Blog Post for 4/17/2015
This week news4kids.org aired the following stories:
Butterfly Jungle Zoo (Novice)
Singer to Record in Space (Intermediate)
Brave Women Cyclists in Afghanistan (Advanced)
Newscast: Butterfly Jungle Zoo (Novice)
Essential Question: How do living things meet their needs?
Content Objective: Illustrate how a butterfly meets its’ needs by matching pictures of the life cycle.
Summary: This spring, people visiting the San Diego Zoo can explore the new exhibit, the Butterfly Jungle! This jungle is home to thousands of butterflies. Visitors can walk through the jungle while the butterflies fly around them. The Butterfly Jungle is the new home of 30 different species, or types, of butterflies. The butterflies have been brought to California from Asia, Africa, and Central, South, and North America. The Butterfly Jungle is also home to many rare birds and plants.
Newscast: Singer to Record in Space (Intermediate)
Essential Question: What does it take to be a pioneer?
Content Objective: Report one-way technology is being used to investigate the solar system by preparing a summary for the daily announcements.
Summary: British singer Sarah Brightman is currently getting ready to go to outer space and become the first professional singer to sing from space. She will sing and record a song during her 10-day stay at the International Space Station.
Newscast: Brave Women Cyclists in Afghanistan (Advanced)
Essential Question: How do women’s roles differ around the world?
Content Objective: Present an argument from an opposing point of view in a debate on women’s rights.
Vocabulary: pushing the boundaries, to prove ourselves, women’s rights, looked down upon, homebound, retain, restricted
Summary: Wearing coats over their tracksuits and scarves on their heads, brave members of Afghanistan’s national women’s cycling team wheel their bikes out for a training session outside of Kabul. In the conservative Muslim nation, the women of the cycling team are pushing the boundaries of what is and is not acceptable for young women in their country. To avoid stares of disapproval, the women load their bikes into a car and drive to a secluded road outside the city, where they train with the men’s team.
