Summer is here! What are your plans for the vacation? Check out the video below to find out what you can do this summer!

Summer Camp

Happy Thursday! Some of our readers wanted to share a bit of their own creativity.  Thanks, P. Ribonsky and H. Laskin for writing to us!

Adverbs

I really don’t know adverbs,

I really don’t know why!

The only hint I know of,

Is they end in ly

I had a grammar test,

I didn’t do so swell

I know why, it’s because

I don’t know adverbs well!

P. Ribonsky

Grade 7

New Jersey

˜

Which Monkey can fly?

A hot air Baboon !

H. Laskin

Grade 7

New Jersey

In Issue 17, we asked our readers to write a diary entry describing their day as a VORTEX2 storm chaser. Here is a diary entry we received from Homer Cupler. Homer, we can tell that you understood the article well because of the way you synthesized it and the information in the chart and incorporated both in your writing. Thanks for sharing your entry with us. Keep writing!

May 8, 2010

Dear Diary,

This year’s VORTEX2 team got bigger and better.  Today I went to Tornado Alley.  Our team went to Texas to study a tornado. The researchers used a Doppler radar mounted on a truck.  We drove as close as we could to the funnel-shaped cloud formations.  Today’s tornado was 261-318 mph.  Homes were lifted off their foundations, and cars were thrown as far as 100 meters.  We have collected lots of info to help people understand tornadoes.  Yesterday, scientists set up a weather balloon.  Two days ago, the 2010 VORTEX2 program began in the heart of Tornado Alley.  More than 100 scientists and students assembled.  The VORTEX2 team hopes to learn how tornadoes form.  We also want to find out how long tornadoes stay on the ground.   Mostly scientists want to be able to forecast tornadoes with greater accuracy.  Oh no!  Gotta go now!  More next time.

Yours Truly,

Homer Cupler

4150 Zaza Lane

Lollyville, Candyland

The Maryland Social Studies Task Force released a report this month about the status of social studies instruction in Maryland and across the nation. The report concludes that social studies has been marginalized in our schools as a consequence of the NCLB Act. The Task Force strongly emphasized the need to improve social studies instruction and included the following quote, which we thought was well worth mentioning, in its introduction.

“A primary object … should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing … than … communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country.” —George Washington

We reached out to educator Patricia Worthy, who has 20 years of experience in the classroom, to get her scoop on the situation.

TCE: Do you agree that social studies in not on an equal footing with math and reading in grades K-12?

PW: Sometimes social studies gets brushed aside in favor of math and reading, which are used as a measuring stick for achievement. I am one of the teachers who is proactive about the importance of teaching social studies.

TCE: Why do you feel so strongly that more emphasis should be placed on social studies?

PW: Social studies breaks down into so many things, such as economics and geography, which students need to know. They need to learn history because if we don’t know our past, we tend to repeat it.

TCE: How do students benefit from learning about other cultures?

PW: It gives them an understanding and tolerance that will help them become productive citizens when they reach adulthood.

If we want to eliminate ignorance, we will get better results when students learn about other cultures. I have a multicultural classroom. It’s great to see when the lightbulb goes on — when my students make that connection between themselves and the world around them.  Learning about other cultures helps my students. When they debate, they say, “I understand your point of view.”

J J W H T X Z T F I S U O G D C D D C W D C Q M I H T L K X
Z X V K F D M P H A U A I J I T J N G B U M O I N F C A V D
K A Y A X W K A D Y F W F D S G T V A L P Y U P M P Y R M Z
D I E H T R A P A D R A C I R F A T T V E Z B M N B M U A I
H X O P R R D T N E M A N R U O T U L A I T N E T O P T N K
Q A W Z E W K O G E I J Y X B R R U K W R A M Q R K I A D A
T O B C V W O J V S K U C X N E V Y L S Z T R E L G T N E M
D G C I N C S P U U O K N N R K S N E V D P J E K U B Q L P
A O D F T R L T S I R U O T D U N M L U Z Q K Q J F B Y A X
S J Q L V A L V V M S U W O Y Y D X R N K K L Q V Z L Q Z D
H O M N B U T L V S G S Y R R Y J O W Y T J U O Z R I P A J
U W R J E U X T C D X B T V D V F F U O Y N M Q M R Z U P Z
K O K Q S E Y W H R C Z U D H Z G I Z B R O F V J S E C F M
K Y J E Y S B I Y P A X I J H P W E Q I M Z S G R S S R J H
L K V I G J B N N M E X H Q I S F C P H O A H H S H K C U S

