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Crystal Ball

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Crystal Ball

Use your imagination to write the opening of a short story or poem inspired by this illustration, or describe a memory from your own life that this image makes you think of.

Tell us in the comments, and then read the related article to learn more.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Picture Prompts here.

Word of the Day: anaphylactic

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Word of the Day: anaphylactic

The word anaphylactic has appeared in six articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Jan. 6 in “In Africa, Danger Slithers Through Homes and Fields” by Apoorva Mandavilli:

Along with the desired antibodies, antivenom may contain horse or camel proteins that can set off harsh allergic reactions when injected directly into veins.

Dennis Kitheka, 3, arrived at Kitui County Referral Hospital at 2 a.m. the November night he was bitten on his arm as he slept. At 11 a.m., he was put on an antivenom drip but had an anaphylactic reaction, forcing the doctors to stop treatment.

Can you correctly use the word anaphylactic in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

If you want a better idea of how anaphylactic can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.

If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

What’s Going On in This Picture? | March 3, 2025

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What’s Going On in This Picture? | March 3, 2025

1. After looking closely at the image above (or at the full-size image), think about these three questions:

2. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment, although teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students have to say.)

3. After you have posted, try reading back to see what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting another comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.

Each Monday, our collaborator, Visual Thinking Strategies, will facilitate a discussion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time by paraphrasing comments and linking to responses to help students’ understanding go deeper. You might use their responses as models for your own.

4. On Thursday afternoons, we will reveal at the bottom of this post more information about the photo. How does reading the caption and learning its back story help you see the image differently?

We’ll post more information here on Thursday afternoon. Stay tuned!

More?

• See all images in this series or slide shows of 40 of our favorite images — or 40 more.

• Learn more about this feature in this video, and discover how and why other teachers are using it in their classrooms in our on-demand webinar.

• Find out how teachers can be trained in the Visual Thinking Strategies facilitation method.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

What’s Going On in This Graph? | March 5, 2025

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What’s Going On in This Graph? | March 5, 2025

The graph above, about kindergarten measles vaccination rates, was published in The New York Times on Jan. 13, 2025.

Measles has been in the news lately because of outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico. Dani Blum, a health reporter for The New York Times, writes about how people can try to stay safe:

Measles outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico are fueling concerns about the rapid spread of the highly contagious virus.

There have been more than 100 measles cases in the United States so far this year, compared to 285 cases in all of 2024. And health officials have warned that they expect more people to fall ill.

The outbreaks come as the rate of childhood vaccinations, including against measles, have fallen. Most of the measles cases in recent outbreaks have been among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. Many have been young children, who are at particularly high risk. An unvaccinated child died in Texas from measles, health officials reported Wednesday.

Vaccines are the most effective tools to combat measles. Breakthrough cases — infections among the vaccinated — are extremely rare. But as outbreaks spread, it’s important to review your own vaccination status and make sure you are properly protected.

1. After looking closely at the graph above (or at this full-size image), answer these four questions:

  • What do you notice?

  • What do you wonder?

The questions are intended to build on one another, so try to answer them in order.

2. Next, join the conversation online by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box. (Teachers of students younger than 13 are welcome to post their students’ responses.)

3. Below the response box, there is an option to click on “Email me when my comment is published.” This sends the link to your response which you can share with your teacher.

4. After you have posted, read what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting a comment. Use the “Reply” button to address that student directly.

On Wednesday, March 5, teachers from our collaborator, the American Statistical Association, will facilitate this discussion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time.

5. By Friday morning, March 7, we will reveal more information about the graph, including a free link to the article that includes this graph, at the bottom of this post. We encourage you to post additional comments based on the article, possibly using statistical terms defined in the Stat Nuggets.

We’ll post more information here by Friday morning. Stay tuned!

More?

• See all graphs in this series or collections of 75 of our favorite graphs, 28 graphs that teach about inequality and 24 graphs about climate change.

• View our archives that link to all past releases, organized by topic, graph type and Stat Nugget.

• Learn more about the notice and wonder teaching strategy from this 5-minute video and how and why other teachers are using this strategy from our on-demand webinar.

• Sign up for our free weekly Learning Network newsletter so you never miss a graph. Graphs are always released by the Friday before the Wednesday live moderation to give teachers time to plan ahead.

• Go to the American Statistical Association K-12 website, which includes teacher statistics resources, Census in the Schools student-generated data, professional development opportunities, and more.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

What Students Are Saying About A.I. and the Future of Work

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What Students Are Saying About A.I. and the Future of Work

Please note: Student comments have been lightly edited for length and clarity, but otherwise appear as they were originally submitted.

