Science


The Great Discovery

Skill: Integrated Physics and Chemistry - b,3
Explain to students that advances in the field of science are reported regularly in the paper. They can skim the paper for an article about one of the latest developments in physics or chemistry. They should explain the important advances made in the field and what effect those could have on their lives.

Recycling

Skill: Integrated Physics and Chemistry - c,1,B
Send students on a search through the newspaper for items that can be recycled. Ask them to make a list of the items and write what material each is made of. Have the students make graphs showing which recyclable material is most commonly found. Then ask them to write three observations about their graphs.

Careers in Science

Skill: Integrated Physics and Chemistry - c,1,D
Have the students examine the Help Wanted ads for job opportunities that are science related. Have them select one position and list the necessary qualifications to be an expert in the field.

Sources of Energy

Skill: Integrated Physics and Chemistry - c,6,C
Discuss the different types of energy that are commonly used today. Have students make a list of items found in the newspaper that need an energy source to operate. What source of energy powers the item? What is the purpose of each item? What alternative can they find to this energy-powered item? Have the students create a chart to show the results of their findings.

Win or Lose

Skill: Biology - c,2,C
Have the students check the standings for professional teams in the Sports section. They can use probability to guess which teams are most likely to win and lose their next games. They can compare the records of the competing teams and figure out the differences between the teams' records in each game.

Confused about Health?

Skill: Biology - c,2,D
There are many different health remedies on the market and Americans are confused about what really works to improve health. The students can check out the ads for a health product that clearly makes its point. Then they can answer the 5 W's -- who, what, when, where and why about the product. How can consumers find out about the risks and benefits?

Nova

Skill: Biology - c,3,A
The entertaining science series, Nova, includes topics ranging from El Nino, to the Titanic, to Ice Mummies to Terror in Space. Have the students check the television listings for a show or movie that has a science theme. Have them describe how science is an important aspect of the show. They should list 3 scientific concepts from the program that would make for an interesting classroom discussion.

Health and Advertising

Skill: Biology - c,3,B
The students can look through their newspaper for advertisements of health and beauty products. What claims are the ads making? The students should indicate which claims are hard to believe and which are valid. Have them redesign the advertisement so that it accurately promotes the products.

Teen Ethics

Skill: Biology - c,7,B
According to a survey of 20,000 middle and high school students, most teens admit to lying and cheating and nearly half say they have stolen something. The study shows that teenagers do not take ethics seriously. Have the students search the newspaper for someone who is a good example of ethical behavior. They can make a list of characteristics and behaviors about the person that proves their point. What are the advantages of having good ethics?

Functional Food

Skill: Biology - c,11,C
The foods of the future will be designed to increase life spans, promote health and fight disease. They will be high in fiber, nutrients and vitamins. Have the students skim the food section of their newspaper for foods and products that promote healthy living. They can explain how they will incorporate these healthy choices into their lives.

Ecosystems

Skill: Biology - c,12,E
Have the class discuss how an ecosystem is a community of organisms and the interconnected environment in which they live. Then have the students look through the newspaper to find an ecosystem. Challenge them to identify and record all parts of the system. Then they can make a graphic organizer to show all the elements.

Packaging

Skill: Environmental Sciences - c,1,B
How products are packaged affects the amount of trash we have to dispose of. Have the students look through the ads in the newspaper for different types of product packaging. They should make a chart that shows what material the packaging is made of, if it is recyclable, the pros and cons of the packaging and how it could be improved.

Greenhouse Effect

Skill: Environmental Sciences - c,3,C
Are your students worried about acid rain and the greenhouse effect? Have the class find evidence in the newspaper that new technologies can create a cleaner environment. They should use the news to uncover new technologies that are causing more pollution and write a report to show the results of their investigation.

Preservation or Progress

Skill: Environmental Sciences - c,5,E
Ask students if they think we are standing in the way of progress when we protect our wildlife or the rain forest. What impact does preserving the environment have on business, jobs or development? Ask students to search the newspaper for an article that deals with an environmental problem. Using the article as a resource, have the students find three reasons why progress is necessary and three reasons why protecting the environment is important.

Natural Disasters

Skill: Environmental Sciences - c,8,B
Natural disasters happen all the time and are reported in the news. The students should find an article about a natural disaster and determine how other places outside of the immediate region are affected by the disaster. Does this natural disaster have worldwide impact?

Science Outline

Skill: Chemistry - c,3,C
Have students find an article in the newspaper that is about a science topic. They should write down key words and phrases from the article that are related to the topic and then use those words and phrases as a guide to write an outline of the article. Finally, they can present an oral report on their topic with a focus on the impact of this development.

Fresh or Salt

Skill: Aquatic Science - c,4,A
Have students search through the newspaper for maps to identify different bodies of water. They should determine if the bodies of water are fresh water or salt water.

Clean Water

Skill:Aquatic Science - c,8,C
Have the students look in the newspaper for reports about water pollution or efforts to prevent polluting our water. Ask them to write a letter to a community, state or national leader expressing how they feel about clean water as it relates to the article.

Sports in Action

Skill: Physics - c,4,C
The laws of physics play a major role in sports. Have the students use the Sports section to list three laws of motion as they apply to specific actions that are reported in the sports news.

Spaceports

Skill: Astronomy - c,3,D
A new space race is on to create a spaceport with rocket ships coming and going. The new venture will provide opportunities for new jobs. Have the students check the classifieds and then write their own help wanted ad for a new job classification that will be needed for this spaceport.

Going Up

Skill: Astronomy - c,7,E
NASA is in the process of launching about 100 pieces for the International Space Station. The space station will be completed in the year 2004 and will be a laboratory for biology, medicine and Earth science. Have the students find an article in the newspaper that deals with one of the sciences that will be researched on the station. They should underline the main idea of each paragraph and then write a summary of the story. Why is the Space Station important?.

Solar Systems

Skill: Astronomy - c,9,C
Astronomers have discovered the first multi-planet solar system outside of our own. Although it seems unlikely that there is life on these planets, the students can imagine that they can communicate some information to beings of these planets. They should write 3 important pieces of information from the newspaper that should be shared.

Vacation Destination

Skill: Astronomy - c,8,C
Blizzards, storms and tornadoes are often in the news. Some of these happen in popular tourist destinations. Have students imagine that they are travel agents delivering a sales pitch about an exciting vacation destination where a recent weather disaster happened. They can select a vacation spot in the news or in the travel section and write what a travel agent might say about the place to convince a client to go there.

Weather Report

Skill: Geology, Meteorology and Oceanography - c,4,B
Have the class find the weather map in today's paper. They can select one city listed on the map and determine what the weather is like there. They can use the information in the newspaper to write a report for a television weather person to deliver on tonight's news. Have the students compare the weather in their chosen city with weather in their local area.

Waterlogged

Skill: Geology, Meteorology and Oceanography - c,10,B
Too much or too little water can result in a natural disaster. Have the students examine the news to find an article that mentions such a problem. Have them write a summary of the article and how the event affects the region.