Novella Review - The New Global Warming

Transcription

1 April 12, 2010 Vol. 112, No. 14 ISSN in this issue n News Shorts... 2 n News Special: No Way Out (Juvenile Justice)...4 n News Debate... 6 n hot Topic: Extreme Australia...8 n mapsearch: Australia n American History Play: Riding the Rails n Making Connections: Hard Times n mapman s Corner: The World s Greenest Country n geoskills: Take the Train to the Game n What Do You Know? TEACHER S EDITION n Hot Topic: Extreme Australia...T-2 n Other Features... T-3 n Answer Key... T-4 n Quiz Wizard... T-5 n Puzzles Reproducible...T-6 n Knowledge Bowl...T-7 n Teacher to Teacher...T-8 TEACHER S EDITION Issue Dates Sept 7 Sept 21 Oct 5 Oct 19 & 26 Nov 9 April 22 Is Earth Day! Dear Teacher, Our cover story introduces readers to the dramatic weather events that have plagued Australia for the past decade everything from wildfires and dust storms to torrential downpours. Could Australia s extreme weather be a harbinger of what we can expect? According to many scientists, Earth s average temperature has risen about 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit in the past century. A continued Nov 23 Dec 7 rise, they say, could have dramatic consequences around the world. But not everyone agrees about the causes of climate change or the solutions. Encourage your students to explore all sides of the debate for themselves. If they would like to learn more about Australia, our online PowerPoint presentation offers a look at the continent s rare flora and fauna. For this and many other resources, go to Jan 4 Jan 18 Feb 8 A supplement to Junior Scholastic Mar 1 Mar 22 Apr 12 Apr 26 May 10 Suzanne McCabe, Editor smccabe@scholastic.com in our next issue: April 26, 2010 Health-Care Reform Are Young Athletes Pushed Too Hard? A New Generation Rises Up in Iran Surviving the Holocaust This Issue Online FREE! Bring Earth Day to your classroom with Disneynature s award-winning documentary E arth. The first five teachers to us at junior@scholastic.com will receive a free DVD. 21st Century governments in action Our 21st Century Governments in Action Skills Manual is available online. If you d like to download reproducibles about the types of government found worldwide, a PDF is available at /js. You ll also find top news stories, interviews with newsmakers, and more. Teacher s Edition Writer: Kathy Wilmore Teacher s Edition editor: Bryan Brown contributing writers: Lisa Arce, Karen Kellaher Teacher s Edition Production Editor: Kathleen Fallon Editorial address: Junior Scholastic, 557 Broadway, New York, NY or junior@ scholastic.com Customer-service Inquiries: SCHOLASTIC ( ) or Junior Scholastic aep EdPress Winner WINNER DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT

2 HOT TOPIC: Extreme Australia (pp. 8-13) People, places, & environments Earth Day is April 22. This article may be used along with discussion of various measures that individuals and governments are taking to reduce harm to the environment. n Objectives Put recent news reports about natural disasters in Australia into a social context. Consider effects that changes in the environment can have on people, as well as the other way around. Note: It is interesting to note the similarities between the 2009 dust storms near Sydney and the U.S. Midwest s Dust Bowl of the 1930s (see pp ). In both, dried-up topsoil caused by erosion and prolonged drought were carried long distances by strong winds. n The Basics In the past decade, Australians have experienced a variety of extreme (as in beyond the ordinary) and often destructive weather. Weather is the short-term state of the atmosphere (stormy, mild, cold, hot, wet, dry, and so on). Climate is a long-term trend in weather conditions, averaged over a number of years or even centuries. Some experts believe that Australia s extreme weather is due to climate change brought on by human activity. Others believe that climate change is a naturally occurring phenomenon. n Words Worth Both bushfire and brush fire refer to an out-of-control vegetation fire. A bushfire is one occurring in a sparsely populated or wilderness area, known as the bush in Australia, parts of Africa, and other places. A brush fire is one that begins in or is fed by dry, lowgrowing plants collectively called brush (including scrub, small trees, and twigs). It can occur anywhere vegetation is dry, be it an urban or a rural area. n Content-Area Questions culture/social studies 1. Which extreme condition do you think would be hardest to cope with: drought, wildfire, or flooding? Why? (Answers will vary.) 2. How do Australia s three branches of government compare with those of the U.S.? (some similarities: chief executive; a House of Representatives and Senate; a high court; some differences: chief executive is chosen by the majority party; Senate seats are apportioned by party; other answers acceptable) g e o g r a p h y 1. Most Australians about 83 percent live in which part of the country? (along the coasts) 2. Which photo accompanying this article do you consider the best example of climate change? Which is the best example of extreme weather? Explain. (Answers will vary.) s c i e n c e/t e c h n o l o g y 1. Do you think that climate change is due to human-produced pollution, natural long-term shifts, or both? Explain. (Answers will vary.) 2. If you were an inventor, what kind of device would you create to help Australians cope with extreme weather? (Answers will vary.) Just say to another exciting year of JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC. Only $8.25 * per student subscription. Renew by April 30 to receive your FREE Steel Thermos with your order of 20 or more copies! YES! For faster service, call toll-free SCHOLASTIC ( ) Mon. Fri. 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST and mention code 8403 *Price is for orders of 10 or more. Offer valid through 4/30/ REN-S10G4 T-2 April 12, 2010 Teacher s Edition JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC

3 News Special: No Way Out (pp. 4-5) Civic ideals & practices The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hand down its decision in Sullivan v. Florida and Graham v. Florida sometime this spring. The cases deal with the question of the constitutionality of sentencing juveniles to life in prison without parole for nonhomicide crimes. n Objectives Encourage discussion about how juveniles are or should be treated when it comes to crime and punishment. Raise awareness that the Supreme Court is deciding a case that affects American youth. Interpret and discuss statistics on juvenile crime. n Backstory/Talk It Over The boys who broke into a woman s house with Joe Sullivan were 15 and 17. The woman couldn t identify her attacker. While Joe got life in an adult prison without parole, the other boys got lesser sentences in a juvenile facility. Should the justice system have treated all three boys the same? Explain. Both Joe Sullivan and Terrance Graham committed crimes before the one that got them life without parole. Joe s involved theft; the attack on the woman was his first felony. Terrance served one year in jail for participating in an attempted robbery at age 16. He was given life without parole when convicted for armed robbery while on probation. Does knowing these facts change your opinion about their life-withoutparole sentences for nonhomicide crimes? Why or why not? WEB LINKS High Court Weighs Life Terms for Minors: npr.org/templates/story /story.php?storyid= Juvenile Law FAQs: lawyershop.com/practice-areas/criminal-law /juvenile-law/faqs States Rethink Adult Time for Adult Crime : cnn.com/2010/crime/01/15 /connecticut.juvenile.ages American History Play: Riding the Rails (pp ) People, places, & environments Among the many Americans who were displaced by the Great Depression were some 250,000 young people. One boy s experience gives us a glimpse of life on the road. n Objective Understand that the deprivations of the Depression forced many Americans into being migrants within their own country. n Backstory Historians believe that the word hobo was first used in the late 1800s to describe a migratory laborer. Hundreds of thousands of hoboes were already riding the rails by the time the Great Depression greatly swelled their numbers. John Steinbeck, Woody Guthrie, and Jimmie Rodgers were among the many famous Americans who spent time on the road. Their work often romanticized hobo life. Riding the Rails by Errol Lincoln Uys grew out of a PBS documentary of the same name, which was directed by Uys s son. To learn more about the documentary, go to pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rails. n Rapid Review What were the original goals of John and Mick s journey? (to go to the Texas Centennial fair, then get jobs as cowboys) What did the boys spend most of their time doing while on the road? (looking for food) How did this affect the spirit with which they had set out on the road? (The constant hunger spoiled their initial sense of adventure.) WEB LINKS Arlo Guthrie sings Woody Guthrie s Hobo s Lullaby : youtube.com /watch?v=j72hq9klyuq The opening minutes of Riding the Rails: youtube.com/watch?v= BOjQFyvqGTg Modern hobo photo gallery: stephanvanfleteren.com /gallery_hobo JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC Teacher s Edition April 12, 2010 T-3

