Pete Gonzalez is a firefighter in Jersey City, New Jersey, but he also has an important job inside the firehouse kitchen. During 24-hour shifts, he helps cook meals for more than a dozen firefighters. Pete did not know much about cooking when he started. He learned by chopping vegetables, washing dishes, and helping others until he became skilled enough to plan meals. Everyone in the firehouse helps with cooking or cleaning. If an emergency call comes in, they quickly turn off the stove and leave to help people. When they return, sitting down to eat together gives them a chance to relax, talk, and get ready for the next call. Plan a firehouse meal for a team of firefighters. Choose a breakfast, lunch, or dinner that would give them energy for a busy shift. Draw or list what you would serve, and explain why you chose those foods. Then describe two kitchen jobs that different firefighters could do to make sure everyone helps.

Violet Hensley spent much of her life playing old-time mountain music and making fiddles by hand. She learned to play from her father when she was a child in Arkansas and began building her own fiddles as a teenager. Over the years, she performed at schools, on television, and for more than 50 years at Silver Dollar City in Missouri. She also made 73 fiddles and became known as “The Whittlin’ Fiddler.” One of her biggest dreams was to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. She finally reached that goal when she was 99 years old and received several standing ovations. Hensley died in August at age 109, leaving behind a long musical tradition that she shared with many generations. Create a timeline of five important moments in Violet Hensley’s life, beginning with her childhood and ending with her Grand Ole Opry performance. Add a small drawing or symbol beside each event. At the bottom, write one sentence explaining what her life teaches about learning, practice, or following a dream.

Construction workers in Belgium made a surprising discovery while renovating an old building. Hidden inside a small brick cellar were 49 gold bars and more than 4,000 gold coins worth about $10 million. The building had once been a brewery, and no one yet knows who hid the treasure or why. Police carefully counted the gold and moved it to a safe place while officials investigate where it came from. Belgian law may give relatives or other rightful owners several years to prove that the treasure belongs to them. If no one makes a successful claim, the nonprofit organization that owns the building could eventually receive it. The group says it would like to use the money to create more housing for people who do not have homes.Become a treasure investigator: Make a page with three sections labeled “What We Know,” “What We Don’t Know,” and “Clues to Investigate.” Fill each section with information from the story. Then write your best theory about how the gold may have ended up beneath the building, making sure to explain which clues helped you form your idea.

For one day each summer, an empty island off the coast of western Ireland becomes a busy horse-racing course. Omey Island can only be reached at low tide because rising seawater later covers the route to the island. Local people set up a temporary racetrack on the sand, and thousands of spectators arrive to watch young jockeys race horses and ponies. Some riders are only 11 years old, while older teenagers use the races to gain experience before becoming professional jockeys. The Omey Races have been part of the area’s traditions for generations, although they stopped for many years before returning in 2001. When the tide comes back in, the people, horses, trailers, and equipment must leave. Soon the racetrack disappears beneath the water until another race day. Draw a before-and-after picture of Omey Island. On one side, show the island during race day with horses, spectators, safety ropes, and other details. On the other side, show what happens after the tide comes in. Add captions explaining why organizers must pay close attention to the ocean when planning the races.

Police in Brazil have recovered eight artworks by the famous French artist Henri Matisse that were stolen from a library in São Paulo. Armed thieves took the pieces during the daytime in December, along with five artworks by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari. Police later found the Matisse works in an apartment and arrested a person suspected of having stolen property. The recovered pictures are part of Matisse’s colorful series called “Jazz.” Police are still searching for the missing Portinari works. Because famous art can be worth a great deal of money and may be moved across borders, international police were also warned after the robbery. Design a museum security poster titled “Protect the Art!” Include at least four rules that could help keep valuable artwork safe, such as watching entrances, using cameras, or protecting display areas. Add an illustration of a museum room and show where you would place at least two security features. Finish with one sentence explaining why artwork should be protected for future visitors.