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 These lessons go along with The Mini Page, a syndicated, four-page tabloid written for young children printed in The Denver Post each Wednesday.
(Click here to find out how to get licenses of the eEdition of The Denver Post featuring 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 to get the lesson.
2010
Aug. 4 -
An Ocean of Oil In April, an explosion set off a leak of crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico that will alter the surrounding area for years, maybe decades, to come. The Mini Page examines what happened, what scientists are doing to stop the leak and corral the oil, and how this disaster affects animals, plants and people in the area.
Aug. 11 -
A New School Year Suddenly, it's back-to-school time again. This issue of The Mini Page reminds kids how to be good students, how to be organized and ready to go the first day, and why we go to school at all.
Aug. 18 -
These Horses Are Wild! Wild, or feral, horses and burros are found in many of the United States, but mostly in the West and Southwest. The Mini Page talks with the Bureau of Land Management about these interesting animals, their background and their future.
Aug. 25 -
Cracking the Word Code Many of the words we use in English come from Latin and Greek roots. The Mini Page helps kids see how root words, prefixes and suffixes work together and how they can use these parts of our language as keys to understanding.
Sept. 1 -
Meet Author Grace Lin The Mini Page introduces the 2010 Newbery and Caldecott Honor Book award winners, along with favorite books from a survey by the Children's Book Council.
Sept. 8 - What Are the MDGs? Ten years ago, 189 nations set in place a plan to make our world a better place by 2015. The Millennium Development Goals are central to this endeavor. The Mini Page examines the eight MDGs along with successes already accomplished, and tells how kids are helping to achieve the goals.
Sept. 15 --
Shuttle Program Winds Down Only two more missions are scheduled for the space shuttle, and then it will be retired. The Mini Page looks back at highlights of this program and its vital ties with the space station and the Hubble Space Telescope.
Sept. 22 -
Treating Blindness The Mini Page looks at some recent success stories in the quest to end blindness. We take a look at what is being done to find a cure for retinal diseases in children.
Sept. 29 - ¡Comidas Para Todos! (Foods for All!) The Mini Page celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with an issue full of information about Hispanic foods, both traditional and “Tex-Mex.” Best of all, Rookie Cookie shares some of her recetas (recipes) with us for favorite dishes.
Oct. 6 -
Monarchs Rule! As fall approaches, monarch butterflies are heading south to their winter nesting grounds in California and Mexico. The Mini Page learns more about the life cycle of these unusual insects and how they find their way back and forth.
Oct. 13 -
Creating Art for Video Games Parents and teachers are all too aware of the allure of video games for modern kids. But the story behind those games may give a young reader ideas about his or her future. The Mini Page finds out what types of artists and other creators work on making modern video games look so realistic and so much fun to play.
Oct. 20 -
Discover the Great Lakes A summer trip to Lake Superior got Alpha Betty thinking about the Great Lakes — how they formed, how ships move among them, what types of industry take place near them. This week’s Mini Page explores these huge, beautiful and fearsome lakes that we share with Canada.
Oct. 27 -
Halloween Superstitions Halloween is just around the corner, so The Mini Page is uncovering some famous superstitions that surround this favorite holiday of kids.
Nov. 3 -
The New World of Dinosaurs A new species of dinosaur is discovered on the average of every seven weeks. Dinosaur fossils are almost everywhere in the world, and we have barely looked at many of these areas. The Mini Page examines new tools that are teaching scientists amazing new things about ancient bones.
Nov. 10 -
Military Working Dogs The Mini Page acknowledges Veterans Day with a story about some unusual members of our military: working dogs. Dogs have been a part of military action since the Roman Empire. We learn more about how they are trained and what they do.
Nov. 17 -
Meet Mark Twain Mark Twain’s 175th birthday is Nov. 30. The Mini Page presents an introduction to the fascinating man and his well-loved writings.
Nov. 24 -
Spice Up Thanksgiving There’s more to spices than making the pumpkin pie taste better. The Mini Page learns about different spices and their importance through history.
Dec. 1 -
Let’s Play a Game As winter sets in, board games become a favorite activity for kids and families. The Mini Page learns more about the origins of games and celebrates the 75th birthday of Monopoly with some background on its development.
Dec. 8 -
The Von Trapp Family This year is the 45th anniversary of “The Sound of Music” film and the 50th of the Broadway musical (1959-’60). We learn more about this epic story of the family that sang their way to safety.
Dec. 15 -
Play in a Winter Wonderland The weather may be chilly, but there’s still plenty to do outside. The Mini Page suggests some ways to enjoy the great outdoors even in frigid weather.
Dec. 22 -
Living Near the North Pole It’s not just Santa Claus who lives at the North Pole. The Mini Page learns more about some of the animals that inhabit the farthest points north.
Dec. 29 -
Get to Know You Here’s a suggested New Year’s resolution: Get to know your family better. The Mini Page gives kids some ideas of how to find out more about family members old and young.
2011
Jan. 5 -
A 2011 Kids’ Calendar A perennial favorite with kids and teachers alike, our kids’ calendar highlights holidays and other special events throughout the year, plus gives kids a place to fill in family and friend birthdays. This year also includes a history of calendars.
Jan. 12 -
Going Bananas Bananas are a well-loved fruit for people all over the world. But did you know that edible bananas cannot grow in the wild? The Mini Page explores this fascinating fruit and the diseases that threaten it.
Jan. 19 -
Tigers in Terrible Trouble One hundred years ago, there were 100,000 tigers living in the wild. Today there are fewer than 4,000. Tiger advocates are working to save the endangered big cat from extinction. The Mini Page learns more about the animals and their precarious existence in the wild.
