1. NASA’S NEW SPACE TELESCOPE

NASA has launched a powerful new telescope called the Roman Space Telescope. It is named for Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief astronomer and an important supporter of space telescopes. Roman will travel about 1 million miles from Earth, where it will spend years studying space. Its camera can look at an area of the sky more than 100 times wider than the Hubble Space Telescope can. Scientists expect Roman to discover thousands of exploding stars, tens of thousands of planets, and billions of galaxies. It will also help scientists study mysterious things called dark matter and dark energy, which cannot be seen directly but affect the universe. Roman will work with other telescopes to help scientists learn more about planets, stars, and the enormous universe around us. Roman can search a huge section of space much faster than older telescopes. Create a two-part drawing called “Roman’s Big View.” On one side, draw Roman looking across a wide area filled with stars, galaxies, and planets. On the other side, choose one object Roman might discover and draw what you think scientists would see if another telescope took a closer look. Add labels to at least four parts of your pictures and write a caption explaining why both a wide view and a close-up view can be useful to scientists.

2. FLOODS DAMAGE SCHOOLS IN NEPAL

A terrible flood has damaged communities and schools in Nepal. At one school in the Dhading area, some children had just left their classroom for lunch when the flood rushed in. Teachers quickly warned other students to leave their classrooms, helping many children escape safely. When families returned several days later, they found classrooms, notebooks, lunchboxes, and backpacks covered with thick mud. Floods have destroyed or damaged at least 69 schools in Nepal, affecting the education of thousands of children. Many schools were closed after heavy rain caused sudden floods and landslides. Families are thankful for the children who survived, but communities now face the difficult job of cleaning up and rebuilding. Create a “School Recovery Kit” for students whose school has been damaged by a flood. Choose five items you think would be most helpful for students returning to learning, such as notebooks, pencils, clean water or other supplies. Draw each item and write a short explanation of why you included it. Then circle the one item you think would be most important and explain your choice.

3. U.S. OPEN TICKETS FOR NEW YORKERS

The U.S. Open is a famous tennis tournament held in New York City, but some tickets have become very expensive. Tickets originally sold at one price can sometimes be resold for much more money. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani worked with the group that runs the tournament to make 1,000 tickets available to New York City residents for $100 each. These special tickets cannot be resold through the tournament’s main resale website. Mamdani says major sporting events should be affordable enough for local people to attend. The plan gives some New Yorkers a less expensive way to watch top tennis players compete. Suppose your town has 100 special tickets to a popular event, but 1,000 people want them. How should the tickets be shared? You could suggest a drawing, a lottery, first-come-first-served sales, lower prices for certain groups, or invent another system. Explain your plan and give two reasons you think it would be fair.

4. CAPE COD LEARNS TO LIVE WITH GREAT WHITE SHARKS

Great white sharks have become a regular summer sight near Cape Cod in Massachusetts. One reason is that many seals now live there, and seals are an important food source for the sharks. People have changed some of their beach habits because of the sharks. Lifeguards receive special safety training, warning flags are posted, and an app called Sharktivity helps people learn about shark sightings. Some visitors stay closer to shore or choose swimming pools instead of the ocean. At the same time, sharks have become an attraction, and special boat tours take visitors out to see them safely. Cape Cod is learning how people and wild animals can share the same environment while respecting the dangers of the ocean. Become a Cape Cod beach safety designer. Create a sign that could be placed at a beach where great white sharks may be nearby. Your sign should include a shark picture or symbol, two important safety instructions, and one fact explaining why sharks visit these waters. Choose colors and symbols that would help someone understand the message quickly. At the bottom, add one sentence reminding visitors that sharks are wild animals living in their natural habitat.

5. SPAIN’S GIANT TOMATO FIGHT

Once a year, the streets of Buñol, Spain, turn bright red during a festival called La Tomatina. More than 20,000 people were expected to join this year’s enormous food fight, tossing overripe tomatoes at one another for about an hour. The unusual tradition began with a food fight in 1945 and eventually became famous around the world. Today, many visitors travel from other countries to participate. A popular Indian movie featuring La Tomatina has even encouraged more tourists from India to visit. There are safety rules, including one telling people to squash tomatoes before throwing them so they are less likely to hurt someone. When the food fight ends, participants wash themselves off and workers hose down the tomato-covered streets. Festivals can help make a place special and bring visitors together. Invent a fun festival for your own community that does not already exist. Give it a name and decide what people would do, wear, eat, or watch there. Create a small festival poster that includes the name, a picture, two safety rules, and a sentence that would persuade families to attend.