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news-2-youn2y

A favorite holiday story is The Polar Express.

Families decorate their homes and buy gifts.

December is holiday time.

People enjoy holiday songs and stories.

WHAT

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_Express

+

+

Volume XIII, Edition 15 December 6, 2010www.news-2-you.com

page 1

THE POLAR EXPRESS

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news page

The boy wonders about Santa Claus.

The Polar Express is about believing.

Chris Van Allsburg wrote the story 25 years ago.

Should he believe in Santa ?

25

?

The story is about a boy in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

page 2

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news page

Children wearing pajamas are on the train.

Will Santa visit his home ?

The boy is awake on Christmas Eve.

The boy hears a loud sound: the Polar Express train !

!

?

page 3

The boy rides with them to the North Pole, Santa’s home.

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news page

Santa is leaving to bring gifts to the world.

But first, Santa chooses one lucky child.

That lucky child is the boy from Michigan.

That child can choose the year’s first Christmas gift.

1

page 4

The children see Santa and his elves at the North Pole.

+

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news page

He knows he believes in Santa now.

Only children who believe in Santa hear the bell.

The boy hears the bell’s beautiful sound.

The boy puts the bell safely in his pocket.

page 5

The boy chooses a silver bell from Santa’s sleigh.

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news page

But the boy gets a surprise on Christmas morning.

The bell falls through a hole in his pocket !

But the bell is not safe.

The Polar Express takes the sad boy home.

Read this great story to learn the surprise.

!

page 6

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news page

Millions of people read the story during the holidays.

Many people love this story, written in 1985.

They watch The Polar Express movie, made in 2004.

Believe, and maybe you will hear holiday bells too !

1985

1,000,000s

!+

2004

page 7

Do you believe this is a special time of year ?

?

© 1997-2010 n2y, Inc. © Symbolstix, LLC used with permission.December 6, 2010

CHRIS VAN ALLSBURG (1949 -)WHO

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Van_Allsburg

Chris grew up near Grand Rapids, Michigan.

He always loved to draw.

Chris went to college in Michigan and Rhode Island.

He studied art and became a sculptor.

Chris started a sculpture studio in Rhode Island.

+

+

page 8

people in the news

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1979

1981In 1981, Chris wrote Jumanji.

In 1979, Chris began to write children’s books.

Chris liked to write stories too.

He also drew beautiful pictures for the books.

people in the news

+Both Jumanji and The Polar Express are now movies.

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WHERE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Rapids,_Michigan* Detroit is the largest city in Michigan.

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

The Polar Express story starts in Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids is in western Michigan, on the Grand River.

Grand Rapids is the second largest city in Michigan. *

The city is famous for:

a sculpture garden,

art festivals

and furniture.

page 10

places in the news

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WHERE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pole

NORTH POLE

The North Pole is at the top of the Earth.

It is in the middle of the Arctic Ocean.

The ocean water is always frozen there.

Temperatures can go to - 45°F in the winter.

Polar bears visit, but do not stay for long !

45°F-

!

page 11

places in the news

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?

So Canada gave the North Pole a special zip code.

Many stories say Santa Claus lives at the North Pole.

Why do you think the zip code is H0H 0H0 ? *

* Hint: What does Santa always say ?

It never rises in the winter; the sky is always dark.

page 12

places in the news

At the North Pole, the summer sun never sets.

H0H 0H0

© 1997-2010 n2y, Inc. © Symbolstix, LLC used with permission.December 6, 2010

recipe page

NEED Christmas Cocoa

1. Put water, cocoa, honey and cinnamon in pan. Stir.

3 C milk

1/4 C hot water

6 candy canes

2 T powderedcocoa 3 T honey

spoon

1/2 t cinnamon

6 mugs

1/2 t vanilla

4. Stir until warm. DO NOT BOIL!

2. Bring to boil on medium heat.

Drink

Serves 6

6. Drink.

pan

3. Reduce heat to low. Slowly add milk and vanilla.

page 13

5. Pour in each mug. Add a candy cane to each.

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joke page

Knock, Knock.

Who’s there ?

Bell.

Bell - O ! Who is calling please ?

- O ?!

page 14

Hello

Bell who ?

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Circle the pictures about THE POLAR EXPRESS.

game page

gift

pajamas

doctor

believe

story

polar bear

decorate

tuba

bedroom

North Pole

elf

sleigh

ride

baker

bell

children

page 15

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review page The Polar Express

lunch bagmittenspocket

religionSanta Claus bacteria

Halloween kangaroosbelieving

songsbillsblizzard

strikedecoratevote

1. WHAT is this paper about ?

4. WHAT is The Polar Express about ?

page 16

2. WHAT do families do at holiday time?

3. WHAT do people enjoy ?

5. WHAT does the boy wonder about ?

National Cookie Day

Boy Scouts Birthday

6. WHERE does the boy put the bell ?

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holiday

gifts

boy

North Pole 1

2

4

5

7

3

5

6

8

ACROSS DOWN

Santa

bell

train

believe

story

puzzle page

page 17

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sudoku pageFill in the grid using the pictures below so that every row, every column and every large box contains the following four items: .

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think page

2. WHAT things do you believe in ? Why ?

??

3. HOW do you celebrate the holidays ?

?

page 19

11. WHAT is one gift you would like ? Why ?

??

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sports page COACH HODGES’ CLOTHES

http://www.sportsgrid.com/ncaa-basketball/morehead-state-womens-basketball-coach-suit-photo/

Tom Hodges is a college basketball coach in Kentucky.

He coaches the Morehead State women’s team.

Tom is in the news.

People are laughing at the coach’s clothes.

Tom dresses in wild suits.

page 20

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sports page

Tom called the company that made the clothes. **

Tom got the idea from a famous golfer. *

The company said they would dress Tom too.

Tom hopes the clothes will bring good luck.

page 21** Loudmouth Golf

* John Daley

One white suit has yellow and black diamonds !

1 !+

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page words

story

North Pole

believe

bell

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