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Because of Winn Dixie

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:36:00 -0800

Download 15 pages filled with questions for students for each chapter of the book, Because of Winn Dixie. Use as a study guide, quiz or test. Preview materials below. Save PDF, zoom in or out by moving mouse over preview window.

Answers to the Turkey Quiz

TheApple — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:54:00 -0800

Need some interesting material about Thanksgiving to fill some class time? What's Your Turkey IQ? quiz to help you learn more about Thanksgiving's most popular dish: The Turkey. We're providing the answers so you can learn from the quiz, but...

h4. Don't cheat! If you haven't taken the What's Your Turkey IQ quiz, go take it first.

See answers on the next page...

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1) 1. Deep-frying turkeys originated where?

San Francisco

The South-Correct Answer!

Turkey, the country

Hawaii

2) Approximately, how many turkeys are produced each year in the US?

10 Million

29 Million

165 Million

270 Million-Correct Answer

3) Which US statesman proposed the turkey as the official US bird, eventually loosing out to the bald eagle?

George W. Bush

George H. W. Bush

Benjamin Franklin-Correct Answer!

Franklin D. Roosevelt

4) Which color meat is preferred in the US?

White-Correct Answer!

Dark

5) What month is National Turkey Lover's Month?

January, to ring in the New Year

June, to introduce Summer-Correct Answer!

November, of course!

September, same as National Chicken Month

6) Which are methods used to cook turkeys?

The microwave method

The brine method

Aluminum foil wrapped method

Braised method
All of the above-Correct Answer!

7) The top five most popular ways to use turkey leftovers are:

Sandwich, soup/stew, stir fry, eaten plain as a side, and salad

Leftovers? I never have leftovers

Soup/stew, sandwich, stir fry, salad, and casserole-Correct Answer!

Casserole, eaten plain as a side, soup/stew, sandwich, and stir fry

8) When was Thanksgiving declared a national holiday?

1776, when our nation was founded

1863, to encourage unity during the Civil War-Correct Answer!

1945, to celebrate the end of WWII

9) Why does eating turkey make you drowsy?

Tryptophan enzymes-Correct Answer!

Eating too much of the bird

Badly cooked turkey

10) What percent of Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving?

40 percent

65 percent

95 percent-Correct Answer!

80 percent

11) Which of the following methods to cook turkey is unsafe?

Grilling

Frying

Slow cooking-Correct Answer!

Roasting

12) The costume that "Big Bird" wears on "Sesame Street" is rumored to be made of turkey feathers.

True-Correct Answer!

False

13) What birds are used to make a Turducken?

Turkey and duck

Duck and chicken

Turkey, duck, and chicken-Correct Answer

A WHAT?

We hope you enjoyed the quiz and learned a lot about turkeys!

Free Color & Shape Worksheets

ABC Teach — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:50:00 -0800

Download a 3 page board game for students learning about shapes.

Seven pages full of shape activities for Pre-K through 1st grade.

Colorful shapes for students to cut and paste together shapes to make a butterfly.

Download five pages of worksheets to help your students learn about things that are green.

Free English/Language Arts Worksheets

ABC Teach — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:50:00 -0800

Because of Winn Dixie

Download 15 pages filled with questions for students for each chapter of the book, Because of Winn Dixie. Use as a study guide, quiz or test.

Fairy Tale Word Wall

Download 6 pages of colorful pictures and names of fairy tale characters for a word wall.

Nursery Rhymes Word Wall

3 pages of colorful pictures and words of familiar nursery rhymes.

Reading Comprehension for Elementary

A reading comprehension story and questions for elementary age students.

Reading Comprehension: Golden Gate Upper Elementary

A reading comprehension story and questions for elementary age students.

Reading Comprehension Primary Grades

A reading comprehension story and questions for elementary age students.

Reading Comprehension Upper Elementary

A reading comprehension story and questions for elementary age students about George Washington.

Free Cross Curricular Worksheets & Posters

ABC Teach — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:49:00 -0800

Download this help poster for your computer class or to explain your technology teaching.

Step by step directions for students to create mini offices.

Poster for classroom use about the word "Appreciation."

Free Holiday Worksheets

ABC Teach — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:49:00 -0800

3 different activities on six pages full of fall appropriate themes.

3 pages of colorful pictures and words associated with fall.

A reading comprehension story and questions for elementary age students about George Washington.

Free Geography Worksheets

ABC Teach — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:49:00 -0800

Coral Reef Geography: learning how to read and map and use a compass on a map.

One-page map of California

Free Math Worksheets

ABC Teach — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:49:00 -0800

Seven pages of colorful posters to help students with word problems.

Seven pages of colorful fraction reminders and problems for use with or without the mini office.

3 pages of crayon box templates with directions. To be used to teach students about graphing.

