For Grades K-4 , week of May 27, 2019

1. She’s a Life-Saver

Many people take safety classes so they’ll know what to do in an emergency. Few get to put what they learn to work the very next day. Yet that’s what a 9-year-old third grader in the state of Massachusetts did this month. Shailyn Ryan had just learned how to do the famous Heimlich maneuver to help a person who is choking on food. Less than a day after her kids safety class, her friend Keira Silvia started choking at lunch at their elementary school. Keira was holding her throat and turning blue, and Shailyn knew just what to do. She calmly performed what she had learned just the day before: wrapping her arms around Keira’s waist above the belly button, forming a fist with one hand and pulling it upward into the stomach area as if she were trying to pick her up. When she did that, a piece of hotdog stuck in Keira’s throat popped out, allowing her to breathe again. “I didn’t really think about it — I just did it,” Shailyn said later. “I knew that I had to do something fast, so I did.” Keira, meanwhile, says “I never want to eat another hotdog.” Safety tips can help you in all sorts of situations. In the newspaper or online find and closely read a story about an activity for which it is important to stay safe. Use what you read to write out a list of tips to help you stay safe while doing this activity. Draw pictures to go with your tips.

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; using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points.

2. ‘Three-Peat’?

The Golden State Warriors have won the last two NBA championships, and this week they are going for a third. This third repeat championship — called a “three-peat” — would be the first in the league since the Los Angeles Lakers did it in 2002. The Warriors earned their fifth straight appearance in the NBA finals by sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers four games to none in the Western Conference finals. They are led by superstar, Stephen Curry who averaged a career-high 36.5 points per game in the sweep of the Trail Blazers. It was the most points any player has averaged in a four-game sweep in league history. Only three teams have achieved “three-peats” in in the NBA: The Lakers, the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls. All eyes will be on Stephen Curry in this week’s NBA finals. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read stories about the Warriors star. Use what you read to write a short sports column describing the most important things Curry must do for the Warriors to succeed.

Common Core State Standards: Writing opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions.

3. Doggie Nights

A lot of people love their dogs so much they want to do everything with them. In the city of Plano, Texas, they can now take them to the movies! A theater named K9 Cinema now offers special screenings for dog owners who want to cuddle up with their pooches while watching a show. The theater offers comfortable “dog-friendly” seating, and owners can bring up to two dogs at a time for the special shows. Owners do have to follow some “doggone rules,” UPI News reports. Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times, be up to date on medical shots, and owners have to clean up any “accidents” dogs may have while at the theater. The theater says it started dog screenings because “We have a big heart for our furry family members … and believe they should get a night out with you!” People often do special or unusual things with their pets. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read a story about a pet owner doing something unusual like this. Use what you read to draw a series of comic strips, showing what the owner is doing and how the pet might react. Share with the class.

Common Core State Standards: Conducting short research projects that build knowledge about a topic; using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points;

4. Daring Climb

The Eiffel Tower is one of most popular tourist sites in the European city of Paris, France. But one day this month it got even more attention than usual, when a daredevil climbed the outside of the 1,063-foot landmark. The tower was shut down and evacuated as the man made his way up the wrought-iron structure before being taken into custody by a rescue crew. He was later charged with trespassing and other offenses. The Eiffel Tower was constructed between 1887 and 1889 and is as high as an 81-story building. Daredevils are adventurers who challenge themselves to do unusual or dangerous things. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read a story about a daredevil doing something unusual or dangerous. Pretend you are the daredevil and use what you read to write a letter to the editor telling “Why I Did It.”

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.

5. Love Those Pandas

Pandas are popular all over the world, but perhaps nowhere more than in the Chinese region of Hong Kong. Officials there love the black and white bears and expect people to love them back. In fact, visitors to the animal theme park known as Ocean Park must respect the giant pandas on display and take special care not to provoke or anger the bears. If they don’t, they could land in jail for up to a month and face a $250 fine under Hong Kong law. Pandas are native to China, and the Asian nation has shared them or presented them as gifts to zoos in nations around the world. Two pandas on loan from China can be seen at America’s National Zoo in Washington, DC. Nations or communities often take special steps to protect wildlife. In the newspaper or online, find stories or photos about wildlife animals that interest you. Study the stories and photos. Then write a paragraph describing several steps that nations or communities could take to protect the animals.

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.