SEI 5/6 2020-2021 Assignments

Read the passages and answer the questions on the Doc.

How long have dogs been man’s best friend? Archaeologists recently found the 6000-year-old remains of a dog that was laid to rest alongside a human, suggesting the dog had been domesticated and lived with people when it was alive. The researchers quickly searched for other clues to confirm what they suspected: that ancient people kept dogs as companions, much as humans do today. Listen to hear what and how scientists learned about the relationship between humans and dogs thousands of years ago.

Use your outline from last week to make a Google Slides about yourself!

A new pasta shape has been invented. Cascatelli took three years to develop, and the man who designed it says he considered a variety of different aspects of the pasta eating experience. He wanted a pasta shape that stayed easily on the fork, for example, and held sauce well. Listen to learn about the process of designing and testing a new type of pasta and hear a reporter’s reaction when she samples it for the first time.

Answer the questions either on the Google Doc or Word Document.

Use your outline to create a Google Slides presentation. Use transitions, pictures, etc. to make it look good!

Skip step b) 
Stop after f)

What evidence is there of Greek mythology in modern society?

Cold-blooded animals like turtles depend on their environment to maintain their body temperature. When water in the Gulf of Mexico recently turned freezing, thousands of sea turtles were “cold-stunned,” or forced into a trance-like state where they could no longer swim, which is life-threatening. A group of volunteers joined in a huge effort to collect the turtles and bring them to an animal rehabilitation center. Listen to learn more about the largest “cold-stun” event in history, and hear what happened to the turtles after they were rescued.

President Biden is bringing pets back to the White House. After four years without animals, the White House has become home to Biden’s two German shepherds, Major and Champ. Biden adopted the dogs from a shelter, and they are helping to raise awareness of the joys of rescue animals and the benefits that shelters bring to the community. Listen to hear a past president howling with his hound and learn the story of Major’s journey to the Biden household.

Research one sneaker you'd love to buy. Write one paragraph about why you like the sneaker, how much it costs and where you would buy it from.

Many scientists isolating at home during the pandemic have taken their study subjects with them. The researchers want to keep the plants and animals that they study alive and continue their experiments. Bringing spiders and even sunflower seeds home can have hazards, however. Listen to learn what scientists are doing to protect their study subjects during a health crisis and hear how one scientist’s roommates responded to the unusual critters in the house.

Two photographers in Atlanta have undertaken an unusual project: turning kids into real-life versions of their wildest dreams. Whether it’s a creature from a fairy tale or an ancient prince, kids are invited to imagine who or what they might like to become, and to express their personalities in creative ways in front of the camera. Listen to hear the reactions of kids who have participated in an imaginative photo shoot, and find out what the photographers hope to accomplish through their project.

Write a 1:2+ Jane Schaffer paragraph about this prompt:

What's one word that describes Jeanne Baret, Lady Hester Stanhope, and Nellie Bly? What actions by these women back up your answer? Use facts and details from the Article in your answer.

A 9-year-old boy in Colorado has raised thousands of dollars for food banks by writing and selling his own newsletter. He was inspired to help after learning that many people are unemployed during the pandemic, and some struggle with hunger. Writing his kid-friendly newsletter has connected him with neighbors and taught him what it means to be a journalist. Listen to an interview with a young writer to learn why he started a fund-raising project and what he likes best about the job.

Why is it important to read the stories of Holocaust survivors?

Between 1920 and 1948, Black baseball players were excluded from major league teams, so they formed their own group, the Negro League. While Major League Baseball (MLB) carefully charted the stats of its white players during this period, many top players in the Negro League went unacknowledged. Now, on the Negro League’s 100th anniversary, the MLB has welcomed its players into the majors retroactively. Its star players will assume their rightful place on the leaderboards, shifting and diversifying the names that appear there. Listen to hear a Negro League museum founder react to the long-overdue announcement, and learn about the painstaking process he used to compile stats on Black ballplayers.

Bats and humans may look very different, but it turns out they have something surprising in common. A bat researcher discovered that mommy bats change their voices when they talk to their babies, just like human mothers often do. For both species, this special tone is a way to help the young learn language. Listen to hear recordings of adult and baby bats vocalizing, and learn more about how mother bats teach their pups to communicate.

How does identity shape the decisions of “Lost Boys” like Daniel MajokGai?

A lot of new baby elephants have recently been born in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park. Elephants need just the right environmental conditions to have babies, and the mothers spend years nursing and rearing their young. The unusual baby boom means that elephants are thriving in one part of Kenya, but their rising population could also mean trouble for their future survival. Listen to hear a journalist and his guide search for baby elephants in a safari truck, and learn how long the babies stay with their moms.

Why were many people so determined to prevent racial desegregation at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957?

Watch the counselor presentation in the language you're most comfortable with. Go to the zoom link and enter the password to access the recording. After you watch, write at least two questions to ask the counselors when they visit our class in a couple weeks.
P.S. To watch the zoom videos you have to type in the passcode. It won't copy/paste.

