Pollinators sound like super heroes, and in some ways they are. Pollinators are insects like bees, wasps, flies and butterflies that spread pollen from plant to plant. For food-producing plants, the spreading of pollen is needed for a plant to produce fruits and vegetables. To celebrate Earth Month last week, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Texas hosted a live webcast by a program called "PollinatorLIVE" that put a spotlight on how pollinators help plants and people. As a class, talk about plants that produce foods we eat. Then go through the grocery ads in the newspaper this week and find foods produced by plants. Cut or print out pictures of the foods and use them to create a poster showing healthy foods from plants. Give your poster an eye-catching title so people will want to learn more.

Learning Standards: Reading and writing with developing fluency, speaking confidently, listening and interacting appropriately, viewing strategically and representing creatively; comprehending what constitutes good health and nutrition.

All through April, people have been celebrating National Poetry Month. In writing poetry, people often use similes (SIM-il-ees). A simile is a comparison that writers use to describe one thing with another thing. Similes often contain the words "like" or "as." For instance, you might say "that runner is as fast as the wind" or "after a long walk, my feet felt like heavy stones." The feet aren't really stones, and chances are the wind is much faster than the runner, but the comparison puts a strong image in the reader's mind. Use today's newspaper to create three interesting and creative similes based on newsmakers, photos or stories you find. Work in teams, if you like.

Learning Standard: Identifying and using aspects of the craft of the speaker, writer and illustrator to formulate and express ideas artistically; representing creatively.

Regina Mayer lives on a farm in the European country of Germany, but when she wanted a horse her parents said no. Regina didn't give up, though. She started training a cow on the family farm to do the same things horses do when people ride them. Now, two years later, 15-year-old Regina and her cow Luna are celebrities in their community in southern Germany. The two not only go on long rides but they do jumps over low hurdles of crates and logs. "She thinks she's a horse," Regina says of her brown-and-white "darling." As a class, talk about unusual things animals can be trained to do. Then find an animal in the stories, photos and ads of the newspaper. Think of an unusual thing you would like to train this animal to do. Write a paragraph describing how you would do the training.

Learning Standards: Responding to a variety of visual, written, oral and electronic texts by making connections to students' personal lives and the lives of others; engaging peers in constructive conversations about topics of interest or importance; writing fluently for multiple purposes.

Kids of all ages benefit from getting outdoors and being active. Active play and exercise in parks and national forests can help kids stay healthy, get stronger and keep from gaining too much weight. To help kids do this, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is spending $1 million to support programs in 18 states and Puerto Rico this year. The money will help pay for programs in Arizona, Kentucky and other states as part of the national Let's Move! and America's Great Outdoors programs. It will help 25,000 more students get outside and be active, improving their health and their understanding of natural areas. As a class, talk about different ways you can get exercise outdoors. Then find a photo of an outdoor scene in the newspaper. Brainstorm ways you could get outdoor exercise if you visited this place. Then draw a comic strip showing yourself getting exercise in fun ways at the place.

Learning Standards: Comprehending what constitutes good health and nutrition; responding to a variety of visual, written, oral and electronic texts by making connections to students' personal lives and the lives of others; using the craft of the illustrator to express ideas artistically.

The newspaper is a great way to build skills and learn about things. And you can have fun doing it. In a small group, read an article in today's newspaper. Come up with five "quiz" questions about the article. Write the questions on one sheet of paper. Then write the answers on the other. Exchange questions and stories with another group and answer each other's questions.

Learning Standards: Demonstrating the ability to write clear and grammatically correct sentences, paragraphs and compositions; organizing and interpreting information to draw conclusions based on the investigation of an issue or problem.