Newspapers in Education
HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! I hope 2025 is a great year.
Teachers and homeschool parents, please share this with your classes. Using this guide will make your subjects more relevant and interesting to your students and will encourage creative thought. If you or your students have any suggestions or ideas for these teacher guides, please email Sarah Nachin – [email protected] This guide is based on the newest Florida Standards for grade school through high school.
Activities and Questions based on the Jan. 3, 2025 – Jan. 9, 2025 issue
Composition Activity for High School: (ELA.10.C.3.1)
Follow the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling appropriate to grade level.
Read the article on pg. A1 and A-8. about the Lake Hideaway development. Write an essay of at least 450 words detailing the history and controversy of this development. You might need to do research on the internet regarding the history of Lake Hideaway.
Critical Thinking Activity for High School: (ELA.9.C.4.1) – Conduct research to answer a question, drawing on multiple reliable and valid sources, and refining the scope of the question to align with findings.
Read the editorial on pg. B7 about small tech vs big tech. Then write an essay of at least 450 words stating the pros and cons of each type of business. Answer the following question in your essay: Which one do you favor and why?
Comprehension Activity for Middle School: (ELA.11.R.3.2) Paraphrase content from grade-level texts. Read the article on page B-1 and B-6 about the Chamber of Commerce breakfast. Then write a summary of the article. Your summary should be at least 350 words.
Vocabulary activity for Middle School: (ELA.6.V.1.3) Apply knowledge of context clues, figurative language, word relationships, reference materials, and/or background knowledge to determine the connotative and denotative meaning of words and phrases, appropriate to grade level
Read the article on pg. B-4 and B-7 about the Christmas ornaments. Then choose the best meaning for each word based on the context of the sentence.
1. dimensional: a) relating to measurements; b) having enough substance to be believable; c) small
2. craze: a) insane; b) a fad; c) anger
3. diorama: a) a theatrical play; b) a realistic scale model of a scene; c) part of the body near the chest that is used to breathe.
4. traditional: a) handed down from the past; b) realistic; c) modern
5. revival: a) a new presentation of something from the past; b) a religious experience; c) continuing to live
6. conductor: a) someone who leads an orchestra; b) a material or object that permits electric current to flow easily; c) follower
7. technicolor: a) someone who paints scenery in a play; b) plainly decorated; c) a vibrant hue, usually referring to how a movie is filmed
8. sparked: a) lit by a match; b) stirred up interest; c) delivered an electric current to an engine
Extra Credit Assignment #1: Write a sentence using a different form of the word than the one in the article. For example, if the word is an adjective like “rosy,” change it to a noun – “rose” and then use that word in an original sentence.
Extra Credit Assignment #2: Write one to three paragraphs (or more) using this week’s vocabulary words or a form of the word. You can use as many or as few of the words as you like; however, your paragraphs must make sense. In other words don’t just write sentences that don’t go together to discuss a topic or create a story.
Composition activity for Elementary School: (ELA.10.C.3.1) Follow the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling appropriate to grade level.) Read the article on page B-10 about Richloam General Store. Then write an essay of at least 250 words about how people celebrated Christmas 100 years ago. Write down the sources you used for your information – website, date and author if one is listed.
Comprehension activity for Elementary School: (ELA.K12.EE.3.1) Make inferences to support comprehension. Read the article on page B-4 and B-7 about the Christmas ornaments. Answer the following questions in complete sentences and use a quote from the article to support your answers:
1. About how old do you think the writer of this article is?
2. How did aluminum Christmas come about?
3. What made these Christmas trees popular?
3. Why did these Christmas trees become unpopular?
4 Why do you think it might be hard for Ms. Warnock to find the Jewel Brite ornaments now?
5. Why couldn’t you put Christmas lights on the aluminum trees?
If you wish to submit any of your compositions from this week to the newspaper for us to consider publishing, please email to [email protected]. Be sure and include your name, age, grade level and school that you attend. If you’re home-schooled mention that.