1. JUNETEENTH IN HARLEM

In Harlem, New York, people celebrated Juneteenth with music, dancing, and joy at an event called the Big Band Jubilee. Juneteenth is a holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It started on June 19, 1865, when news finally reached the last group of enslaved people in Texas that they were free. Even though slavery had officially ended two years earlier, it took a long time for the message to spread. Today, Juneteenth is a special day to remember freedom, honor African American history, and celebrate with music, food, family, and fun. The event in Harlem was created to honor Black history and the Harlem Renaissance, a time when jazz music and art flourished in Harlem long ago. People came from near and far to listen, dance, and enjoy the fun. The Jubilee is a way to remember the past and celebrate Black joy, culture, and freedom. Create a colorful event poster inviting people to the Big Band Jubilee in Harlem. Include the date, the type of music featured (jazz and big band), and a few details about the celebration’s connection to Black history and the Harlem Renaissance. Use drawings, symbols, or designs that reflect the joy, culture, and community spirit of the event.

2. BUGS BY STARLIGHT

In Australia, a special bug called the Bogong moth travels a very long way—about 620 miles—to stay cool in mountain caves. Scientists have now discovered that these moths find their way by looking at the stars! That makes them the first bugs ever known to use stars to travel such a long distance. Scientists tested this by putting moths in a flight simulator that showed the night sky. When the stars looked normal, the moths flew the right way. But when the stars were scrambled, the moths got confused. This shows that the stars help them know where to go. Even though their brains are very tiny—smaller than a grain of rice—these moths are amazing travelers! Imagine you are a Bogong moth getting ready for your big trip. Write a short story (5–7 sentences) about your adventure flying under the stars. Where are you going? What do you see in the sky? How do you feel when you reach your cool, cozy cave? Use your imagination and try to describe what the journey is like from a moth’s point of view!

3. FAKE ECLIPSE TEST

Two European satellites have made the first-ever artificial solar eclipses from space! These small satellites fly in a special way so that one blocks the sun, just like the moon does during a real eclipse. The other satellite takes pictures of the sun’s outer light, called the corona. This helps scientists learn more about the sun. The satellites fly very carefully—only about as far apart as a football field—and must stay in perfect position, within the width of a fingernail. These space eclipses can last for hours, which gives scientists much more time to study the sun than normal eclipses on Earth. The pictures they took made scientists very excited! Imagine you were on a team of scientists who helped fly these special satellites. Write a paragraph explaining what it would feel like to see an artificial solar eclipse in space for the first time. What might the sun look like? Why do you think learning about the corona is important? Be sure to include one fact from the article, like how far apart the satellites are or how long the eclipses last.

4. LARGEST CAMERA ON EARTH

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has built the biggest digital camera ever made. It’s about the size of a small car and takes huge pictures of the night sky—each one has 3.2 billion pixels! The camera uses supercooled sensors to take very clear images and can map more of the sky at once than most telescopes. Even though some parts of the camera have tiny problems, it still works really well. The observatory will start sharing its pictures with the public soon. Scientists hope to use the camera to study stars, planets, and other space mysteries for more than 10 years. Pretend you are an astronomer using the Rubin Observatory’s giant camera. In a short paragraph, write what you hope to see through the telescope. Will you discover a new planet, a shooting star, or something nobody has ever seen before? Be sure to include one true fact from the article—like how many pixels the camera has or how long it takes to take a picture—to make your writing more realistic.

5. DOCUMENTARY ON DEAFNESS

Marlee Matlin is a famous actress who is deaf. She has a new movie about her life called “Not Alone Anymore.” It tells the story of how she grew up, became a movie star, and worked hard to help deaf people in movies and TV. Marlee chose her friend Shoshannah Stern, who is also deaf, to help make the movie. Together, they used special ways of filming so people could see how deaf people communicate using their eyes and hands, not just their voices. The movie helps people understand more about the deaf community. Marlee hopes her story will inspire others and make the movie world more welcoming to everyone. After reading about Marlee Matlin’s life and her new documentary, think about how people can communicate in different ways. In a short paragraph, describe a time when you had to use something other than words to share a message—like using your hands, pictures, sounds, or facial expressions. How did it feel? Was it easy or hard? Then, imagine you are making a short film like Marlee’s. Write a short idea for a movie about your life that shows how you express yourself and what makes your story special.