1. WIMBLEDON WIN

On Saturday, Iga ?wi?tek from Poland won her first title at the famous Wimbledon tennis tournament by beating Amanda Anisimova from the United States. The match ended with a score of 6-0, 6-0, which means Anisimova didn’t win any games. This kind of win is very rare and shows how strong ?wi?tek played. She was calm, smart, and didn’t make many mistakes. Anisimova, playing in her first big final, seemed nervous and made a lot of errors. ?wi?tek now has six Grand Slam titles and has won on every type of tennis court, a very impressive accomplishment in tennis. After the match, both players thanked their teams and families. Imagine you are a sports reporter at Wimbledon. Write a short news paragraph about Iga ?wi?tek’s big win, using your own words. Include who she played against, what the score was, and how you think each player felt during the match.

2. TOUCAN TROUBLE

A man driving a car at the U.S.–Mexico border said he wasn’t bringing anything into the country that he had to declare to officials. But when a special dog smelled something strange, officers looked in the dashboard and found 14 live toucans hidden inside! These colorful birds are not allowed to be brought into the U.S. like that, and they were tied up and possibly given medicine to make them sleepy. The man, Carlos Abundez, said he didn’t know the birds were in his car. Now he is facing serious trouble with the law. The good news is the birds are getting care and are in stable condition. In 3 to 5 sentences, write a summary of the story in your own words.

3. $9,000 PUZZLE

Some people are willing to spend thousands of dollars on very special puzzles made from wood and even titanium. These luxury puzzles, sometimes called “couture puzzles,” are cut by hand and can cost as much as $9,000. Unlike regular cardboard puzzles, they are thicker, harder to solve, and don’t always come with a picture to guide you. People who love puzzles say they help them relax and feel happy. One person even said doing puzzles helps make the world feel calmer. Some puzzle fans collect them, rent them, or even ask for custom puzzles made with special shapes. Even though they’re very expensive, these puzzles are becoming more popular because they bring joy without using screens or technology. Ask students to design their own puzzle! Each student will draw a picture on a blank sheet of paper, cut it into 6–12 pieces (with teacher help, if needed), and trade puzzles with a classmate to solve. Afterward, students will write a sentence about how it felt to make and solve a puzzle by hand. Was it fun? Frustrating? Calming? Discuss how using your hands and brain together can be both relaxing and challenging—just like the adults in the article said.

4. WORLD OF DARKNESS RETURNS

The Bronx Zoo has reopened its World of Darkness exhibit after being closed for 16 years. This special exhibit is kept dark during the day so people can see what animals do at night. Inside, you can find animals like vampire bats, naked mole rats, night monkeys, and even a rare rodent called the northern Luzon giant cloud rat. The exhibit includes sounds like chirping crickets and dim lights to help show how these animals live in the wild. Visitors need time for their eyes to adjust, but if they’re patient, they can spot over 25 different nocturnal creatures moving around in the shadows. The goal is to help people learn more about animals that are active when we’re usually asleep! Think about what it would be like to visit the World of Darkness. Pick one of the animals you learned about—like a bat, mole rat, night monkey, or sand cat—and draw a picture of what it might look like in the exhibit. Then write 3 to 5 sentences describing what that animal does at night and how it might use its senses to survive in the dark. What do you think would be the coolest or creepiest part of your visit?

5. NEW HERO HITS U.S. SCREENS

A super popular Chinese animated movie called Ne Zha 2 is coming to theaters in the United States this August—with voices in English! The movie has already made more money around the world than Inside Out 2 and is now the highest-grossing animated movie ever. Ne Zha 2 is based on Chinese myths and tells the story of a powerful young hero who fights against magical creatures like dragons. In the movie, Ne Zha doesn’t follow the rules set by the gods and stands up for what he believes is right. The English version will feature the voice of actress Michelle Yeoh as Ne Zha’s mother. Many people are excited because the movie shares Chinese culture in a magical and exciting way. If you could create a movie based on a story or legend from your own culture or family, what would it be about? Write 3 to 5 sentences describing your main character, what challenge they face, and what kind of magical powers or creatures might be in the story. Then draw a movie poster to go with your idea.