To be used with the March 27, 2017, issue
Edition 5/6
Name: ___________________________________________
Reading a Timeline
Common Core R.7
The Life of Lady Liberty
As you read on page 2 of this week’s issue, Lady Liberty has appeared on U.S. coins since the 1790s.
But she is most famously represented by the Statue of Liberty. The timeline shows some important
dates in the history of the statue. Study the timeline, then answer the questions.
1870
1880
1890
1871: A French sculptor named
Frédéric Bartholdi travels to New York.
He chooses a site for a statue that will
honor the friendship between France
and the U.S. He picks a spot in New York
Harbor called Bedloe’s Island (later
renamed Liberty Island).
1. Who was the sculptor who chose the site and
constructed the statue?
__________________________________________
2. Once construction began, how long
did it take to complete the statue?
__________________________________________
3. W
hy do you think the French chose to officially
present the statue to the U.S. on July 4?
1900
1876: Bartholdi begins construction
of the statue in France.
1910
1884: The statue is completed.
The French officially present it to the
U.S. ambassador in Paris on July 4.
__________________________________________
1885: The statue is separated into
350 pieces and shipped to the U.S.
__________________________________________
1920
1930
1886: The statue is reassembled in New
York. It is dedicated on October 28.
1940
1950
1941–1945: During World War II, the
statue’s torch is no longer lit up at night
to prevent enemy aircraft from seeing it.
1960
1984: The statue is closed for
renovations to prepare for its
100th anniversary two years later.
1970
1980
1990
2001: The statue and Liberty Island,
which sit across the harbor from the
World Trade Center, are closed after
the terrorist attacks on September 11.
2004: The statue is reopened to the
public, but the crown remains closed
for another five years.
2010
2012: Flooding from Hurricane Sandy
covers 75 percent of Liberty Island,
causing major damage. The island is
closed for repairs.
2020
2013: The statue and Liberty Island
reopen to the public.
2000
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__________________________________________
4. What happened after the French officially
presented the statue to the U.S. but before
it was reassembled?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
5. In what year was the statue’s 100th
anniversary?
__________________________________________
6. List three reasons the statue was closed
during the past 40 years.
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
© 2017 by Scholastic Inc. Teachers may make copies of this page to distribute to their students.
Statue of Liberty Timeline
USE THIS SKILLS SHEET WITH THE COVER STORY’S LESSON PLAN
To be used with the March 27, 2017, issue
Edition 5/6
Name: ___________________________________________
Finding Fake News
Media Literacy
Common Core R.7
After you’ve read this week’s cover story, your teacher will assign you a news article to evaluate.
Follow the steps below to determine if the news article is credible.
1. W
hat is the headline of the article? _____________________________________________________________
a. Does it have excessive punctuation (!!) or ALL CAPS for emphasis?
o Yes o No
b. How does the headline make you feel? _________________________________________________________
2. Summarize the main topic of the article. _________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What is the news source? _______________________________________________________________________
a. Conduct a brief online search. Is the source reputable?
o Yes o No
b. How do you know? ___________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
© 2017 by Scholastic Inc. Teachers may make copies of this page to distribute to their students.
4. Is there a byline (writer’s name) attached to the article?
o Yes o No
a. Conduct a brief search on the writer. Has he or she published any other articles?
o Yes o No
o Yes o No
6. H
ave other news organizations covered this topic? o Yes o No
5. Does the article have a recent date on it?
If so, can you list at least three reputable sources that reported the story?
• ________________________________________________________________________________________________
• ________________________________________________________________________________________________
• ________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Search online for the names of experts and organizations mentioned in the article. Are they credible?
o Yes o No
a. How do you know? ________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Based on your research, do you believe this news article is credible? Explain. _______________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
www.scholastic.com/sn56
STUDENT
NEWS
express
This spider was recently
discovered in the
Amazon rainforest.
Dozens of giant baby spiders
hatched from these eggs.
Monster Babies!
Scientists discover a 12-inch-long spider and dozens of its giant eggs.
