News Roundup For Kids: Let’s Just Call It Wonderchicken
Plus, news trivia on COVID-19, Women’s History Month & The Olympics
Let’s face it, distance learning is tough—for everyone involved. Everyone needs a break, but breaks involve guilt. Are my kids stimulated enough? Are they getting adequate free time or are they getting too much free time? Are my students engaged and learning like they would in a physical classroom? Believe it or not, creative and student-led learning can occur even if it’s all happening virtually and—gasp!—during a “break.” At Xyza, we’re all about combining learning with fun. Every week, we’ll be posting interesting news stories that are easy to consume and loved by both kids and adults alike. Check out what we’re rounding up this week:
Before cities began to announce Shelter In Place orders, we were already brainstorming new ways to engage our young readers in the news. That’s how Newsicle, a news-related trivia game, was born. Launched in March, Newsicle provides a quick and fun way of looking at what’s happening around the world.
Bummed you missed the trivia from previous weeks? Dry those eyes cause we’ve rounded them all up right here!
COVID-19 Trivia | Women’s History Trivia | Olympics Trivia
News Roundup
Let’s Just Call It Wonderchicken
What’s a treasure in the world of paleontology? A perfectly preserved bird skull, perhaps? That’s precisely what Daniel Field, a paleontologist with the University of Cambridge in England, discovered when he scanned a chunk of rock found back in 2000. The fossil is estimated to be about sixty-eight million years old and is probably one of the earliest known fossils that is part of the bird family tree. Scientists believe it could be the ancestor to the modern-day bird, a species that survived an asteroid that destroyed many other species in the bird family.
Read more about this discovery here.
The UK Gives Fossil Fuel The Boot!
The United Kingdom is putting its foot down and setting an ambitious deadline for carmakers: By 2035, carmakers will no longer be allowed to sell cars that run on diesel or petrol (gas) — that’s five years earlier than the original proposal. What does that mean for carmakers? This new deadline is forcing carmakers to shift their manufacturing efforts to electric vehicles only. While many carmakers are already producing electric and hybrid vehicles, this new deadline is forcing car manufacturers to make all of their cars electric at a much faster pace …
Read more about this updated deadline here.
Two Trees, History, And A Robbery
Making anything miniature is hard. The trick is in the details, of course, which is why bonsai trees are one of the most unique and carefully cultivated species of plants. For over a thousand years, bonsai plants have captured the interest of botanists and artists around the world. Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing miniature trees in shallow containers; they’re tiny versions of real trees! The trick is in the art of trimming and using the pot and its surroundings to limit the trees’ growth. Recently, when two magnificent bonsai trees were stolen from the Pacific Bonsai Museum in the state of Washington (yes, there’s a museum of bonsai trees!), museum authorities were more than a bit troubled. Bonsai trees can grow to be quite old, but even though these two trees were relatively young, they have two rather interesting historic stories behind them. One of the trees, a Japanese black pine, was grown by a Japanese American when he was in a Japanese prisoner camp during World War II.
Read more about what happened here.
Should There Be Exams In PE Class?
Whether your child loves or hates PE class, they’re here to stay. But should there be exams in PE class? California Governor doesn’t dig PE exams: Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, wants students to stop taking compulsory physical tests in fifth, seventh, and ninth grades. Before some of us start celebrating, let’s dig into why the governor wants to change the way PE testing has worked for decades. One of Newsom’s arguments is that the tests lead to body shaming and bullying of transgender students who might not necessarily fit into the tests’ gender-specific expectations. Newsom also believes that the tests could result in the bullying of kids who are not able to keep up or who do not fit into the expected weight ranges.
Read more of this story here.
(This story includes a call for children’s response.)
