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TEACHING GUIDE & WORKSHEETS

OVERVIEW

By middle school age, young people are forming opinions about everything they encounter. With that in mind, WORLDteen chooses stories to broaden readers’ knowledge beyond just the events of their day-to-day lives, giving them more opportunity to apply thinking skills and discernment to the events of the greater world. WORLDteen stories are selected not simply for appealing content. Our editors look for news that gives opportunity to prompt response in readers, encouraging them to ask questions of their own, to apply biblical truth, and to consider ethical practices..

EACH TOPIC SECTION INCLUDES:

• Four unique stories (thirty-two online stories total; selected stories in print magazine)

• Photo slideshows with each online story (thirty-two total)

• One quiz for each topic (eight online quizzes total; one topic quiz in print magazine)

• Choice of printable worksheets included with teaching guide

DAILY NEWS SECTION:

• Online News Bytes section for breaking news each weekday

• News Bytes comments area for safe discussion of current events

RECOMMENDED PACING:

• Daily—Read the current online News Bytes stories and reader comments; optionally, add your own comments online.

• Weekly—Work through one topic section through the week: read all four stories online, ��VIWIEVGL�XLI�XSTMG�JYVXLIV��GSQQIRX�SRPMRI�[MXL�SXLIV�;471)XIIR�VIEHIVW��ERH�ǻRMWL� by taking the online quiz.

• Weekly—Complete your choice of printable worksheets (included with your teaching guide) to study a selected article or that week’s topic more thoroughly.

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1. Elisabeth and Jakob Reunited: Made to be together: A pair of Renaissance marriage portraits is reunited a!er 125 years. Who were Elisabeth and Jakob and why was this diptych important?.

2. Family Self-Tests for Science: In order to help scientists better understand how the coronavirus spreads, a family participates in a self-testing COVID-19 medical study—including the kids.

3. Airships Take the Stratosphere!: It’s Sceye in the sky! A tech company is floating a new sky-high, high-tech idea that looks a lot like an old one. .

4. America’s Two Feet: There’s a foot, and then there’s a foot . . . Did you know there are actually two slightly di"erent measurements for the standard foot? America could lose of them, and it’s about time.

EXPLAIN IT! QUIZ

1. A painting’s provenance __. a) explains the meaning behind the artwork b) shows the history of its ownership

2. What three things do the COVID-19 study participants have to do? a) answer a questionnaire weekly, do a nasal swab twice each month, collect a blood sample b) do a nasal swab weekly, answer a questionnaire twice per month, stay indoors

3. What will Sceye’s new blimp-like airships be used for? a) The floating aircra! will o"er a unique hotel-like experience for guests willing to pay a high price. b) The airships will improve communication, provide internet access, and monitor crops and weather.

4. How did the United States end up with two variations of the 12-inch measures called the “foot”? a) The first two presidents of the country disagreed about how long a foot should be, so they used two di"erent lengths. b) Someone decided to simplify the exact measurement of the U.S. foot. The new measurement became the international foot.

EXPLAIN IT! STORIES Check the box a!er reading each story, and then take the quiz.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER TEACHING GUIDE

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1. Anger and Forgiveness in Beirut: Thousands of pounds of explosives were stored for years in a Beirut port—until they exploded. Lebanese citizens wrestle with anger and forgiveness a!er the preventable blast.

2. Help Needed for Horses: Starvation threatens Morocco’s many carriage horses as tourism dwindles. There’s some help for the horses. What about for their owners?

3. Cyprus: Caught in the Middle: Tensions are rising surrounding the island nation of Cyprus. Greece-Turkey crisis talks include geography, global politics, and maritime law.

4. Meroe Pyramids in Danger: Two weeks of severe flooding in Africa threaten Sudan’s little-known ancient pyramids that belonged to the Kushite kings.

GLOBE TREK QUIZ

1. Foreign powers will o!er Lebanon aid if __. a) leaders make a new plan for governing that the Lebanese people agree with b) leaders pay back all the money they already owe

2. How many Moroccan families does one horse-drawn carriage typically support? a) one or two b) four to five

3. How is Cyprus caught in the middle of the Mediterranean conflict between Greece and Turkey? a) O"icials in Cyprus cannot decide whether to side with Greece or Turkey in the Syrian war in the Middle East. b) Both Greece and Turkey claim rule over parts or all of the island of Cyprus; plus, the island is located between the two countries.

