Feb. 20, 2008: Following George's Rules

The Mini Page is a syndicated, four-page tabloid written for young children found each Wednesday in the Rocky Mountain News. 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 picture of George Washington in the middle of a large piece of paper. Now paste newspaper words and pictures that tell about Washington around your drawing. Share your drawing with friends.

2. Select the five rules of civility that you think are most important. Then interview family members and friends and ask them to name the two rules they think are most important. Ask them why they selected those rules. What rules were the most popular overall?

3. Look for civility in the comics pages. Use a colored marker to circle three comic strips where the characters are behaving the way Washington would want people to behave. Use a different colored marker to circle three strips where characters are not behaving well and should follow Washington's rules. What would you say to the misbehaving characters?

4. Find people or things in the newspaper that would help Washington (a) learn new information about the world, (b) be a better farmer, and (c) be a modern president. Share your choices with a friend.

5. Bring George Washington up to date. Write a letter to him about how the world has changed. Select one of these topics: the role of the president; changes in farming and agriculture; or people's behavior in the modern age. Use the Internet and the newspaper to research your topic. Then write your letter to our first president.

This week's standards:

• Students understand people and events honored in commemorative holidays. (History)
• Students understand that history relates to events and people of other times and places by identifying examples of interesting Americans. (Social Studies: History)
  
  

(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)