_________

As a person planning to major in computer science, I am worried about AI taking over human jobs. Tech jobs are one of the most vulnerable to being replaced by AI, as they involve repetitive logical tasks which can be easily done by AI. I always fear that this would make my future degree useless, making me more inclined to think about majoring in math in college. Entering my senior year, I feel both excited and anxious for college, as I have always been passionate about tech since middle school, but with the sudden emergence of AI replacing the need to have people working in tech, I don’t feel that I can get a job.

— Soha, Gbw

I am nervous because, in just a few years, artificial intelligence will be smarter and more efficient than humans. Employers in the future will be more likely to choose robots that work full time, don’t take lunch breaks, are almost always right, and don’t need to be paid, over humans who need to be paid, require breaks, complain, and sometimes make errors in their work. I am fearful that by the time I go to college and am ready to start a real job, there will be nowhere for me to work as human employers will be replaced with AI. As a result, I need to do my research and go into a field that is not vulnerable to automation.

— Audrey, New York

As a teenager in this age I am worried that after spending money to attend college and working hard in school, I will be unable to get a job due to AI taking over. It seems that so many jobs are going to be replaced by robots. As my Spanish teacher demonstrated, AI can take the jobs of teachers. Furthermore, with the images AI can create, jobs in marketing and digital design might also be taken. It seems that engineering might be the way to go due to that career is what makes AI possible. Overall I think it is sad that AI is slowly taking away jobs and will make it harder on my generation and the generation after mine to find good jobs.

— Sophia, Glenbard West hs

As artificial intelligence grows, it will become capable of performing jobs normally operated by people, such as taking orders. The kiosk has been growing significantly over the past years, and many workers for companies such as McDonalds have been replaced by the alternative of the kiosk. This is alarming because if AI can take over industries such as fast food, it can take over jobs from any of us.

— Peter, Hilton Head Prep

What Really Motivates Technical (And Non-Technical) Teams

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What Really Motivates Technical (And Non-Technical) Teams

What’s the difference between a leader and a manager?

It’s simple. Managers manage, and leaders inspire — and when you want to get the most from your team, you’ll need to do both. But how?

Keeping people motivated and inspired is tricky. Different teams require different approaches, and you’ll need to connect with each of your team members to figure out what really gets them going.

Still, there are a few general best practices that you can apply to get the ball rolling. Below we’ve consolidated our top 3:

1. Training and growth opportunities

Research shows that training and development opportunities really pay off with technical teams — providing them boosts in motivation, engagement, and even retention. According to 2024 Skillsoft IT Skills & Salary Report, 48% of respondents claim training makes them more engaged in their work. Those employers who upskill or reskill from within their organization are also seeing positive benefits: team morale is improved (60%), greater innovation (55%), and improved talent retention and customer satisfaction (49%), to name just a few. 

It makes sense. New tools and updates come out every day, and developers need continuing education to keep their skills sharp and progress in their careers.

Not sure how to make this a reality? Consider investing in resources like Codecademy Teams that’ll let your team dive deep into their preferred programming languages and libraries and their various functions. There are also offerings that enable easy training management by allowing you to customize your team’s curriculum and assign content to individuals and groups to ensure they’re learning the right skills.

Try Codecademy Teams for free

But there’s more to professional development than technical training. Soft skills like leadership, presentation, and effective communication are just as essential. Check out our catalog of professional skills courses to get better at communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and leadership.

Try encouraging your team to find opportunities to practice their soft skills. Internally, this could look like lightning talks or brown bags. Externally, the programming community is always rife with opportunities to share new knowledge.

Professional events and conferences are a great way to hone soft skills, and contributing to one will also help the people on your team develop their personal brands. Plus, if your company offers stipends for professional development, they can be used to cover the cost of attendance.

2. Purpose and recognition

Another way to get your team excited about what they’re doing is to make sure they understand the purpose.

The first step? Be transparent. How well does your team understand your decision-making process? When communicating objectives, are you explaining the logic behind them or just disseminating information from the top down?

Then, try connecting each of your team members’ work to real, positive outcomes. Show them that they’re making a difference and that their work has value beyond profits and revenue.

On that note, you’ll also want to make sure they feel appropriately challenged with their day-to-day work. As your team progresses through their technical training, give them new and exciting projects that put their skills to good use. Repetitive tasks can be tedious, and people might explore other options if they feel undervalued or underutilized.

Even so, that doesn’t mean you should drop all of your most challenging projects in one person’s lap. Balance people’s workloads so they’re easy enough to grasp but challenging enough to put their skills to the test. Bonus points if you include enough time for passion projects — more on that below.

