September 17, 2007
The Sky's the Limit
Every Monday through Friday, News Snapshot features a newsworthy and provocative photo from The New York Times, along with the basic set of questions answered by journalists when relaying the news-- who, what, where, when, why and how.
PROCEDURES FOR CLASSROOM USE
Jason Cohn for The New York Times
WHO in the United States have ever seen a true dark sky, according to one expert?WHAT can visitors to Cherry Springs State Park see at night?WHERE is Cherry Springs? WHERE else in the United States can you go for stargazing?WHEN is Cherry Springs open? WHEN have you ever seen a spectacular night sky?WHY is Cherry Springs such a good spot for stargazing?HOW much does a visit cost? HOW much do you know about astronomy?PAST SNAPSHOTSArchive
1. Print out copies of the student handout for your class (1 per pupil).
2. Print out the teacher's page, which includes answers to the News Snapshot questions and a link to the related article.
3. Distribute the student's page, and ask students to use their knowledge of current events, the picture and the quotation as clues to answer the questions on the page.
4. Review the answers as a class.SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
There are many ways that you can extend the use of News Snapshots in your classroom. Try some of the suggested activities below:Read and discuss a New York Times article related to that day's Snapshot.Create a weekly News Snapshot bulletin board in the classroom.Use the Snapshots to create a weekly news quiz.Have each student select the most interesting News Snapshot from that week and follow the story for another week, creating a poster for the classroom using important photos, headlines and phrases from these news stories.Have each student create his or her own News Snapshot by choosing an interesting photograph from the newspaper, reading the related article, and creating a series of questions and answers based on the photograph. Students can also find Web sites related to the Snapshots chosen.