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Activities for Week 1

READING: St. Patrick´s Day is March 17. Find articles in the newspaper about Irish customs or culture. Read the headlines of the articles and make predictions about their content. Then read the articles to see if you are correct.

WRITING: It has been said that March "comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb." Read the weather reports in the newspaper to find out if this is true. In your journal, write your own axiom about the March weather in your area.

MATH: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball tournament, know as "March Madness," is now in progress. Look at the brackets for the 64 teams in the newspaper. When a team loses a game, that team is eliminated. Based on this information, how many games must be played to narrow the field to the final four?

CAREER CONNECTION: E-mail a radio station and inquire about the types of jobs available in the radio broadcasting industry. Find an ad in today´s newspaper that you can read aloud and use as a radio ad. How can you become a radio broadcaster?

Activities for Week 2

READING: Spring is almost here and many people are planting flowers and vegetables. There are many gardening articles in the newspaper. Read the articles and decide the purpose of each article. Is the article trying to persuade you to grow a garden, teach you the steps for growing a garden or entertain you about the beauty of gardens? Explain how the articles differ.

WRITING: March 15-21 is National Poison Prevention Week. Read articles in the newspaper about the dangers of poisons in the home. In your journal, write about things you can do to protect people in your home from accidental poisoning. Then make an outline and post it on the family refrigerator.

MATH: Flying kites is a popular sport in the windy month of March. Find pictures of different types of kites in the newspaper. Explain the shapes to your classmates using appropriate geometric vocabulary. Design, build and fly a kite. Have a neighborhood kite-flying contest. Estimate the heights that the winning kites fly.

CAREER CONNECTION: Talk to the public information officer at the local police department to learn about jobs in law enforcement. Read two news stories about police officers. Would you enjoy being a police officer? Why or why not?

Activities for Week 3

READING: The word "march" is a noun and a verb as well as the name of a month. Read the newspaper and try to find articles that use the word march in different contexts. Stories about high school or college bands, the military, John Philip Sousa or spring may contain the word. In each story, identify how the word march is used.

WRITING: The issue of global warming is now being debated. Read at least two newspaper articles on the subject-one that supports the theory that the earth is warming and one that disagrees. Think about the two views and write an article that explains your own views on global warming in your journal.

MATH: Read recipes in the food section of the newspaper. Find a recipe that you would like to prepare and ask your parents to help you cook it. Prepare the recipe and carefully measure all the ingredients using the proper measuring cups and spoons. When the recipe is finished, invite your friends to enjoy your dish.

CAREER CONNECTION: Talk to a veterinarian to learn about careers that involve animals. Look through today´s newspaper and see if a veterinarian has an ad. If not, create an ad for a local vet. Then send it to the vet´s office!

Activities for Week 4

READING: Editorial cartoons often poke fun at politicians and other public figures. Read the editorial cartoons in the paper for one week. Then explain what they mean and why they are funny.

WRITING: Spring is the time that many hummingbirds appear at feeders around Florida. Look for articles in the newspaper on how to attract these tiny birds to your yard. Write down in order the steps you would have to follow to set up a feeder. Watch the feeder from your window and keep notes on any hummingbird that visits.

MATH: March and April are prime months for tornadoes. Look in the newspaper to find out which states get the most tornadoes each year. Then plot this information on a graph. Which state ranks number one? Where does Florida rank?

CAREER CONNECTION: Write your local television station for information on becoming a meteorologist. Create a scrapbook of newspaper weather ads. Use words from the weather reports in your letter.

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