1. PARADE OF NEW CHARACTERS

The 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City mixed old traditions with brand-new stars. Huge balloons like Mario, SpongeBob, and Minnie Mouse floated over the streets along with new characters such as Labubu and the monster Demogorgon from “Stranger Things.” Marching bands, dancers, cheerleaders, and colorful floats filled the parade route while families bundled up in the cold to watch. Some people even spent all year getting ready, like a boy who practiced his snare drum and a man who drove in at 2:30 a.m. to sell silly turkey hats. Behind the scenes, puppeteers worked hard inside the Demogorgon float, using their muscles to move its arms and legs for the whole 2½-mile walk. The parade showed how a long-running tradition can change with each new generation while still keeping favorites like Tom Turkey and Santa at the end. Pretend you are in charge of adding one brand-new float or balloon to next year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. In 3 to 5 sentences, describe what your float or balloon would look like, which character or idea it is based on, and how it would move or act in the parade. Then explain why you think kids and families watching from the sidewalks and their windows would be excited to see your creation.

2. A BEE LAB IN TROUBLE

For more than 100 years, the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland has helped farmers and scientists learn how to grow safer, healthier food. Scientists there have bred better turkeys, studied dangerous fungi, and done important research to protect bees and find out why they sometimes die suddenly. Now the Trump administration wants to close the center and move its work to other labs across the country, saying that fixing the old buildings would cost too much money. Many farmers, beekeepers, and scientists are worried that moving or shutting down the lab will slow down research and cause expert workers to quit rather than move away. They say some things, like long-term test fields and delicate samples, might be damaged or lost if they are moved. People who care about food safety and bee health are asking the government to repair and modernize the center instead of closing it. Imagine you are a beekeeper who depends on the Beltsville bee lab to help keep your hives healthy. Write a friendly letter of 4 to 6 sentences to a government official explaining why this research center is important to you, your bees, and the food people eat. Be sure to tell what the scientists do there, what might go wrong if the center closes, and what you hope the government will do instead.

3. COOLING DOWN HOT NEIGHBORHOODS

New York City is getting hotter as the climate changes, and extreme heat can be very dangerous for people who live there. A new “climate budgeting” plan is helping the city decide how to spend money to keep neighborhoods cooler and protect residents. Scientists found that places with lots of trees, parks, and light-colored roofs stay cooler, while areas filled with dark asphalt and tall buildings trap heat. The city’s plan includes spending hundreds of millions of dollars to plant more trees, protect wetlands, and change streets and roofs so they reflect more sunlight. These changes are meant to lower temperatures, improve air quality, and make it easier for New Yorkers to stay safe during heat waves. Over time, the city hopes this work will also help reduce pollution and move toward its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Think about your own neighborhood and how hot it feels in the summer. In 3 to 5 sentences, describe where you think it feels hottest and where it feels coolest, and explain what kinds of things (like trees, grass, playgrounds, or parking lots) you see in those places. Then write 2 to 3 more sentences suggesting at least two changes your city or town could make to keep your neighborhood cooler in the future and why those changes would help.

4. BREATHING IN DIRTY AIR IN NEW DELHI

In New Delhi, the capital of India, the air is so polluted that it can be dangerous just to breathe outside. Every day, people wake up and go to bed in thick smog caused by car and truck exhaust, factories, and farmers burning leftover crops. Tiny particles in the air called PM2.5 are often more than 20 times higher than what health experts say is safe. This dirty air makes people’s eyes burn, gives them headaches and coughs, and sends many more patients to the hospital with breathing problems. Schools sometimes have to close, and students stay home because it is not safe to be outside. Some people wear masks or use air purifiers, but many workers and families do not have that choice and must stay outside all day to earn money. Create a poster or the script for a TV news segment that tells people about the dangers of polluted air. Include suggestions of what people can do to keep themselves safe.

5. WOMEN CHANGING HEART SURGERY

In the United States, less than 10 percent of heart and lung surgeons are women, even though more women are entering medicine. At a special meeting in Florida, over 200 female surgeons and students gathered to share their research and talk about the challenges they face in a field that has long been dominated by men. Many of them have experienced unfair treatment, such as lower pay, fewer promotions, or patients asking for a male doctor instead. They also talked about struggling with long hours, raising families, and feeling like they do not belong, even when they are highly trained and skilled. The women at the conference encouraged each other to stay confident, support one another, and show younger girls that they can become surgeons too. They believe that having more women in heart and lung surgery will help patients and make hospitals fairer places to work. In 4–6 sentences, describe a poster or presentation you would create for an elementary school career day that would encourage people to join a field where not many people look like them yet. Explain how your words and images would help other kids feel brave enough to follow their own big dreams.