OWL October 2014 Teacher/Parent Resources Weird Zone

OWL October 2014
Teacher/Parent Resources
Weird Zone
Stories in the News
This month’s Weird Zone edition is filled with interesting, strange news from
around the world. Ask students to read through each news item and then discuss
the questions below.
• How do cavities form?
• What is emoti-art?
• Who do you think would ride the Lumen bike?
• What is a joystick and how does it work on the Pumpktris?
Note: Students will need to refer back to the text to answer each question.
Encourage students to go beyond the text to think critically and consider things
like: Are some people more genetically disposed to getting cavities? What sorts of
emoti-art would you create? What jobs would benefit from the Lumen bike and can you
ride it in any kind of weather? Is the Pumpktris a cool idea or a wasteful one?
Follow-Up Activity:
• Discuss with students what makes a good news story. How does the media
decide what to report? Why is something newsworthy? What makes each of
the stories included in this month’s Weird Zone interesting and unique?
Classroom Connections: science, language arts, media literacy, art
OWL October 2014 © Owlkids 2014
This is a free teacher/parent resource from www.owlkids.com.
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Incredible!
Invasion of the
Jellyfish?
Read the Incredible! article as a class and discuss some of the reasons that the jellyfish
population is booming. How many jellyfish are in a bloom and what are some of the
problems with large jellyfish populations? As well, have students think about how
jellyfish are affecting other species in the wild.
In partners, create a slideshow of jellies from all over the world. Include interesting fun
facts about jellyfish in each slide. Research should come from the text as well as print
and digital resources.
OWL October 2014 © Owlkids 2014
This is a free teacher/parent resource from www.owlkids.com.
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Incredible!
Invasion of the
Jellyfish?
Follow-Up Activities:
• Find out more about jellyfish with some additional research. For example, ask
students to learn how long jellyfish have been on Earth and how long they live.
• Chart the differences between the jellyfish and the blue button, something that
looks like a jelly but is entirely different.
• Create a diagram that illustrates what a jelly looks like and include a blurb about its
sting. How dangerous is a jellyfish sting?
Environmental Tip: Never throw plastic bags into rivers or oceans. Not only do
they pollute the water, but turtles mistake them for jellyfish and choke while trying to
eat them.
Classroom Connections: science, geography, language arts, media literacy, art
OWL October 2014 © Owlkids 2014
This is a free teacher/parent resource from www.owlkids.com.
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Max Finder
The Case of the
Cookies ’n’ Crime
Ask students to read this month’s installation of Max Finder and answer the
following questions in the reader response below.
1. What was the first clue that something was wrong with the cookies?
2. Who was asked not to make cookies but made them anyway? Why do you
think he/she did that?
3. What role did Ollie play in the story? Was he helpful or annoyed throughout?
4. H
ow did Max and his friends show up to the Halloween party?
What were they wearing?
5. Who was the true culprit in the end?
Follow-Up Activities:
• Go back to the text and focus on the art. Were there any visual clues pointing
to the real culprit? If so, what were they? If not, what could the illustrator have
inserted to hint at who stole the cookies for the party?
• Have students create a one-panel comic illustrating their own Halloween costumes.
Include favourite candies, trick-or-treat rhymes, accessories, etc.
Classroom Connections: art, language arts, media literacy
OWL October 2014 © Owlkids 2014
This is a free teacher/parent resource from www.owlkids.com.
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