I
magine a spider that can grow to be a foot long,
has razor-sharp fangs, and lays dozens of eggs the
size of gum balls. It sounds like something out of a
science fiction novel. But this spider actually exists.
Scientists recently discovered it in the Amazon
rainforest. Located in South America, the Amazon is
the largest rainforest in the world.
The new species is called the kileto spider.
Scientists from the Exotic Species Institute of
Biodiverse Sciences, in Brazil, spotted it in 2015 using
hidden cameras. The spider had burrowed under
leaves at the base of a tree and was guarding dozens of
large eggs. The scientists observed the spider on
camera for about two weeks. During that time, the
eggs hatched, and dozens of 6-inch-long baby spiders
came crawling out!
“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” says Olivia
Ruagliarella, one of the scientists who studied the new
spider. “The babies are so much bigger than most
adult spiders.”
The new species is a type of huntsman spider.
These spiders are known for having extremely long
legs. But scientists had never seen a huntsman spider
with legs as long as this one. The new species also lays
eggs that are much bigger than those of other
huntsman spiders.
To find out if the spider was really a new species,
the scientists couldn’t just rely on the video footage.
They had to collect specimens, or samples, to bring
back to their lab. But that was no easy task. The spider
has a venomous bite that can paralyze large prey—
including everything from birds to wild hogs. The
scientists wore protective masks, gloves, and suits,
and lured the spiders into a cage.
After two years of comparing the spiders with other
huntsman spiders, the scientists finally announced
that they had found a new species.
“It was thrilling to be that close to a new species,”
says Ruagliarella. “The fact that they are so dangerous
makes it even more exciting.”
OBERT PICKETT/VISUALS UNLIMITED, INC./GETTY IMAGES (SPIDER); ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/GETTY IMAGES (EGGS)
By Michelle Cullen Digrancesco
Twenty-two babies
hatched from eggs laid
by this mother “dragon.”
Monster Alert!
September 22, 2016
Baby “dragons” were born this summer in a cave in Europe.
An olm egg hatches in the
Postojna Cave.
his summer, a cave in Central Europe got a lot of attention when it became
home to more than two dozen baby dragons. These amphibians (animals
that begin life in the water and move onto land as adults) are actually
called olms. An olm is a type of salamander that looks like a dragon, which is how
it got its nickname. The birth of these creatures is an extremely rare event.
A female olm might lay eggs just once every six years. Excitement over the
possibility of new babies started in January, when the first egg was spotted deep
within the Postojna (post-oy-nah) Cave in Slovenia. In the end, with the help of
scientists, 22 olms were born between May 30 and July 14. They are now growing
into healthy teenage dragons.
Olms live in underwater limestone caves in Central Europe. These caves are
difficult to reach, so scientists don’t often get to observe olms in their natural
habitat (place where a type of animal usually lives).
“The fact that they are so mysterious makes them even more intriguing,” says
Sabina Paternost, a spokesperson for the researchers at Postojna Cave.
Olms, which can grow to be up to 16 inches long, are one of the world’s largest
cave animals. No natural light reaches these deep caves, so many animals that live
there can’t see. But olms have other special skills that help them survive. They use
their incredible senses of smell and hearing to hunt worms, crabs, and snails.
Olms can also survive without food for as long as 10 years.
When a female olm laid 64 eggs in the Postojna Cave last winter, scientists
thought that only two or three of them would hatch. The last time an olm laid eggs
at Postojna Cave, none of the eggs hatched. So this time, scientists worked very
hard to care for the olm eggs. About one-third of the baby olms survived, and they
appear to be doing well.
IZTOK MEDIA FOR POSTOJNA CAVE (ALL IMAGES)
T
By Jennifer Marino Walters
To be used with the March 27, 2017, issue
Edition 5/6
Name: ___________________________________________
Opinion Writing
Common Core W.1
Should Schools Ban Dyed Hair?