A poster full of tips for solving word problems.

6 pages of word problems with pictures.

6 probability problems with answers included.

Thanksgiving Activities

Pat Hensley — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:57:00 -0800

Now that Halloween is over, Thanksgiving is the next big holiday to prepare for. I love November because I think it is a great time to reflect and think about all the things you are thankful for. Here are some suggestions of activities you can do in the classroom. Now is the time to think about these because you might need some advance preparation for them. Unfortunately there were many times that holidays would sneak up on me and then I would run around like a chicken without a head. Maybe something on this list will interest you and help you in advance because it will help the lesson be more successful.

1. Every day take time to write three things you are thankful for. This can be an ongoing list or can be posted on strips of paper and posted around the room.

2. Make a turkey out of autumn leaves.

3. Make a turkey and post it on the bulletin board. Students can use feathers to post things like: things they are thankful for, or facts about Thanksgiving, or even the steps to cooking a turkey

4. Turkey Treat Holder – decorating a small terracotta pot

5. A Pilgrim’s Conversation: using quotation marks; grades 3-5

6. The History of Thanksgiving – from the History Channel

7. The First Thanksgiving – From Scholastic

8. Thanksgiving Theme Unit – from Edhelper.com

I hope this gives you some ideas so you can plan. Many times I was looking for fun educational things to do the two or three days we had school before Thanksgiving holidays. I hope some of these activities are successful in your classroom.

Mission to Burma

by David Holford | The Current Events — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:32:00 -0800

STANDARD: National Standards for History (The National Center for History in the Schools) Era 10, Standard 1: Contemporary United States (1968 to the Present). Understands recent developments in foreign and domestic politics. Standard 1B: The student understands major foreign policy initiatives.

This lesson accompanies the article for student reading on the next page.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In this article, students will learn about:

• The dictatorship that has ruled Burma since 1988.

• The Obama Administration’s pro-engagement policy.

• Recent efforts by Burma’s leadership to ease tensions with the United States.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

Should the United States change its policy toward Burma?

TALKING POINTS:

• What led to U.S. and EU sanctions against Burma?

• How effective have these sanctions been?

• Why is the United States planning to visit Burma now?

• How would President Obama’s policy of engagement change relations with Burma?

PRE-READING:

Have students examine the map of Burma and the surrounding region. Discuss Burma’s location in Asia. Ask students what countries in the region they recognize. Have students share what they know about the countries shown on the map.

DURING READING:

Have students read “Sanctions on Burma.” Discuss the purpose of sanctions. Have students reflect on times when punishments are effective versus when they are
ineffective. Ask students what they think about the sanctions imposed on Burma. Have they been effective?

AFTER READING:

Divide the class into pairs or small groups and have them discuss the pros and cons of the president’s new policy of engagement. Have each pair or group share their findings with the class.

ANSWERS TO GLOBE GALLOPERS

1. Create a map key with a symbol that identifies the countries that purchase natural gas from Burma.
The key should include a symbol that depicts the purchase of natural gas.
2. Mark that symbol in the appropriate countries.
Check that students have marked China and Thailand.

ANSWERS TO READERS RESPOND

1. Give two examples of how Burma’s government has discouraged opposition to its rule.
It arrested the leader of the National League for Democracy when that group won elections in 1990 so that it could not gain power. Pro-democracy demonstrations led by Buddhist monks in 2007 were crushed by the army, killing dozens.

2. Compare the policy of sanctions with the policy of engagement.
The U.S. and EU sanctions policy was intended to isolate Burma in the hope of bringing about change. The policy of engagement has the same goal of change, but instead of isolating the country the policy will open discussions with its leaders.

3. Do you agree more with the opinion of Congressman Rohrabacher or Senator Webb? Explain.
Answers will vary, but should mention specific points made by each man.

4. Do you think that Burma is “softening”? Why?
Possible answers: Yes; talks have already begun between officials of Burma and the United States, the ruling junta is allowing elections next year for the first time since 1990, the rulers allowed U.S. officials to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi. No; although Suu Kyi was allowed to meet with foreign officials, the junta recently extended her prison sentence. Also, the junta’s senior general warned political parties not to do anything that could harm the interests of the state.

Article for student reading is on the next page.

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On October 21st, the Obama administration announced that U.S. officials will soon make a rare visit to Burma, also known as Myanmar. Burma is one of the world’s harshest dictatorships.
A military junta (pronounced: HOON tah) seized power in 1988. Since then, the junta has brutally suppressed dissent. When the National League for Democracy (NLD) won elections in 1990, the junta refused to hand over power. It arrested the NLD’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi (pronounced: awn san soo CHEE). She has remained in prison or under house arrest for most of the past 20 years. In 2007, the junta used the army to crush pro-democracy demonstrations led by Buddhist monks. Dozens of people were killed.

