1. SCIENTISTS FIND NEW WAY TO HELP CORAL

Scientists at Stanford University have discovered a surprising way to help damaged coral recover. Coral reefs are underwater structures made by tiny animals called coral polyps. They provide homes for many kinds of ocean creatures. When ocean water gets too warm, corals can lose the tiny algae that live inside them and provide food. This process, called coral bleaching, turns corals white and can eventually cause them to die. Researchers discovered that placing bleached coral next to healthy coral from the same original colony could help it recover. The healthy coral shared algae and nutrients with the damaged coral through tiny connections between them. In a laboratory experiment, all five pieces of bleached coral that touched healthy coral recovered within seven weeks, while the pieces kept apart died. Although scientists still need to find ways to use this discovery in the ocean, they hope it will help protect coral reefs from the effects of rising temperatures. Create a three-panel comic strip showing how healthy coral can help bleached coral recover. In the first panel, draw a healthy coral and a bleached coral. In the second panel, show the two pieces touching and sharing helpful algae. In the final panel, illustrate the damaged coral returning to its healthy color. Include a short caption beneath each picture explaining what is happening.

2. A NEW NATIONAL PARK OPENS IN ARIZONA

The United States has officially created its 64th national park in southeastern Arizona. Chiricahua National Park is famous for its unusual rock formations, including tall stone towers and enormous rocks that appear to balance on top of one another. These formations began developing after a volcanic eruption about 27 million years ago. The area is sometimes called the “Land of Standing-Up Rocks” and has been home to the Chiricahua Apache people for thousands of years. The park also protects many kinds of plants and animals because it contains desert, grassland, and forest habitats. Visitors can explore hiking trails, watch wildlife, camp, and enjoy the night sky. The area was first protected as a national monument in 1924, but its new national park status brings greater attention to its natural beauty and cultural history. Supporters hope the designation will encourage more people to visit while helping preserve the landscape for future generations. Design a travel poster encouraging people to visit Chiricahua National Park. Include a colorful illustration of the park’s unusual rock formations and at least three activities visitors can enjoy there. Give your poster an exciting slogan and include one sentence explaining why protecting the park’s natural or cultural history is important.

3. N.A.S.A. PLANS TO SEND ASTRONAUTS BACK TO THE MOON

NASA is working quickly to send astronauts back to the moon and begin building a base where people could eventually live and work. The space agency hopes to land astronauts on the lunar surface in 2028, more than 50 years after the last Apollo moon landing. Before that happens, four astronauts will participate in a mission called Artemis III in 2027. They will stay in orbit around Earth while practicing connecting their spacecraft to vehicles designed to land on the moon. NASA is also planning to send robots, scientific equipment, and a special moon vehicle to the moon’s south pole before astronauts arrive. Unlike the Apollo missions, which brought astronauts to the moon for short visits, the Artemis program aims to create a place where people can explore and conduct experiments for longer periods. NASA is working with private space companies to develop the equipment needed for these missions. Scientists hope these efforts will help humans learn more about the moon and prepare for future space exploration. Imagine NASA needs your help designing a future moon base. Draw a labeled diagram of a base where astronauts could safely live and work. Include places for sleeping, eating, conducting experiments, and storing supplies. Remember that the moon has almost no atmosphere and that astronauts need special equipment to breathe and survive. Write a short explanation of one important feature of your design and how it would help astronauts.

4. THE HISTORY OF THE RUBBER DUCK

Rubber ducks may seem like simple bath toys, but they have an interesting history that stretches back more than 100 years. Early rubber ducks were made from heavy rubber and could not float. In 1931, an inventor named Elenore Shannahan designed a duck that could float in water and squirt water from its body. Other designs soon followed, helping rubber ducks become popular toys around the world. The little yellow ducks even became part of music history when a song called “Rubber Duckie” appeared on the television show Sesame Street in 1970. Rubber ducks have also helped scientists learn about the ocean. In 1992, a shipping accident spilled thousands of plastic bath toys into the Pacific Ocean. Some floated across the ocean and washed up on distant beaches. Scientists tracked where the toys appeared to better understand ocean currents, which are large movements of seawater. Today, rubber ducks remain popular toys and collectibles, showing how an everyday object can have a surprising place in history and science. Explore how objects float and sink by conducting a simple classroom experiment. Gather several small objects, such as a plastic spoon, a coin, a cork, and a rubber duck, along with a container of water. Before testing each object, predict whether it will float or sink. Record your predictions and results in a two-column chart. Afterward, compare the objects that floated with those that sank and write a sentence describing something you noticed.

5. A GIANT STATUE’S UNLIKELY HOME

A giant statue honoring an ancient Persian king named Cyrus the Great has been installed in Atlanta, Georgia. The bronze statue stands 29 feet tall and celebrates a leader who lived about 2,500 years ago. Cyrus founded the Persian Empire, which included lands across parts of the Middle East and Asia. He is remembered for allowing different groups of people to practice their religions and follow their traditions. One famous example was his decision to allow Jewish people who had been held captive in Babylon to return to their homeland. The new statue stands in Pardis Park, which honors people who have supported freedom and human rights. Organizers chose Atlanta partly because it was the hometown of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., another important leader who worked for equality and justice. The statue took several years and more than 40 people to complete. A special festival celebrating Persian culture will mark its unveiling. Supporters hope the monument will teach visitors about Persian history and remind people of the importance of respecting others, even when they have different beliefs or backgrounds. Think about the qualities that make someone a good leader, such as kindness, fairness, courage, and respect. Choose three qualities you believe are most important and arrange them in order from most to least important. For each quality, describe one action a leader could take to demonstrate it. Then explain which quality you think Cyrus the Great and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. both demonstrated through their leadership.