As we continue to prep for the upcoming Literacy Fair, I am reminded about the opportunities we have on a daily basis to promote literacy. The Sentinel is a great resource to utilize with kids of all ages. Here are some ideas to encourage reading and THINKING:
-Select a story from the paper and find the nouns. Underline people, places and things using different colors.
-Read a story in the newspaper and ask questions based on the 5W’s and H (who, what, when, where, why and how).
-Cut a photo out of the newspaper and write a new caption and article about the action going on in the photo.
-Find examples of factual, interpretive, speculative, promotional and propaganda stories in the paper. Rewrite one of these types of stories into another type.
-Find a current national or international story that will affect Lodi or California. What effect will it have? How should Lodi respond?
-Find the names of 10 cities outside the United States in the newspaper. Locate the cities on a map. Which city is farthest from Lodi?
-Find a recipe in the food section. Convert the English measures to metrics units of measure.
-Find 5 stocks on the stock market page and write down the high, low, close and net change. What stocks were worth the most and the least? What stock gained and lost the most?
-Find a restaurant ad with prices for food. Choose some items you and your family would like to eat. How much will it cost for a family of 4 to eat adding 8% sales tax and a 15% tip?
-Find articles in the newspaper about areas experiencing severe weather. Discuss how these stories can help us prepare for weather emergencies.
-Look for articles about home or business fires. Did preventable conditions, such as improper storage or handing, lead to these fires? What preventive measures could/should have been taken?
Character Education/Life Skills:
-Select a job from the classified section. Write a letter to the Human Resources director of your chosen job stating what qualities make you perfect for that job.
-Find a story with a moral conflict. What was a better choice based on the concept: Does it produce good consequences in the long run for the individual and others?
-Clip articles and cartoons of people who are exhibiting good character traits. Create a Hall of Fame collage. Place articles and cartoons of people not using good character traits to a Hall of Shame collage.
You can find more ideas to use on a daily basis on lodinews.com/learning_link and clicking on the “Teacher, Student and Parent’s Rresources Page”