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Aug. 9, 2006: All About Gulls

The Mini Page is a syndicated, four-page tabloid written for young children found each Wednesday in the Rocky Mountain News. This issue of The Mini Page is available through the eEdition Archive to registered eEdition subscribers. Click here to learn about subscribing to the eEdition at no cost to you (for Colorado teachers).

Activities:

1. Make a collection of sea bird trading cards. Draw a picture of a bird on the front of a 3-by- 5-inch card. On the back of the card, write some facts about the bird. Share your cards with your friends.

2. Cut out newspaper pictures of birds and other animals you might find near the ocean. Then cut out words that tell about the ocean from newspaper headlines and ads. Use your pictures and words to create a seashore collage.

3. Which of the birds in today's Mini Page (a) dive into the water to catch fish, (b) eat almost any type of food, (c) swallow fish along with large amounts of water, and (d) can drink saltwater?

4. Draw a large circle on a piece of paper. Divide the circle into three equal parts. In one part, list the foods sea gulls eat. In the second part, list places sea gulls live. In the third part, list other birds that live around the ocean.

5. Use reference books and the Internet to learn more about one of the ocean birds in today's Mini Page. Select one bird to study. Use these questions to guide your research: Where did the bird get its name? Where is it found? What is its average size and weight? How long does it live? Does the bird cause any problems for people? How does the bird benefit people?

This week's standards:

  • Students understand the characteristics and life cycles of organisms. (Science: Life Science)
  • Students understand the interactions of animals and their environments. (Science: Life Science)

(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)

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