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This Week

Teacher’s EditionApril 9, 2007Vol. 75 No. 20ISSN 1554-2440

Farm Kids .... pp. 4-5Standard: Social Studies Scholastic News explores life on U.S. farms as Congress considers a new farm bill.

News Zone... pp. 2-3The incandescent light bulb could be officially snuffed out in favor of more energy-efficient bulbs; lawmakers aim to rewrite President Bush’s No Child Left Behind education law.

Poetry Month.... p. 6Actress Masiela Lusha plays Carmen Lopez on the TV series George Lopez. She is also a published poet!

What Do You Think?......... p. 7Character Education: Sticky Situation Defend Your Opinion: Debate Persuasive Writing: Letters to the Editor

Brain Busters.....p. 8 Math Skill News IQ: Reading Comprehension Word Workout: Vocabulary

ReproducibleSkills PagesMap Skill ...............p. T3Poetry Skill ............ p. T4

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SCHOLASTIC NEWS • Edition 5/6 • AprIL 9, 2007 T1 A SUPPLEMENT To SChoLASTIC NEwS

Teaching the Cover Story

Life on the FarmStandardSOCIAL STUDIES—Students should develop an understanding of the importance of agriculture to local, national, and global economies. They should understand the government’s role in regulating agriculture.

Summary Scholastic News highlights farm life in the United States, focusing on two kids in rural Arkansas.

Background ● Farming has played an important role in the U.S. economy throughout the nation’s history. Government policies designed to manage farm-ing also have a long history. For example, the Homestead Act of 1862 encouraged farming in the United States by opening large areas of land for people to farm.

● Overproduction has sometimes been a problem because it can drive down prices. In 1933, as part of the New Deal legislation under president Franklin Delano roosevelt, the U.S. Congress passed laws designed to help farmers. The government kept prices of certain crops from falling by paying farmers to limit production.

● This year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed changes in the 2007 farm bill. The bill replaces the 2002 farm bill, which expires at the end of the year.

● The farm bill would, in part, alter the system of financial supports to farmers by focusing on a farmer’s revenue rather than on crop prices. The bill would also cut subsidies to growers earning more than $200,000.

● The 2007 bill calls for increased government spending in other areas, including more money to buy fruits and vegetables for school lunch programs and additional money to research production of alternative fuels made from farm products.

Critical Thinking ● Name some products you use every day that come from farms.

Resources ● For more kid-friendly information about U.S. agriculture, go to www .agclassroom.org/kids/index.htm. ● To learn more about farming and the food chain, read Food and Agriculture: How We Use the Land by Louise Spilsbury (raintree, 2006).

February 6,13,27March 6,20,27

April 3,17,24May 8,15

Sept. 18

ISSUEDATES

Sept. 4

Sept. 11

Oct. 2

Oct. 9

Oct. 23

Oct. 30

Nov. 13

Nov. 27

Dec. 4

Dec. 18

Jan. 8

Jan. 15

Jan. 29

Feb. 12

Feb. 19

Mar. 5

Mar.19

Mar.26

Apr.9

Apr.16

Apr.30

May7&14

America's Leading News Source For Kids TM

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www.scholastic.com/news

Join an onlinediscussion about Earth Day!www.scholastic.com/news

Poetry Month............p. 6Standard Language arts —students should be able to identify and analyze various genres of writing. they should be able to explore the themes and structural features of poetry.

SummaryTo mark National Poetry Month, Scholastic News highlights TV actress Masiela Lusha, a published poet.

Background ● Masiela Lusha plays Carmen Lopez on the TV series George Lopez. She was born in Albania and lived in other countries in Europe before moving to Michigan with her mother at the age of 7. She learned English in the U.S., but also speaks Albanian, Hungarian, and German.

This Week Onlinewww.scholastic.com/newsEarth Day Every Day

Caring for Earth is a year-round activity. Scholastic Kid Reporters discovered that as they researched and wrote stories for a special Earth Day report. They spotlighted energy-saving and pro-environment projects in their communities.

Your students can join in the dis-

cussion about how to help by visiting www.scholastic.com/news. Click on Celebrate Earth Day in the Special Reports section.

Kid Reporters have written stories about clean coal-burning power plants; green schools and librar-ies; the recycling of electronics and teacher art supplies; and more!

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 ©2007 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

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● Masiela has read such poets as Robert Frost and William Shakespeare. Shakespeare is known for his use of iambic pentameter, a meter of poetry that divides lines into five parts. Each part contains an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, creating 10 beats.

Critical Thinking ● Who are your favorite poets? What in their poetry appeals to you?

Resources● Read Masiela Lusha’s latest book of poetry, Drinking the Moon (Dorrance, 2006).

● Learn about the nation’s poet laureate and view poetry Webcasts at the U.S. Library of Congress Web site, www.loc.gov/poetry.

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621-REN-SN3-6 special 3/14/07 12:20 PM Page 1

America's Leading News Source For Kids TM

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T4 SCHOLASTIC NEWS • Edition 5/6 • AprIL 9, 2007

© 2007 by Scholastic Inc. Teachers may make copies of this page to distribute to their students.

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