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 These lessons go along with The Mini Page, a syndicated, four-page tabloid written for young children. Through Feb. 25, 2009 the Mini Page was printed in The Rocky Mountain News. Beginning on March 4, 2009 it appears in The Denver Post each Wednesday.
(Click here to find out how to get licenses of the eEdition of The Denver Post featuring The Mini Page. The eEdition is provided free of charge to Colorado educators for classroom use. Remember, with the eEdition, you have access to 4 weeks of The Mini Page at a time, plus you can access back issues as far back as April, 2004 in the eArchive.)
Click on the date and title in the list below for the lesson.
2008
Aug. 6 - The 2008 Summer Olympics The Beijing Olympics begin on Aug. 8. This Mini Page is a guide to what you’ll see, from the opening ceremony to the closing.
Aug. 13 - Get Organized for School It’s hard to believe school’s starting again. The Mini Page offers some ideas about getting ready, including getting to bed earlier, getting your
school wardrobe ready and packing your backpack.
Aug. 20 - Democratic National Convention — Denver, Colo. The Mini Page previews the Democratic convention and tells readers about Denver, where the convention will be held Aug. 25 through 28.
Aug. 27 - Republican National Convention — Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. The Mini Page previews the Republican convention and tells readers about Minneapolis/St. Paul, where the convention will take place Sept. 1 through 4.
Sept. 3 - Elephant Rehab Shelters The Mini Page talks with Carol Buckley, co-founder of the Elephant Sanctuary. The sanctuary offers homes to elephants who are aging or who have been abused.
Sept. 10 - The Physics of NASCAR There’s a lot of science going on out there on the track! The Mini Page examines this popular American event and shows how science drives the sport.
Sept. 17 - Book Honor Awards The Mini Page honors the Newbery and Caldecott winners and talks
with 2008 Caldecott Honor Award winner Laura Vaccaro Seeger and 2008
Newbery Honor Award winner Jacqueline Woodson.
Sept. 24 - Bullying The Mini Page speaks with experts about bullying — how students and
parents can react to and avoid bullying situations.
Oct. 1 - 50th Anniversary of NASA NASA turns 50 years old this year. The Mini Page looks at the space
agency’s out-of-this-world history and its plans for the future.
Oct. 8 - Movie Animal Trainers Many kids’ movies feature animals doing amazing stunts. How do movie-makers get the critters to comply? The Mini Page speaks with animal trainers about their amazing work.
Oct. 15 - Happy Birthday, Noah Webster! Oct. 16 is Noah Webster’s 250th birthday. The Mini Page celebrates with a story about him and his accomplishments, including improved textbooks and an Americanized dictionary that many people still use today.
Oct. 22 - Spiders There’s so much to learn about spiders — beyond the scary Halloween associations! We’ll find out what these important arachnids do when they’re not scaring us on Oct. 31.
Oct. 29 - Electing Our President Election Day is approaching fast, and The Mini Page helps kids understand it all. We look at the mechanics of the Electoral College and tell what to expect on Nov. 4.
Nov. 5 - Money Matters Financial literacy is a big topic for teachers. The Mini Page provides the basics about income, taxes, loans, credit cards, investing and saving.
Nov..12 - America’s Geographical Wonders The Mini Page offers an overview of the some of the geographical and natural wonders of our country.
Nov. 19 - A Lean, Clean Learning Machine Personal hygiene is important for a good learning environment. The Mini Page comes clean with information about head lice and keeping everyone in the classroom healthy.
Nov. 26 - Turkey Time It’s time to talk turkey. Let’s learn about this funny bird and the differences between wild turkeys and those grown for meat.
Dec. 3 - Writing Careers Kids are doing a lot of writing in school. The Mini Page explores some different careers that kids who love to write may be interested in.
Dec. 10 - The Salvation Army With the holidays come the bell-ringers. This Mini Page details the history and mission of the Salvation Army.
Dec. 17 - Going Green for the Holidays Americans create plenty of trash during the holiday season. The Mini Page suggests some ways to make your holidays more green.
Dec. 24 - Model Trains Model trains have been favorite toys at Christmastime for many generations. The Mini Page explores these small wonders of engineering.
Dec. 31 - Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams: Natural Affinities This exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum features the natural landscapes portrayed by these two great American artists. The Mini Page highlights some of the 42 paintings and 54 photographs on display in the museum and introduces students to the artists.
2009
Jan. 7 - The 2009 Calendar It’s time for The Mini Page 2009 calendar! Kids and teachers love to remember special days in the coming year, along with some of their own family celebrations.
Jan. 14 - Welcoming a New President The inauguration of the new president of the United States will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 20. The Mini Page tells all about the ceremony and other events surrounding the inauguration.
Jan. 21 - The Aurora Borealis The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are natural light displays that are typically seen in the very northern latitudes.
Jan. 28 - The Seeing Eye This year marks the 80th birthday of the organization that first trained dogs to assist blind people, The Seeing Eye. The Mini Page will learn more about the organization’s history and how dogs are trained for their tasks.
