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Activities for Week 1

READING: The birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. is coming up soon. How do people 31 years after his death remember his fight for civil rights? Read the newspaper and highlight articles about King, his work or his assassination. Think about whether each article states facts or opinions.

WRITING: Happy New Year! There are many stories in the newspaper now that summarize the news and events of the last year. Find one that you like and write a similar story that summarizes the last year in your life. Be sure to explain important events in the order in which they occurred.

MATH: It´s almost time for the Super Bowl. Do you ever think about how important accurate measurements are in a football game? Read the newspaper for stories about college bowl games or NFL games to see how many times the words "yards," "feet" or "inches" are used. Were there any games in which mere inches made a difference in the outcome?

CAREER CONNECTION: Read the sports page in your local newspaper to discover the different types of opportunities for people interested in athletics. Why is it important to do well in school, even if you are planning a sports career?

Activities for Week 2

READING: The FCATs are given at the end of January. Read the newspaper for headlines about the test and scores from the previous years. From the headlines, try to determine what the main idea of each article is and put your answers in your journal. Read the articles and see if you are right.

WRITING: People often make New Year´s resolutions. Find tips in your newspaper on making and keeping resolutions. Using the tips as a guide, list your own resolutions along with ideas on how you intend to keep them.

MATH: People in the northern part of our country are now experiencing cold and icy weather. Find an article in the newspaper that describes a large snowfall. Then convert the number of inches or feet of snow into centimeters or meters.

CAREER CONNECTION: Read the want ads in your local newspaper to see how many jobs are available for writers. What kind of education do you need for each job?

Activities for Week 3

READING: Chinese New Year is celebrated every year in January or February. Skim the newspaper to find stories about this holiday. As you read the articles, decide if the author compares or contrasts Chinese New Year with the New Year in the United States.

WRITING: Goldfinches often visit bird feeders in Florida during the winter. Read the newspaper to find stories about finches or other birds or wildlife in the state. Then write an article about a bird or an animal you have seen. You might even try submitting your article to the paper.

MATH: Winter holidays are over! School has started again and you need new school supplies. To make sure that you get the best value for your money, read ads in the newspaper to find sales on school supplies. Compare the cost of items from different stores and calculate how much money you can save by buying the items on sale.

CAREER CONNECTION: Look in the yellow pages under "Environmental and Ecological Services" to find companies that might employ environmental scientists. What kind of education do you need for different environmental jobs?

Activities for Week 4

READING: Headlines recently appeared in newspapers around Florida that read "New Governor Inaugurated." If you do not know what the word "inaugurated" means, what other clues might help you determine the context of the story? Write the clues in your journal and then look up the definition in a dictionary. Explain your clues to a classmate.

WRITING: Many people are concerned about a problem called "Y2K" (Year 2000). When the century changes next year, computers may misinterpret 2000 as 1900 and wipe out 100 years of records, including bank accounts and mortgages. Read the newspaper to learn about this problem. As you learn about Y2K, write important information in your journal.

MATH: Geometrical shapes and terms play a large role in all types of sports. Read the sports pages and see how many geometrical terms you can find. Also, look at the pictures and name any geometrical shapes you see. Examples might include rectangles, diamonds, arcs, lines, circles and planes.

CAREER CONNECTION: Do an Internet search for jobs related to computers. Then find as many jobs as you can from today´s classified ads. Explain why various technological jobs appeal to you. How can you prepare for them?

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