Welcome to the NEW WR News Edition 4-6 Online Teaching Center! Here you'll find all the information you've come to rely on from your Teacher's Guide, now in a convenient online format.
Click the tabs above to access article background information, reproducible skills pages, and additional resources. The boxes at right will take you to subscriber-only content, including interactive digital editions, archives, and your teacher's guide in printable
PDF format.
The Teaching Center for each issue will be available two weeks before the issue date.
Please feel free to contact us at wrnews@weeklyreader.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.
Go to the Teaching Center for "Hunger Pains," February 10.
Click here for the answer key.
In This Issue
In this issue, your class will read about the recent accomplishments of the U.S. auto industry. Students will also learn about the Model T and other groundbreaking vehicles.
News Brief: Experts find the world’s tiniest frogs.
News Debate: Should college athletes be paid?
Info Zone: Learn about George Washington on Presidents’ Day.
Your Turn: Meet the world’s youngest CEO.
Brain Builders: Ride On! (Read a Graph)
Encourage students to enter Weekly Reader’s Student Publishing Contest for a chance to win $500 and a trip to Washington, D.C. Click here for more information.
Click here to download the second of two reading assessments to share with students.
Download the tracking guide here.
Common Core State Standard
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Concepts of Comprehension©
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
Vocabulary in Context means figuring out the meaning of a word by looking at the words and sentences around it. Reinforce this skill with the work sheet on page 3.
National Standards
SOCIAL STUDIES (NCSS)
Cover: Vroom!
• Production, distribution, and consumption
• Individuals, groups, and institutions
Page 6: Portrait of a President
• Time, continuity, and change
Page 7: Marble Mania
• Individual development and identity
SCIENCE (NSES)
Page 2: Small Wonders
• Characteristics of organisms
LANGUAGE ARTS (NCTE/IRA)
Teacher’s Guide (page 4)
• Use written language for a purpose.
Varied Reading Levels
Students’ reading levels aren’t all the same, so WR News varies in difficulty.
• Find an easier version of the cover story in this issue’s digital edition at www.weeklyreader.com.
• Try “Small Wonders” on page 2 with more advanced readers.
• Share “Marble Mania” on page 7 with struggling readers.
Online Exclusives
Digital Edition: an exciting multimedia version of the cover story, with videos, slide shows, and interactive features
News Quiz: a weekly news scavenger hunt based on the issue
Coming in the Next Issue: Feb. 24, 2012
The Dino Express: Experts discover dinosaur footprints along an ancient route.
TEACHING THE COVER STORY
Vroom!
U.S. carmakers are on the road to recovery.
Before You Read
Ask students: What types of cars are made in the United States? How might the slow economy have affected U.S. automakers?
Vocabulary
industry: a group of businesses that provide particular products or services
profitable: earning more money than is spent
rapid: fast
seize: to take
Background
• Which country produces the most cars? Of the 58 million cars produced worldwide in 2010, about 14 million—nearly 24 percent—were produced in China. Japan made 8.3 million, and Germany made 5.6 million. South Korea and Brazil rounded out the top five. The United States came in seventh, making 2.7 million cars.
• Which automakers make the most cars? Toyota topped the list in 2010, making more than 7.2 million cars. General Motors made about 6.3 million in 2010. Finishing out the top five were Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Ford. Chrysler was 13th.
• Where in the United States are the most cars made? Detroit, Mich., is known as Motor City for a reason. More cars are made in Detroit than anywhere else in the country. Detroit is sometimes called the Automobile Capital of the World. General Motors is based in Detroit. Ford’s and Chrysler’s headquarters are just outside the city.
Think Critically
What kind of vehicles do you think people will drive 10 years from now? How might they be different from the cars people drive today? Why?
Extend the Lesson
Encourage students to brainstorm cars of the future. Then have each student create a picture of his or her vehicle, labeling important features such as its power sources and special technologies. Students should also write short essays explaining when their vehicles will be used and what the benefits of their vehicles will be. Display the work as your class’s personal car show.
Web Resources
• Find facts about the North American International Auto Show at www.naias.com.
• Learn more about Henry Ford and the Model T at www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/hf.
Lexile rating: 820L
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TEACHING THE NEWS BRIEF
Small Wonders
Experts find the world's tiniest frog species.
Before You Read
Help students find Papua New Guinea on a map. Then ask: What animals might live there?
Vocabulary
tetrapod: a four-legged animal that has a backbone
Background
• Which of the four species is the smallest? Measuring an average of 7.7 millimeters (0.3 inches) long, Paedophryne amauensis is the tiniest.
• When were the frogs found? Biologist Christopher Austin and his team uncovered P. amauensis and Paedophryne swiftorum during a 2009 trip to Papua New Guinea. They announced the discoveries in January. Another group, led by Fred Kraus, found Paedophryne dekot and Paedophryne verrucosa in 2011 during an expedition to the same country.
Think Critically
What might be some advantages and some disadvantages of being a small frog?
Extend the Lesson
Have students use books or the Internet to find at least five facts about frogs. Then invite students to share what they have learned.
Web Resource
For kid-friendly frog information, visit tinyurl.com/frogfacts.
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TEACHING THE INFO ZONE
Portrait of a President
Learn about George Washington on Presidents' Day.
Tip: Help students figure out how old George Washington was during each event on the time line.
Before You Read
Ask students: Who was George Washington? Why might the country’s founders have chosen him as the first U.S. president?
Vocabulary
precedent: an example
surveyor: a person who records the size, shape, and position of land
Background
Why is Presidents’ Day in February? The federal holiday honors George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, both of whom were born during that month. Washington’s birthday was February 22, according to the Gregorian calendar. Lincoln’s birthday was February 12.
Think Critically
Why might some U.S. presidents, such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, be more well-known than others?
Extend the Lesson
Encourage students to research more about George Washington in books and on the Internet. Then split the class into groups, and ask each group to create a short play about a major event in Washington’s life. Invite each group to perform its finished product for the class.
Web Resource
For additional facts about George Washington, his achievements, and his estate, visit www.mountvernon.org.
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Click on each image to download a PDF of that activity. Click here for the answer key.
Use this activity to help students learn how to determine the meaning of unknown words.
Help students learn how to write persuasively by sharing this activity.
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Grades 4 to 6 Teaching Centers and Issue Dates, 2011-2012
Senior Managing Editor: Clara Colbert
Senior Editor: Brooke Ross
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Contributing Editor: Laura McClure Anastasia
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Associate Art Director: Raquel Hernandez
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Manager, Copy Editing: Kim Paras
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Copy Editor: Troy Reynolds
Manager, Photo Department: Julie Alissi
Multimedia Researcher: Carrin Ackerman
Production Designer: Richard Gore
Operations Manager, Manufacturing: Christine DiLauro
Vice President, Operations: Marcia Smith
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The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc., President and Chief Executive Officer: Robert E. Guth
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