AFRICA
APARTHEID
CULTURE
HABITAT
MANDELA
NATURAL
POTENTIAL
SOCCER
TOURIST
TOURNAMENT

World Cup Word Search

World Cup Word Search Solution

tournament > a series of games

culture > way of a life

natural habitat > places where they live

apartheid > a system of keeping races separated

potential > possibility for growth and change

This South African boy is playing with a soccer ball. His country is more excited than ever about soccer! On June 11th, the World Cup Soccer Tournament began in South Africa. More than 300,000 people are expected to visit South Africa this month to watch the games. Millions of others from around the world will also watch the games from their home countries.

This is the first time that a World Cup will take place in Africa. South Africans are very proud to be hosting it. They are eager to show off their country’s culture. South Africa hopes that the World Cup will prompt people from all over the world to visit its beautiful scenic places. They want many tourists to come to South Africa to watch its wildlife in their natural habitat.

Until 1990, white people were in charge in South Africa. They enforced apartheid, which was an unfair way to treat the Africans living there. Most countries stopped doing business with South Africa and the country became very poor. In 1994, elections were held and black citizens were allowed to vote freely. The new government, let by Nelson Mandela, worked to make sure that everyone was treated fairly. Now South Africans want to show the world how far they have come.

“[The World Cup] is the single greatest opportunity we have ever had to showcase our … potential to the world,” said South African president Jacob Zuma. “We must rise and tell the story of a continent which is alive with possibilities.”

PDF Version

Pepsi PDF

On June 7th, workers in Venezuela began tearing down a large globe. The globe was sitting on top of a tall building in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. It bears the Pepsi Company’s red, white, and blue emblem.

Caracas’s mayor says Pepsi did not have a permit to place the globe there. The Pepsi Company says this is not true. They say that the globe is being taken down because Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chavez, is a socialist. He believes that capitalism is bad.

Since Chavez became president of Venezuela in 1998, he has made many changes. The government has taken control of several large companies. Pepsi is a large, private company and it — and its globe — may remind people about capitalism. The Pepsi Company thinks that is why Chavez wants the globe removed.

emblem > a symbol that stands for something

permit > written permission

socialist > a person who believes in government ownership of a country’s businesses and wealth

capitalism > a system in which businesses are privately owned

Here’s a preview of the political cartoon that will be featured in our upcoming issue.

Analyze the Cartoon:

1. List the objects in the cartoon. Which of them are symbols?

2. Which two news stories does the bird represent?

3. Explain the message of the cartoon. Do you agree or disagree?

Greece Overspends

by L. Salzberg

On Saturday, May 29th, a large protest was scheduled to take place in Greece. The Greek people are angry at the way their government is handling its economic problems.

Greece’s government has been spending too much money. It has spent more than it has received from taxes. To keep the country running, the government had to borrow large amounts of money. Now, it does not have enough to repay its loans. As a result, the Greek government is in danger of bankruptcy.

How Did This Happen?

Greece’s spending problems have been going on for years. The government has been paying its workers more than it could afford. In addition, the government spends money that it does not need to. For example, it pays a committee to manage a lake known as Lake Kopais. It does so even though this lake has been dry for about 70 years. Experts estimate that Greece pays about 10,000 people to “work” on committees like these.

Bonuses are another drain on the government’s money. Government workers are paid for two extra months each year. They are paid a bonus every spring, summer, and winter. In addition, government workers receive bonuses for certain on-the-job skills, like knowing a second language or using a computer. Park workers receive a bonus for working outdoors. Some people even receive a bonus for getting to work on time!

Another problem is that many Greek citizens do not pay the taxes that they owe the government. Now the government has begun to crack down on these people. “People are angry,” a tax official said. “They have to know those evaders are being punished.”

Rescuing the Greek Economy

In an attempt to rescue the nation’s economy, new laws have been passed. These laws raise taxes and cut government workers’ pay. Another law requires government workers to retire later. For example, women used to be allowed to retire at age 60. Now they will not be allowed to retire before they are 65 years old. This will help the government save money because it will have fewer pensions to pay. Another law calls for government workers to receive reduced pensions.

