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 These lessons go along with The Mini Page, a syndicated, four-page tabloid written for young children. The Mini Page was printed in The Rocky Mountain News.
(Click here to find out how to get licenses of the eEdition of The Denver Post which currently features The Mini Page. The eEdition is provided free of charge for classroom use to Colorado educators. 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.
2006
Aug. 2 - Mount Rushmore Mount Rushmore has been called "The Shrine of Democracy." Find out how the giant sculpture was created on the side of a mountain in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Aug. 9 - Amazing Survivors: All About Gulls The Mini Page looks at several different types of gulls. Learn more about these "sea birds" by exploring their nesting, feeding and flying lifestyles. Also find out about other gull family members such as terns and pelicans.
Aug. 16 - Black-footed Ferrets Scientists believed the black-footed ferret was extinct. But then, 25 years ago, a ranch dog brought his owners a strange animal. When scientists learned there were still black-footed ferrets, they began an amazing program to save this endangered animal.
Aug. 23 - Be Shark Aware Many experts think that sharks are greatly misunderstood. The Mini Page visits two aquariums and finds out about this mysterious animal. Discover why they are at risk. Learn about their hearing, sight and other senses.
Aug. 30 - School Lunches Around the World The Mini Page takes its readers on a visit to other countries, to see what school lunches are like in places such as France and Mozambique. The Mini Page also takes a look at how school lunches are changing this school year for American students.
Sept. 6 - Respect and Responsibility The Mini Page interviewed Dr. Tom Lickona, director of the Fourth and Fifth R's (Respect and Responsibility), for this character education issue that will help kids in the classroom and at home. Readers can take a "Good Character Checkup" to test how respectful and responsible they are. Dr. Lickona is a psychologist and professor of education at the State University of New York.
Sept. 13 - Constitution Week The Mini Page joins with educational experts at the National Archives to celebrate National Constitution Week. In spelling out the letters in the word CONSTITUTION, we give our readers an overview of this important document.
Sept. 20 - What's Up in Space The Mini Page turns to NASA for information about the upcoming events in space. Read about fly-bys to Pluto, Jupiter and Mars, the upcoming space shuttle launches, and much more.
Sept. 27 - Emergency Ready? September is National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Mini Page outlines some ways to be prepared for emergencies at home and at school.
Oct. 4 - Discovering Explorers The Mini Page celebrates Columbus day with an issue about explorers. What makes a good explorer? Where are modern explorers exploring? Take a quiz to see if you can answer such questions as: Who led the first voyage around the world?
Oct. 11 - Fire Trucks and Fire Prevention This Mini Page is about some of the equipment firefighters use, and also about fire safety tips.
Oct. 18 - How To Build A House The Mini Page works with the National Building Museum to tell the story of who builds houses and the jobs they do. Find out the step-by-step way construction workers work.
Oct. 25 - Visit the Bat Cave The Mini Page celebrates Halloween with a look at a real-life bat cave, Carlsbad Caverns. Every night at sunset, visitors gather to watch hundreds of thousands of bats swarm from their cave to hunt for insects. Visitors also go to the caverns to see the spectacular natural formations inside the caves.
Nov. 1 - It's Voting Time Polly Ticks is back again. This time the subject is the upcoming congressional elections. Where are the senators running? How many representatives does your state have? What is the importance of this election? Read this week's Mini Page and know.
Nov. 8 - Children's Book Week We celebrate Children's Book Week with the stories about the Newbery and Caldecott Honor Award winners. The front page story is about illustrator Marjorie Priceman.
Nov. 15 - Africa is the theme of this week's National Geography Awareness Week. This issue is about the awesome migration of the wildebeest in Tanzania and Kenya. You can use our African map to find out where other African animals are found.
Nov. 22 - Table Manners The Mini Page gang helps our readers brush up on their table manners so they can be Best Guest at your family's Thanksgiving dinner or at anytime. Do you know how to set the table? We'll show you.
