1. Big Dinosaur Discovery

Fossil hunters have exciting lives, because they never know what they'll dig up next. But few have had the excitement experienced by hunters in the Asian nation of China this year. Scientists there have discovered what they believe is one of the world's largest groups of dinosaur fossils, including a duck-billed hadrosaur that may be the biggest ever found. In an area of eastern China, more than 7,600 fossil bones have been dug up in the last nine months, including a hadrosaurus 30 feet tall and nearly 65 feet long! As a class talk about what fossils of dinosaurs can teach scientists about life on Earth long ago. Then pair off and find stories and photos in the newspaper of things that would tell future scientists what life is like on Earth today. Explain your choices to the class.

Learning Standard: Explaining how fossils provide evidence about the nature of ancient life; generating questions about the world based on observation.

2. Mosquito Breakthrough

Mosquitoes are among the biggest pests in nature. In some countries, they also carry deadly diseases like malaria and yellow fever. Now scientists in the nation of Australia are trying to find a way to get mosquitoes to die off naturally before they can spread diseases. The scientists have discovered that mosquitoes infected with a special insect parasite live half as long as healthy mosquitoes. If the parasite could be introduced to more mosquitoes it would reduce the chance they could spread diseases like malaria - and also reduce the need for spraying chemicals to kill mosquitoes. As a class, read newspaper stories about discoveries in science, health or medicine. Write a paragraph for one telling how the discovery could help people in the future.

Learning Standard: Showing how common themes of science, mathematics and technology apply in real world contexts; writing fluently for multiple purposes.

3. A Bigger Burial Ground

In the African nation of Egypt, scientists have long had great interest in the burial grounds of the ancient kings called pharaohs (FARE-ohs). And a burial ground 12 miles south of the capital city of Cairo has often been in the spotlight. This area has been explored for more than 150 years, and new discoveries continue to be made there. Just last month, scientists announced they had found two 4,300-year-old tombs that show the burial ground is even bigger than scientists thought it was. The new tombs are located near two pyramids in an area not explored before. As a class, talk about the differences between life today and life in ancient times. Then draw a comic strip for the newspaper, showing you or scientists exploring a place people lived long ago.

Learning Standards: Engaging peers in constructive conversation about topics of interest or importance; comprehending the past; using the craft of the illustrator to convey ideas.

4. Ouch! Jellyfish!

When people take winter vacations, they often go to warm places with beautiful beaches. But researchers say stinging jellyfish and other slimy animals are ruining beaches in the states of Hawaii and California, the Gulf of Mexico, Europe's Mediterranean Sea, America's Chesapeake Bay and other spots. Scientists say jellyfish now make up one third the weight of all living things in California's Monterey Bay, and 200,000 people are stung every year in the state of Florida. Pollution, rising water temperatures from global warming and manmade structures like oil rigs have contributed to the growth of jellyfish populations, scientists say. As a class, talk about things to watch out for when you are in natural areas like beaches or forests. Then find a photo of an outdoor scene in the newspaper. Write a paragraph describing two things to be careful about when visiting the outdoor area shown.

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.

5. Invest in Children

On January 20, Barack Obama will take over as president of the United States. And one thing supporters of children want him to do is to "Invest in Children, Strengthen America." A nationwide group called the Children's Leadership Council is urging President-Elect Obama and other national leaders to support programs that fight poverty and prepare children for school even before they are five years old. Supporting children and youth "is not just the right thing to do, it is one of the smartest" things to do to make the nation successful in the future, the group says. As a class, talk about things that can make children healthy and successful. Pick one idea and design a public service ad for the newspaper asking people to get involved. Share ideas and ads as a class.

Learning Standards: Generating questions about issues that affect students or topics about which they are curious; engaging peers in constructive conversation about topics of interest or importance.