Sanctions on Burma

The United States and the European Union placed economic sanctions on Burma in the 1980s and 1990s. More were imposed following the 2007 unrest. So far, this pressure has failed to convince that country’s rulers to change their ways. One reason is that neighboring China and Thailand continue to buy Burma’s natural gas, one of its most important exports. However, the sanctions have nevertheless caused hardship among the people of Burma, one of Asia’s poorest nations. For this reason, Suu Kyi, who once supported sanctions, has changed her stand. She has even offered to help the junta get the sanctions lifted.

Obama’s Policy of Engagement

The upcoming mission to Burma is part of President Barack Obama’s policy of engagement with nations that the United States has long tried to isolate. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says that the sanctions against Burma will continue. But she admits that they have not produced the changes America wants. Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, is expected to lead the mission to Burma. He recently told Congress that the Obama administration hopes that talks will produce better results. Campbell describes the upcoming visit as a “fact-finding mission.” It will include meetings with opposition leaders as well as leaders of Burma’s government.

The Debate in Congress

Obama’s new policy toward Burma has upset some members of Congress. California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher challenges the need for fact-finding. “We know all about Burma,” he says. “It is not an unknown quantity. It has a vicious gangster regime.” Rohrabacher also questions the overall policy of engagement. By talking with the junta, “we are saying that they are a legitimate government to sit down with,” he argues. “They are not.” However, Senator James Webb of Virginia supports Obama’s policy. “Our isolation of Burma [was] honorable,” he says. But he adds that its failure “is an example of what can happen when we seek to isolate a country from the rest of the world, but the rest of the world does not follow.”

Timing It Right

Some observers believe that the junta’s harsh rule just might be softening. Senator Webb visited Burma in August and met with the junta’s senior general, Than Shwe (pronounced: th-ahn shway). That visit led to talks between Webb and Burma’s prime minister in New York in September.

Last month, Burma’s rulers allowed Suu Kyi to meet with U.S. officials to discuss the sanctions. The junta also announced that the first national elections since 1990 will be held in 2010. At a summit meeting of Asian leaders held in late October, Burma’s prime minister admitted that his nation needed to show it can hold free and honest elections. Other Burma observers doubt that much has changed. General Shwe has already warned Burma’s political parties to avoid doing anything that will harm the interests of the state. The junta also recently added 18 months to Suu Kyi’s prison sentence. This extension will keep her under house arrest during the elections. Assistant Secretary Campbell insists that no change in U.S. policy toward Burma will occur without clear signs of democratic reforms. He will also press for the release of Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. “Lifting or easing sanctions … without meaningful progress on our concerns would be a mistake and would send the wrong message,” Campbell says.

High or Low: A Game of Probability

Tom DeRosa | TheApple — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:40:00 -0800

The premise of the game High or Low is to guess whether the next card is higher or lower than the last one dealt. That's basically it (minus the obvious). The only element we're going to add to the game is that students will figure out the exact probability that the next card will be higher, lower or the same suit.

Introduction/Guided Practice:
Explain that you'll be using a regular deck of cards to help students understand some challenging probability problems. Show them the graphic organizer and how to fill it in by "playing" a few sample rounds. Click through for a rough example of what a filled in organizer might look like.

While you're modeling how to play and use the organizer, that's the best opportunity to review the structure of a regular deck of cards, as that's essential knowledge they'll need to play.

I wouldn't try to sell this to your students as a super fun game so much as a different way to practice problems (better than say, doing problems out of a textbook). They might get into the guessing element, but I don't think it will be as engrossing as my Deal or No Deal probability game. Students definitely don't like it when you tell them something is fun when it's not, but they do appreciate the novelty of using cards and just doing classwork differently in general.

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Collaborative Practice:

Split your class into small groups, giving each one no more than 10 regular playing cards. Each group would have a different set of cards and probabilities to figure out, which eliminates the problem of students copying answers. That element plus the "game" itself should keep most students focused and invested in the activity. They'll be filling out the organizer and then considering the reflection questions as well.

Wrap-Up:

At the end of the game there's a few reflection questions you might talk about together. Students will probably think this game is pretty easy at the beginning--how hard can it be to guess correctly high or low? I think their results will probably skew towards an even number of correct and incorrect guesses.

You could also give them an exit slip like: "How could we change this game to make it easier? ...harder?" A game of Red or Black?, for example, would elicit some interesting answers.

Things to Consider:

Do you want students to leave probabilities as fractions, simplified fractions, or change them to percents as well? The latter would take a bit more time and might require you to give 1 or 2 less cards to each group.
How long do you want this activity to take? As is, it should fill a 45-55 minute period, allowing for opening and closing procedures and transitions. If you want to spend less time on this, give students only 4 or 5 cards. You can spend the rest of your class period on similar probability problems from your usual resources or whatever you'd like.

