Blog Posting for 1/23/2015
This week news4kids.org aired the following stories:
Eagle Owl Released in West Bank K-3
Elvis’s 80th Birthday 4-8
El Capitan Climbers K-3
Solar Airplane 4-8
Newscast: Eagle Owl Released in West Bank K-3
Essential Question: What makes eagle-owls unique?
Vocabulary: Eagle-owl, wingspan, habitat, nocturnal, prey
Learning Objectives:
– Identify eagle-owls as the largest species of owl in the world.
– Define “nocturnal” in their own words.
– Identify some key characteristics of owls.
Summary: The Palestine Wildlife Society has recently released two of its most rare birds in the West Bank, setting them free to fly high in the wild on National Bird Day. The society is a non-profit organization, which aims to raise awareness about wildlife and the environment in the Middle East.
Newscast: Elvis’s 80th Birthday 4-8
Essential Question: Who is Elvis Presley?
Vocabulary: rock and roll, Milton Berle Show, Ed Sullivan Show, touchstone, rebellious, royalties, Graceland, legacy
Learning Objectives:
– Identify Elvis Presley as a famous rock and roll musician who reached the height of his fame in 1958 and whose legacy continues to influence popular music today.
Summary: On January 8th, friends and family of Elvis Presley celebrated his 80th birthday at his Graceland home. The late “King” of Rock and Roll was honored with a giant cake cut by his former wife, Priscilla, and his daughter, Lisa Marie as the crowd sang “Happy Birthday”.
Countless fans also headed to his famous estate in Memphis to celebrate the musician’s birthday. With numerous hits, such as “Jailhouse Rock”, “Hound Dog”, and “Suspicious Minds”, Elvis continues to capture the world, even after his death in 1977 at the age of 42.
Newscast: El Capitan Climbers K-3
Essential Question: What impressive feat did Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell recently achieve?
Vocabulary: Yosemite National Park, summit, trek, El Capitan
Learning Objectives:
– Identify Jorgeson and Caldwell as the first free climbers to reach the summit of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park after a 19-day trek.
– Locate Yosemite National Park in the state of California.
Summary: This week, two climbers Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell became the first free climbers to reach the summit of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park using only their hands and feet. It took the 2 climbers 19 days to reach the top of the near vertical face of the mountain. Jorgeson and Caldwell faced many challenges during their journey. During their first week, Jorgeson was forced to rest for two days while his fingers healed from damage due to the sharp ledges. The climbers slept in tents each night anchored to the side of the mountain.
Newscast: Solar Airplane 4-8
Essential Question: What makes the Solar Impulse 2 so special?
Vocabulary: Circumnavigate, carbon based, renewable, sustainable, solar panels
Learning Objectives:
– Identify the Solar Impulse 2 as a sun-powered airplane that is scheduled to journey all the way around the globe.
– Define circumnavigation in their own words.
– Articulate some benefits of using solar-powered airplanes.
Summary: Sun-powered plane Solar Impulse 2 left Switzerland for Abu Dhabi this week on a cargo flight to commence its attempted flight around the world. The plane will begin its journey around the world sometime between the end of February and the beginning of March this year.