Read the debate on page 7 of this week’s issue of Scholastic News. It includes two sides of a debate
about whether schools should allow students to dye their hair unnatural colors. Identify arguments
that support each side and record them on the chart below.
© 2017 by Scholastic Inc. Teachers may make copies of this page to distribute to their students.
YES
Schools should ban dyed hair.
Schools should allow dyed hair.
NO
1. _______________________________________________
1. _______________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________
_________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Next, choose which side of the debate you agree with most. Write a persuasive paragraph that
aims to convince others of your point of view. In addition to your own ideas, be sure to include
details from the article.
www.scholastic.com/sn56
To be used with the March 27, 2017, issue
Edition 5/6
Name _______________________________ Date _________________________
Be a Quiz Whiz!
For each question below, fill in the circle next to the correct answer.
To the Rescue! Page 2
Don’t Be Fooled by Fake News! Pages 4-5
  1.The new law that passed in San Francisco is
intended to ___.
A reduce the number of animals in shelters
B convince people to adopt dogs instead of cats
C result in more puppy and kitten mills
opening in the city
D cause pet-shop owners to close their stores
  6.The article supports the idea that ___.
A most news shared on social media is fake
B most kids have a hard time identifying fake
news stories
C most websites with ads publish fake news
D fake news doesn’t influence adults
  3.Which detail supports the idea that some
puppy mills are “engaged in the practice of
churning out animals for profit”?
A “Many breeders take good care of their
animals.”
B “. . . they raise hundreds of animals at a time
in cramped, dirty spaces.”
C “Each year, shelters across the U.S. take in
more than 7 million dogs and cats.”
D “About 2.6 million of those animals don’t get
adopted and are put to sleep.”
The Future of Flight? Page 3
  4. Which statement is supported by the article?
A The Ehang 184 is not yet in use.
B The United Arab Emirates has banned the
use of drones.
C Drones can pick up multiple passengers on
one trip.
D Driverless vehicles make 25 percent of all
trips in Dubai.
  5.After flying for about 25 minutes at 60 miles
per hour, the Ehang 184 will ___.
A have traveled across the entire city of Dubai
B pick up its next passenger
C reach its destination
D need to be recharged
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  7.A person who is skeptical of what he or she
reads online would likely ___.
A share an outrageous story on social media
without checking its source
B avoid any website with ads
C search online to check the information in an
article that seems hard to believe
D trust only articles that are shared by friends or family
  8.What is Facebook planning to do to help
prevent the spread of fake news?
A work with fact-checking organizations to
flag fake news articles
B close users’ accounts if they share fake news
C remove all ads from the site
D allow only articles from The New York Times
and the Associated Press to be shared
A Big Deal Page 6
  9. The United States bought the land that is now
called Alaska from ___.
A England
B France
C Native Alaskans
D Russia
10.What was one reason that William Seward
wanted the U.S. to buy Alaska?
A It would make it easier for the U.S. to trade
with countries in Asia.
B Alaska had big oil and fishing industries.
C Large amounts of gold had been discovered
in Alaska.
D He wanted to prevent Russia from trading
with Canada.
© 2017 by Scholastic Inc. Teachers may make copies of this page to distribute to their students.
  2. You can infer that many dog and cat breeders
in San Francisco probably ___ the new law.
A supported
B opposed
C introduced
D sponsored
To be used with the March 27, 2017, issue
Edition 5/6
Name _________________________________ Date ____________
Close-Reading Questions
Refer to this week’s cover story, “Don’t Be Fooled By Fake News!” to respond to the questions below.
Reread the article to find details to support your answers. Remember to write in complete sentences.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How does the author support the claim that fake news articles may play a role in real-world events?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3. U
se information from the article to explain why someone might purposely publish an article that isn’t
true.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. How are some big websites working to stop the flow of fake news?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
5. W
hat role can you play in preventing the spread of fake news? Explain your answer using details from
the sidebar.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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© 2017 by Scholastic Inc. Teachers may make copies of this page to distribute to their students.
__________________________________________________________________________________________