Weekly Reader, Edition 3 (including Science Spin) articles from December 2005

Weekly Reader, Edition 3 (including Science Spin) archives from December 2005

The tsunami: a year later.(SPECIAL REPORT)
December 16, 2005... Nine-year-old Selso, his sister, and his brothers never had a toilet or electricity in their house. The house had only two rooms, and at night they all slept together on the dirt floor. The tsunami (soo-NAH-mee) that hit one year ago...

Safe drinking water.(Brief Article)
December 16, 2005... Along with rebuilding homes in India, volunteers are installing (setting up for use) plumbing. That way, families can have clean water. Clean water is important for good health. Our bodies can survive without food for two months or longer,...

Germs go to school!(causes of cold and cough in shool children )(Brief Article)
December 16, 2005... Yuck! A health and safety group recently tested school surfaces for germs and found millions! Drinking fountains had the most germs. A cafeteria tray had more germs than a toilet seat! The testers also found germs lurking on desks and...

A shark's tale.(reading comprehension test)(Brief Article)
December 16, 2005... A great white shark named Nicole has taken a bite out of the record books. She swam farther than any other known shark--more than 12,400 miles! The great white shark swam from South Africa to Australia and back within nine months. That...

You decide!
December 16, 2005... My teacher said we have to present book reports to the class next week. I feel nervous when I have to speak in front of people. What should I do?

New homes in India.(read a map)(Brief Article)
December 16, 2005... The map shows where Habitat for Humanity plans to build new homes in India over the next few years, Read the map. Then answer the questions that follow, 1. Which country is northwest of India's capital? 2. In which direction would...

Word wise.(identify possessive pronouns)(Brief Article)
December 16, 2005... A possessive pronoun shows ownership. Write the correct possessive pronoun in each space below. We've done one for you. 1. Selso's house his house 2. the school we attend school 3. the pen I...

Know the news.(reading comprehension test)(Brief Article)
December 16, 2005... How much have you learned from this issue? Fill in the circle for the best answer to each question, 1. What is the main idea of the cover story? (A) Selso's family lives in a small fishing village by the sea. (B) Volunteers are...

What is a sentence?(test)(Brief Article)
December 16, 2005... A sentence tells a complete idea. It has a subject and tells what the subject is or does. A sentence that does not tell a complete idea is incomplete. Write C after the complete sentences and ] after the incomplete sentences. For...

Now hear this!(iPods and hearing loss)(Cover Story)
December 9, 2005... Many kids love their iPods. Courtney Burnham from Connecticut is one of those kids. She listens to music on long car rides, while walking to school, and on weekends. "I wish I could listen to it during school," the fourth grader told Weekly...

Back to the moon!
December 9, 2005... NASA is shooting for the moon again. The U.S. space agency recently announced a plan to send astronauts to the moon by the year 2020. The goal is to build a base on the moon where people can live and work. It is the first step in a future...

Explore more: understand punctuation.
December 9, 2005... Punctuation marks are symbols used in writing. Find and circle six different punctuation marks in this issue. What is the purpose of each of these marks? What would happen if we didn't use punctuation marks?

Watch the noise level!
December 9, 2005... Noise volume is measured in decibels (dB). Experts advise people not to listen to music players at volumes higher than 90 decibels. Read the diagram. Then answer the questions that follow. 1. How loud is a whisper? 2. How much louder...

Know the news.(reading comprehension)
December 9, 2005... How much have you learned from this issue? Fill in the circle for the best answer to each question. 1. What is the main idea of the cover story? (A) Many kids like to listen to loud music. (B) Kids spend too much time listening...

Music player time line.
December 9, 2005... This time line follows the history of music players. The date marks the year of invention. Read the time line. Then answer the questions that follow. 1. In which year was the radio invented? 2. Which music player was invented in...

Phases of the moon.(Skill: Reading Comprehension)
December 9, 2005... Read the paragraph, and study the pictures of the moon below. Then fill in the circle for the best answer to each question. New [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED Crescent [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED Quarter [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED ...

Hanging on: the world's great apes are in danger. Many countries are working together to help them. Can these animals be saved in time?(Cover Story)
December 2, 2005... Time is running out for the great apes. If no action is taken, they may soon be extinct, say experts. The great apes include gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and bonobos. Orangutans live in Indonesia, a country in Asia. The other great apes...

What a view?(plans for a glass walkway)(Brief Article)
December 2, 2005... Brave visitors will soon have a bird's-eye view of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Plans are being made to build a glass walkway. It will jut out 70 feet from the canyon's edge. Looking down, visitors will be able to see the Colorado River...

Money makeover.(new $10 bill )(Brief Article)
December 2, 2005... The $10 bill is getting a new look! The U.S. government will begin to circulate the bill early in 2006. Some of the changes include more colors and symbols of freedom. The reason for the changes is to outsmart counterfeiters...

Explore more.(identify verbs)
December 2, 2005... A verb is a word that shows action or being. Look and talk are action verbs. Is and was are being verbs. Circle three action verbs and three being verbs on this page.

Africa's great apes.
December 2, 2005... The map shows where three types of great apes--the gorilla, bonobo, and chimpanzee--live in Africa. The orangutan lives in Indonesia. Read the map. Then answer the questions that follow. 1. Which country is home to all three great apes?...

Word wise.(identify verb tense)
December 2, 2005... Verbs can be in the present, past, or future tense. Write the correct form of each missing verb below. Present Past Future talk talked will talk shared jump ...

Know the news.(reading comprehension)
December 2, 2005... How much have you learned from this issue? Fill in the circle for the best answer to each question. 1. What is the author's main purpose in writing the cover story? (A) to teach people why countries signed a pledge to save the great...

The great apes.(researching)
December 2, 2005... What do you know about the great apes? Research more about the animals by reading books and using the Internet. Then fill in the boxes below with facts you learn about each great ape. Answer Key Answers may vary.

Money math.(problem solving)
December 2, 2005... Read each word problem. Decide whether you need to add, subtract, multiply, or divide to find the answer. Work in the space provided; then write the answer in the box. 1. Nicole wants to buy a book ($6.50) and markers ($4.25). What will...