English
https://zoom.us/rec/share/ymHAhwR4ZIC0VPcTRoNpJ1cttu1-ESh5X3zyuv-FEn9rkZ3waPeCXGLI7XVRol1G.ryFXtBZ_ZO09c6IA
Passcode: 1pp2f%!a

Vietnamese
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HMHrbhBO3LZ0aPuwKg5gcXL7lMcNXbUU/view?usp=sharing

Mandarin
https://zoom.us/rec/share/Ri0vStZDWu-EjS5YkEfYpC5J1xoR_wPGTfK5klUm-VUL6h5_I1ATnOJmPuL3s0zk.f_LUDooK9EhhklYy
Passcode: L88g4Pz$

Why do governments carry out genocide?

Beavers love to build dams – even inside houses. That’s what an animal rehabilitation worker discovered when she agreed to raise an abandoned baby beaver in her home. “Beave” gathers shoes and other household objects for his dam and displays other typical baby beaver behaviors, like whining for his dinner. Millions of fans watch his antics on TikTok. Listen to hear more about a popular rescued beaver and learn why living with others, even humans, is important for his health.

A fourth-grader in Texas had an idea to help kids put down their digital devices and have some fun outdoors. She partnered with a state representative to write a bill that would make state parks free to fifth-graders and their families. Listen to find out more about the case the student made to state legislators and next steps in making her idea a reality.

Why are women’s bodies deliberately altered and even damaged in so many societies around the world?

The first person to ever cross the Antarctic alone decided to attempt another dangerous, icy expedition. Colin O’Brady wanted to row from South America to Antarctica with a team of daring travelers. Although he had never rowed before he decided to take this journey, he made sure to prepare himself both mentally and physically for the challenging trip. Listen to learn what motivated O’Brady to go on this thrilling expedition and find out what he needed to do to prepare for it.


Update: Since this story first aired, O’Brady’s team successfully completed the journey across the Drake Passage.

Martin Luther King, Jr. practiced nonviolent protest and advocated for racial harmony. The racism and violence he experienced throughout his life, however, sometimes filled him with rage. King believed anger could be a useful, positive force if it was channeled productively. Listen to hear more about MLK, Jr.’s views on the strong emotion of anger and how he used it to help him accomplish his goals.

A crunchy new apple has hit supermarket shelves. A cross between Honeycrisp and Enterprise varieties, the new Cosmic Crisp apple is the result of years of genetic cross-breeding by plant scientists at Washington State University. Listen to hear the lead scientist describe the mouth-watering qualities of the new variety, and why she hopes it is a hit with consumers.

Make a Google slides about your favorite musician or band.

Slide one: Your name and a picture of your favorite singer or band. Why are they your favorite?

Slide two: What genre of music is your favorite artist?

Slide three: How did you discover your favorite singer or band?

Slide four: What is an instrument that is used by your favorite singer or band?

https://flipgrid.com/aa83ad36

How does point of view influence the telling of stories and our own interpretations? How has technology created new ways for individuals to be politically active?

How did the environmental disaster of the Dust Bowl affect the people whose farms were destroyed?

Peacocks are pestering residents of an historic neighborhood in Miami, Florida. It’s mating season, and the male birds are trying to attract attention by showing their feathers, screeching loudly, tearing into flowers, and attacking cars. Some residents admire the birds’ beauty while others complain about noise and damaged property. Listen to learn what the town is doing to solve the peacock problem and why one man compared the birds to ninjas.

After a long week of vote counting in a tight race, Joe Biden has been elected 46th president of the United States. Biden has run for president several times, starting in 1987, and has served as U.S. Senator and Vice President under President Barack Obama. Biden has suffered many significant losses, both personal and professional, throughout his life, but he says he has never lost faith in the American people. Listen to hear about his journey to the presidency and how his victory speech to a divided country addressed themes of unity and optimism amid challenging times for the nation.

In Newark, New Jersey, and other places like Flint, Michigan, the water that comes out of the tap is no longer safe to drink. Lead that was used to prevent old pipes from rusting has now contaminated it. Listen to hear more about how this water crisis is affecting people’s daily lives and how New Jersey Senator Cory Booker is trying to change the law and use state funds to replace Newark’s old water pipes.

Scientists have developed a new, more accurate way to count a dog’s age in human years. Until now, people have generally believed that one year in a dog’s life equals seven years of human life. But when scientists compared chemical marks on dog and human DNA to see where they matched, they found surprising results about the relationship between dog and human ages. Listen to hear a scientist explain how the new technique works and what the research on canine aging means for dogs and their human friends.

A man recently received a shocking phone call: a shelter had found his beloved lost cat, Sasha. Five years had passed since Sasha’s owners had last seen him, and Sasha was over a thousand miles from his home in Portland. No one is quite sure how, but Sasha made his way from Portland, Oregon to Santa Fe, New Mexico safely and survived without his owners for all that time. Listen to learn more about Sasha’s story and find out what happened when he returned home.

