States, but some countries in the Caribbean Sea south of Florida are overrun with them. Besides the damage they cause, they also can be a health hazard. Many invasive species now live in subtropical Florida, including the Burmese python, which has been linked to a sharp decline in small-mammal populations in the Everglades wildlife area. As a class, talk about the problems invasive species can cause when they “invade” and get established in a habitat or environment. Find a story about an invasive species in the newspaper or online and discuss what can be done. Design a poster to educate your school about invasive species.

Common Core/National Standards: Conducting short research projects that build knowledge about a topic; engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions; using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points.