Nov. 29 - Skyscrapers The Mini Page works with the National Building Museum to introduce kids to skyscrapers. Find out how and why they are built , which are the tallest ones and where they are.
Dec 6 - Dinosaur Discoveries We are in a new age of dinosaur hunting, and dinosaur hunters are finding an average of one new dinosaur species every month. The Mini Page talked to paleontologist Matt Lamanna about some of the myths of the past, and the most recent knowledge we have about these fierce-looking, fascinating creatures.
Dec . 13 - Federal Hall and The Bill of Rights We launch our 7 - part series about the Bill of Rights with a story about Federal Hall in New York City, the site where it was written. Find out more about this important site where the first Congress met and where George Washington was sworn into office.
Dec. 20 - Sending Holiday Messages Millions of people mail holiday cards each year, valuing them as keepsakes. The winter holiday season is the busiest time of the year for the post office, but for postal workers, that season actually begins in August, when companies mail out their holiday catalogs. Greeting card companies start planning for the holiday season two years ahead of time. Although Christmas cards are the biggest sellers, thousands also send Hanukkah and Kwanzaa cards.
Dec 27 - Know the Snow! Do you know where the biggest snowstorm in America took place? How about the lowest temperature ever recorded? The most snow? The coldest winter? The Mini Page shovels out some surprising snow stories, fun facts and important safety tips about winter.
2007
Jan . 3 - 2007 Calendar The Mini Page looks at some fun and important anniversaries coming up in 2007. It is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts and 50th anniversary of the launch of the Space Race and Sputnik I. Jamestown was settled 400 years ago, and George Washington was born 275 years ago. Mark your 2007 Mini Page calendar for important dates throughout the year.
Jan. 10 - Crossing Bridges The Mini Page, in cooperation with the National Building Museum, presents an issue about five of the most prominent types of bridges. Find out how bridges work from this issue, based on an interview with a top bridge engineer.
Jan. 17 - The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights The Mini Page collaborates with the National Archives and the Bill of Rights Institute in introducing our important First Amendment. Find out why it is so important ant and what it means for kids.
Jan. 24 - The Seven Continents of the World Enjoy an introduction to the seven continents with maps and seven interesting facts about each one. The issue is a great introduction for kids who are beginning to study the lands we live on.
Jan. 31 - Celebrating a Century of the Boy Scouts The Boy Scouts was founded 100 years ago in England and has since spread throughout the world. Learn about the history of this organization, and about some of the differences between the Scouting program then and now.
Feb. 7 - Park Service Sites Honoring African-Americans The Mini Page celebrates Black History Month with an overview of some of the National Park sites of special interest to African-Americans. Relive some of the most courageous moments in American history.
Feb. 14 - The Second and Third Amendments Working with the National Archives and The Bill of Rights Institute, The Mini Page introduces kids to the Second Amendment with an issue based on the times that the Second and Third Amendment were written. Find out about the words kids show and the background of both amendments.
Feb. 21 - A Kid's Guide to Business As many as 80 percent of new businesses fail. Many experts think that kids should know the basic good business practices at an early age. The Mini Page works with an expert, Lecturer Lawrence Gelburd of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Feb. 28 - The Polar Bear The polar bear is in trouble! Polar bears spend most of their time on ice in the Arctic seas. But this ice is melting so rapidly, it is threatening the existence of the whole species of polar bears. Bears are drowning and starving. Experts believe that if we don't do something now, polar bears could disappear within 35 years, and polar bears could be extinct in 100 years. But experts say it is not too late. We can fix this if we act now.
March 7 - Newspaper News Hounds Using cartoons of news hounds, The Mini Page introduces kids to the many jobs at a newspaper. Find out what editors, graphic artists, editorial writers and many other news hounds do.
March 14 - Bill of Rights (Amendments Four and Five) We continue our series, working with the National Archives and the Bill of Rights Institute. The Fourth Amendment limits searches and seizures, and the Fifth Amendment grants a fair trial by jury, protection against being tried for the same crime twice, protection against self-incrimination, protection of property rights, and the right to a fair price for property if the government takes it away.
