Elementary

1. Look It Up!

Noah Webster was born on October 16, 1758. In honor of his birthday, read an article from today's newspaper as a class. Then go back through the article and pick out three words you don’t know. Guess what each word means, and then look it up in the dictionary. Write a sentence for each new word. Now do some research to see if you can figure out what this activity has to do with Noah Webster.

Common Core/National Standard: Employing multiple strategies to recognize words as students construct meaning, including the use of phonics, syllabication, spelling patterns and context clues.

2. Pumping Up the Prices

Have you been to a gas station lately with your parents? If you have, you probably have heard some complaining about the price of gasoline. Prices for gas have risen throughout the country, but nowhere as much as in the state of California. The average price of gas in that state hit $4.67 per gallon last week with one station in Long Beach charging $6.65 per gallon of regular gas. The jump in prices prompted U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein of California to call for an investigation into the price decisions made by oil and gas companies. According to an Associated Press article, the jump in prices happened when an oil refinery in the state lost power and cut the supply of gas it produced. Some experts say the prices should come back down soon, the article said. As a class, find and read a newspaper story about gas prices. Or find one online. Write a paragraph or short essay about how higher gas prices could affect your family, or a family that needs a car to get around.

Common Core/National Standard: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

3. Election 2012: Going Hollywood

Does it make a difference what actors, actresses, musicians, movie directors and others in the entertainment industry think about politics? At the Republican National Convention, actor Clint Eastwood spoke to an empty chair and pretended he was talking with President Barack Obama. Last week, singer Kid Rock introduced Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan at a rally in Michigan. In California, President Obama was introduced at an event by movie star George Clooney and a concert for Obama featured Katy Perry, Stevie Wonder and Jon Bon Jovi. Even Lady Gaga has thrown her support behind Obama. As a class, search your newspaper or the Internet for stories about people in the entertainment industry who are showing their support for candidates. Discuss whether a celebrity’s support of a particular candidate would influence your vote.

Common Core/National Standard: Engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions.

4. Veggie Lovers Celebrate

Biologists divide animals into three categories when it comes to eating preferences. You have carnivores like lions, which are meat eaters. You have herbivores like deer, which are plant eaters. Then you have animals like bears and humans that are omnivores – creatures that eat both meat and plants. Some humans, though, prefer to not eat meat and are referred to as vegetarians. They like the month of October, because it is National Vegetarian Month in the United States. There are many tasty recipes that don’t require meat, and your newspaper and the Internet are great resources for finding recipes. Search your newspaper or the Internet for a vegetarian recipe that you could make and share with your classmates. Write a short friendly letter urging your friends to try the recipe.

Common Core/National Standards: Demonstrating the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and reduce health risks; producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

5. The Great North

It took close to a century for Alaska to become the 49th state. The United States first took possession of Alaska from the European nation of Russia on October 18, 1867. Alaska is separated from Russia by a narrow waterway called the Bering Strait, and the Russians had started a fur-trading company in Alaska. When it fell on hard times, the Russians chose to sell the Alaska territory to the United States. Though controlled by the U.S. government, the area did not become a state until January 3, 1959. The state is the largest in the United States in area, and much of it is protected federal land. In teams or alone, find a story about Alaska in your newspaper or online. Write a complete sentence describing why Alaska is in the news. Then do some research and draw a map of the state showing its major cities and national parks.

Common Core/National Standard: Knowing how to display spatial information on maps and other geographic representations