1. Wrestlers Make a Pitch

The International Olympic Committee has recommended that wrestling be dropped as one of the core sports in the 2020 Olympics, but wrestlers and their supporters — even in nations that don’t get along — are fighting to preserve it. Wrestlers from the United States, Russia and Iran have joined forces in the effort. They held a joint press conference at the United Nations recently to call attention to an exhibition match at which a team of the best American wrestlers was to face top wrestlers from Russia and Iran. The match was held at the Grand Central Railroad Terminal in New York City, perhaps in response to the Olympic committee’s criticism that wrestling should be easier to see to attract a wider audience. Sports teams and events seek to appeal to fans in many ways. Find a sport you like in the newspaper and write a paragraph describing a way it could appeal to more people.

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.

2. Beautiful Butterflies

If you haven't already, you soon will be seeing butterflies again. Did you know that the spots on the wings of a grey pansy butterfly help scare off creatures that like to eat them? Or that the paper kite butterfly is popular with photographers because it stays in place for long periods? So say butterfly experts. See if you can spot pictures of butterflies or other colorful creatures in the newspaper. Write a short composition describing which bugs you like and which you don't like — and why.

Common Core/National Standards: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience; writing informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

3. Staying in Sacramento

National Basketball Association owners have voted against moving the Sacramento Kings from Sacramento, California, to Seattle, Washington. In January, an investment group struck a deal to buy 65 percent of the team, planning to move it out of Sacramento because it is a “small market” city and metropolitan area. But at the urging of Sacramento’s mayor — former NBA star Kevin Johnson — a rival group was able to match that group’s bid, and that group wants to keeping the team where it is. As a class, talk about what benefits professional sports teams bring to a community. In the newspaper, find the team closest to your city or community. Write a paragraph describing how the team benefits the community. Don’t forget to mention how it makes fans feel!

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

4. Time’s Up, Cicadas!

They’re on their way, so brace yourself for the 17-year cicadas (SICK-ay-duhs). Every 17 years, like clockwork, millions of the winged bugs dig out of their burrows underground just long enough to produce offspring. Then the offspring tunnel into the earth and stay for another 17 years. Scientists are unsure why. This spring, the 17-year cicadas are emerging in eastern states of the United States from Connecticut to North Carolina. Next year it will be in the Midwest, and almost every year these bugs emerge somewhere. Cicadas with 13-year life cycles also emerge in different places each year. You’ll know when the 17-year cicadas have arrived. They make a lot of noise, and highways are littered with their bodies. They emerge when soil temperature reaches 64 degrees. At first they are whitish in color but they quickly change to black, with orange-veined wings and red eyes. They are “bizarre and beautiful,” says one bug expert. Wildlife and nature often make news. Find a news story or photo of a species in the newspaper. Draw a comic strip illustrating why this species is in the news.

Common Core/National Standards: Conducting short research projects that build knowledge about a topic; integrating information presented in different media or formats to develop a coherent understanding of a topic; using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points.

5. Unpopped Popcorn

Eat your way to the bottom of almost any box of popcorn and there they are: rock-hard, teeth-cracking, unpopped kernels. Ah, but researchers have found out why some popcorn kernels won't pop. Unpopped kernels, it turns out, have leaky hulls, or coverings, that prevent the moisture pressure buildup that is needed for popping. The findings may help popcorn growers select the best varieties — or create new ones. Check your newspaper for other food news. Write a summary of one story. For fun, make a drawing or cartoon showing your least favorite foods, other than unpopped popcorn.

Common Core/National Standards: 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; using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points.