Nonfiction

LawCraft

IMAGE: iCivics

Passing laws requires strong persuasive skills, and a willingness to compromise. Read the introduction below written by the game’s creators.

Want to make some laws? You can in LawCraft, where you play a member of Congress from the state of your choice. You’ll pick an issue that’s important to you and your constituents and take it all the way through the law-making process. If you’re successful, you’ll have a bill you can print and show off. See if you can make the compromises necessary to get your bill passed and still make a law you’re proud of!

Click the image above, or right here to start a game in a new tab, then answer the questions below during the process. Good luck!

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1. How are the two houses of congress different? Click here for information about the legislative branch.

2. Why are constituents important? Click here for a kids’ online dictionary.

3. The six values in the game are liberty, equality, competition, cooperation, cost saving and generosity. List the values from greatest importance, to least importance.

4. Write and complete the following sentence frame: ________ is at the top of my list of values, which is the most important because…

5. Write and complete the following sentence frame: ________ is at the bottom of my list of values, which is the least important because…

6. How are democrats and republicans alike (compare)?

7. How are republicans and democrats different (contrast)?

8. Which party did you choose, and why?

9. Read and analyze all of your constituents’ letters. Write the top three issues from greatest importance, to least importance.

10. Why did you choose the issue at the top of your list?

11. How does that issue relate to your most important value (from question 4)?

11. How do amendments affect whether or not a bill gets passed?

12. Write a paragraph describing the entire process of getting your bill passed. Include transition words such as first, next, then, finally, etc.

13. How does the president affect laws?

14. On a scale of one to five, with one as easy, and two as extremely difficult, how would you rate the process of crafting and getting a law passed? Explain.

15. If you could have lunch with your representative, what would you tell them? What questions would you ask?

16. Would you be interested in a career as a lawmaker? Explain.

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E X T E N D . . . .

1. Write a list of values that are important to you and other constituents in your community.

2. Write a list of questions you would like to ask your representative.

3. Click here, then enter your zip code to find the name and contact information (phone number, email and mailing address) of your representative.

4. Write a letter to your representative and explain what issues are important to you, and why. Ask them the most important questions from your list. Click here for an interactive letter generator from ReadWriteThink.

Reverse Graffiti

PHOTO: Cameron Brooks

Have you ever written your name on a fogged up window, or “wash me” on a dirty car? If so, you are a reverse graffiti artist! Many paints have toxic chemicals in them, and brushes are either made using chemicals, or animal hair from hogs, horses, badgers or others. Instead of harming animals and the environment, reverse graffiti removes pollution.

PHOTO: Alexandre Orion

One of the first large works of reverse graffiti was created by Alexandre Orion, an artist from São Paulo, Brazil. Using rags and water, he scrubbed away layers of grime left behind by thousands of cars that drove through the tunnel each day. The local police wanted to stop Orion, but they couldn’t since cleaning is not against the law. Eventually, the city brought in trucks with water tanks and high-powered hoses to clean the walls along the tunnel. They also cleaned up other polluted tunnels in São Paulo. Around the globe, creative people are leaving thoughtful works of art on all sorts of surfaces by simply cleaning away dirt, dust and grime.

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1. What is the main idea of this article?

2. In your own words, write three details that support the main idea.

3. How do reverse graffiti artists create?

4. In the first photograph, why do you think the artist wrote the word listen?

5. Why would the police want to stop reverse graffiti?

6. Why do you think the city government chose to clean the walls in the tunnel?

7. Why do you think Alexandre Orion chose skulls for the polluted walls?

8. Describe places where you live that would make good locations for reverse graffiti.

9. Describe other forms of art that do not harm the environment.

10. Is public art important? Explain.

11. How does public art affect people?

12. If you could have lunch with Alexandre Orion, what questions would you ask him? What would you like to tell him about your creativity?

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E X T E N D . . . .

1. Public art often includes hidden messages that cause people to think or feel a certain way. If you could create public art, what important message or messages would you want to share? Write your message on a piece of paper, then create an illustration that communicates your message.

2. Find a dirty surface and ask an adult for permission to create a piece of reverse graffiti.

PHOTO: Flora Baker

3. São Paulo, Brazil is famous for its vibrant street art. A few areas of the city are completely covered with works like the ones above photographed along Batman Alley. Some artists ask permission to paint on the walls, and some do not. Many city governments choose to paint over graffiti. Should graffiti be allowed in certain places, or nowhere at all? Write a letter to your mayor or commissioner and share your opinion. Use details, facts and examples to support your position.

4. Click here to learn more about Brazil.

Mad Housers

IMAGE: Mad Housers

The Mad Housers are a kind group of volunteers from Atlanta, Georgia who build free homes for homeless people. Anyone who wants to know how can see steps on the Mad Housers’ website, and even start their own Mad Housers group.

