April 2010

"EARTH DAY FACTS"
OBJECTIVE: Learn about ways in which people can take care of the Earth.
STANDARD: Science: types of resources; changes in environment; Social Studies (NCSS): science, technology, and society; global connections

DIGITAL ISSUE: Use this digital issue on your interactive whiteboard!

  • Like "Two Insects Grow," this issue works for making predictions too. In advance of the lesson, use the screen shade or the reveal tool to cover up everything beyond the first true/false question on page 2 ("True or False? You should take a shower instead of a bath to save water.")
  • Read that first question and have children discuss whether it is true or false. They can talk about what they know about saving water. Then reveal the answer. ("True!") Was their prediction correct? Continue until you have answered the four true/false questions in the issue.
  • Do the page 4 activity as a class. If students need extra reinforcement, you can invite them to come up and circle the items in the chart of things we recycle as well as what that item is turned into (i.e., a circle around soda cans and bicycle frame.)

TEACHING MATERIALS FOR ALL THIS MONTH'S ISSUES

Print this issue's READING SKILLS PRACTICE TEST!
TEACHER'S EDITION for all April 2010 issues
APRIL CALENDAR ACTIVITY for your students

"TWO INSECTS GROW"
OBJECTIVE: Learn about the life cycles of ladybugs and dragonflies.
STANDARD: Science: Characteristics of organisms; life cycle of organisms

DIGITAL ISSUE: Use this digital issue on your interactive whiteboard!

  • Use pages 2-3 of the magazine to make predictions. In advance of the lesson, use the screen shade or the reveal tool to cover up steps 2 through 4 of the ladybug life cycle and all of the dragonfly life cycle.
  • Read step 1 and have children predict what happens next. Then reveal the second photo. Did they predict correctly? Continue until you have revealed each step of the ladybug life cycle. Then do the same with the dragonfly life cycle.
  • Children can come up and circle differences between the two insects' life cycles. For example, they can circle the ladybug's eggs and the dragonfly's eggs, and point out how the ladybug's are yellow and the dragonfly's are black.
  • Do the page 4 activity together.

"RAIN-FOREST ANIMAL RAINBOW"
OBJECTIVE: Learn facts about rain-forest animals of six different colors.
STANDARD: Science: Characteristics of organisms; organisms and environments; form and function

DIGITAL ISSUE: Use this digital issue on your interactive whiteboard!

  • You can use this issue to teach new vocabulary words. First ask a volunteer to circle the bold word on the cover, biodiversity.
  • Then read the key word definition of "biodiversity" on page 2. Go back to the cover. What does the word "biodiversity" mean in this context?
  • As you read the mini book, ask volunteers to look out for the boldface words and come up and circle them. The class can use context clues to talk about what the words mean.
  • It will also be fun for students to turn the pages by clicking on the lower right corners.
  • Fill in the page 8 chart together as a class.

"MEAT-EATING PLANTS!"
OBJECTIVE: Learn about three types of carnivorous plants.
STANDARD: Science: characteristics of organisms; form and function

DIGITAL ISSUE: Use this digital issue on your interactive whiteboard!

  • In advance of the lesson, use the screen shade or the reveal tool to cover up steps 2 and 3 of the Venus flytrap trapping a fly. Your students can make predictions about what the plant will do in the next step. Then you can reveal what it did and check their predictions. Do the same with the sundew plant on page 3.
  • Ask volunteers to come up and circle the insect on each plant and the drops on the sundew plant. This makes a good reinforcement activity for teaching labels.
  • Do the page 4 activity as a class.

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