February 2020

From the SWJR Archives

This amazing infographic from a 2016 Storyworks Jr. article showcases some of the ways that robots can emulate humans’ best qualities.

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In this brief article, an engineering professor answers the difficult question “Are robots smarter than humans?” in a very kid-friendly way.

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This 2-minute video showcases a hotel in Japan that’s entirely run by robots. Even the fish in the lobby are robotic!

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In this 4-minute video, Tech Insider covers 10 new robots designed to make humans’ lives easier, including one that will fold your clothes, one that will make your dinner, and even one that will make your bed! Ask your students which one they would most want to have and why.

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This 5.5-minute Canadian news video features an interactive digital rendering of the ships crashing into each other. Be sure to use the mouse to change the camera’s point of view - the video will keep playing even as you move it around! 

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Learn more about WWI and provide your students with easy-to-understand background information for context on the Halifax Explosion. 

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Learn more about how tsunamis occur and the damage they can cause to the people and buildings they hit in this 2.5-minute video from National Geographic. 

Explore This

Take a virtual trip to Nova Scotia! When you click on this link to Google Maps, you’ll find yourselves looking at Halifax and Dartmouth. There’s a marker in the harbor at the site where the explosion most likely happened. Zoom in towards it and even drop down to street view to really feel like you’re there!

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From CBS Sunday Morning, this 2.5-minute news report gives some more background information, bringing the story to life with images from the event and ending on an uplifting note.

Check It Out

Help your students learn about the nutritional value of McDonald's foods by using the fast food restaurant's Nutrition Calculator. Explain “percent daily values” so kids can put the numbers in context.

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The USDA has a fun game [fuel a spaceship journey to Planet Power by compiling nutritionally balanced foods] that helps students pick healthy meals. We also like this activity where students can decode a secret message about healthy eating. 

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For a more in-depth history of how mac and cheese became an American classic, watch this 4-minute CBS news clip, which includes a $95 bowl of mac and cheese! Please note - the restaurant Macbar mentioned in the piece has permanently closed.

Fun Fact

The largest chicken nugget ever made weighed 51 pounds, was 3 feet wide and 2 feet long, and was larger than 720 regularly sized chicken nuggets put together. The company Empire Kosher Poultry made it in New Jersey to break the Guiness World Record!

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Your kids will love this 14-minute video where author Rukhsana Khan gives an extremely entertaining performance of her story to a group of students. She tells it from the perspective of Sana, the pesky little sister. 

Class Discussion

Ask your students about how Rubina’s classmates treated her after she brought her sister to the birthday party. What would they do if they noticed a classmate wasn’t getting invited to parties?

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Your kids will get a kick out of this 3.5-minute animated Storyworks video that will help teach point of view--the villain of the play, Polyphemus, gets to share his side of the story!

Fun Fact

The play “Monster in the Cave” is based on The Odyssey, a poem written thousands of years ago that ended up being 12,000 lines long! 

From the Archives

If your students loved learning about Odysseus, have them read another Greek play, “The Legend of King Midas” from a 2016 Storyworks Jr. issue.

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In this 4-minute video, your students will learn about the science behind concussions. This video uses a fun and kid-friendly animation style to discuss the causes, symptoms and treatment practices for concussions.

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Do your students want to know more about playing flag football? They can learn about the basic rules at KidzWorld.

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Have your students meet Dane in this ABC news story (nearly 2 minutes long) about his process to change his law, including footage from his presentation to the town board. 

Fun Fact

After Dane Best convinced the board to change the law, the town of Severance planned a “Community Snowball Fight” in honor of Dane’s work.

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How were laws invented in the first place? Put it into context for your students with this interactive fact sheet.

Teach This

Share this 2-minute video of how bullfrogs get their food. Ask your students to classify bullfrogs as insectivores, carnivores, herbivores or omnivores. (Hint: They’re omnivores?)

Fun Fact

There are over 450 different species of mammals that are considered insectivores! That’s about 10% of all mammals. 

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Be sure to check out this amazing Q&A with the poet, Katherine B. Hauth, to learn more about her life and inspiration for writing.