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.
04/08/2024
Invaders from underground are coming in cicada-geddon
Trillions of periodical red-eyed cicadas that have pumps in their heads and jet-like muscles in their rears will soon emerge. One brood of the insects crawls out from underground every 13 years and another brood appears every 17 years. For the first time in 221 years, both groups will show up this spring to sing a collective love song as loud as jet engines, After mating, they will die while their offspring head underground. The double emergence won’t happen again until 2245.
■Class discussion: Who was the U.S. president in 1803 – the last time both broods showed up in the South and Midwest? Will you go out to look for the bugs when they arrive? Why or why not? Do you have any interest in rare natural events like the appearance of cicadas or a solar eclipse? Do insects frighten you? What about other wildlife? Would you rather explore outdoor wonders or stay inside and interact with an electronic device? Can you enjoy and learn from both activities?