1. Long-Lost Primate

Primates are humans' closest relatives in nature. Primates include monkeys, chimpanzees, apes and gorillas--and people! Scientists like to study primates because they have the most advanced brains of any animal. Now they have discovered a primate that was thought to have been extinct for 80 years. High on a mountain in the island nation of Indonesia, scientists have found living pygmy tarsiers. Pygmy tarsiers are the size of a mouse and have big eyes and ears that make them look like creatures from the old movie "Gremlins." Weighing less than 2 ounces, they are one of the Earth's smallest and rarest primates. As a class, talk about what scientists can learn by studying rare or endangered animals. Then pair off with a classmate and find an example of a rare or endangered animal in the newspaper. Use what you find to design a poster teaching people about the challenges faced by this animal. Learning Standards: Explaining ecosystem concepts and processes; understanding the nature of scientific inquiry; describing positive and negative effects of humans on nature; representing creatively.

2. A Sports First

The great thing about sports is that new things are always happening. New records are set, new players join teams and new ways are found to play or win games. When the Seattle Mariners start the season next spring, Don Wakamatsu will be doing something new for Major League Baseball. Wakamatsu is the first Asian American to become a manager in Major League history. A fourth-generation Japanese American, Wakamatsu takes over at a time when more and more players from Asian countries like Japan are joining the Major Leagues. One of his top players in Seattle is the Japanese-born Ichiro Suzuki. As a class, talk about the growing diversity of communities in America. In teams, look through the newspaper and find examples of people, groups or businesses that reflect different ethnic groups. Report your findings to the class and discuss how this makes a community a more interesting place to live. Learning Standards: Locating and describing the diverse places, cultures and communities of regions; engaging peers in constructive conversation about issues or topics of interest.

3. Front Page News

The election of Barack Obama as president continues to make news. And newspapers that cover the news have become part of the story of this historic presidential race. The Newseum, a museum in Washington, D.C., that tells the story of newspapers and other news media, reports that the election of Obama caused more people than ever to visit the Newseum's Web site at www.newseum.org. The reason was that the Web site displayed images of the front pages of more than 700 newspapers in the United States and around the world on the day they reported Obama's victory. As a class, talk about the role newspapers and other news media have in keeping people informed about important events. Then talk about why people would want to see front pages from an event like this year's presidential election. Write a paragraph describing why people read newspapers, both on days when there is big news and on other days.

Learning Standards: Responding to a variety of oral, visual, written and electronic texts by making connections to students' personal lives and the lives of others; writing fluently for multiple purposes.

4. Brush Up for the Holidays

The holiday season is here and that means lots of people will be celebrating with holiday foods. Often those foods are sweets that include lots of sugar. Sugar can damage teeth if eaten too much, so dentists and other tooth experts say it's good to limit how much you eat on holidays. They also recommend mixing in healthy foods that also are part of holiday meals and feasts. They say the best fruit choices are those containing more water such as apples, grapes, pears, cantaloupes and other melons. And did you know that any aged cheese such as Swiss, cheddar or Monterey Jack can keep teeth healthy and even prevent tooth decay? As a class, talk about ways kids can keep their teeth and bodies healthy, including brushing teeth twice a day. Then find photos of healthy foods in ads in the newspaper and create an art collage showing how to have a delicious, and healthy, holiday season.

Learning Standards: Comprehending what constitutes good health and nutrition; acquiring information from multiple sources and then evaluating, organizing and communicating it.

5. Light in the Night

Meteors are caused when junk or rocks from space enter the air of the Earth's atmosphere and burn. They are no threat to people on Earth, but sometimes they can put on quite a show. In Canada, the nation just north of the United States, a meteor caused a giant light show this month in the skies over the western province of Alberta. The fireball, or "shooting star," streaked through the darkening skies with such brightness that it could be seen more than 200 miles away. Scientists said the meteor probably weighed between one and 10 tons before breaking up and crashing to the Earth. As a class, look through the newspaper for stories about stars, planets or exploring space. Talk about what is making news and why it is important to scientists. Then imagine what you would feel if you saw a meteor in the night sky. Write a poem to express your feelings. Make the first line "If I saw a meteor..." Your poems don't need to rhyme but use strong words to express your emotions. Read poems aloud to the class.

Learning Standards: Explaining how we learn about the universe; reading and writing fluently, speaking confidently, listening and interacting appropriately, viewing critically and representing creatively.