NIE | News in Education

1. The Same or Different?

One way to tell a story or report information in newspapers and other places is to compare how things are the same or different. Pick two photos from the newspaper showing outdoor scenes, or places that people get together. Look closely at the photos. Then pretend you are a reporter sent to the places shown in the photos. Make lists of how the places are the same, and how they are different. Then write a sentence predicting news that could happen because of similarities or the differences in the places.

Learning Standards: Acquiring information from multiple sources and then organizing and analyzing it; comparing and contrasting information from written, visual and electronic texts.

2. Shapes

Newspapers are a great place to study and learn about shapes. Alone or with a friend, look at the pictures in today's newspaper. Find examples of:
A square
A circle
A rectangle
A triangle
A cone
A cube
A ball
A shape with more than four sides

Learning Standard: Comparing, sorting and classifying familiar shapes.

3. Tiger Help

According to the Chinese calendar, 2010 is the year of the tiger. And the WWF organization that works to protect wildlife is taking this seriously. Tigers, the world's largest cat, are in danger of becoming extinct. The WWF, which used to be called the World Wildlife Fund, says that the number of tigers living in the wild has shrunk over the last 100 years from 100,000 to just 3,200. So the WWF has started a campaign called "TX2" with the hope of doubling the wild tiger population by the next Year of the Tiger in 2022. The organization is raising funds to stop the poaching or illegal hunting of tigers, to gain political support to double the number of wild tigers and to protect tiger habitats. Find a photo or article in the newspaper that shows one way humans change the environment, such as cutting down trees or building new houses. Draw a picture or write about how this could affect animals, plants or other living things.

Learning Standards: Describing ways in which humans alter the environment; explaining ecosystem concepts and processes.

4. Water Works

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a government agency that works to protect the water, air and land. On top of that, it recently held a competition similar to reality television shows. The "We're for Water Campaign" had four families competing to see who could save the most water. The contestants raced against the clock to repair the flapper on a toilet, and worked to cut water use when brushing teeth or shaving at the sink. According to the EPA, the number of people living in the U.S. nearly doubled between 1950 to 2000. However, the demand for water more than tripled. And 36 states expect local, regional or statewide water shortages by 2013. With family or friends, read an article in the newspaper that has to do with water, such as someone who uses water for work, kids swimming in a pool or a water shortage in a community. Using a stopwatch or the second hand on a clock, see how many uses for water you can come up with in one minute.

Learning Standards: Responding to a variety of oral, visual, written and electronic texts by making connections to students' personal lives and the lives of others; reading and comprehending general and technical material.

5. Girl Talk

U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama said during a recent web chat that she tries to talk to her daughters -- 12-year-old Malia and 9-year-old Sasha -- about the importance of being healthy and eating right instead of focusing on weight. The subject came up when a North Carolina woman asked advice about helping children who are overweight. The first lady recently started a public awareness campaign to reduce the number of children who are overweight or obese (extremely overweight). Cut out a comic strip from the newspaper. Using liquid eraser, remove the conversation and write your own dialog between the characters about the importance of eating right, exercising and being healthy.

Learning Standards: Comprehending what constitutes good health and nutrition; recognizing and using varied techniques to construct text, convey meaning, and express feelings to influence an audience.