4. The pyramids at Meroe were used as __. a) barricades to stop Nile flooding b) burial places for Kushite rulers

GLOBE TREK STORIES Check the box a!er reading each story, and then take the quiz.


1. Love and Chickens: In attempt to o"er not only a hand-out but a hand up, the Red Cross delivers help to war-torn Donetsk, Ukraine—in the form of live chickens.

2. Health Worth Investing In: When much of the world economy plummeted during the coronavirus restrictions, Dick’s Sporting Goods’ sales jumped thanks to consumers’ interest in physical activity.

3. Amazon’s E-Vehicle Buzz: Amazon delivers—but it also orders! This time, it’s ordering thousands of electric vehicles to lessen delivery costs. An order that size will also give a boost to a new industry.

4. Clams for Clams: Can clam diggers make enough clams to survive in New England? Experts say there are plenty of clams but not enough clammers.

KA-CHING! QUIZ

1. Why is the Red Cross giving out chickens in the Donetsk region of Ukraine? a) to lessen citizens’ dependence on outside aid and help people provide for themselves b) to encourage protein-starved residents to eat more eggs and poultry

2. Why did Dick’s sales grow during the second business quarter while many retailers saw shrinking sales? a) The pandemic shut the store down so Dick’s liquidated inventory online. b) People who couldn’t attend sports started buying more personal sports equipment.

3. How might “economies of scale” a!ect the EV industry? a) Since making more of a product lowers costs, automakers can pass savings along to consumers, increasing demand for the electric vehicles. b) The lighter weight of an all-electric vehicle could make e-cars and trucks more popular with consumers.

4. What di!iculty is the clamming industry currently facing? a) The number of clam diggers is dwindling. b) Shellfish in the Atlantic Ocean have tested positive for the coronavirus.

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KA-CHING! STORIES Check the box a!er reading each story, and then take the quiz.


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1. USPS Woes: On top of money trouble and the coronavirus, the USPS faces slowdowns in the face of a ballot onslaught.

2. Force Majeure: A Legal Forfeit: Under Armour claims force majeure—or act of God—to end a costly contract with UCLA. The big-bucks agreement just isn’t panning out in light of COVID-19 precautions.

3. Land Grabbers Gobble Up the Amazon: Finders keepers? Amazon land grabbers stake their claims on a Brazilian paradise—legal or not!

4. Cutting Hair Bias: Can “natural” hair texture be a bad thing? States are facing pressure to ban hairstyle bias that discriminates based on race and ethnicity.

LAW ’N ORDER QUIZ

1. How might a national mail delivery slowdown a!ect the November presidential election? a) People might not receive enough information in time to make an educated voting decision. b) A slowdown might keep people’s ballots from arriving in time to be counted.

2. Under what extreme cases may a contract be dissolved using a “force majeure” clause? a) unforeseen circumstances dubbed “acts of God” b) situations in which one party in the contract is making too much money

3. What is meant by the term “land grabbing”? a) refusing to leave land a!er failure to pay o" debts b) invading public land and obtaining documents to declare possession

4. Why are certain hairstyles becoming protected from discrimination under U.S. law? a) Hairstyles like locs and braids can be linked to race—therefore they should be protected. b) Employers and educators can be very unkind if they believe a hairstyle is unattractive.

LAW ’N ORDER STORIES Check the box a!er reading each story, and then take the quiz.


1. Big Beasts Bring Restoration: Conservationists are getting heavy-handed—or hooved, as the case may be. Big beasts are on the ground at a former Czech military base to help restore the damaged habitat there.

2. Italy’s Looming Glacier: A hanging Alpine glacier keeps moving, now at a noticeable rate. It brings needed water to surrounding communities—even as it threatens the valley below.

3. Lionfish Lockdown: They’re beautiful, but they don’t belong in these waters! So scientists test new traps to control the invasive and destructive lionfish population..

4. Of Mice and Muscles: “Here they come to save the day!” These “mighty mice” stay muscle-bound in space. And that discovery could hold promise for humans who want to endure long-term space travel.

MUD ROOM QUIZ

1. Tauros __. a) are genetically identical to aurochs and perform the same functions b) may have similar genes to aurochs and clear land like they did

2. Which of the following statements is true about glaciers? a) Glaciers form only in areas where temperatures vary greatly from hot to b) Glaciers move continuously because of their tremendous weight.