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This should be taught after you've introduced the basics of probability in other ways, as it involves the idea of independent and dependent probability (replacement).

Every time I post something about probability, some people like to start an argument over the Monty Hall Problem. I think you could argue either way, but the point of this activity is to provide practice on finding probability in a way similar to typical standardized test questions, and that's all. Let's leave that debate for another time.

If you want to add an additional challenge, you can use this activity as a segue to talk about compound probability!

Materials to Download:

High or Low card game graphic organizer
Rough example of filled-in graphic organizer

Picture Book Maker

Kelly Tenkely | TheApple.com — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:53:00 -0800

What it is: Picture Book Maker is a fun little online picture book creator (bet you couldn’t have guessed that from the name!). What makes this picture book creator unique is the great illustration elements that students can use in their story. The illustrations look hand drawn with crayon and can be adjusted to fit the story. Each picture has actions, these are multiple poses of the same character. Even the text looks like it is hand written. All of the characters for the story are animals (this site comes from London zoos). There are also several backdrops and props for students to include in their story. When the book has been completed, it can be saved to the gallery, sent to a friend via email, or printed out.

How to integrate Picture Book Maker into the classroom: Picture Book Maker is a fun way for students to publish stories online. I love how the stories look like they were created by children. Students can pick animals to write a story about, the penguin could be used as a spin off of Mr. Popper’s Penguins. After they are finished writing their story, it can be printed out or sent in an email to parents. Picture Book Maker would be a good platform to create a story as a class using a projector or interactive whiteboard.

Tips: Be sure to visit the gallery of stories to see other student’s creations.

More Technology Lessons:

Virtual Field Trips

Technology That Makes Phonics Fun

Navigating the Internet with Safe Sites for Students

More...

"Link Up" Words

Kelly Tenkely | TheApple.com — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:53:00 -0800

What it is: Link Up is a web app that helps kids link words to categories. Each game requires two categories with six linked words each. Once you have created a game you can save it to access at a later time or to share with others. Students use Link Up by dragging links between categories and words. The game is easy to customize and create on the fly. It would be a great site to use with an interactive whiteboard.

How to integrate Link Up into the classroom: Link Up is a great way to help students organize information and discover similarities and differences. Use Link Up for word sorts in science, language arts, geography, social studies or math. Students could sort living vs. non-living things, events in WWI vs. WWII, long vowel words vs. short vowel words, odd vs. even numbers, and a host of other topics. The click and drag interface makes this site perfect for use with an interactive whiteboard as a whole class activity or as a center on classroom computers.

Tips: Link Up allows you to save and share your activities (hooray!) this makes creating activities for lessons significantly easier.

Other Technology Lessons:

Take a Trip to Spelling City

Alphabet Animals Power Point

Hands on Math Lessons With Technology

More...

Fantastic Flexible Foldables for Math

Kelly Tenkely | TheApple.com — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:52:00 -0800

What it is: I love online activities that students can take part in, but because most of us don’t have the luxury of a 1 to 1 school setting, good old paper manipulatives are winners in the classroom. Fantastic Flexible Foldables is a collection of mini math books and games that you can print out and create with your students. You and your students can create a fraction mini-book, a factors and multiples mini-book, a fortune teller fractor game, a geometry tetraflexagon, an integer infinity square, Flippers (fraction, decimal, music), and lines trihexaflexagon. These foldables help your students to interact with and practice math concepts that can be difficult to grasp apart from manipulatives where they can see the problems worked out. The Flexible Foldables by Carol DeFreese are well thought out and have step by step picture instructions for folding and using these with your students. Carol has also generously provided blank foldable templates that you can download and use to create your own foldables.

How to integrate Fantastic Flexible Foldables into the classroom: These foldable templates really are fantastic. They are a wonderful addition to the math classroom. Even if you don’t focus on any of the skills that Carol has created foldables for, download her blank templates and create foldables that will help your students learn difficult math concepts. These foldables will help your students visulaize and interact with math in new ways. This is an incredible resource and even more incredible that it is free! Sometimes the best part of technology is the way it allows for the sharing of ideas and teaching methods… this site is proof of that!

Tips: Files on the Fantastic Foldables site are in pdf or .doc formats.

Other popular Math Activities:

Free Math Downloads for K-8

Two Review Games: Multiplying Polynomials and FOIL

10 Great Websites for Middle & High School Learning

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Swine Flu Lesson Plan

The Current Events — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:55:00 -0700

Swine Flu Vaccine Arrives Go to the next page for the accompaniment article for this lesson.

STANDARD: National Health Education Standards (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Standard 1: Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In this article, students will learn about:

• The resurgence of swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus.

• Why people in some parts of the country seem to be immune.