Unfortunately, these efforts have not been enough to save Greece’s economy. The country still needs a huge amount of money to repay its loans. On May 2nd, some European nations announced that they will “bail out” Greece. They plan to give the country about 150 billion dollars to save it from bankruptcy.

However, the bailout has some conditions attached. To receive the money, Greece must cut its spending even more. It also had to raise taxes on fuel, cigarettes, and other products.

Reactions in Greece

Many Greek citizens are angry about the government’s new policies. Government workers do not want their pay cut. Retired people do not want their pensions reduced. Nobody wants to pay higher taxes.

Citizens have been taking to the streets in protest. On May 5th, three people were killed when the protesters became violent. However, many people realize that the government must take action. “I think we need to address our economic problems, but the measures are not fair,” 19-year-old Glykeria Antonaki told reporters.

Despite the protests, Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou (say: pa-pakahn- STAHN-tee-noo) insists that the policies will not be changed. “We will not take a single step backwards,” he vowed.

STANDARDS: National Content Standards in Economics (National Council on Economic Education) Standard 16: Role of Government. There is an economic role for government in a market economy whenever the benefits of a government policy outweigh its costs. Governments often provide for national defense, address environmental concerns, define and protect property rights, and attempt to make markets more competitive. Most government policies also redistribute income.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In this article, students will learn about:

• The threat of bankruptcy in Greece.

• How Greece got into financial trouble.

• The government’s response to the crisis.

• The reaction of Greek citizens.

AIM: Greece’s government has spent too much money.

PRE-READING: Ask students what they think of when they hear or see the word money. Build background about money and spending by asking: What is money for? How do people and businesses get money? What happens if a person or business spends more money than is available? How does a government get money? What could happen if a government ran out of money?

DURING READING: Have students underline the causes of Greece’s financial troubles and circle the measures being taken to address the problem.

AFTER READING: Have students share their reading notes with a partner. Then have them summarize the causes of Greece’s economic problems. Ask students what they think Greece could have done to stay out of trouble.

Answers To Globe Gallopers

1. List three facts about Greece you learn from the map.

<Answers have been removed>

2. On which continent is Greece located? Why do you think European countries are helping Greece?

<Answers have been removed>

Answers to Review Questions

1. Why is the Greek government in danger of bankruptcy?

<Answers have been removed>

2. What have the Greek government and other nations done to solve Greece’s spending problem?

<Answers have been removed>

3. Do you think Greek citizens are right to be angry? Explain your answer.

<Answers have been removed>

4. What do you think are some ways that people can manage money carefully?

<Answers have been removed>

TEXT COMPREHENSION SKILL — QAR

Remind students that QAR is a reading strategy that helps readers categorize comprehension questions according to where they can find the information to answer each question. Remind them that they learned four QAR categories. Have volunteers tell you what each category is. Below is a description of each:

Right There questions are in the text, directly stated in one sen­tence or paragraph.

Put it Together questions are also in the text, but students will have to put together information from different parts of the text to come up with the answer.

Author and I questions are ones in which the answer is not in the text. Students will need to combine what they already know with the information from the article in order to respond to the question.

On My Own questions can be answered by the student without any information from the article. Their answers are based on prior knowledge.

Inform students that today they will be labeling the review ques­tions on page 3 of the newspaper on their own.

Give students the Activity Sheet (page 4) and do the first two questions together. Read the first question aloud. Say, I think about what type of question this is and how I will find the answer. If it is an ‘Right There‘ question, I will read through the article until I find the an­swer. I may want to highlight the information. Review the text that answers the question. Discuss whether it is from one place or dif­ferent places in the article. On the Activity Sheet, have students write the type of question it is in column 2, and then write their an­swer. Do the second question together in the same way. Students should complete the third and fourth questions independently. Finally, have students fill in the correct label for each question on page 3 of the newspaper.

Volcanoes, Tax Returns, Supreme Court judges,

All in the news,

Come on everybody, read it, there’s nothing to lose!

With whom is Obama having a summit today?

I hear America owes money, it seems they’ll have to pay!

And when our class is finished reading the Current Events out loud,

You’ll see everybody smiling,

Pass by one day and you’ll be proud

B. Zitronenbaum
6th Grade
Brooklyn