3. What kind of fencing is used in the lionfish trap Steven Gittings designed? a) crisscrossed lattice b) wire lobster fencing

4. What did researchers discover about muscle-bound mice in space? a) Mice in space can build or retain muscles by running a mile each day on an exercise wheel. b) A “mighty mouse” treatment blocks muscle-limiting proteins and lets mice keep or build muscles.

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MUD ROOM STORIES Check the box a!er reading each story, and then take the quiz.


1. Ruby Shines in Kids’ Book: Ruby Bridges went to school—with guards to protect her. Today, she is an adult, and she has written a book about her groundbreaking childhood..

2. Pretty as a Pixel: Pixel inventor Russell Kirsch changed the face of computer imaging. And it all started with a photograph of his infant son.

3. Single-Handed Specialist: Savannah Stuard is a respiratory therapist. She fights the coronavirus single-handedly—literally. But being born without one of her forearms doesn’t slow her down too much.

4. Don’t Let the Adult Lose the Fun!: Mo Willems is best known as a children’s book author. But his focus right now is helping adults enjoy and express their creativity too.

PEOPLE MOVER QUIZ

1. Ruby Bridges was __. a) a teacher who helped the first black children integrate into all-white U.S. schools b) the first black student to integrate an all-white school in the South

2. Russell Kirsch is famous for inventing what technology? a) He invented pixels for scanning and reproducing photos on a computer screen. b) He was the first person to create a virtual reality game and lightweight VR headsets.

3. Respiratory therapist Savannah Stuard works with COVID-19 patients. What is unusual about her work in the field? a) Stuard fell ill with the coronavirus herself and was unable to work for months. b) Stuard must work hard to do her job because she was born without a le! forearm.

4. What does author-illustrator Mo Willems lament about grown-ups? a) He wishes that parents and other adults would “appreciate the importance of hard work.” b) He bemoans that many adults “have lost their ability to be silly.”

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PEOPLE MOVER STORIES Check the box a!er reading each story, and then take the quiz.


1. Cotton Grows Colorful: What if cotton fibers came already colored—straight from the field? It could happen. Researchers have discovered a gene to produce colors in cotton bolls right on the plant!

2. Holograms Beam Home: Tired of video conversations? PORTL Inc takes conference calls up a notch with in-home holograms.

3. Smart Skin Gets Touchy: New artificial intelligence technology could allow prosthetics wearers to experience the sense of touch—just like they would with real skin!

4. Bricks to Batteries: How’s this for an energy storage device? A little chemistry turns ordinary bricks into smart-brick batteries!

PIE IN THE SKY QUIZ

1. Researchers Down Under are developing a way to grow what kind of special plant? a) a tobacco plant that produces fruit-flavored leaves b) a cotton plant the produces color cotton fibers

2. How much more detail of an image does holographic film capture compared to photographic film? a) thousands of times more detail b) twice the detail of a two-dimensional photo

3. ACES technology helps people with prosthetic limbs to __. a) use those limbs to run faster and li! heavier loads b) regain a sense of feeling or touch in the artificial appendage

4. Scientists have developed a brick that does what? a) air conditions buildings and supplies water b) stores energy and powers electronic devices

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PIE IN THE SKY STORIES Check the box a!er reading each story, and then take the quiz.


1. World’s Longest Yard Sale: Some people really do find treasure amid the trash. This mega-thri!ers’ adventure meanders over 600 miles through six states and draws big crowds.

2. The Mask and the Mask Makers: Wearable art reaches a whole new level! An Israeli jeweler is making a $1.5 million gold coronavirus mask. It functions too—despite being encrusted with jewels.

3. Incredible, Edible Art: Give your Christmas cookies a whole new look when you follow this Hungarian cookie artist’s methods.

4. Historic Wright Home Will Stand: Frank Lloyd Wright designed this Arizona home for his own son to live in. Now it has sold to buyers intending to preserve it.