4 NAME: puzzles reproducible CROSSWORD PUZZLE Take our crossword challenge before reading this issue. Then come back and fill in any blanks. The starred clues refer to the article and map on pp ACROSS 1 Large, flightless bird native to Australia *4 Black Saturday was. 7, 2009 (abbr.). 7 Immoral acts 9 Hold or possess *10 Australians have endured a of extreme weather 5 Down. *12 Northwest of Australia: Indian *14 The Great Barrier Reef lies of Queensland (compass abbr.). 16 Organs of hearing 17 An handles lawsuits for clients (abbr.). 19 System of train transportation (abbr.) 20 Rub out stray pencil marks *21 Kevin Rudd heads Australia s executive. *24 Australia is the world s largest exporter of. 25 Sixty minutes 28 One out of many 29 Barely earn or manage: out Sudoku DOWN Do you sudoku? This addictive puzzle from Japan has become hugely popular in the U.S. If you aren t already a fan, here s how to play: The puzzle grid is divided into 9 large squares, each of which is divided into 9 small squares. Each row and each column also has 9 squares. Your goal is to write a number from 1 to 9 in each square. Each digit can be used only once per row, column, and square. 1 Suffix making bus plural *2 Australia s land area is 2,988,888 sq. *3 Australia: the Land Down 4 Something temporarily popular *5 See 10 Across 6 Exist *8 East of Australia: the Coral and Tasman 9 Text speak for funny 11 Tallest building in the Americas: Tower 12 An old-time poet s over *13 most scientists say that humanmade dioxide contributes to climate change. T-6 April 12, 2010 Teacher s Edition JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC Puzzle solution is on p. t-4. Puzzle by kathy wilmore Organ of sight 17 Lex Luthor is Superman s enemy. 18 Body of water on the California- Nevada border: Lake 20 Prefix meaning cause to be, as able 22 Beam of sunshine 23 The Yankees were last year s champions (league abbr.). 24 Sacramento is its capital (postal abbr.). *26 Australia s colonial parent (abbr.) 27 Second note of the musical scale This grid is from Sudoku: 100 Fun Number Puzzles, compiled by Kjartan Poskitt and Michael Mepham (Scholastic, 2005). Uses: copy machine, opaque projector, or transparency master for overhead projector. Scholastic Inc. grants teacher-subscribers to Junior Scholastic permission to reproduce this Skills Reproducible for use in their classrooms. Copyright 2010 by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved.

5 teacher TO TEACHER Figurative Language Extreme Australia This issue s Hot Topic article (pp. 8-11) uses simile, metaphor, and personi fication to describe the impact of climate change on Australia s weather. Use this lesson plan by Karen Kellaher to explore how these literary devices support the article s message and make the topic come alive for readers. Karen Kellaher photo courtesy of karen kellaher OBJECTIVES Students will: recognize simile, metaphor, and personification. analyze the role of these literary devices in nonfiction text. use figurative language to describe a weather event that they have experienced. PREPARE Have students read the Hot Topic: World article on Australia s weather. Teach 1. Discuss what students thought of this reporter s style of writing. Ask: As you read about Australia s recent wildfires, dust storms, and flooding, were you able to picture these events in your head? How did the writer help you form those pictures? (Sample response: The writer was good at using words to describe exactly what each weather event was like. He made it seem as if we were really there.) 2. Explain that one reason readers felt as if they were there is that the reporter used three literary devices that are common in poetry and storytelling. These devices are intended to paint pictures in readers minds. Write the words simile, metaphor, and personification on the board or interactive whiteboard. 3. Review and clarify what students already know about each of these figurative-language devices. Offer an example of each and invite students to use their imaginations to come up with others. simile: compares one object to another using the word like or as. Examples: She ran like the wind; the lawmaker was as stubborn as a tired toddler. metaphor: compares one object to another without using like or as. Examples: Shakespeare s All the world s a stage or Time is a thief. Ask students how the world and time could be something they clearly aren t. Does a metaphor make a stronger connection than a simile? Personification: a device in which a writer or speaker attributes human qualities to something that is not human. To spot personification, look for verbs that describe things that people typically do (play, struggle, laugh) or words that conjure up human body parts (arms, head). Examples: The floorboards groaned as firefighters walked across the room; the lightning reached across the sky. 4. Challenge students to work in pairs to find an example of each literary device in the Australia article. (Note: While the author uses personification several times, there is only one simile and one metaphor here, both in quotes from Kirk Wilson. Point out how they make Kirk s description of the smoke more vivid.) simile:... the blaze rushing toward them sounded like a big airplane landing at the airport. (p. 8) metaphor: As I look back I can see a black wall of smoke.... (p. 8) Personification:... after strong winds kicked up a dust storm. (p. 10 photo caption) 5. Discuss how the mental images created by the literary devices used helped students better understand the text. Ask: What would reading the article have been like without these images? Would you remember it just as well? 6. Guide students to understand the role that figurative language plays. As homework or a follow-up activity, have students write a paragraph about a dramatic weather event that they have experienced. Have them include at least one example of each literary device they explored today. T-8 April 12, 2010 Teacher s Edition JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC