Dec. 23, 2009: A Star in the East

The Mini Page is a syndicated, four-page tabloid written for young children found each Wednesday in The Denver Post. 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. Draw a star on a piece of paper. Paste newspaper words and pictures about stars and planets around your star.

2. Circle newspaper words that relate to objects in space. Look at ads and sports news. How many did you find?

3. Use newspaper ads to plan a winter solstice party. Make a list of what you would buy and how much it costs. Keep your party under $50.

4. Which space objects are (a) giant balls of gas, (b) balls of ice and rocks, and (c) caused when a star explodes?

5. Use the Internet to research different cultures' winter solstice celebrations.

Mini Page activities meet many state and national educational standards. Each week we identify standards that relate to The Mini Page content and offer activities that will help your students reach them. This week's standard:

• Students develop an understanding of objects in the sky. (Science: Earth and Space Science)
  
  (standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)