1. A SHIPWRECK FROM 1884 WASHES ASHORE

Last weekend, a powerful storm called a nor’easter brought strong waves to Nantucket, an island off the coast of Massachusetts. The waves washed up a large piece of wood and iron that is believed to be from the Warren Sawyer, a ship that wrecked there in 1884. The ship had been carrying cotton and scrap iron from New Orleans to Boston when it was destroyed, but everyone on board survived. A rescuer helped save the crew by throwing a line to the ship. More than 700 shipwrecks happened around Nantucket during the 1800s, when traveling by sea could be especially dangerous. The newly uncovered wreckage gives people a chance to see a real piece of history more than 140 years later. Pretend you are a shipwreck historian. Draw the piece of the Warren Sawyer that washed onto the beach, including its old wooden beams and iron parts. Around your drawing, add four fact boxes explaining what happened to the ship, when it wrecked, what it was carrying, and how the crew was saved. Give your museum-style display a title that would make visitors want to learn more.

2. THE GUNA FACE A BIG DECISION ABOUT THEIR LAND

The Guna are an Indigenous people who have protected their land and culture in Panama for hundreds of years. Part of their home includes a huge, mostly untouched jungle where some communities are difficult to reach. Now, the Guna are considering major changes that could bring roads and electrical lines through the region. Better roads could make it easier for people in isolated villages to reach schools, hospitals, jobs, and other communities. However, some people worry that new construction could damage the ancient forest, disturb animals and sacred places, and bring changes that would be difficult to control. Guna communities do not all agree about what should happen, so they face an important decision about how to gain new opportunities while protecting their land and traditions. Write at least three examples from the story of ways a new road could help the community. Then, write at least three examples of ways a new road could harm them. Then circle the concern or benefit that you think Guna leaders should study most carefully before making a decision. Underneath, explain why you chose it.

3. TINY ORGANISMS LEAD TO A BIG DISCOVERY

A group of scientists turned a motel room in North Carolina into a temporary laboratory and made an exciting discovery. They collected water and marsh plants and searched them under microscopes for a tiny organism called Paulinella. The researchers discovered two new species, bringing the number of known photosynthetic Paulinella species to six. These unusual organisms can use light to help make energy, and scientists think studying them could provide clues about how plant life developed long ago. The project also shows that important discoveries do not always require fancy laboratories. Curiosity, teamwork, careful observation, and even simple tools can help scientists learn something new about our world. Create a comic strip about the scientists’ discovery. Use four to six boxes to show the scientists collecting swamp water, setting up microscopes in the motel, spotting the tiny organisms, and discovering that they had found two new species. Include speech or thought bubbles showing how the scientists might react at each stage. Finish with a caption explaining why their discovery matters.

4. SINGER RUNS FOR CONGRESS

Bobby Pulido is a well-known Tejano musician who is running as a Democrat for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in South Texas. His Republican opponent is Representative Monica De La Cruz, who currently represents the district. De La Cruz has focused on her experience in Congress when campaigning. Pulido has used his music career to meet voters, including performing at dozens of community celebrations. The race shows how candidates can use very different backgrounds and campaign strategies to try to earn voters’ support. Candidates have to help voters learn who they are and what they would do in office. Design a “Meet the Candidate” information card that could be used for either candidate. Instead of trying to convince someone how to vote, include five questions you think every candidate should answer, such as questions about experience, important issues, goals, or how they would help the community. Add one sentence explaining why voters should learn about candidates before making a choice.

5. WHY CHANGING A COUNTRY’S NAME CAN BE COMPLICATED

Countries sometimes ask the world to call them by a different name. Five years ago, the country of Turkey, for example, asked the United Nations to use Türkiye. The African country once commonly called Swaziland changed its name to Eswatini. Cabo Verde has also asked other countries to stop translating its name into names such as “Cape Verde.” These changes can be about language, history, culture, or how people want their homeland to be known. However, changing a country’s name can take time because millions of people, maps, schools, governments, and organizations may already use the older name. A country’s name is more than a label—it can be an important part of how its people describe their identity to the world. Think about the name of your school, town, state, or another place you know well. Create a new name that you think represents something important about that place. Make a small sign or flag displaying your new name and add symbols or colors that explain your choice. Then write a short explanation of what the name means and one reason changing a familiar place name might be difficult.