POP! SMART QUIZ

1. What distinction belongs to the Highway 127 vendor event? a) World’s Longest Yard Sale b) America’s Most Popular Pastime

2. What are the jewelry designers at Yvel making using 3,600 diamonds and precious metal? a) a gold-and-diamond coronavirus mask b) a jeweled crown for Britain’s next monarch

3. Most of Judit CzinknÉ PoÓr’s cookies feature __. a) 3-D animals b) intricate Hungarian folk embroidery patterns

4. 4. What is the purpose of the spiral design of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Arizona desert house? a) The curved walls make better use of floor space for accommodating furniture. b) The spiral makes use of the region’s wind patterns to cool the home naturally.

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POP! SMART STORIES Check the box a!er reading each story, and then take the quiz.


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ANSWER KEY

Explain It! quiz: 1. b, 2. a, 3. b, 4. b

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Name:

Date: READER’S CHOICEDirections: Choose a WORLDteen article of particular interest to you. Explain why you chose it, something you learned from it, and how it connects to other things you know.

Article headline:

Topic area (e.g., People Mover or Mud Room):

Why I chose this article:

An interesting fact I learned from this article:

A connection I can make between this article and something else I’ve learned about (from personal experience, school, other people, reading, etc.):

WORKSHEET

Name:

Date: PROBLEM SOLVERDirections: Read a WORLDteen article. In the left-hand column below, note any problems or issues raised MR�XLI�EVXMGPI��.R�XLI�VMKLX�LERH�GSPYQR��[VMXI�HS[R�ER]�WSPYXMSRW�XLEX�[IVI�SǺIVIH��9RHIV�XLI�Ƹ2]�XLSYKLXWƹ�section, include any problems or solutions that weren’t included in the article but which you think should also be considered. Finally, explain how you think any one of these problems or solutions illustrates how the Bible instructs us to live.

Explain how any one of these problems or solutions illustrates biblical truths about daily living.

WORKSHEET

Problems:

My thoughts:

Solutions:

My thoughts:

Name:

Date:

PHOTO INTERPRETERDirections:��IPIGX�E�TLSXS�JVSQ�;471)XIIR��9WMRK�GSQTPIXI�WIRXIRGIW��ERW[IV�XLI�JSPPS[MRK�UYIWXMSRW�about the photo.

What is happening in the photo?

What do you see in the photo that led you to your answer?

Why did the editor include this photo in the article?

Does the photo appear to be staged or unplanned? What makes you think so?

Do you think the photo is an accurate portrayal of what happened? How does the photographer’s use of camera angle, composition, lighting, or other elements help convey the meaning?

What other elements in the photo do you notice, and why?

WORKSHEET

Name:

Date:

FACT OR OPINION?Directions: Select an article that interests you from WORLDteen. Read it carefully and then refer to it to answer the following questions.

List three facts or opinions found in the article and identify each as fact or opinion:

1. Fact or opinion?

2. Fact or opinion?

3. Fact or opinion?

When did this event take place, or does it concern a future event? Is the subject related to other past events or issues you know about? Explain.

What do you think might happen in the future as this story develops? Explain using complete sentences.

WORKSHEET

Name:

Date:

READ FOR DETAILDirections: Choose a WORLDteen article to read. In the left-hand column below, note any quote or other detail from the article that you think is especially important or interesting. In the right-hand column, explain what you noticed about it and if it raises any questions for you.

WORKSHEET

Interesting detail or quote from the article: Your observations and questions:

Name:

Date: SEE CAUSE AND EFFECTDirections:�5VEGXMGI�MHIRXMJ]MRK�XLI�GEYWIW�ERH�IǺIGXW�XLEX�EVI�VIPEXIH�XS�IZIRXW��IPIGX�E�;471)XIIR�EVXMGPI�XLEX�VITSVXW�SR�E�WTIGMǻG�IZIRX��.R�XLI�JSPPS[MRK�WTEGIW��MHIRXMJ]�XLVII�GEYWIW�ERH�XLVII�IǺIGXW�VIPEXIH�XS�XLMW�IZIRX��.J�WSQI�GEYWIW�ERH�IǺIGXW�EVIRƶX�WTIPPIH�SYX�MR�XLI�EVXMGPI��XLEXƶW�40��8LMRO�EFSYX�ERH�KYIWW�[LEX�WSQI�GEYWIW�QMKLX�FI��.R�XLI�WEQI�[E]��XV]�XS�TVIHMGX�WSQI�IǺIGXW�SJ�XLI�IZIRX�XLEX�QE]�RSX�FI�WXEXIH�MR�XLI�EVXMGPI�

(SRWMHIV�QSVI�XLER�NYWX�XLI�SFZMSYW�IPIQIRXW�MR�XLI�EVXMGPI��&VI�XLIVI�WTIGMǻG�GEYWIW�ERH�IǺIGXW�XLEX�demonstrate biblical principles —for example, sin, judgment, grace, or forgiveness?