• The new swine flu vaccine.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

Will the swine flu vaccine prevent spread of the disease?

TALKING POINTS:

• What is H1N1 flu, or swine flu?

• Who is most at risk of getting the swine flu?

• How will the vaccine affect how many people get sick?

PRE-READING:

Ask students to define the words vaccine and immunity, and then to identify some illnesses against which people are vaccinated. (diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, hepatitis, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox) Discuss why people get vaccines.

DURING READING:

Discuss what might be causing the resurgence of the H1N1 virus. Discuss why some parts of the country are being affected more than others. Identify the groups of people who have a higher risk of contracting the virus. How has the government responded to the current outbreak?

AFTER READING:

Have students identify ways to reduce the risk of getting swine flu.

ANSWERS TO READERS RESPOND

1. What are some ways that H1N1 is different from seasonal flu?
The first outbreak of H1N1 was in the springtime. The seasonal flu usually breaks out in the fall and winter. H1N1 affects different groups of people than does the seasonal flu. Also, H1N1 is a new strain of flu that people have not seen before.

2. Explain why the H1N1 flu is also called “swine flu.”
Until recently, the H1N1 virus normally affected only pigs; therefore, the illness it causes was nicknamed “swine flu.”

3. Describe how a vaccine helps prevent the spread of a disease.
A vaccine is a weakened form of a virus or bacteria that causes a specific illness. The vaccine enables the body to produce antibodies that can fight off the disease. With fewer people susceptible to the disease due to having been vaccinated, it will not spread as broadly.

Next page: Lesson Reading

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Swine Flu Vaccine Arrives

by Jeffery Dinsmore

Just in time for flu season, the H1N1 vaccine began arriving in doctors’ offices last week. The vaccine was created to help stop the spread of the H1N1 (or “swine flu”) virus, which causes a dangerous new strain of flu. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is working overtime to stop the flu before it becomes an epidemic.

For a disease to be considered a national epidemic, it must be responsible for at least 6.4 percent of all deaths in the country for a given time period. Right now, the H1N1 virus is responsible for 6.1 percent of all deaths. In other words, it is just below the epidemic level. It is important that the spread of H1N1 be slowed before winter, when viruses spread more easily. Health officials hope the H1N1 vaccine will go a long way toward keeping Americans healthy.

The First Wave

If all this talk about swine flu sounds familiar, you have a good memory. The H1N1 virus was first detected last spring. Health officials discovered that the flu it caused was a new strain that they had not seen before. The H1N1 virus was nicknamed the “swine flu” virus because it normally affects only pigs. The symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of seasonal flu.

The spring outbreak hit some parts of the country especially hard. New York City was one of them; nearly 60 New York schools were closed for a time because of the disease. Soon, however, the CDC reported that most people with H1N1 recovered fully. After that, stories about the virus faded from the news.

The Return of Swine Flu

As we head into this year’s flu season, people are again worried about swine flu. The number of infections has risen recently, with 37 states reporting high rates of flu activity. The great majority of these cases were caused by the swine flu virus.

Of equal concern is whom the virus affects. Children, young adults, and expectant mothers have been getting sick at unusually high rates.

The Vaccine

So far, 6.8 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine have been prepared. Most people will get the vaccine as a nasal spray. The CDC recommends that expectant mothers, people who care for children younger than six years old, health care providers, anyone between 6 months and 24 years old, and people who have chronic illnesses be the first to get the vaccine.

Because the H1N1 virus is relatively new, some people are worried about the safety of the vaccine. Health officials are assuring the public, however, that the vaccine has been properly tested.

“The vaccine is being manufactured exactly the same way as the seasonal flu vaccine,” Dr. Anne Schuchat, a director of the CDC, told WebMD. “Based on everything we know now, we are expecting a good safety record for H1N1.”

It’s Back — Or Is It?

An interesting trend has been observed: There are fewer reports of swine flu in cities that were heavily affected by last spring’s outbreak. Some health experts conclude that people in these areas may have developed an immunity to H1N1. However, experts still recommend that people in these cities be vaccinated. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry!

Breaking News: National Emergency for H1N1

Take a Vet to School Day

The Histroy Channel — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:44:00 -0700

Below are some teacher resources for teachers interested in Take a Veteran to School Day. None of these are written in stone—we're counting on you to take what will work for you and adapt it as you see fit. We know that there is a tremendous difference between the little ones in kindergarten and high schoolers. However, all ages and ability levels can benefit from this program. Show our veterans how much we value their service through a learning-rich Take a Veteran to School Day experience.

