Weekly Reader, Edition 4 (including Science Spin) articles from April 2006

Weekly Reader, Edition 4 (including Science Spin) archives from April 2006

Water world.(SNAPSHOT)
April 28, 2006... Could there be life on Saturn's moon Enceladus? The Cassini spacecraft has photographed geysers on the cold moon, shown here in this Illustration. A geyser is a spring that shoots water into the air. Cassini has been orbiting Saturn since...

Rare rhinos.(SUPER STATS)
April 28, 2006... There is good news for rhinos. Wildlife experts recently discovered the tracks of 13 Sumatran rhinos in Borneo, an island in Southeast Asia. The number thrilled scientists because the animals are on the verge of extinction. Sumatran rhinos...

Simpsons: beat out freedoms.(NEWS SHORT)
April 28, 2006... Doh! Americans apparently can tell you more about The Simpsons cartoon family than the First Amendment, according to a recent survey. Only one in four Americans could name more than one of the five freedoms protected by the First...

Recess at risk: can this afternoon break be rescued?
April 28, 2006... Can you imagine not having a chance to play tag or hop-scotch in the schoolyard after lunch? For many students around the country, their afternoon break is quickly becoming history. Nearly 40 percent of elementary schools have either...

Nature's fury: weather forecasters get ready for a busy tornado season.(Cover story)
April 28, 2006... Tornado season got off to a furious start this year. Record-setting swarms of as many as 113 tornadoes clobbered five Midwestern states in mid-March. Battered communities are continuing to recover from the tornadoes that sent fierce...

O say, can you ... sing?(SOCIAL STUDIES NEWS)(anthem )
April 28, 2006... New project reteaches anthem. When thousands of baseball fans head to ballparks this summer, chances are they'll have trouble reciting the words to our national anthem. Two out of three Americans don't know the words to "The...

Ready, set go! Kids prepare to race in the All-American Soap Box Derby.(QUICK TAKES)
April 28, 2006... Year-round, kids compete in more than 450 soapbox car races across the country. They are all getting ready for the big one--the All-American Soap Box Derby finals. The competition is held each July at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio. This...

You decide!(QUICK TAKES)
April 28, 2006... My mom bought me a new pair of sneakers, and they arent' very cool. I'd like a different pair, but I don't want to hurt my mom's feelings. What should I do? Tell us what you would do at www.weeklyreader.com/kids/speakout.

Mystery state contest clue 24.(QUICK TAKES)
April 28, 2006... The world's first national park, Yellowstone, was established in this state in March 1872. It is home to "Old Faithful" The famous geyser shoots hot water more than 100 feet into the air about every 80 minutes.

Study the graph.(BRAIN BUILDERS)
April 28, 2006... The graph shows the average number of tornadoes each month in the United States for the years 1950-1999. Study the graph, and then fill in the circle in front of the best answer to each question. 1. Which months experienced the most...

Know the news.(BRAIN BUILDERS)
April 28, 2006... Fill in the circle in front of the best answer to each question. 1. What is the main idea of "Nature's Fury"? (A) Tornadoes can strike in any month of the year. (B) Tornado season started with a record number of twisters. (C)...

Word wise.(BRAIN BUILDERS)
April 28, 2006... Fill in the circle for the best definition of each word. The page number shows where the word appears. 1. destructive (page 4) (A) helpful (B) damaging (C) windy 2. propelled (page 7) (A) pulled (B) pushed (C) dropped ...

What's the weather?(Skill: Read a Map)
April 28, 2006... In this issue, you read about tornadoes. Study the weather map below. Read the statements that follow, and determine whether they are true or false. Write T for true or F for false in each blank. 1.--An H is the symbol for a high-pressure...

Coming to America: the poems of Angel Island shine the light on Chinese immigration to the United States.(SOCIAL STUDIES NEWS)
April 7, 2006... The year is 1934. Twelve-year-old Wong Kai Chong must leave everything he knows in China and travel to the United States to join his father. He lands in San Francisco, California, on a cold day and is held on Angel Island, a station for...

Paradise lost? The Amazon rain forest is disappearing at an alarming rate.(Cover story)
April 7, 2006... Bright-colored toucans and other exotic birds fly among the forest. Emerald tree boas curl up on branches to stalk prey. Endangered jaguars slink through the thick brush in search of food. These are just a few of the thousands of animals that...

A state reptile for Utah?(QUICK TAKES)
April 7, 2006... Utah has a state fruit, a state folk dance, and a state fish. And thanks to a group of determined fourth graders, Utah may soon boast a state reptile. Students in Laura Graf's social studies classes at Diamond Valley Elementary School in...

Poetry contest!
April 7, 2006... Attention, all poets! In honor of National Poetry Month, Weekly Reader is holding a poetry contest. The theme of the contest is nature. The top 20 poems about nature will be posted on our Web site. In addition, each winner will receive three...

You decide!
April 7, 2006... In celebration of Earth Day, our teacher taught us about recycling. At home, my parents usually don't, separate glass, newspaper, and plastic in different containers. How can I convince my family that recycling is good for the environment?...

Next stop, U.S.A.(SUPER STATS)
April 7, 2006... Immigrants have long been coming to the United States from all parts of the world. Today, however, most newcomers fly on an airplane instead of sailing on a ship, as immigrants of earlier times did. The Office of Immigration Statistics...

Mystery state contest clue 22.
April 7, 2006... In 1860, this state became the first to secede from, or leave, the Union. Confederate troops fired shots at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. The attack marked the beginning of the Civil War on April 12, 1861.

Cute--but not cuddly.(SNAPSHOT)(new arrival--a baby porcupine)
April 7, 2006... Meet a prickly new arrival at the National Zoo--a baby porcupine. The baby is the fourth prehensile-tailed porcupine born at the Washington, D.C., zoo. Prehensile-tailed porcupines use their tails for hanging and grasping. The creatures are...

Study the graph.(BRAIN BUILDERS)
April 7, 2006... The graph shows the amount of deforestation that has taken place annually in the Amazon rain forest since 2000. Study the graph, and then fill in the circle in front of the best answer to each question. 1. According to the graph, in which...

Know the news.(BRAIN BUILDERS)
April 7, 2006... Fill in the circle in front of the best answer to each question. 1. What is the main idea of "Paradise Lost?" (A) The Amazon is the world's largest rain forest. (B) Millions of plants and animals live in the Amazon rain forest....

Word wise.(BRAIN BUILDERS)
April 7, 2006... Fill in the circle for the best definition of each highlighted word. The page number indicates where the word appears in the issue. 1. prey (page 4) (A) forests (B) food (C) water 2. lush (page 4) (A) freezing (B) leafy (C) dry...

Poet's corner: writing couplets, acrostics, and haiku.(Skill: Creative Writing)
April 7, 2006... In honor of National Poetry Month, you read some of the poems found on Anger Island. Now try your hand at writing your own poetry. A couplet is a pair of lines that usually end in rhyme. The couplet here is written to celebrate Earth Day,...

Rain forest crossword challenge.(Skill: Vocabulary in Context)
April 7, 2006... Test your knowledge of the Amazon rain forest with this crossword puzzle. Refer to the student edition and other resources to find the answers. Word Bank Amazon anaconda biodiversity Brazil canopy ...

Explore the Amazon rain forest.
April 7, 2006... Where can you find 200-foot-tall trees, shimmering blue butterflies, and monkeys that howl? They're all in the Amazon rain forest! The Amazon in South America is the world's largest tropical rain forest. Here, the weather is rainy and warm....