WORKSHEET

Cause #1:

Cause #2:

Cause #3:

Effect #1:

Effect #2:

Effect #3:

Event:

Name:

Date:

BEFORE AND AFTERTitle of WORLDteen article:

Directions:�9WI�XLMW�GLEVX�XS�VIGSVH�]SYV�XLMROMRK�FIJSVI��HYVMRK��ERH�EJXIV�VIEHMRK�E�;471)XIIR�EVXMGPI��

��.R�XLI�Ƹ;LEX�.�ORS[ƹ�GSPYQR��PMWX�XLMRKW�]SY�EPVIEH]�ORS[�EFSYX�XLI�XSTMG�FIJSVI�]SY�VIEH�XLI�� article.

��.R�XLI�Ƹ;LEX�.�[ERX�XS�ORS[ƹ�GSPYQR��PMWX�UYIWXMSRW�XLEX�GSQI�XS�QMRH�IMXLIV�FIJSVI�SV�[LMPI� you read the article.

��.R�XLI�Ƹ;LEX�.�PIEVRIHƹ�GSPYQR��PMWX�JEGXW�]SY�PIEVRIH�JVSQ�XLI�EVXMGPI��.RGPYHI�ER]�ERW[IVW�XS� the questions you wrote down.

What I know: What I want to know: What I learned:

WORKSHEET

Name:

Date:

SIX QUESTIONS IN AN ARTICLEDirections: Read a WORLDteen article and look for answers to the questions that journalists use to tell a story—Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

Headline of article:

Topic area (e.g., People Mover or Mud Room):

Who was involved?

What happened?

When did it happen?

Where did it occur?

Why did it happen?

How did it happen?

(Extra credit: How does your knowledge of the Bible and biblical principles affect how you think about or respond to this story?)

WORKSHEET

Name:

Date:

WHY IS IT NEWS?Directions:�*HMXSVW�QYWX�QEOI�HIGMWMSRW�EFSYX�[LMGL�EVXMGPIW�XLI]�[MPP�TYFPMWL��8LIVI�EVI�QER]�VIEWSRW�[L]�some articles are published while others are not. Some of the most common reasons are listed below.

Choose three WORLDteen articles of particular interest to you and write their headlines below. After reading them carefully, mark an X beside each of the reasons you think that article was published.

Story headlines:

1.

2.

3.

WORKSHEET

1. 2. 3.

Timeliness—news that is happening or of interest to readers right now

Relevance—the story happened nearby or concerns local interest

Magnitude—the story is great in size or number

Unexpectedness—the story is unusual, or its events occurred without warning

ImpactƴXLI�RI[W�[MPP�EǺIGX�E�PEVKI�RYQFIV�SJ�VIEHIVW

Application—the news gives Christians an opportunity to consider how to apply faith principles to real life events

Reference to someone—the news is about a prominent person or personality

Oddity—the story is about a unique or unusual situation

&RQÀLFW—the story presents a major struggle in the news

Negative—the story tells bad news that may have more interest than good news

Continuity—the report is a follow-up or continuation to a story that has been in the news

EmotionsƴXLI�RI[W�SǺIVW�ER�IQSXMSREP�ERKPI�XLEX�MRGVIEWIW�MRXIVIWX�MR�E�WXSV]

Progress—the news reveals hope, new achievement, new improvements

Name:

Date:

STORY STARTERDirections:�{ĜÏĩ�±�ŸƋŅųƼ�üųŅĵ��k�X%�ååĹ×

Where does the story take place? What is the setting like?

Imagine some more details about the setting that aren’t mentioned in the story. Be creative. What other details might you add?

Who or what is the main character in the story? This might be a person, company, animal, or weather event.

What did the main charater do?

Imagine: What do you think was the character’s motivation (reason for behaving that way)?

Imagine: What problems might the main character have had to overcome?

Fiction writers often are inspired to write by real-life events. You can do the same! On another piece of paper, write a new paragraph, story, or poem inspired by the character, setting, or other details you imagined.

WORKSHEET

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