DOWNLOADS

CURRICULUM AND PLANNING GUIDES
Grades K-4
Grades 5-8
Grades 9-12

STUDENT PARTICIPATION FORMS
Grades K-4
Grades 5-8
Grades 9-12

Take a Veteran to School HOW TO

VETERANS DAY STUDY GUIDE PDF

Click here for more downloads from The History Channel

Used by permission of The History Channel

Lesson: LCROSS Moon Mission

The Current Events — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:56:00 -0700

STANDARD: National Science Education Standards 5–8, Earth and Space Science Content Standard D (National Research Council): As a result of activities in grades 5–8, all students should develop an understanding of Earth in the solar system.

Click here for the accompanying article for student reading.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In this article, students will learn about:

• How NASA scientists use technology to learn more about the moon.

• How LCROSS will gather and send back information.

• Why scientists want to know if there is water on the moon.

AIM: What is the latest moon mission about?

PRE-READING:

Play a game to find out what students know about the moon. Have students stand in a circle. Tell them they will take turns tossing a ball to someone. The student who catches the ball will say a word or sentence that tells something about the moon. That student will then toss the ball to someone else. Tell students that since you are holding the ball, you will go first. Say, “The moon is round like this ball.” Then toss the ball to a student.

DURING READING:

Tell students to pay attention as they read to the sequence of events, or the order in which the events of the LCROSS moon mission take place, beginning with the launch of the Atlas V rocket and ending with LCROSS’s impact on the lunar surface. Use the Text Comprehension Skill Lesson and the activity sheet on page 4 to support your instruction.

AFTER READING:

Ask students to work with a partner and take turns retelling the sequence of events of the LCROSS moon mission, without looking at the article or the activity sheet they completed on page 4.

Answers to Review Questions

1. What question does NASA hope the LCROSS mission will answer?

Is there water on the moon?

2. What are two things that will happen after Centaur splits off from LCROSS?

Answers may include: LCROSS will follow along Centaur’s path; special cameras and instruments on LCROSS will analyze the debris caused by Centaur’s crash; LCROSS will crash into the moon, too.

3. Why is Centaur’s impact on the moon compared to a huge stone dropping into a large pile of flour?
Answers may include: The author knew it would be easy for the reader to visualize a stone dropping into flour; the author wanted the reader to imagine what the plumes of debris would look like after impact.

4. The author asks, “Will LCROSS find water? What else might it find?” What do you think it might find?
Answers will vary.

5. How does technology help scientists answer important questions and solve problems?

Answers may include: finding alternative sources of energy; preventing pollution; improving communication.

CURRICULUM OBJECTIVE: FOCUS ON TEXT COMPREHENSION SKILLS — SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

Sequence of events refers to the order in which events happen. Understanding the sequence of events while reading is an important skill that helps students better understand and remember what they read. Tell students, “Good readers ask questions about the order of events as they read. They ask, ‘What happened first? What happened next? What happened after that? What happened last?’ ”
Model using sequence of events to describe a familiar process, such as making a sandwich. Say, “First, I take out the bread, peanut butter, and jam. Next, I spread the peanut butter on the bread. Then I spread the jam on top of the peanut butter. Finally, I put the two slices of bread together.” Explain to students that identifying sequence of events in an article means that they think about the order in which the events happen.

Click here for the accompanying article

LCROSS Moon Mission Is a Big Hit — or Two

by Jeanette Leardi | The Current Events — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:56:00 -0700

On October 9th, two U.S. space probes will crash into the moon’s surface. A terrible disaster? Hardly. In fact, it will be exactly what NASA scientists planned. They hope the crashes will answer an important question: Is there water on the moon?

Click here for the teaching guide for this lesson

On a Crash Course

In the 1990s, lunar probe pictures seemed to show ice at the moon’s south pole. NASA scientists decided it was time to take a closer look. On June 18th, 2009, NASA launched an Atlas V rocket carrying the LCROSS spacecraft. LCROSS stands for “Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite.” It consists of two parts: a main satellite and a rocket named Centaur (say: SEN tore).

Five days after launch, LCROSS separated from the Atlas rocket. On October 9th, Centaur will also split off from the main LCROSS satellite. About seven hours later, around 7:30 a.m. EDT, Centaur will strike the moon’s south pole. It will hit the surface at 5,600 miles per hour!

The crash will create a crater about 15 feet deep. Centaur’s impact will be like dropping a huge stone into a large pile of flour. The crash will create a debris plume (say: de-BREE ploom) of 350 tons of dirt, dust, and rocks. The debris plume will be about four miles high!
LCROSS will follow Centaur’s path. It will travel through the tons of rock and dirt. Special cameras and other instruments on LCROSS will study the material. Will LCROSS find water? What else might it find? After four minutes, LCROSS will crash into the moon, too. And it will create another huge debris plume.

Why Look for Water on the Moon?

Why look for water on the moon at all? All living things need water to drink. Suppose water were found at the moon’s south pole. That would mean people might be able to live there some day. They might also be able to launch missions to Mars from a base on the moon.

