The Life of Lady Liberty

Transcription

1 To be used with the March 27, 2017, issue Name: _ The Life of Lady Liberty Reading a Timeline Common Core R.7 As you read on page 2 of this week s issue, Lady Liberty has appeared on U.S. coins since the 1790s. But she is most famously represented by the Statue of Liberty. The timeline shows some important dates in the history of the statue. Study the timeline, then answer the questions Statue of Liberty Timeline 1871: A French sculptor named Frédéric Bartholdi travels to New York. He chooses a site for a statue that will honor the friendship between France and the U.S. He picks a spot in New York Harbor called Bedloe s Island (later renamed Liberty Island). 1876: Bartholdi begins construction of the statue in France. 1884: The statue is completed. The French officially present it to the U.S. ambassador in Paris on July : The statue is separated into 350 pieces and shipped to the U.S. 1886: The statue is reassembled in New York. It is dedicated on October : During World War II, the statue s torch is no longer lit up at night to prevent enemy aircraft from seeing it. 1984: The statue is closed for renovations to prepare for its 100th anniversary two years later. 2001: The statue and Liberty Island, which sit across the harbor from the World Trade Center, are closed after the terrorist attacks on September : The statue is reopened to the public, but the crown remains closed for another five years. 2012: Flooding from Hurricane Sandy covers 75 percent of Liberty Island, causing major damage. The island is closed for repairs. 2013: The statue and Liberty Island reopen to the public. 1. Who was the sculptor who chose the site and constructed the statue? 2. Once construction began, how long did it take to complete the statue? 3. Why do you think the French chose to officially present the statue to the U.S. on July 4? 4. What happened after the French officially presented the statue to the U.S. but before it was reassembled? 5. In what year was the statue s 100th anniversary? 6. List three reasons the statue was closed during the past 40 years.

2 USE THIS SKILLS SHEET WITH THE COVER STORY S LESSON PLAN To be used with the March 27, 2017, issue Name: _ Finding Fake News Media Literacy Common Core R.7 After you ve read this week s cover story, your teacher will assign you a news article to evaluate. Follow the steps below to determine if the news article is credible. 1. What is the headline of the article? a. Does it have excessive punctuation (!!) or ALL CAPS for emphasis? oyes o No b. How does the headline make you feel? 2. Summarize the main topic of the article. 3. What is the news source? a. Conduct a brief online search. Is the source reputable? oyes o No b. How do you know? 4. Is there a byline (writer s name) attached to the article? oyes o No a. Conduct a brief search on the writer. Has he or she published any other articles? oyes o No 5. Does the article have a recent date on it? oyes o No 6. Have other news organizations covered this topic? oyes o No If so, can you list at least three reputable sources that reported the story? 7. Search online for the names of experts and organizations mentioned in the article. Are they credible? oyes o No a. How do you know? 8. Based on your research, do you believe this news article is credible? Explain.

3 This spider was recently discovered in the Amazon rainforest. STUDENT NEWS express Dozens of giant baby spiders hatched from these eggs. Monster Babies! Scientists discover a 12-inch-long spider and dozens of its giant eggs. By Michelle Cullen Digrancesco Imagine a spider that can grow to be a foot long, has razor-sharp fangs, and lays dozens of eggs the size of gum balls. It sounds like something out of a science fiction novel. But this spider actually exists. Scientists recently discovered it in the Amazon rainforest. Located in South America, the Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world. The new species is called the kileto spider. Scientists from the Exotic Species Institute of Biodiverse Sciences, in Brazil, spotted it in 2015 using hidden cameras. The spider had burrowed under leaves at the base of a tree and was guarding dozens of large eggs. The scientists observed the spider on camera for about two weeks. During that time, the eggs hatched, and dozens of 6-inch-long baby spiders came crawling out! I couldn t believe my eyes, says Olivia Ruagliarella, one of the scientists who studied the new spider. The babies are so much bigger than most adult spiders. The new species is a type of huntsman spider. These spiders are known for having extremely long legs. But scientists had never seen a huntsman spider with legs as long as this one. The new species also lays eggs that are much bigger than those of other huntsman spiders. To find out if the spider was really a new species, the scientists couldn t just rely on the video footage. They had to collect specimens, or samples, to bring back to their lab. But that was no easy task. The spider has a venomous bite that can paralyze large prey including everything from birds to wild hogs. The scientists wore protective masks, gloves, and suits, and lured the spiders into a cage. After two years of comparing the spiders with other huntsman spiders, the scientists finally announced that they had found a new species. It was thrilling to be that close to a new species, says Ruagliarella. The fact that they are so dangerous makes it even more exciting. OBERT PICKETT/VISUALS UNLIMITED, INC./GETTY IMAGES (SPIDER); ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/GETTY IMAGES (EGGS)

