Teaching TiPof The week

Teaching The cover STory

History in the MakingStandardSocial StudieS—Students should develop an understanding of the purpose of government and politics in a democratic society like the U.S. Summary The 2008 presidential election is doubly historic: The Republican Party for the first time has nominated a woman for Vice President, while the Democratic Party is the first major party to nominate an African-American for President. Pre-reading Discussion● Who is the current Vice President of the United States? What do you think Vice Presidents do? Has a woman or African-American ever been U.S. Vice President or President?

Background ● Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is the first woman to run for Vice President on the Republican Party ticket. However, she is the second woman in U.S. history to run for Vice President on a major-party ticket. U.S. Representative Geraldine Ferraro, of New York, ran with Walter Mondale on the Democratic ticket in 1984, but lost.

● U.S. Senator Joe Biden of Delaware is the Democratic nomi-nee for Vice President. Interestingly, Biden hails from the nation’s first state (Delaware was the first to rati-fy the U.S. Constitution), while Palin hails from one of the nation’s last. (Alaska in 1959 became the 49th state. Hawaii became the 50th months later.)

● When the nation’s Founders cre-ated the vice presidency, the Vice President was simply whoever came in second in the electoral vote for President. Today, vice-presiden-tial candidates are nominated to run with presidential candidates on the same political ticket.

Post-reading Discussion● Is it important that the people holding the nation’s highest elected offices—the presidency and vice presidency—reflect the diversity of the United States? Why or why not? Mini Lesson PlanExplore the role that the Vice President has played in U.S. history. Have students research a U.S. Vice President. Have them each write a short essay about their chosen VP’s contributions. For a list of Vice Presidents, visit this U.S. Senate site:

September 22, 2008Vol. 77 No. 3ISSN 1554-2440

TeacHer’s ediTion www.scholastic.com/sn56

SCHOLASTIC NEWS • Edition 5/6 • SEPTEMBER 22, 2008 T1 A SupplemeNt to ScholAStIc NewS

We are committed to your satisfaction. You can contact us at 1-800-724-6527.

www.senate.gov/artandhistory /history/common/briefing/Vice _President.htm

resources ● Visit Vice President Dick Cheney’s Web site: www .whitehouse.gov/vicepresident/● For Election 2008-related lesson plans, visit www.scholastic .com/sn56.

election 2008 is the biggest news of the fall, but autumn also ushers in hISpANIc heRItAGe moNth! Your FRee hispanic heritage month poSteR is in this bundle. use it to spark classroom discus-sion about the contributions that hispanics, also known as latinos, have made to the u.S. expand knowledge while building key skills with the student magazine by using the GRAph on page 2 and the Geo SKIll on page 8.

ediToriaL carToonseditorial cartoons are a recurring feature in Scholastic News, edition 5/6. For lesson plans to help teach analysis of graphics, visit www.cagle.com/teacher/.

Using This issue

anSwer key

Graph: P2 1. Two 2. 1/5

Big idea: P5 1. Answers will vary but

should say that this year’s nominees include a woman and an African-American.

2. Answers will vary but ought to include that running mates should complement each other in some way.

3. The Executive Branch

4. The Constitution outlines the Vice President’s duties and how he or she is selected.

Geo skill: P8 1. 49,999 2. seven 3. between 500,000 and

999,9994. Mexico

news iQ: P8 1. C 2. A 3. D 4. B

Word Workout: P8 1. B 2. C 3. C 4. D

Teacher’s edition skills Page: T3 1. tuna 6. tomato 2. barbecue 7. cockroach 3. canyon 8. canoe 4. hurricane 9. ranch 5. hammock 10. potatoes

skills Page: T4 1. typhoons 3. hurricanes 2. Indian 4. cyclones

Hurricanes ................. p. 6

T2 SCHOLASTIC NEWS • Edition 5/6 • SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

Standard ScieNce: Students should understand the causes and effects of different types of severe weather.

Summary The nation braces for what scientists say will be a busy hurricane season.

Pre-reading Discussion ● Hurricanes are violent storms that can cause major damage. Have you ever experienced a hurricane?

Background ● Meteorologists are predicting an active season. The intensity of hurricanes is measured on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with a range of 1 to 5. Category-5 storms are the most severe.

Post-reading Discussion ● What are some ways to protect yourself when a hurricane threatens where you live?

Mini Lesson Plan ● Hand out plastic bowls and spoons to students. Fill each bowl with water. Have a bottle of food coloring on hand. Have students use their spoons to swirl the water around. When the water is moving fast, students should stop stirring. Then, a drop of food coloring should be added to each bowl as the water is moving. Have students write down their observations. Did they see the “eye” of their “storm?”

resources ● For more on hurricanes, visit www.fema.gov/kids/hurr.htm.

