1. 20 Questions

With a partner, find a picture showing many objects in today's newspaper. Pick a part of the picture that you find interesting, but keep your choice a secret. Then challenge your friend to a game of 20 questions. Your friend can only ask questions that describe your object's position. For example, he or she can ask whether the object is in front, back, inside, outside, right, left, over, under, next to or between other objects. You can only say yes or no. When the object is named, switch roles.

Learning Standard: Locating and describing the position of objects--front, back, inside, outside, right, left, over, under, next to and between.

2. Falling Apple

Isaac Newton was a scientist who won fame for explaining how the world works. One of his most famous achievements was explaining how gravity affects things on Earth. Newton "discovered" gravity when he watched an apple fall from a tree while visiting the country in the 1660s. Now an account of that discovery by a scientist who worked at the same time has become widely available for the first time. The account, by scientist William Stukeley, has been posted on the Web site of the scientific group known as the Royal Society in the European country of England. As a class, talk about the different ways gravity affects people's lives. Then pair off with a partner and search the newspaper for examples of gravity at work in the news, sports, entertainment and business sections.

Learning Standards: Generating scientific questions about the world based on observation; showing how common themes of science, mathematics and technology apply in real world contexts.

3. Big Bible Discovery

For more than 2,600 years, the Bible has been one of the most important religious books in the world. And now a discovery in the Middle East country of Israel may show that the oldest portions of the Bible were written hundreds of years earlier than history experts had thought. The discovery was a piece of pottery dating back 3,000 years that had ancient Hebrew writing on its surface. The Old Testament of the Bible is believed to have first been written in ancient Hebrew, but until now experts had not thought the written Hebrew language existed before 2,600 years ago. If written Hebrew existed earlier, it could mean the earliest parts of the Bible were written earlier, too. As a class, talk about ways scientists learn about the past. Then brainstorm a list of ways scientists could study the past in your area. Finish by drawing a comic strip of scientists studying a popular area in your community to learn about its past.

Learning Standards: Posing social science questions; comprehending the past; using the craft of the illustrator to express ideas artistically.

4. Yummy Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is one of the most amazing things ever built by humans on Earth. It's now one of the most amazing chocolate treats, too! A team of chocolate makers in the Asian nation have made a 33-foot-long model of the Great Wall for display this month at the World Chocolate Wonderland exhibition in the city of Beijing. The makers took care to make their model of the 4,000-mile Great Wall accurate, even including a section at one end where the Wall is crumbling. They hope their creation will encourage Chinese people to eat more chocolate. Businesses are always looking for creative ways to get people to use their products. Search the newspaper for an ad doing something creative to catch your attention and make you want to try a product. Write a paragraph explaining why you think the ad is effective.

Learning Standard: Responding to a variety of visual, written and electronic texts by making connections to students' personal lives and the lives of others; writing fluently for multiple purposes.

5. Really Rare Bird

What is the least known bird in the world? According to a report by an international wildlife group, the honor goes to the large-billed reed warbler. The species, which lives on the continent of Asia, was spotted only twice in nearly 150 years, even though scientists were looking for it. Now a community of large-billed reed warblers has been found living and breeding successfully in the war-torn country of Afghanistan. Researchers reported this month that they had found the warblers in the rugged Wakhan Corridor area of northeastern Afghanistan. The area is hard to get to and has escaped the worst effects war in the country. As a class, talk about how important habitat is to the survival of wild animals. Then find a photo of an outdoor scene in the newspaper. Make a list of the most important natural features of the scene and how they could support wildlife.

Learning Standards: Engaging peers in constructive conversation about topics of interest or importance; explaining ecosystem concepts and processes; acquiring information from multiple sources.