A Sight to See

Scientists around the world will be viewing the plumes through powerful telescopes. People who live west of the Mississippi River might be able to see the plumes, too. But they will need tele¬scopes that are at least 10 inches wide. To follow the action by Web Cam, visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/main/index.html. You won’t want to miss these hits!

Would You Want to Work at NASA?

What is it like to work at NASA? The Current Events wanted the inside story. So we asked LCROSS Project Manager Daniel Andrews.

According to Andrews, the best thing about working at NASA is that “You get to work on things that most people never have the chance to.” It is hard work, he says, “be¬cause you really only get one chance to get [things] right … You usually can’t go back and fix [them].”

Would you like to work at NASA? If so, you will need to be very good at math. You should also want to learn and do new things. “Be adventurous,” says Andrews. “When I was growing up, I would take things apart to un¬derstand why they were put together that way. Of course, only do this with your parents’ permission, but it is a great way to understand how things work. You can also do little ex¬periments. What interesting things can you find in nature, in a creek, in the woods, in your backyard? Adventuring like this teaches you how to think and consider — very good skills to have to work at NASA.”

probes > unmanned craft that are used to explore outer space

launched > sent off to begin a journey

EDT > Eastern Daylight Time

crater > bowl-shaped landform

impact > crash

debris plume > tall cloud of dust, dirt, and rock

Review Questions

1. What question does NASA hope the LCROSS mission will answer?

2. What are two things that will happen after Centaur splits off from LCROSS?

3. Why is Centaur’s impact on the moon compared to a huge stone dropping into a large pile of flour?

4. The author states, “Will LCROSS find water? What else might it find?” What do you think it might find?

5. How does technology help scientists answer important questions and solve problems?

Click here for the teaching guide for this lesson

Math Games for K-8

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Real student comprehension of math happens with hands on learning. Give your students an opportunity to learn and test their new math skills with free online games. TheApple has partnered with iPlayMath Games to bring you the best math games on the web.

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K-8 Math Games

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:58:00 -0700

Kindergarten

Save The Ducklings

[photo:80837] Save the Ducklings is a part of The Galaxy Series K-1 book (page 27). It is a counting, addition, and strategy game for 2-4 players or teams. The object of the game is to save the most ducklings by collecting the most counters. The game requires two standard dice for each group, an 11x17 piece of paper and pencil for each group and about 30 counters for each player.

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Quick Stop

[photo:80840] Quick Stop is a part of The Galaxy Series K-1 book (pages 14-15). It is an addition game for 2-5 players/teams. The game requires a deck of cards, the game board and a marker for each player.

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1st Grade

Tic Tac Math: Addition Facts - Adding on to Ten

[photo:80863]Tic Tac Math: Additions Facts: Adding on to Ten is a part of The Galaxy Series K-1 book (page 42-48). Tic Tac Toe is a special favorite of most young children. This ancient game utilizes the skill of using a 3x3 array to obtain 3 in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally to win. In Tic Tac Math games, the student must answer a mathematical question to earn the right to place his/her symbol on a particular square. Answering three and placing the symbols on the game board wins the game. The games included in this section are reproducible for the teacher's classroom using most any copy machine. These games reinforce basic addition skills learned in kindergarten and first grade.

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Magnificent Flying Machines

[photo:80872]Magnificent Machines is a part of The Galaxy Series K-1 book (page 31). It is a number recognition game for 2-4 players/teams. The object of the game is to be the first player/team to build a butterfly. The parts of the butterfly are the head, the body, wings, and two antennae. The game requires two standard dice for each group and a paper and pencil for each player.

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2nd Grade

Beat the Clock

[photo:80866]Beat the Clock is a part of The Galaxy Series 2-3 book (page 19-20). It is game is a solitaire game for one player/team. The game requires one deck of cards with the Jokers removed, and one graphing calculator (optional).

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Snake Eyes

[photo:80869]Snake Eyes is a part of The Galaxy Series 2-3 book (page 12-13). It is a game for 2-4 players/teams. The object of the game is to get the lowest score. The game requires two ordinary dice for each player/team and one Snake Eyes record sheet for each player/team.

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3rd Grade

Adding Decimals (Money)

[photo:80875]Adding Decimals (Money) is part of the Math Bingo Book (page 49). The download includes standard bingo cards, instructions and example caller's card.

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Geoboard Bingo: Whole Numbers

[photo:80878]Geoboard Bingo, Whole Numbers is part of the Math Bingo Book (page 69). The download includes standard bingo cards, instructions and example caller's card.

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4th Grade

Clock Bingo

[photo:80881]Clock Bingo is part of the Math Bingo Book (page 71). The download includes standard bingo cards, instructions and example caller's card.

