Articles

Opinion

Should Grades Be Eliminated?

September 27, 2017

Some schools are giving letter grades an F. In their place, students will get detailed progress reports. Critics argue that grades don’t say much about which skills a student has mastered. That C in math could mean you’re struggling with…

Technology

Eyes on the Road

September 26, 2017

Austin Russell hops on a motorized cart. He speeds through a huge building in California. He passes a mannequin, a tire, and a coworker on a bicycle. They are all part of a demonstration. He wants to show how well…

Arts

The Music Maker

September 25, 2017

Yannick Nézet-Séguin (pronounced nay-ZAY say- GHEN) conducted some of the world’s most prominent orchestras before joining the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2012, at the age of 37. He has become famous for his youthful energy, and for his passion for getting…

Technology

Virtual Learning

September 25, 2017

Imagine flying through space, diving deep under the sea, and traveling the world. With virtual reality (VR), students don’t need to imagine it. They can experience it without leaving their classroom. Google is creating VR for students. It launched Google…

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World

Irma's Wrath

September 20, 2017

Millions of people are recovering from Hurricane Irma. The storm slammed several Caribbean islands. It also hit the southern coast of the U.S. Irma made landfall on the island of Barbuda on September 6. Then it moved north and west. …

Technology

Schools Go Solar

September 20, 2017

There are lots of trees near the schools in Sheridan, Indiana. Their leaves soak up sunlight, which they turn into energy. The sun fuels more than just plants, in Sheridan. It keeps schools running, too. School solar panels turn the…

Video

United States

A Busy Congress

September 19, 2017

Congress returned to work on September 5. Lawmakers had been on a five-week summer recess. The House of Representatives and the Senate must address some major issues before the end of the year. They include aid for hurricane victims, funding…

Opinion

Our Common Humanity

September 19, 2017

Susanna Schrobsdorff is an editor and columnist at TIME. Here, she shares her view of how lessons from Hurricane Harvey could help heal the country. We’ve all been thinking about how to help Texas after Hurricane Harvey. But after watching…

United States

Crime Fighters

September 18, 2017

TFK visits an FBI facility to watch its agents in action. Seven FBI agents search a house. A criminal suspect is hiding in a bedroom. The agents send in a small, remote-controlled robot. It scans the path ahead. The robot…

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Time Off

Meet Our Kid Reporters

September 13, 2017

This year’s TFK Kid Reporters were chosen from 300 applicants in a nationwide competition. The crew will report on local and national news for TFK. Here are some fun facts about our newest reporters. Want to be a TFK Kid…

Video

Science

Uncovering the Past

September 13, 2017

Dinosaurs are long gone. But scientists keep finding new types of the creatures. Two recent discoveries are helping experts better understand North America’s distant past. In May, a 110-million-year-old fossil went on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, in Alberta,…

Video

World

TFK Explains: North Korea

September 12, 2017

North Korea has been in the news lately. The country’s leader has been testing weapons. Here’s what you need to know about what’s happening. North Korea recently tested weapons. Why? North Korea has one of the world’s largest armies. The…

Science

What's Up, Dog?

September 11, 2017

A 3-year-old pit-bull mix named Ninja trots into the lab. She sees the MRI, a coffin-like machine. She leaps happily onto the table. Ninja has been trained to sit still in the MRI. This lets neuroscientist Gregory Berns peer into…

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Text Sets

From Apollo 11 to Now Video

September 9, 2017

Watch this video to introduce the Space Exploration Text Set

Video

Text Sets

Tracing The Journey Video

September 9, 2017

Watch this video as an optional extension activity for the refugee text set.

Video

Opinion

Guard Your Privacy

September 7, 2017

Jay Stanley works on the speech, privacy, and technology project at the American Civil Liberties Union. Here, he explains why we must protect our privacy when using new technology. Many new toys and products include microphones and cameras. They can…

Technology

Helping Others

September 6, 2017

If you see a problem, you should find a solution. That is what Alex Knoll, 12, from Post Falls, Idaho, thinks. One day, he noticed a man struggling to open a heavy door. The man was in a wheelchair. “I…

Video

United States

Surviving the Storm

September 1, 2017

Houston is the fourth-largest city in America. It is home to 2.1 million people. And it is underwater. Hurricane Harvey roared out of the Gulf of Mexico on August 25. It made landfall in southeast Texas. It hit as…

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Protesters gather in Boston on August 19 to rally against white supremacists and racists

United States

Marching Against Hate

August 21, 2017

Thousands of counterprotesters marched through Boston on August 18. It was in response to a “free speech” rally that took place one week after deadly clashes erupted at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. That rally was organized to…

Arts

For the Love of Reading

August 21, 2017

Andrew Clements achieved success as an author in 1996, when his first children’s novel, Frindle, was published. Since then, the book has sold more than 6 million copies and won more than 20 awards. Clements has written dozens of additional…