A man recently received a shocking phone call: a shelter had found his beloved lost cat, Sasha. Five years had passed since Sasha’s owners had last seen him, and Sasha was over a thousand miles from his home in Portland. No one is quite sure how, but Sasha made his way from Portland, Oregon to Santa Fe, New Mexico safely and survived without his owners for all that time. Listen to learn more about Sasha’s story and find out what happened when he returned home.

When a recruiter invited Black high school students in Chicago to take up rowing, most initially declined. Crew was a predominantly white sport and seemed to have nothing to do with them. Those students who eventually joined, however, learned skills and gained insight that transformed their lives. Listen to an author reflecting on his experiences as a member of the first all-Black high school crew team, and hear how being on the team helped him succeed.

Dogs have powerful noses, and their sniffing skills might be able to help with keeping the pandemic under control. Many diseases have particular smells. Scientists are working to identify the scent of COVID-19 and training dogs to find it in humans. The trained animals would be able to quickly screen hundreds of people in places such as airports and train stations. Listen to hear how trainers teach dogs to find certain scents and when the first group of sniffers could be ready to work.

Listen to hear about a young skateboarder setting a world record for landing a 1080-degree spin on a vertical ramp.


Vocabulary: *uninspired, rotation, opportunity*

Listen to hear about a panda who escaped from his zoo pen.


Vocabulary: *surveillance, skirt, roam*

A teen in India has become a celebrity after bicycling across the country carrying her dad. Fifteen-year-old Djoti made the trip when she and her father found themselves close to starvation and desperate to return to their home village. Djoti rode roughly 100 miles a day on a bicycle with no gears. Listen to hear the young athlete describe how she felt during the long journey, and learn how sports officials responded to her incredible feat.

Drive-in movie theaters are having a resurgence during the pandemic. The first drive-in was created by Richard Hollingshead in the 1930s and quickly gained popularity as an easy, inexpensive place to go for a night out. At one point, the country had over 4,000 outdoor movie theaters, although as new forms of entertainment arose, drive-ins declined. Listen to learn how the inventor’s mother helped launch the idea and what people found most appealing about watching movies from their cars.

The popular game “Settlers of Catan” is celebrating its 25th anniversary. When it first appeared, the board game revolutionized game playing by requiring players to communicate and work together in order to win. Although the game has sold steadily through the years, its popularity has surged during the pandemic, when many people are stuck at home. Listen to hear the German inventor of the game explain where the idea for “Settlers” came from and why he thinks it continues to attract so many fans.

Zoos animals and their keepers are welcoming visitors after months of closures due to the pandemic. Some of the animals were content to interact with their own social groups while the zoo was closed. Others seemed bored without the usual flow of visitors, and keepers had to find creative ways to keep them occupied. Listen to hear an animal keeper explain which animals missed people the most and how her team used Facebook to keep animals entertained.

An orca is about to become a mama – again. Tahlequah first became famous in 2018 when she carried her calf, who died shortly after its birth, next to her for several weeks. Orcas, also known as killer whales, are endangered in the Pacific Northwest. The event highlighted not just the whales’ capacity to feel sadness, but also the challenges faced by orcas as they struggle to reproduce. Now scientists have confirmed that Tahleqhah is pregnant again. Listen to hear why the pregnancy is giving scientists hope and what people can do to help orcas survive.


Note: Since this story first aired, Tahlequah gave birth to a healthy new calf.

A recent public opinion poll has found that the majority of Americans want the federal government to take strong measures to control the spread of COVID-19, including requiring people to wear masks in public. Infectious disease experts say that masks can slow the spread of the virus, and supporters of mandates say they are a necessary tool for controlling a highly contagious disease. Opponents argue that masks are unnecessary, and some say mask mandates violate their individual rights and restrict their freedom. Listen to hear more results from the poll and then debate: Should mask wearing be required by law?

Learning how to listen to English is very important for learning the language. Every day during the Extended Learning Time you need to update your video log on Google Classroom. The video must be in English and you must write a three-sentence summary of the video. Pick videos you enjoy like video games, music videos, sports Etc.

What do you think it means to live the “American Dream?” Does it describe the things you own, the job you have, the place you live, or all of these and something more?

Learning how to listen to English is very important for learning the language. Every day during the Extended Learning Time you need to update your video log on Google Classroom. The video must be in English and you must write a three-sentence summary of the video. Pick videos you enjoy like video games, music videos, sports Etc.

Learning how to listen to English is very important for learning the language. Every day during the Extended Learning Time you need to update your video log on Google Classroom. The video must be in English and you must write a three-sentence summary of the video. Pick videos you enjoy like video games, music videos, sports Etc.

Look up careers or jobs that you might like to do.

I want to know what videos you like watching in your free time. Think about music videos, Youtube Videos/Channels, TV shows that you like watching that are in English.

PLEASE TURN IN JOURNAL ON FRIDAY