1. Out of the Ocean

Scientists have long believed that the animals, reptiles and birds of the Earth were ocean creatures before they lived on land. They started out as swimmers who lived in the sea all the time, and over millions of years developed legs so they could move to land. Now a fossil discovery in the European country of Poland is suggesting that sea creatures moved to land earlier than believed before. A fossil of a four-footed animal found in Poland dates back 397 million years, scientists said last week, and that is 12 million years earlier than the earliest four-footed land creatures known before. The discovery may force scientists to re-think how land creatures first developed from creatures that lived in the oceans. As a class, talk about what it means for animals to change or "adapt" to live in their environment. Then draw a comic strip for the newspaper showing an animal changing to live in a new habitat.

Learning Standards: Explaining ecosystem concepts and processes; acquiring information from multiple sources; using the craft of the illustrator to express ideas artistically.

2. Brief

Short stories in the newspaper are called "briefs" or

"blurbs." Read a blurb in today's newspaper and then write a few sentences that explain the information in the blurb, in your own words. Then, for fun, say the word "blurb" five times fast! Or make up a story in which the only word a character can say is "blurb."

Learning Standard: Identifying and categorizing key ideas, concepts and perspectives found in texts.

3. Who Built the Pyramids?

The Great Pyramids of Egypt are among the most amazing things ever built by humans. But for years, history experts believed that they were built by slaves forced to do the work by the powerful pharaoh kings. Now a discovery of workers' burial tombs suggests that some pyramid builders were free workers, according to Egypt's top pyramid expert. Tombs found west of the city of Cairo show that these workers were buried inside the pyramid of a king -- something that would not have occurred if they were slaves, said pyramid expert Zahi Hawass. As a class, talk about the ways scientists learn about the past. Then find a photo of an outdoor scene in the newspaper. What questions would you ask about the scene if you discovered it as a scientist in the future?

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; posing social science questions; comprehending the past.

4. Car-Making News

Everyone knows the last year has not been good for America's car-making companies. But things may be looking a little better for General Motors factory workers. The company said last week it may re-open some factories that it closed because it now can't produce its more popular vehicles fast enough. Factories that make the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Cadillac SRX and Buick LaCrosse are having trouble keeping up with orders, and if they can't produce more, GM may re-open other facilities to help out. That would be a good sign for the car company, which closed 14 factories last year. As a class or in teams, look for stories in the newspaper about businesses or jobs. Pick one and write a paragraph describing what is making news and whom the news affects.

Learning Standards: Describing and demonstrating how the economic forces of scarcity and choice shape consumer decisions regarding the purchase, use and disposal of goods and services; writing fluently for multiple purposes.

5. Cut the Salt

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is a big backer of healthy living. To help people control their weight, he warned people about sugary soft drinks, and he required restaurants to list how many calories were contained in foods on menus. Now he wants restaurants and food companies to limit the amount of salt put into prepared foods. Too much salt can contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease, and health experts say 80 percent of the salt in Americans' diets comes from packaged or restaurant food. As a class, talk about foods that are the healthiest to eat and which should be eaten only in limited amounts. Then find examples of healthy foods in the newspaper. Design a poster for healthy eating from what you find in the newspaper.

Learning Standard: Engaging peers in constructive conversation about topics of interest or importance; comprehending what constitutes good health and nutrition; responding to a variety of texts by making connections to students' personal lives and the lives of others.