For Grades K-4 , week of May 06, 2019

1. Honor Your Teacher

The first full week in May is Teacher Appreciation Week. To observe it, students, families and communities are honoring their classroom leaders across the nation. Efforts include everything from small gifts, to donations of classroom supplies, to making improvements to teacher facilities at schools. In groups or on your own, find and closely read stories about different ways teachers are being honored this week. Then brainstorm a way that students in your class could honor or support your teacher. Write a letter to your principal telling why your teacher deserves to be honored and suggesting a way the school or parents could honor him or her. Deliver your letters to the principal.

Common Core State Standards: Engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions; producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task.

2. Zapped in Chicago

In late spring and early summer, severe weather hammers communities across the nation. But few storms are as spectacular as the one that hit Chicago, Illinois, April 22. As heavy rains swept through the city, lightning struck four of Chicago’s tallest buildings — all at once. The lightning strikes were captured on video by a local photographer and showed how powerful violent weather can be. Each of the buildings struck by lightning was taller than 1,000 feet. Severe weather is often in the news at this time of year. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read a story about a severe weather event. Use what you read to write a paragraph describing what happened during the weather event, how that affected people, and what challenges they now face.

Common Core State Standards: Writing informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions.

3. Museum Just for Kids

Washington, DC, is home to many world-famous museums, and this fall an old favorite will re-open in a new space. And it is just for kids. The new National Children’s Museum is scheduled to re-open on November 1 in a gleaming, high-tech space in the center of the city. The museum will be located between the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue (home of the White House) and feature 30,000 square feet of exhibits and activities. Its attractions will blend science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics — the so-called STEAM subjects that are important to careers in this century. Children’s museums seek to reach and teach students through interesting exhibits and activities. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read stories about activities or subjects that interest students your age. Use what you read to brainstorm an idea for a museum display that would attract kids interested in this subject. Present your display idea to the class and explain how it would engage and teach students.

Common Core State Standards: Conducting short research projects that build knowledge about a topic; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions.

4. 3-D Crosswalk

Keeping kids safe when crossing roads near elementary schools is a concern in every community. In the state of Massachusetts, two 10-year-olds have come up with a plan that is already drawing attention from drivers. Two fourth graders at Brooks Elementary School in the city of Medford got approval to paint a crosswalk in the school driveway that looks as though it is a solid, three-dimensional form rising up from the pavement. Students Eric and Isa took on the project after Eric almost got hit by a car on the street near the school. They researched the project for a year, and then convinced city officials to go ahead. Artist Nate Swain painted the crosswalk, and it’s been so successful the city now is planning to paint others at three other elementary schools. Students of all ages often get involved to solve problems. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read a story about students working on a problem. Use what you read to write a short editorial for the newspaper, telling what the students are doing, how that helps others or the community, and how they could inspire other students to get involved.

Common Core State Standards: Reading closely what a text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task.

5. A Record Swim

Lake Malawi is a Great Lake on the continent of Africa and the fourth largest lake in the world for the amount of water it holds. It is 361 miles long and home to, among other things, a large number of crocodiles. None of that stopped a 45-year-old swimmer this spring, who set two new world’s records by swimming 54 days in a row in the waterway located between the nations of Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. Martin Hobbs of the nation of South Afsrica set records for longest solo swim in a lake and for becoming the first person to swim the entire length of Lake Malawi, CNN News reported. Hobbs swam an average of seven miles a day in setting the records and had to endure several days of bad weather. He also had to manage his fears, noting “I’m not going to lie, I’m terrified of the crocodiles.” Swimmer Martin Hobbs challenged himself to achieve a goal and then found a way to do it. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read a story about someone challenging him- or herself to achieve something. Use what you read to write a letter to a friend, telling what skills and personal qualities the person needed to achieve his/her goal.

Common Core State Standards: Writing informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions.