For Grades K-4 , week of Mar. 08, 2021

1. Big Break Up

Global warming is having a huge impact on the areas surrounding the Earth’s North and South Poles. The latest evidence comes from the southern polar continent of Antarctica. An iceberg larger than New York City has broken off from the Brunt Ice Shelf not far from a scientific outpost. The break occurred in process known as “calving” in which icebergs break off from ice shelves and float freely atop ocean water. This break came along a crack that had been developing for years, CNN News reported. The crack widened throughout January and February and was several hundred meters wide by the time it broke free. The new iceberg covers 470 square miles and is more than 160 yards thick. The areas surrounding the North and South Poles are undergoing big changes that affect wildlife, the environment and people. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read a story about one of these changes in the Earth’s polar regions. Use what you read to write a letter to the editor telling why this change is important.

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.

2. Different Olympic Run

One of the great ceremonies connected with the Olympic Games every four years is the delivery of the lighted Olympic torch to the city hosting the sports competition. The delivery takes the form of a worldwide relay race, starting in the European nation of Greece, where the first Olympics were held. In July the Summer Olympics are scheduled to begin in the Asian city of Tokyo, Japan, and the torch is already making its way through Japanese communities. But this year’s relay is different due to concerns about the coronavirus. Japanese officials are urging people to watch the relay on television instead of in person, and if they do attend they are urged to “refrain from cheering and shouting” because that could spread the virus in crowds. Spectators are also asked to wear masks and practice social distancing. The Summer Olympics were originally scheduled to be held last year but were postponed due to the spread of the coronavirus. They now will run July 23 through August 8 if all goes well. Interest is growing about the Summer Olympics and what precautions will be taken if they are held as scheduled. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read a story about the Summer Olympics. Use what you read to prepare a report summarizing the story and how that could affect the Olympic Games this summer. Present your report to family, friends or classmates.

Common Core State Standards: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions.

3. Horse Readers

Reading aloud is a great way to build reading and vocabulary skills. But some children are nervous about reading in front of classmates or family members for fear of making a mistake or embarrassing themselves. A horse farmer in the state of North Carolina has come up with an unusual way to get kids to read and gain self-confidence. Caitlin Gooch has founded a program that lets students read to horses at libraries or on her family’s farm. Called Saddle Up and Read, the program lets students read without feeling pressure because horses don’t judge them, Gooch said. And they get to learn about animals many have never seen up close. After appearances at local libraries and parks, Gooch put a post on Facebook inviting parents to bring children to her family farm to read to the horses living there. “After they’d each read a book, I showed them how to brush my favorite horse, Goat, and taught them about horse safety,” Gooch told the Washington Post newspaper. The program quickly became a hit, especially with city kids. As an African American woman, Gooch said that was especially important to her. “If I can be a role model for even a few kids, it’s worth it,” she said. The newspaper and Internet provide great material to practice reading aloud. Find a story that interests you from one of those sources. Practice reading it aloud by yourself. Then read it aloud to family, friends or classmates — with expression!

Core State Standards: Reading closely what written and visual texts say and to making logical inferences from them. Reading prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate and expression on successive readings.

4. ‘Frozen’ Hurricanes

Elsa, Anna and Olaf are three of the most popular characters from the “Frozen” movies. This fall, they could also be names for hurricanes in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Elsa and Ana are among the names on the list for potential hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean, while Olaf is listed as a possible name for a Pacific storm, the World Meteorological Organization announced. Other names for Atlantic hurricanes include Henri, Ida, Odette, Peter, Victor and Wanda. Names for Pacific hurricanes include Dolores, Enrique, Felicia, Guillermo, Zelda and Waldo. Hurricanes are severe weather events that affect a lot of people. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read a story about another severe weather event that has affected a lot of people. Use what you read to prepare a one-minute TV news report on the event and the biggest effects it has had. Write the text of your report. Then read it aloud and time it\so that it doesn’t run longer than one minute. Present your report to the class in the style of a TV news reporter.

Common Core State Standards: Conducting short research projects that build knowledge about a topic; writing narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events.

5. Rollerblading Police

Rollerblading has long been popular as a sport for recreation and competition. Now it is playing a new role in one Asian nation: catching criminals. In the city of Karachi, Pakistan, police have set up a special armed rollerblading unit to help officers reduce street crime and catch offenders. The goal is to give the officers greater speed pursuing suspects who are running away, or even those riding bicycles, scooters or motorcycles. The unit is expected to be fully deployed this month, but officers on rollerblades have already gone to work at a cricket sports tournament and the city’s beachfront. “Rollerblading will really benefit us,” one officer told Reuters News. “With this training, we can reach narrow alleys very quickly where it is usually difficult to go.” Rollerblading requires special skill for police officers who try it. In the newspaper or online find and closely read a story showing another special skill a police officer or firefighter must have. Use what you read to write a letter to a friend telling what the skill is, how the officer or firefighter acquired it and why it is important.

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.