This Week onlinewww.scholastic.com/sn56Explore the Election Use the interactive Election 2008 home page to teach your students about the election, democracy, and citizenship. Included are a “Meet the Candidates” feature with biographies of the presidential and vice-presiden-tial candidates, and games that bring the campaign to life for students.

Free Election 2008 Lesson Plans!In one easy-to-reach page, Scholastic News Online has collected all the les-son plans, printables, and activities you need to teach students about how the United States elects its Presidents. Just click on the FOR TEACHERS box on the Election 2008 home page.

PoStal iNFoRMatioN: the teacheR’S editioN oF ScholaStic NeWS editioN 5/6 (iSSN 1554-2440) iS PubliShed Weekly duRiNg the School yeaR excePt holidayS aNd Mid-teRM, 24 iSSueS, by ScholaStic iNc., 2931 eaSt MccaRty St., P.o. box 3710, JeFFeRSoN city, Mo 65102-3710. PeRiodical PoStage Paid at JeFFeRSoN city, Mo 65102, aNd at additioNal MailiNg oFFiceS. PoStMaSteRS: SeNd Notice oF addReSS chaNgeS to ScholaStic NeWS editioN 4 2931 eaSt MccaRty St., P.o. box 3710, JeFFeRSoN city, Mo 65102-3710. PubliShiNg iNFoRMatioN: u.S. PRiceS: $3.95 PeR School yeaR (FoR 10x coPieS to the SaMe addReSS). a 9% ShiPPiNg & haNdliNg chaRge Will be added to the total SubScRiPtioN oRdeR. coPyRight ©2008 by ScholaStic iNc. all RightS ReSeRved. ScholaStic, ScholaStic NeWS, aNd aSSociated deSigNS aRe tRadeMaRkS/RegiSteRed tRadeMaRkS oF ScholaStic iNc. MateRialS iN thiS iSSue May Not be RePRoduced iN Whole oR iN PaRt iN aNy FoRM oR FoRMat Without SPecial PeRMiSSioN FRoM the PubliSheR PRiNted iN the uSa

scHoLasTic neWs • ediTion 5/6 • ediToriaL: editor: Dara Sharif • associate editors: F. Romall Smalls, elena cabral • copy chief: Renee Glaser • copy editor: Veronica majerol; arT: design director: Doreen walsh • art director: Abbie Kulhowvick • associate art director: winnifred whipple • Senior cartographer: Jim mcmahon • Photo editor: Richard Serviss; ProdUcTion, iMaGinG and sYsTeMs: assistant Production director: clarence e. miles • digital imaging group: marc Stern, Bonnie Ardita, Bianca Beeman • technical coordinator: elliott hill; scHoLasTic neWs onLine: executive editor: Suzanne Freeman • associate editors: Dante ciampaglia, laura leigh Davidson • Photo Research: Jessica moon; scHoLasTic cLassrooM MaGazines: President, Scholastic classroom & library Publishing: Greg worrell • vP, editor in chief: Rebecca Bondor • associate editorial director: lee Baier • creative director: Judith christ-lafond executive Production director: Barbara Schwartz • executive editorial director, copy desk: craig moskowitz • Publishing System director: David hendrickson • executive director of Photography: Steven Diamond • Manager, library Services: Kerry prendergast • Reference librarian: Karen Van Rossem • associate business Manager: Jasmine Rosa • director, Manufacturing & distribution: mimi esguerra • Manufacturing coordinator: Georgiana Deen; circULaTion and MarkeTinG: vP Marketing: Jocelyn Forman • Marketing Manager: christine Rochford; corPoraTe: President, chief executive officer, and chairman of the board of Scholastic inc.: Richard Robinson.

For answers to this issue’s online Quiz whiz, go to www.scholastic.com

/sn56answerkey.

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SCHOLASTIC NEWS • Edition 5/6 • SEPTEMBER 22, 2008 T3

Name: _____________________________________________________

laNguage arTS Skill

Hundreds of words in the English language stem from words that originated in the Spanish language. Read each Spanish word below, then see if you can guess the English word it inspired. Write your answer on the line next to each Spanish word.

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NOTE: In Spanish, a means that the letter (usually an n) is pronounced with a ‘y’ sound as well. An accent mark in Spanish serves the same purpose it does in English. It shows a reader where to put emphasis on the word.

T4 SCHOLASTIC NEWS • Edition 5/6 • SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

©2008 by Scholastic Inc. Teachers may make copies of this page to distribute to their students.

America's Leading News Source For Kids TM

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edit final_return to dara sharif_closes 9/4