4 Twenty-two babies hatched from eggs laid by this mother dragon. September 22, 2016 Monster Alert! Baby dragons were born this summer in a cave in Europe. By Jennifer Marino Walters An olm egg hatches in the Postojna Cave. This summer, a cave in Central Europe got a lot of attention when it became home to more than two dozen baby dragons. These amphibians (animals that begin life in the water and move onto land as adults) are actually called olms. An olm is a type of salamander that looks like a dragon, which is how it got its nickname. The birth of these creatures is an extremely rare event. A female olm might lay eggs just once every six years. Excitement over the possibility of new babies started in January, when the first egg was spotted deep within the Postojna (post-oy-nah) Cave in Slovenia. In the end, with the help of scientists, 22 olms were born between May 30 and July 14. They are now growing into healthy teenage dragons. Olms live in underwater limestone caves in Central Europe. These caves are difficult to reach, so scientists don t often get to observe olms in their natural habitat (place where a type of animal usually lives). The fact that they are so mysterious makes them even more intriguing, says Sabina Paternost, a spokesperson for the researchers at Postojna Cave. Olms, which can grow to be up to 16 inches long, are one of the world s largest cave animals. No natural light reaches these deep caves, so many animals that live there can t see. But olms have other special skills that help them survive. They use their incredible senses of smell and hearing to hunt worms, crabs, and snails. Olms can also survive without food for as long as 10 years. When a female olm laid 64 eggs in the Postojna Cave last winter, scientists thought that only two or three of them would hatch. The last time an olm laid eggs at Postojna Cave, none of the eggs hatched. So this time, scientists worked very hard to care for the olm eggs. About one-third of the baby olms survived, and they appear to be doing well. IZTOK MEDIA FOR POSTOJNA CAVE (ALL IMAGES)

5 YES To be used with the March 27, 2017, issue Name: _ Opinion Writing Common Core W.1 Should Schools Ban Dyed Hair? Read the debate on page 7 of this week s issue of Scholastic News. It includes two sides of a debate about whether schools should allow students to dye their hair unnatural colors. Identify arguments that support each side and record them on the chart below. Schools should ban dyed hair. Schools should allow dyed hair. NO Next, choose which side of the debate you agree with most. Write a persuasive paragraph that aims to convince others of your point of view. In addition to your own ideas, be sure to include details from the article.

6 To be used with the March 27, 2017, issue Name Date Be a Quiz Whiz! For each question below, fill in the circle next to the correct answer. To the Rescue! Page 2 1. The new law that passed in San Francisco is intended to. A reduce the number of animals in shelters B convince people to adopt dogs instead of cats C result in more puppy and kitten mills opening in the city D cause pet-shop owners to close their stores 2. You can infer that many dog and cat breeders in San Francisco probably the new law. A supported B opposed C introduced D sponsored 3. Which detail supports the idea that some puppy mills are engaged in the practice of churning out animals for profit? A Many breeders take good care of their animals. B... they raise hundreds of animals at a time in cramped, dirty spaces. C Each year, shelters across the U.S. take in more than 7 million dogs and cats. D About 2.6 million of those animals don t get adopted and are put to sleep. The Future of Flight? Page 3 4. Which statement is supported by the article? A The Ehang 184 is not yet in use. B The United Arab Emirates has banned the use of drones. C Drones can pick up multiple passengers on one trip. D Driverless vehicles make 25 percent of all trips in Dubai. 5. After flying for about 25 minutes at 60 miles per hour, the Ehang 184 will. A have traveled across the entire city of Dubai B pick up its next passenger C reach its destination D need to be recharged Don t Be Fooled by Fake News! Pages The article supports the idea that. A most news shared on social media is fake B most kids have a hard time identifying fake news stories C most websites with ads publish fake news D fake news doesn t influence adults 7. A person who is skeptical of what he or she reads online would likely. A share an outrageous story on social media without checking its source B avoid any website with ads C search online to check the information in an article that seems hard to believe D trust only articles that are shared by friends or family 8. What is Facebook planning to do to help prevent the spread of fake news? A work with fact-checking organizations to flag fake news articles B close users accounts if they share fake news C remove all ads from the site D allow only articles from The New York Times and the Associated Press to be shared A Big Deal Page 6 9. The United States bought the land that is now called Alaska from. A England B France C Native Alaskans D Russia 10. What was one reason that William Seward wanted the U.S. to buy Alaska? A It would make it easier for the U.S. to trade with countries in Asia. B Alaska had big oil and fishing industries. C Large amounts of gold had been discovered in Alaska. D He wanted to prevent Russia from trading with Canada.

7 To be used with the March 27, 2017, issue Name Date Close-Reading Questions Refer to this week s cover story, Don t Be Fooled By Fake News! to respond to the questions below. Reread the article to find details to support your answers. Remember to write in complete sentences. 1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph? 2. How does the author support the claim that fake news articles may play a role in real-world events? 3. Use information from the article to explain why someone might purposely publish an article that isn t true. 4. How are some big websites working to stop the flow of fake news? 5. What role can you play in preventing the spread of fake news? Explain your answer using details from the sidebar.