Feb. 4 - Taking Care of Teeth February is Children’s Dental Health Month, sponsored by the American Dental Association. We’ll learn what a tooth is made of and how best to take care of our natural teeth so they last a lifetime. Plus, we’ll feature some fun facts about different animal teeth.
Feb. 11 - Lincoln’s Great Speech To honor President Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday on Feb. 12, The Mini Page takes a closer look at the Gettysburg Address and events leading up to it.
Feb. 18 - Making Our Lives Better Feb. 15-21 is Engineers Week. This issue of The Mini Page identifies some engineering challenges that face us for the 21st century and explains how these important members of our communities will help meet those challenges.
Feb. 25 - A Long Journey February is African-American History Month. The Mini Page highlights the historical moments that have led us from slavery to an African-American president in the White House.
March 4 - Plug Into the Newspaper We celebrate NIE Week this year with an issue about how newspapers can add to every aspect of our lives, from entertainment to health to economics. We also include some newspaper literacy skills.
March 11 - Iditarod The Mini Page explores the fascinating Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska. This 1,150-mile-long race stretches dogs and people to the limits of their energy. The race begins on March 7 and goes from Anchorage to Nome.
March 18 - Leprechauns St. Patrick’s Day is a huge celebration in the United States. We’ll have fun with some history of this holiday and Irish folklore and traditions, focusing specifically on leprechauns.
March 25 - Women’s History Month This year is the 150th birthday of Carrie Catt, founder of the League of Women Voters. The Mini Page recalls the history of this influential group and identifies how it seeks to make democracy accessible for all citizens.
April 1 - Deaf History Month The Mini Page learns about different ways deaf people have managed their disability through history. This month celebrates education achievements for deaf students, which we will highlight in the issue.
April 8 - Hopping Into Spring Rabbits are a favorite symbol of new life in springtime. The Mini Page finds out more about these cuddly animals, both in the wild and as pets, and features some of our favorite rabbit characters from books, movies and TV.
April 15 - Library Week The Mini Page celebrates National Library week with interviews with 2009 Caldecott Medal winner Beth Krommes, and 2009 Newbery Honor Award winner and National Book Award finalist Kathi Appelt.
April 22 - The Green Generation As Earth Day begins to celebrate its 40th anniversary, The Mini Page focuses on water problems around the world and how our water cycle on Earth works, along with ideas for how kids can contribute to conservation efforts.
April 29- New Deal Art In the 1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the New Deal to provide work and stimulate the economy. One of the New Deal programs paid artists minimum wage to produce works of art reflecting their community. It not only helped the artists, but helped the communities. The Mini Page writes about the Public Works of Art Program in conjunction with the Smithsonian's American Art Museum exhibit on that programIssue 18
May 6 - A Berry Happy Mom’s Day These little power-packed fruits have been an essential part of humans’ diets over our entire history. Read about their nutritional value and how they’re grown and harvested, and collect a few delicious recipes to make for Mom.
May 13 - Sensational Swimmers Sea turtles are fascinating animals, but their numbers are dwindling. The Mini Page finds out more about how they swim, where they live and how scientists are helping them survive.
May 20 - Sharing Victories Through Books This summer, The Mini Page suggests some books full of hope for your reading list.
May 27 - Catching Up With Military Kids What’s it like to have a parent (or two) in the military? The Mini Page found out. Also, page 4 reminds us of the traditions and origins of Memorial Day.
June 3 - Rats! Like humans, rats are very adaptable, and like humans, they can teach what they've learned to their young. This makes them good animals for people to study. It also makes them deadly enemies. The Mini Page looks at this bright, often unwelcome, rodent.
June 10 - Pompeii It was 1,930 years ago this August when Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupted, burying nearby Pompeii and many of its citizens. The Mini Page talks to experts about this event and the excavations over many years that brought that city alive again.
June 17 - Fathers of ... George Washington is sometimes called the father of our country. What other “fathers of” can we learn about in honor of Father’s Day?
June 24 - Fitness Disciplines Most martial arts programs are about a lot more than fighting or defense. They are about discipline and character, too. The Mini Page looks at some of the martial arts programs popular with kids.
July 1 - Safe Fun With Fireworks In advance of Independence Day, The Mini Page talks to an expert pyrotechnician about how commercial fireworks are made and displayed. Page 4 is a review of safety rules for using fireworks at home.
July 8 - Come to the Fair Summer is the time for fairs. Renaissance fairs have all kinds of fun activities for kids and adults, and everyone gets a taste of life in the Middle Ages. The Mini Page looks in at Renaissance fairs to find out more.
July 15 - Synchronized Swimming What used to be called “water ballet” is now an Olympic event. These graceful athletes train hard to carefully coordinate their movements and create beauty in the water.
July 22 - Landing on the Moon The United States marks the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing this summer. The Mini Page looks back at this historic event and what we learned from our voyages there.
July 29 - Anne Frank Had she survived life in a concentration camp, Anne Frank would turn 80 years old this year. The Mini Page tells the story of this brave young woman and the diary that made her famous.
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