Jan. 26 -
Let’s Visit a Castle Many kids’ stories include castles, but kids may not know that castles still stand in many places around the world. The Mini Page tells the story of some of our most interesting castles, including Windsor Castle, the only one where people still live.
Feb. 2 -
Calling the Game Super Bowl XLV will take place on Sunday, Feb. 6. Can you imagine watching the game without a sportscaster providing analysis and play-by-play commentary? This week, The Mini Page talks with a veteran sportscaster about his job.
Feb. 9 -
Chocolate The Mini Page looks at our favorite treat, chocolate. People have been loving chocolate for more than 1,000 years, but for most of that time, people only drank chocolate drinks. We learn more about how chocolate made it to our desserts and candies.
Feb. 16 -
The Life of Lincoln This year we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War. For Presidents Day, The Mini Page focuses on President Abraham Lincoln, who served during the Civil War and fought to keep the United States together.
Feb. 23 - Heart Health Even for kids, taking good care of our hearts is important. The Mini Page finds out more about how kids can protect their hearts through healthy eating and exercise.
Mar. 2 -
Chimps, Our Closest Relatives You might call them our cousins. Chimps may look different from humans, but we share more than 90 percent of the same DNA. The Mini Page finds out more about these fascinating animals and how they compare with us.
Mar. 9
- Who Wants to be a Newspaper Reader?A Mini Page quiz helps kids learn more about the local newspaper in recognition of Newspaper in Education Week, March 7-11.
Mar. 16 -
Black Holes in Space We all hear about black holes, but what are they really? The Mini Page talks with scientists to find out more about how these space elements affect our solar system and our planet.
March 23 -
Roots and Shoots Roots and Shoots is a program sponsored by the Jane Goodall Institute that goes beyond chimpanzees (featured in the March 2 issue). This network of young people work to improve the environment, communities and animals' lives. The Mini Page finds out more about the program and how kids can get involved.
March 30 -
Are You a Poet? You Know It!
April is National Poetry Month. The Mini Page talks with an expert about children's poetry to find out more about this creative artform and offers a few poems from favorite authors.
April 6 -
The Civil War In April 1861, tensions between northern and southern states heated up to the point of war. This year we commemorate the sesquicentennial of the beginning of our nation's most painful conflict. The Mini Page outlines the reasons for the war, important figures from the Union and Confederacy, and interesting stories highlighted in the National Archives exhibit "Discovering the Civil War."
April 13 -
Meet Illustrator Erin Stead National Library Week is celebrated April 10-16. The Mini Page highlights the winners of the Caldecott, Newbery and Coretta Scott King awards for this year.
April 20 -
Our Changing Climate Climate change and global warming can be confusing topics for adults and kids. The Mini Page researches this fascinating subject with an expert from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.
April 27 -
Pioneers of Flight The Mini Page explores the highlights of the Smithonsonian National Air and Space Museum's new "Pioneers of Flight" exhibit. Pioneers such as Charles Lindbergh and later, his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, did much more than make the headlines. They helped map out air routes for the new industry when there were no airfields or sometimes even shelter.
May 4 -
A Flower for Mom Mother's Day is May 8. The Mini Page takes a closer look at flowers: how they grow, what they mean to humans, how they're used in other ways besides adding beauty.
May 11 -
Hummingbirds The Mini Page takes a look at the amazing, record-breaking hummingbird. It is the smallest bird in the world and the brightest, most colorful too.
May 18 -
Summer Reading Ah, the warm, long days of summer are just ahead. With so many good books and so little time, how can students choose what to read over the summer months? The Mini Page helps with a summer reading suggestion issue.
May 25 - Arlington National Cemetery The Mini Page visits Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place to 300,000 service people and other members of our military. We also feature the Tomb of the Unknowns and explain the rituals that take place there.
June 1 - Let's Get to Work For some kids, summer is a time to make some extra money. Even young kids can find work with neighborhood pet care, car washing or plant watering. An author of a book series about jobs for kids helps Mini Page readers develop a plan and get great ideas for jobs.
June 8 - Dolphin Tales Dolphins are some of the most entertaining and interesting creatures of the sea, but scientists don't know too much about them. The Mini Page consults with experts at Sea World to find out more about these captivating mammals who live in the water.
June 15 - Thanks to Dad What are you most thankful for about your dad? The Mini Page reminds us of why our dads and other special men are so important and provides some ideas for celebrating Father's Day with them.
June 22 - Mass Extinction There have been five previous mass extinctions on Earth. In the most famous one, the dinosaurs were wiped out. Most scientists believe we are now in the midst of a sixth mass extinction, and they believe this one is being caused by humans. The Mini Page takes a look at this serious situation.
June 29 - Our Nation in Symbols The United States has many symbols. In advance of Independence Day, The Mini Page explores some of the meaning behind these symbols and why they're so important to us.
July 6 - Repulsive Animals The Mini Page takes a fun look at some very strange-looking animals. They look so weird, they appear as if they were dropped from outer space!
July 13 - Discover Machu Picchu On July 24, 1911, a Yale University historian named Hiram Bingham came upon a city high in the mountains of Peru that he called the "Lost City of the Incas." The Mini Page founds out more about this mysterious abandoned city, the people who lived there and the explorer Bingham.
July 20 - A Trip to the Opera Opera tells a story through music. The Mini Page talks with the artistic director of the Lyric Opera in Kansas City, Mo., to find out more about opera's history and this musical art form.
July 27 -
Exploring Dinosaur Hall A new exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County explores the mysteries that still remain about the lives of the dinosaurs. The Mini Page talks with a paleontologist about the exhibit and how discoveries are still being made.
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