Common Core State Standard L.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.
07/27/2026
Australian woman welcomes '1 in 15 million' identical quadruplet girls
In an extremely rare and high-risk pregnancy, an Australian woman gave birth to naturally conceived identical quadruplet daughters in Brisbane, described by a doctor as a one in 15 million case. The girls were delivered after 28 weeks of pregnancy and placed in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit until they grow to full term. The average pregnancy lasts 38 weeks for a single baby. The quadruplets have four older siblings, and the unplanned pregnancy was a very big surprise for the parents.
■Class discussion: The odds for multiple births range from 1 in 83 for giving birth to twins to 1 in 3.9 billion for delivering identical quintuplets. Have you ever met twins? Has anyone in your extended family ever given birth to more than one child at a time? Multiple births, as in the case in Australia, make news. Should parents ever put their quintuplets, sextuplets, or octuplets on display on stages, television shows, or movie screens? Is it ethical to use your children to help pay the bills?
