1. AN INSPIRING REPORTER

In 2020, when the coronavirus started spreading, it affected everything, even basketball. The NBA had to stop its games because a player got sick. That made people realize how serious the virus was. They came up with a plan to finish the season in a special place, like a bubble, where players could be safe. They chose Disney World. One journalist, Malika Andrews, got to go inside the bubble to report on what was happening. She talked about the rules to keep everyone safe and even made jokes to help people feel better. She worked really hard, staying up late to find out what the players were doing and saying. When important things happened, like protests against racism, she covered them too. Malika Andrews became famous for her reporting, even though she had only been at ESPN for a short time. She’s known for asking tough questions and reporting on important issues, even if some people don’t like it. Some people on the internet say mean things about her because she’s a woman and because she talks about serious stuff. But Malika keeps doing her job, talking to players and telling their stories. She loves sports because they’re exciting and full of ups and downs. And she’s not planning to stop anytime soon. If you were talking to Malika, what would you want to ask her? Write down at least five questions you would have for her, either about her life and career or advice she might have for you on a specific topic.

2. DOLLY’S NEXT ADVENTURE

Dolly Parton, a famous country singer, announced that her life story will become a Broadway musical called "Hello, I'm Dolly." The musical will feature songs written by Parton herself and will debut in 2026. This will be the first musical about her life, and it will include many of her popular songs. Parton, who is 78 years old, continues to achieve success in her career, recently setting three Guinness World Records for her musical accomplishments. She released a rock 'n' roll album called "Rockstar" and a book about her fashion called "Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones." If you were going to create a project about your life, would it be a play or musical, a book, a television show, or something else? Write a paragraph about what type of project you would do and how you would share the story of your life. Include at least five details about what the project would be like.

3. ALL ABOUT HORSES

About 4,200 years ago, scientists think people started to really change horses. They found that one special group of horses quickly became the main type all over the place. These horses were easier to ride because of a change in their back shape. Researchers looked at old horse DNA from a long time ago and found this change. It happened around the same time that a group of people called the Sintashta started using horses to help them move to new places. Before this, people had already started using horses for things like riding and drinking their milk. But it was the Sintashta who made these special horses spread all over. They think horses first came from North America and then went to Asia a long time ago. But now, they're everywhere except the Americas. Humans have been making animals like dogs and cows different for thousands of years, but horses changed faster. This shows how important horses have been to people throughout history.

4. SEVEN-FOOT FISH

A big, rare fish showed up on a beach in Oregon, surprising everyone. It's called a hoodwinker sunfish, and it's usually found in warm waters far away. This one is huge, about as long as a car! People are excited to see it because it's not something you usually find on this coast. A scientist from New Zealand who knows a lot about these fish saw pictures of it and confirmed what it was. This kind of sunfish is really rare, and this might be the biggest one anyone has ever seen. It's a cool discovery because scientists used to think these fish only lived in certain places, but now they're popping up in unexpected spots like Oregon, California, and Alaska. Write a story or draw a comic strip about a giant fish, using details you learned from this story in your writing.

5. FOSSIL FOUND

A diver named Alex Lundberg found something special while looking for fossils in the sea near Florida. He thought it was just a piece of wood at first, but it turned out to be a big part of a mastodon's tusk! Mastodons are like ancient relatives of elephants. This tusk is about 4 feet long and weighs 70 pounds. It's a big deal because it's rare to find such a large and intact piece. Mastodons lived around 23 million years ago, and they vanished about 10,000 years ago. They roamed mainly in North America. Alex has a permit to collect fossils, but since he found this one in Florida waters, it belongs to the state. He'll have to report his find to a museum to see if they want it for display or studying, but if not, he might get to keep it! Write a summary of this story and include at least 5 facts you learned. Draw what you think a mastodon may have looked like, then compare with scientists’ drawings of them in books in your classroom or online to see how close you were!