OWL December 2018 Teacher/Parent Resources

Insider Top 10 Good News Stories

This month’s Insider is fi lled with interesting, uplifting news stories from around the world. Ask students to read through each news item and then discuss the questions below.

• Who was rescued from a fl ooded cave in Thailand? • Which endangered animal is starting to make a comeback? • At which sporting event did North and South Korea team up and play together? • What is an attoclock? • What is biofl uorescence? • Name one reason Mars made headlines in 2018.

Note: Students will have to refer back to the text to answer the questions. Encourage students to go beyond the text to think critically and consider things like: Why is it important to help mountain gorillas? What’s so amazing about North and South Korea working together? What would you want to nd out if you were travelling to Mars? Is the attoclock a cool invention? Why or why not?

Follow-Up Activity

• Discuss with students what makes a news story good or interesting. How does the media decide what to report? What makes something newsworthy? What makes the stories in this month’s Insider interesting and unique?

OWL December 2018 © Owlkids 2018 This is a free teacher/parent resource from www.owlkids.com. 1 Insider You Asked an Astronaut!

• Have students go online to find a good news story of their own and present it to the class.

Classroom Connections: science, language arts, media literacy

OWL December 2018 © Owlkids 2018 This is a free teacher/parent resource from www.owlkids.com. 2 Incredible! The Secret Lives of Snowy Owls

Read the Incredible! article as a class and discuss some of the snowy owl secrets that scientists have uncovered through the use of new tracking technology. What did they discover about snowy owl population numbers?

Create a three-fold brochure all about the snowy owl. Include its features, a map of where it lives, some fast facts, and how this new technology can help populations thrive again.

Follow-up Activities:

• Research other North American owls that may be at risk and initiatives to save them. • Create a short social media campaign about snowy owls. • Brainstorm other ways you can raise awareness about the plight of snowy owls.

Classroom Connections: science, language arts, media literacy, art

OWL December 2018 © Owlkids 2018 This is a free teacher/parent resource from www.owlkids.com. 3 Puzzler Hockey History

Pair up and play the Hockey History board game! Then test your memory with this quiz.

1. Women’s hockey became an official Olympic sport at the Games in: a) Lillehammer, Norway b) Nagano, Japan c) Sochi, Russia

2. The Zamboni first smoothed rinks in: a) 1949 b) 1979 c) 1999

3. The National Hockey League formed in 1917 with: a) six teams b) five teams c) four teams

4. It takes this many years for a ring on the Stanley Cup to be filled: a) seven b) thirteen c) twenty-five

5. The first goalie to wear a face mask was: a) Patrick Roy b) Martin Brodeur c) Jacques Plante

6. When he became the youngest team captain in NHL history, Sidney Crosby was: a) 17 b) 24 c) 19

Answer Key: 1b, 2a, 3c, 4b, 5c, 6c

Follow-up Activity:

Create your own short timeline-style board games. Have students choose a topic that interests them, such as a sport, place, video games, dinosaurs, etc. Don’t forget to throw in some fun facts and add pictures. Take turns playing each other’s games.

Classroom Connections: media literacy, language arts, sports, art