1. Get Ready for Fall

Fall officially begins this week, and you may already be noticing a change in the weather. Experts on weather also are noticing changes as they make their daily forecasts. Weather forecasts can help you make sure you will be dressed properly. As a class, look at the weather page in today's newspaper. Draw a picture of yourself dressed properly for tomorrow's weather. Then find a city or country listed on that page that begins with the same letter as your first or last name. Find out what the weather will be like there tomorrow. Draw a picture of a student your age who is dressed for the weather in that place.

Learning Standard: Describing weather conditions and climates; using the craft of the illustrator.

2. The First Debate

On Friday, September 26, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama will have their first debate in the 2008 race for president. In a debate, candidates appear together before a live and TV audience and answer questions about what they would do as president. As a class, talk about things you would want the next president to do to help children, families or neighborhoods. Then find stories about issues important to kids and families in the newspaper. In teams or as a class, come up with three questions you would like to ask Barack Obama and John McCain at their first debate.

Learning Standards: Responding to visual, written and electronic texts by making connections to students' personal lives and the lives of others; engaging peers in constructive conversation about issues or topics of interest.

3. A Really Old Camel

Camels have long been one of the most familiar animals in the deserts of the Middle East and Northern Africa. But a new discovery in the Middle Eastern country of Syria may prove that camels lived in the area as far back as a million years ago. Scientists believe a camel jawbone found in Syria's desert is the oldest ever. It also may be from a smaller version of camels that scientists did not know about before. As a class, talk about what scientists can learn by studying animals that live in a place. Then find an animal in the photos, stories and ads in the newspaper. Make a list of things you could learn by studying this animal. Learning Standard: Generating questions about issues that affect students or topics about which they are curious.

4. 'Me Love Cookie!'

Jim Henson was born on September 24, 1936. You may not know who Jim Henson is, but you probably know some of the creatures he created. They include Cookie Monster, Kermit the Frog, Big Bird, Grover and Miss Piggy. With the Muppets, Henson had an amazing talent for creating characters who seem like people--loving cookies, being really smart and wanting to get along with others. His characters also were fuzzy and lovable. In teams or as a class, read a short story about an interesting person in today's newspaper. Then draw a picture of a "muppet" that has some of the same traits as the person in the article.

Learning Standard: Reading and writing fluently, speaking confidently, listening and interacting appropriately, viewing critically and representing creatively.

5. National Good Neighbor Day

Next Sunday is National Good Neighbor Day, a day when people are reminded that part of being a good person is being nice to those around you. As a class, read a story about a person or a group of people who have done something kind for people in their community. A community can be a street, a neighborhood, a club, a town, a state or even a country. Then, as a class, make a list of things you could do to make yourself a better neighbor.

Learning Standard: Identifying and explaining how a people in history demonstrate good character and personal virtue.

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