February 2025

noun

a wild and natural area where few people live

Jesse and his dad camped in the wilderness every summer.

adjective

separate or far away from others

We saw an isolated cabin on our hike through the woods.

adjective

causing a large amount of damage

Hurricanes can be extremely destructive to homes and neighborhoods.

adjective

strongly and violently

A wolverine will guard its food fiercely.

verb

fall apart into small pieces

The ice started to crumble into the sea.

noun

pieces of something that has been destroyed

They tore down the old school building, leaving debris on the street.

adjective

fallen down

After the storm, people needed to clear the remains of the collapsed buildings.

• The story takes place in the year 1964. 

• Most of the events in the story take place in a town in Alaska called Valdez. 

• In 1964, Valdez was a very small and quiet town. It was more likely for residents to see wild animals (like bears, moose, and whales) than people.

• Alaska became a U.S. state in 1959.

• Most of Alaska was, and still is, wilderness. The state is home to eight national parks. Hundreds of thousands of people visit these parks every year! 

• From towering snow-capped mountains to huge, shiny lakes, Alaska’s parks are full of natural wonders that are famous around the world. 

• This photo shows Alaska’s Denali National Park.

• Earthquakes are caused by movements deep below Earth’s surface.

• Few forces in nature are as destructive as a strong earthquake.

• Most big quakes last between 10 and 30 seconds. The strongest ones can last for several minutes.

• ​​When earthquakes happen under an ocean, they often cause huge waves called tsunamis (soo-NAH-meez). 

• Tsunamis can be up to 100 feet tall!

• More earthquakes happen in Alaska than in any other state in the U.S. 

• Earthquakes are just part of life for some people in Alaska.

• Some earthquakes are small and quick. Others, like the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964, can be devastating. 

• This story features a 12-year-old boy named Tom Gilson who was caught in the middle of the Great Alaska Earthquake. 

• The story also features Tom’s friends and family. 

• Tom is in his 70s now. He knows he was lucky to have survived the most powerful earthquake in U.S. history. 

• Read the story to learn more . . .

noun

a doctor for animals

Buddy has an appointment with the veterinarian for his broken paw.

noun

an open piece of land that has no trees or bushes

We love playing soccer in the clearing.

verb

move quickly

It's common for squirrels to scurry across the road looking for acorns.

noun

a hole or tunnel dug by an animal

A baby chipmunk pops its head out of a burrow looking for its mom.

verb

admitted that you did something wrong

Layla confessed to her mom that she had lied about finishing her math homework.

verb

fly high

Tyler is excited to see his kite soar through the sky.

verb

moving smoothly

Eagles find food while gliding high in the air.

adjective

tasty

Kara enjoyed a scrumptious ice cream cone with her dad.

verb

talking

Ellie and her friends love conversing while drawing together.

My mom would read us Panchatantra stories when we were very young, and my grandparents would tell us these stories when we would visit India. Many of these stories were published in a collection of books that were in the format of comics. I still have many of them today!

It was great that I was familiar with the play, which made it easier for me to adapt the original fable. I read through the original version a few times and then created an outline of where the turtle started, who he encountered and his journey of learning about how to become a better listener.

I really loved developing each character! It was a lot of fun writing lines where Turtle kept interrupting his friends and creating a wonderful cast of characters. My favorite character is Crocodile – I don’t want to join her for lunch!

Writing a play is just like writing any story. You have a beginning, middle and end and a cast of characters. What makes a play different is that you have to remember that it will be performed – hopefully live! So, try to think of how the characters will move and act, any facial expressions or gestures that would help the audience to better understand the characters and the story. If you can, get your friends to act out your play with you.

noun

series of movements practiced and then repeated in a performance

Tiyana practiced her figure skating routines.

adjective

very disappointed or upset

Luis was devastated that he didn't score in his soccer game.