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Objectives
Main News: Students will learn about an influx of Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades and other invasive species. Time Trip buzzes about killer bees.
News Debate: Students will be able to conduct an informed debate about whether pajamas should be banned in public.

Standards
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARD
Main News: Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text.

SOCIAL STUDIES (NCSS)
Main News: Science, technology, and society; People, places, and environments
News Debate: Individuals, groups, and institutions

Language Arts (NCTE)
Main News: Students read to acquire new information.
News Debate: Students generate ideas and questions.

Geography (NCGE)
Main News: How human actions modify the physical environment; How physical systems affect human systems

Social Studies Vocabulary
U.S. endangered species list; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Skills Builders
Page 3: Comprehension Skills
Page 4: News Crossword

PREVIOUS ISSUES

Issue 1: Game Over?

Issue 2: Always Remember

Issue 3: Got Work?

Issue 4: In Our Galaxy Far, Far Away

Issue 5: Cyberbullying Crackdown

Issue 6: Three Women for Peace

Issue 7: Republican Rumble

Issue 8: Hit Men

Issue 9: War Worries

Issue 10: The War's End

Issue 11: Russia Un-United?

Issue 12: A Fight for Democracy

Issue 13: Dot-Com Revolt

Big Snakes

Get Talking
Ask students: What is an invasive species? How might a species from another environment affect an ecosystem?

Notes Behind the News
• New research shows that when reptiles swallow animals, their hearts temporarily grow larger, increasing
in size by 40 percent within 48 hours
of feeding. The change allows the python to meet its body’s demands of digesting a meal. After the meal is digested, the snake’s heart shrinks back to its original size. Between meals, the python’s metabolism slows down to a state at which the snake burns almost no calories. That period of slow metabolism can last up to three months. When the animals do feed, they often tackle prey 50 to 100 percent the size of their own body mass. After that, the snake’s metabolism increases in speed by as much as 44 times.
• Not all species transported from one ecosystem to another have been destructive. Beginning in the 16th century, farmers in North America introduced wheat, rice, soybeans, and cattle, among other imports. The potato was transported from the Andes mountains to Europe and Asia. The tomato was taken from North America and distributed to Europe and beyond.
• Invasive species weren’t much of a problem until humans began building ships and transporting goods from one part of the world to another. World trade has rapidly increased, especially with the explosive growth of the Chinese and Indian economies. With more cargo ships, trucks, and planes providing free rides for hitchhiking animals, plants, and bugs, species from every region of the world have more opportunities to establish themselves in foreign habitats.

Doing More
Ask students: What might happen to the Everglades if Burmese pythons ate almost all the mammals that live there? What might happen to the pythons if their food supply was depleted? Have students write out possible scenarios and share them with the class.

Pajama Game

Get Talking
Ask: Do you or your family members wear pajamas outside the house? Why, do you think, do some people choose to wear pajamas in public? Why might some be against it?

Notes Behind the News
• Michael Williams, the commissioner who is pushing for the Louisiana public pajama ban, suggested that the law could apply to attire sold in the sleepwear section of department stores. Williams has not yet drafted the ordinance and is still working to garner support for the measure.
• In response to the proposed ban, Marjorie Esman, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, has argued that banning pajamas would violate freedom of expression guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution.
• Laws regarding indecent exposure vary among states. In 1991, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the government has the right to limit certain forms of expressive conduct—such as public nudity—if it furthers a government interest in protecting the morality and order of society.
• Retailers that target teenagers have capitalized on the popularity of the just-rolled-out-of-bed look by marketing loungewear, leggings, sweatpants, and other relaxed styles. The market research firm NPD Group reported that sales of activewear—such as sweatpants and sweatshirts—for girls ages 13 to 17 increased 21 percent in 2011 compared with 2010. In contrast, overall apparel sales to that group increased just 7.8 percent.

Doing More
• Explain to students that standards for public dress have changed greatly over time. For instance, in the early 1900s, women were expected to wear long dresses and pantaloons—even when they were swimming. In 1907, the famous Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman was arrested for wearing a one-piece swimsuit on a Boston beach.
    Discuss as a class the different views on what is acceptable public dress in the United States today. Ask what influences how a society views public dress. Have students research the standards for public dress in a different time period or a different part of the world and present their findings to the class.

Click here for the issue's answer key.

Test students' comprehension with this activity. 

Be sure to try this issue's News Crossword. 

And don't miss this issue's Smart Stuff!

Teaching Centers and Issue Dates, 2011-2012

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