IMAGE: Mad Housers

In 2008, Mad Housers met in Athens, Georgia at a homeless camp on Lexington Road called Tent City. They built a hut for Radar, a young war veteran.

PHOTO: Mad Housers

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1. What is the main idea of this article?

2. How do you think Radar felt?

3. What does volunteer mean? Click here to go to a kids’ online dictionary. Use the word in a sentence.

4. Why do some people choose to volunteer?

5. Why do some people choose not to volunteer?

6. What does veteran mean? Click here to go to a kids’ online dictionary. Use the word in a sentence that has an adjective.

7. In 2013, there were more than 57,000 homeless veterans in the United States. Why do you think the number is so high?

8. How is life different for veterans than people who are not veterans?

9. How could a family become homeless?

10. Sometimes homeless people hold signs that ask for help. Some people donate food or money. Some people don’t. Why would someone not help a homeless person?

11. If you could sit down and talk to a homeless person, what questions would you ask?

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E X T E N D . . . .

1. Start a food/clothing drive! Brainstorm a list of important items families use every day such as clothes, food, school supplies and books. Create a sign and a collection box so people can donate things. Contact a local homeless shelter to pick-up the donations, or ask a parent or guardian to drop them off. Leave a comment here and tell the world what you’re doing to help people in need. For more information, explore the links below.

14 Children’s Picture Books About Homelessness

Homelessness Fact Sheet for Kindergarten-Second Grade Students

Mad Housers Inc.

“Dead as a Dodo” (Indykids)

PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons

Click the image above or right here to read the article.

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1. Why do people say “dead as a dodo”?

2. How does the suffix less change the meaning of flight?

3. How many years ago was the last dodo killed?

4. Why couldn’t the dodo fly?

5. Why don’t we know exactly what the dodo looked like?

6. If scientists can bring back extinct animals like the dodo, should they?

7. After reading the article, what questions do you have?

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E X T E N D . . . .

1. Create a comic strip about the dodo. Include what you learned about the extinct bird from the article. Click here for free, blank comic templates available for download and printing.

Skaters or Suits?

PHOTO: Reuters

Under Armour is a company that makes clothing for sports like football, soccer, and hunting. Lockheed Martin makes parts for things such as airplanes and bombs. Together, the two companies designed a special race suit for the United States Olympic speed skating team. The new suits have a space on the back with small holes. The holes let body heat escape. Many people were excited about the suits, and believed they would give skaters an advantage.

In the first races, U.S. skaters (who usually finish in the top 3) finished 7th, 8th or 9th. Some skaters believe the new suits slowed them down, so they decided to go back to their old uniforms. No one is sure if it was the suits, or the skaters.

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1. What is the main idea of this article?

2. How are the new suits different?

3. Why would Under Armour and Lockheed Martin work together (motivation)?

4. Why did the skaters switch back to their old uniforms?

5. What does advantage mean? Click here to go to a kids’ online dictionary. Use the word in a sentence.

6. Do you think the team didn’t do well because of the suits, or the skaters?

7. What two companies do you think would make a good racing suit?

8. After reading the article, what do you want to know?

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E X T E N D . . . .

1. Design a new suit for speed skaters. What could you add that would help them go faster on the ice? What colors will you choose, and why? What textiles will you choose? Create a poster with labels that describe each part of the suit. Learn more about textiles, patterns, and the color wheel at The Children’s University of Manchester by clicking here.

Racing to Save the Stray Dogs of Sochi (New York Times)

PHOTO: Pavel Golovkin/Associated Press

Click the image above or right here to read the article.

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1. What is the main idea of this article?

2. Who is Olga Melnikova?

3. Why are there so many stray dogs?

4. How are they being rescued?

5. Who is the oligarch mentioned in the article?

6. An oligarch is one of the rulers in an oligarchy. Click here to go to a children’s online dictionary. Look-up oligarchy. Use the word in two sentences.

7. Why would someone going to Russia for the Olympics adopt a dog?

8. Why would someone going to Russia for the Olympics not adopt a dog?

9. What happens if a dog is not rescued?

10. What would you do about the dogs if you went to the Olympics?

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E X T E N D . . . .

1. Love animals? Global Animal is an online news magazine for people who love pets, and believe all animals have the right to live a healthy, happy life. Click here to read about people around the world who are working to help species other than our own.

Getting Wild With the Great White Shark (Indykids)

PHOTO: Terry Goss

Click the image above or right here to read the article.

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1. What does the word serrated mean? Click here for a children’s online dictionary. Use the word in two sentences.

2. Why are sharks important for environmental balance?

3. How are facts and myths different?

4. Why don’t great whites attack humans more often?

5. How are myths and facts alike?

6. Why are great white sharks killed?

7. Why is it not a good idea to buy things made from sharks?

8. After reading the article, what do you want to know?

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E X T E N D . . . .