March 21 - Meet Speaker Nancy Pelosi We celebrate National Women's History Month with a story about a record-setting woman in Congress, Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the first woman to be speaker of the House of Representatives.
March 27 - Music Makers The Mini Page celebrates Music in Our Schools Month with notes about musical instruments. This issue explores how strings, wind instruments and drums create their good vibrations.
April 4 - Meet Beatrix Potter The Mini Page celebrates spring with a story about Beatrix Potter, author of "The Tale of Peter Rabbit." The Mini Page also hops over to visit some famous rabbits.
April 11 - Sixth through Eighth Amendments The Mini Page continues its series on the Bill Of Rights in cooperation with the National Archives with a story about the Sixth Amendment, dealing with the rights of people accused of a crime; the Seventh Amendment, which limits the power of a judge to change a jury's decision; and the Eighth Amendment, which says that excessive bail cannot be charged and also prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.
April 18 Library Week The Mini Page celebrates Library Week by interviewing 2007 Newbery Medal winner Susan Patron and 2007 Caldecott Medal winner David Wiesner.
April 25 - Green Houses The Mini Page works with the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., with a story about green houses. Architects and builders across the country are thinking about ways to save energy and our national resources by building homes using environmentally friendly methods and materials.
May 2 - Jamestown's 400th Anniversary The Mini Page celebrates Jamestown's 400th anniversary with an issue about the first permanent English settlement in America, including the story of how American democracy traces its roots to Jamestown, and how cultural diversity was an important part of the Jamestown settlement.
May 9 - Moms in the Wild Kingdom The Mini Page celebrates Mother's Day with a story about wild animal mothers. Mammals are the only class of animal where parents actually do much teaching.
May 16 - Final installment in the Bill of Rights series The issue explores the Ninth Amendment, which says that certain rights given to the government shall not deny other rights retained by the people; and the l0th Amendment, which says that the states or the people reserve any powers not given by the Constitution to the national government.
May 23 - Safety in the Sun Malignant melanoma, the most dangerous kind of skin cancer, is now 18 times more prevalent than it was in the 1930s. This is due partly to the fashion of tanning and partly to the depletion of the ozone layer. The Mini Page looks at ways kids can stay safe in the sun during the hot summer months.
May 30 - Memorial Day The Mini Page celebrates Memorial Day with a visit to the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, Mo. Kids learn about that long-ago war, along with remembering some favorite songs and poems that came out of World War I.
June 6 - Father’s Day The Mini Page celebrates Father's Day with some children’s books about dads. The Mini Page shares some ideas for choosing books about dads.
June 13 - How Banks Work No, the bills you put in or deposit are not the same bills you get out when you make a withdrawal. The Mini Page goes inside a bank to find out about the people who work there and the jobs they do.
June 20 - Swim Teams Lots of kids are participating in swim teams during the summer months. The Mini Page talks with USA Swimming, the governing organization for swim teams, and two heroes in the pool: Jim Ellis, the subject of the recent feature movie “Pride,” and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.
June 27 - Rivers Taking care of our rivers is a big part of environmentalism. The Mini Page looks at how rivers are kept healthy and clean, and how this affects all of us.
July 4 - Fourth of July Independence Day is celebrated in The Mini Page with a story about the all-American hot dog. Readers will learn how they’re made, where they came from and how they became an American standard, especially on July 4.Issue 28
July 11 - National Parks The Mini Page looks inside America’s national parks system, its history, and the people who make the parks fun destinations for kids and their parents.
July 18 - The Life of a Cowboy The Mini Page investigates what life is like for modern cowboys and how this profession has changed over the years.
July 25 - Up, Up and Away! Hot air ballooning is a growing sport. The Mini Page looks at modern hot air balloons and at the history of this form of flight.
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