1. Monster Sea Fossil

In the time of the dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex was the most fearsome creature on land. But now a fossil has been found of a sea creature that might have made T. rex look like a wimp. The fossil monster has been nicknamed "Predator X," and scientists said the bite of its huge jaws was probably four times as powerful as that of T. rex (and 10 times more powerful than any living creature). It was found in a far-north region of the European country of Norway and had teeth a foot long and a 10-foot head! As a class, talk about the ways scientists study the past to learn more about life on Earth. Then find a story in the newspaper about scientists studying life on Earth today. Write a paragraph describing what they are studying and why it is important.

Learning Standards: Showing how common themes of science, mathematics and technology apply in real-world contexts; explaining how scientists decide what constitutes scientific knowledge, how science is related to other ways of knowing and how science and technology affect society.

2. Dream Houses

When people look for vacation homes, many would like to get a beach house. But what if the house is on the wrong beach? A couple from Long Island, New York solved that problem by floating a beach house on a barge from the state of New Jersey to New York! The house was created by a famous designer of buildings named Robert Venturi and featured a huge window shaped like a sailboat. It was going to be torn down to make way for a new home, until Long Islanders Robert Gotkin and Deborah Sarnoff stepped in. They were able to buy the house for just $1 if they would pay the $100,000 it cost to move it 95 miles over the water to their Long Island property. As a class, talk about what you would like if you could build a "dream house." Then pair off and find an ad in the newspaper for a house you would like to have. Write a sentence stating why you would like this house.

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; engaging peers in constructive conversation about topics of interest or importance.

3. March Madness

The "March Madness" of the NCAA college basketball tournament has started. Look through the sports section in today's newspaper and create two math problems based on the statistics you find about the Men's Division I tournament and two from statistics in the Women's Division I tournament. Solve your problems on a separate sheet of paper. Then exchange problems with a classmate and complete each other's problems.

Learning Standard: Formulating questions and problems and gathering and interpreting data to answer those questions; using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to solve problems.

4. Count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Newspapers give you great ways to practice math. Search the news, sports and business sections of today's newspaper and find the following kinds of numbers: a 1-digit number; a 2-digit number; a 3-digit number; a 4-digit number; a 5-digit number. Practice your math by doing the following: Subtract the 2-digit number from the 3-digit number. Multiply the 1-digit number by the 2-digit number. Divide the 4-digit number by the 1-digit number. Add all the numbers together.

Learning Standard: Applying understanding of number systems in solving problems; using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to solve problems.

5. To Life!

Look through today's newspaper and cut out one picture each of a person, an animal and a plant. As a class, put your pictures together in separate piles divided for people, animals and plants. Mix up the pictures in each pile. Then have each student select a new picture from each pile, so each person should have a new person, a new animal and a new plant. Over the next few days, watch the newspaper for things that each of your three things needs to live. Write a sentence for each, describing what it needs.

Learning Standard: Describing the basic requirements for all living things to maintain their existence; writing fluently for multiple purposes.