1. MILLENNIAL SAINT

A boy named Carlo Acutis is on the path to becoming the first person in the millennial generation to be named a saint in the Catholic Church. Carlo was born in London in 1991 but moved to Milan, Italy with his family when he was young. He was very talented with computers and even created a website to catalog miracles. Despite being young, Carlo taught himself computer coding and editing videos. He died of leukemia when he was just 15 years old, but the Pope has attributed two miracles to him, which are needed for sainthood. One miracle involved a Brazilian boy's healing after he touched a piece of one of Carlo’s t-shirts, and the other was related to a woman from Costa Rica whose daughter recovered from a head injury after praying to Carlo. Write a summary of this story in 3 to 5 sentences, including facts you learned.

2. THE RISE OF SUBTITLES

American movies and TV shows are using more Asian languages, like Korean and Vietnamese, to tell stories. In the past, people didn't like subtitles, but now they're more okay with them. For example, a recent HBO show called "The Sympathizer" had parts where characters spoke Vietnamese with English subtitles. This makes the story more interesting and adds layers to the characters. It's not just one show doing this—other movies and series, like "Minari" and "Expats," are also using different languages. This change helps show different cultures and make stories more real. Even though some people might not understand the languages, it makes the shows and movies richer for those who do. Write a paragraph about why you think it could be important to include other languages in television shows or movies, even if the audience doesn’t understand that language. Then, share your answers with your classmates and learn about their different perspectives.

3. YOUNG GENIUS

Dorothy Jean Tillman II recently became the youngest person to earn a doctoral degree from Arizona State University. She earned her degree in integrated behavioral health at the age of 17. Dorothy, also known as D.J., grew up in Chicago and was homeschooled by her mother. She started taking college classes when she was just 8 years old and earned her associate degree at 10, bachelor's degree at 12, and master's degree at 14. Despite her young age, Dorothy was very determined and worked hard to achieve her goals. She is passionate about mental health and hopes to inspire other young girls like her to pursue their dreams. Despite her academic achievements, Dorothy also enjoys teenage activities. She plans to take some time to enjoy herself before focusing on her future goals. If you could talk to Dorothy, what would you ask her about her life or her accomplishments? Write down at least five questions you would have for her.

4. DOGS ON THE RED CARPET

Dogs are becoming stars at the Cannes Film Festival, which takes place every year in France. Messi, a border collie, did tricks on the famous red carpet steps. Felicity, a Samoyed, wore a gold gown and posed like a pro. Demi Moore brought her chihuahua, Pilaf, to promote her movie. Two films at this year’s festival also feature dogs: "Dog on Trial," a comedy about a lawyer and an aggressive dog, and "Gou Zhen" ("Black Dog"), where a stray dog changes a man's life. Eddie Peng, the actor in "Gou Zhen," adopted his canine co-star, Xin, after filming. Both Xin and Kodi, the dog in "Dog on Trial," might win the Palm Dog award for best dog actor. Write a story or draw a comic strip that’s from the perspective of a movie star dog at a movie premier event.

5. CROSS-COUNTRY CAT

A cat named Galena recently disappeared from her home in Utah. Her owners had a large box that they mailed back to Amazon, and an Amazon employee opened the box in California to find Galena inside! The employee called a coworker who rescues cats, who took Galena to a vet and together, they were able to find her owners. Galena’s owners flew to California the next day to get Galena and bring her home. Write a version of this story that’s from the perspective of Galena the cat, thinking about what she might have been thinking or feeling during the accidental adventure she took.