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Operating Table Card Place

Operation Table Card Puzzles is a part of The Galaxy Series 4-6 book (page 104).

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5th Grade

Spino

Spino is part of the Math Bingo Book (page 72-73). The download includes standard bingo cards, instructions and example caller's card.

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Tic Tac Math: Percent to Decimals

[photo:80890]Tic Tac Math: Percent to Decimals is a part of The Galaxy Series 4-6 book (page 121). Tic Tac Toe has long been a favorite game of young children. All of the games included in this section of Math Games and Activities (4-6) are in the Tic Tac Toe format with 3x3 grids requiring three in a row to win, 4x4 grids requiring four in a row to win, or larger grids that require a specified number in a row. These are relatively short games and generally are used to provide a quick review of the activity included. The student can practice all of the basic skills of arithmetic using the Tic Tac Math Skill Builder Games. The games content is specified in its title.

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6th Grade

Around the Schoolyard

[photo:80893]Around the Schoolyard is a part of The Galaxy Series 4-6 book (page 96-98). The game requires three customized dice template included) for each group, one Around the Schoolyard game board for each player/team and one marker for each player/team. It is a division of whole numbers with remainders dice game for 2-4 players/teams.

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Border Patrol Card Puzzle I

Border Partol Card Puzzels I is a part of The Galaxy Series 4-6 book (page 37). The game requires a deck of cards for each group/player.

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7th Grade

Battle it Out

Battle It Out is a part of The Galaxy Series 7-8 book (page 17). The game requires one deck of cards. It is a comparing integers game for 2-5 players/teams.

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Block Builder

Block Builder is a part of The Galaxy Series 7-8 book (page 52). The game requires two standard dice for each pair of players/teams and one metric ruler and a set of base-10 blocks for each player/team. It is a game for 2-4 players/teams

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8th Grade

I'll Give You Some Chances

I'll Give You Some Chances is a part of The Galaxy Series 7-8 book (page 31-32). The game requires one deck of cards for each group and one I'll Give You Some Chances record sheet for each player/team. This is a logic game are for 2-4 players or teams.

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Pascal's Triangle Card Trick

Pascal's Triangle Card Trick is a part of The Galaxy Series 7-8 book (page 49-50). The game requires one deck of cards.

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Because of Winn Dixie

Download 15 pages filled with questions for students for each chapter of the book, Because of Winn Dixie. Use as a study guide, quiz or test. Preview materials below. Save PDF, zoom in or out by moving mouse over preview window.

Answers to the Turkey Quiz

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Thanksgiving Activities

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Mission to Burma

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

TALKING POINTS:

PRE-READING:

DURING READING:

AFTER READING:

ANSWERS TO GLOBE GALLOPERS

ANSWERS TO READERS RESPOND

Article for student reading is on the next page.

Sanctions on Burma

Obama’s Policy of Engagement

The Debate in Congress

Timing It Right

High or Low: A Game of Probability

Collaborative Practice:

Wrap-Up:

Things to Consider:

Picture Book Maker

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"Link Up" Words

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Fantastic Flexible Foldables for Math

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Swine Flu Lesson Plan

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

TALKING POINTS:

PRE-READING:

DURING READING:

AFTER READING:

ANSWERS TO READERS RESPOND

Next page: Lesson Reading

Swine Flu Vaccine Arrives

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Lesson: LCROSS Moon Mission

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

PRE-READING:

DURING READING:

AFTER READING:

CURRICULUM OBJECTIVE: FOCUS ON TEXT COMPREHENSION SKILLS — SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

Click here for the accompanying article

LCROSS Moon Mission Is a Big Hit — or Two

On a Crash Course

Why Look for Water on the Moon?

A Sight to See

Would You Want to Work at NASA?

Click here for the teaching guide for this lesson

Math Games for K-8

K-8 Math Games

Kindergarten

Save The Ducklings

Quick Stop

1st Grade

Tic Tac Math: Addition Facts - Adding on to Ten

Magnificent Flying Machines

2nd Grade

Beat the Clock

Snake Eyes

3rd Grade

Adding Decimals (Money)

Geoboard Bingo: Whole Numbers

4th Grade

More Thanksgiving Links on TheApple:

A Cornucopia of Traditions

Thanksgiving Turkey Hands

The History of Thanksgiving

ESL Thanksgiving Lesson

More Technology Lessons:

Virtual Field Trips

Technology That Makes Phonics Fun

Navigating the Internet with Safe Sites for Students

More...

Other Technology Lessons:

Take a Trip to Spelling City

Alphabet Animals Power Point

Hands on Math Lessons With Technology

More...

Other popular Math Activities:

Free Math Downloads for K-8

Two Review Games: Multiplying Polynomials and FOIL

10 Great Websites for Middle & High School Learning

More...