1. AMAZING YOUNG ATHLETES

Dhinidhi Desinghu, a very talented ninth grader who loves swimming, will be competing in the Paris Olympics at only 14 years old. She has already competed in big tournaments like the 2022 Asian Games and the 2024 World Aquatics Championships. When she was younger, Dhinidhi was scared of the water. She didn't like swimming and didn't even want to put her feet in the pool. But with help from her parents and a pool near her home, she kept trying. Her mom said that when Dhinidhi was eight, she became more confident and started loving swimming. Another kid competing in Paris this summer is an 11-year-old skateboarder named Zheng Haohao. Haohao is now the youngest Olympian from her country. She earned her spot for the Paris Games by doing well in competitions in Budapest and Shanghai. Haohao might become the youngest Olympic champion ever if she wins, beating the record set by Inge Sorensen from Denmark, who won a gold medal in 1938 at just 12 years old. If you could chat with one of these remarkable kids, what would you want to know? Write a letter to one of the young athletes at the Olympics that includes at least five questions for them, with at least three related to the Games or their sport and training.

2. SUNKEN TREASURE

A group of Polish divers found an old shipwreck off the coast of Sweden. The ship, which sank in the 19th century, was filled with fancy items like porcelain and about 100 bottles of Champagne and mineral water. These goods were likely meant for royal tables in Stockholm, Sweden, or St. Petersburg, Russia. The divers discovered the wreck on July 11, 58 meters deep underwater. They were excited because finding so many bottles in a wreck is very rare. The bottles were well-preserved due to the cold, dark conditions underwater. Experts want to test the contents of the bottles to see if the Champagne is still good. However, Swedish authorities will decide what happens next with the wreck. Write a summary of this story in at least three sentences and draw a picture of what you imagine the shipwreck would look like.

3. DIVERSE BARBIE DOLLS

Mattel has released a new Barbie doll that is blind. This Barbie comes with special items like a red-and-white cane and sunglasses for light-sensitive eyes. Her clothes are textured so they feel nice to touch, which is important for blind children. The doll was created with help from the American Foundation for the Blind. Along with the blind Barbie, Mattel also released a Black Barbie with Down syndrome. This Barbie has special features that represent Down syndrome, like a single line on her palms and hearts on her dress with three arrows. Both new dolls are part of Mattel’s Fashionistas line, which includes dolls with different skin tones, body types, and disabilities. Debbie Miller, who works with a blind organization in Britain, said the blind Barbie would have made her feel more confident when she was younger. She thinks it's great that Barbie now has a cane, making it "cool." If you could have a doll that represented you perfectly, what would it be like? Have you ever seen that kind of doll in stores? In at least five sentences, describe your doll, how it represents you, and why it might make you feel good to have a toy that’s just like you on store shelves.

4. OFF TO THE RACES

In the village of Congham, England, there’s a fun and quirky event called the World Snail Racing Championships. This year, snails from all over came to race on a 13.5-inch course. The snails move very slowly, at about 0.006 miles per hour, which means it would take them over six days to travel a mile! The snails race on a damp cloth, and they start inside a small circle in the middle. The first snail to reach the outer circle wins. There were 85 snails racing in eight different heats. Some snails moved steadily towards the finish line, while others went in circles or tried to hitch a ride on another snail. After two hours, the final race had eight snails. The winning snail this year was named Jeff, who finished in just over four minutes. The organizers take the race seriously, but they know it’s a bit silly too. It’s all part of the fun and a unique British tradition. Draw a fictional story or comic strip from the perspective of one of the snails at the race.

5. VIDEO GAME VOICES ON STRIKE

Hollywood's video game performers are going on strike because they couldn't agree with major game studios about rules for using artificial intelligence (AI). This strike will start at 12:01 a.m. on Friday and includes voice actors and motion capture performers. The performers' union, called SAG-AFTRA, has been talking with big game companies like Activision and Warner Bros. for almost two years. They made some progress on pay and job safety, but they couldn't agree on how to protect performers from AI. The union worries that without strong rules, game companies might use AI to copy an actor’s voice or create digital versions of them without permission or fair pay. The game companies say they offered good AI protections, but the union says the rules aren't clear about who is considered a performer. For example, some performers do stunts or creature movements, and the union wants to make sure all their work is protected. Video games make a lot of money, and the union says the people who help create these games should be treated fairly. The last time video game performers went on strike was in 2016, and it lasted 11 months. This new strike shows that performers are still fighting for their rights in the face of new technology like AI. Write a summary of this story, including at least five facts you learned.