Public recognition also goes a long way toward keeping teams motivated. If you haven’t already, consider adding an extra 10 minutes to your weekly meetings to shout out individual and team accomplishments. Not only will this help them feel appreciated, but it might also inspire their teammates. Who doesn’t want a pat on the back for a job well done?

3. Autonomy and creativity

Studies show that autonomy can be quite the motivating factor. Giving your team a little ownership over their work can lead to improvements in everything from performance to job satisfaction. But what does autonomy actually look like?

In truth, it takes many forms. Remote and hybrid work have skyrocketed over the past two years, and giving your team the option to work from home can help boost engagement and productivity.

You can also try giving your team a little freedom. Showcase your trust in their capabilities and judgment.

On a small level, this might involve allowing them to take on any interesting tasks in the backlog between bigger projects. On a larger scale, you could give them more flexibility in their work. Instead of delegating each step of every project, try explaining its objectives and criteria and see what they come up with. Not only will this help give them more ownership over their work, but it’ll also give them the chance to innovate and be creative.

Creativity is another key to keeping your team motivated. People aren’t machines. Give them a little room to play.

This could include ensuring everyone has enough time for passion projects — projects that, while less essential for organizational objectives, are fun and exciting for your team. Or, you could even host a hackathon.

Fostering creativity in the workplace is an excellent motivator, and studies show that it can improve your team’s problem-solving ability and collaboration skills.

A little inspiration goes a long way

These tips will come in handy the next time you’re trying to find a way to inspire your team, but as we said earlier, different approaches work for different people.

If you really want to light a fire under your team, connect with each member and identify their motivations, goals, and interests. You’ll have enough information to develop a more cohesive approach afterward, but just having the conversation is a great first step.

This blog was originally published in December 2021, and has been updated to include additional tips and recent statistics.

Lesson Plan: Trump’s Tariffs

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Lesson Plan: Trump’s Tariffs

Trade policy and tariffs are complicated. And the way our system of global trade works is also complicated — and imperfect. Democrats don’t always agree with one another, and neither do Republicans. And even within the Trump administration, different advisers have different opinions.

Mr. Trump’s aggressive use — or threats — of tariffs in the first weeks of his second term raises important, complex policy questions. Choose one or more of the following questions to research and then answer and discuss:

  • Should the United States and the world be moving closer to free trade or away from it? Why?

  • Should the United States increase tariffs to protect its own industries and to match the tariffs that other countries impose on the United States? Or should it work to try to lower trade barriers?

  • Should the United States treat longstanding allies, like Canada, Mexico and Europe, with the same approach as adversarial nations, like China and Russia?

  • Should the United States use the threat of tariffs to pressure other countries on issues unrelated to trade — the way Mr. Trump recently did when he threatened Colombia with a 50 percent tariff because of immigration policy?

The New York Times has been covering the issue of tariffs extensively in its news and Opinion sections. Here are some pieces that address the questions above. You can find more relevant coverage in The Times here.

Opinion | “Trump Isn’t the Only One to Blame for the Tariff Mess”
By Mary E. Lovely, an economist and expert on trade

What Mr. Trump is doing with tariffs is a result of a lost consensus about how the United States should interact with other countries in the global economy. He is stepping into that vacuum, filling it with the unrestrained and autocratic use of import taxes, moves that appear to be based on whim rather than on U.S. trade law. Arbitrary trade policy of this kind reduces American influence abroad; harms working Americans, who often ultimately pay these import taxes; and makes the U.S. manufacturing sector less attractive to investors.

Opinion | “Retaliation Against Canada Won’t Work This Time”
By Chrystia Freeland, a member of the Canadian Parliament

A 25 percent tariff on Canadian aluminum is an act of self-harm — economic self-mutilation — by the United States.

Opinion | “Want Free Trade? May I Introduce You to the Tariff.”
By Robert E. Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative in the first Trump administration

The international trading system has failed America and many other countries around the world. No one has done more than President Trump to bring attention to this broad failure.

Opinion | “Who Pays Tariffs? And How Do We Know?”
By Paul Krugman, a New York Times Opinion columnist

So who would pay the tariffs that Trump will almost surely impose if he wins? Not China or foreigners in general. Everything says that the burden would fall on Americans, mainly the working class and the poor.

The Daily | “A Conversation With the Architect of Trump’s New Trade War”
A conversation with Peter Navarro, a senior White House adviser

During less than a month in office, President Trump has pursued more trade actions against adversaries and allies than all the trade measures he took in his entire first four-year term. There is one man guiding it all: his trade adviser Peter Navarro.

Ana Swanson, who covers trade and international economics for The Times, explains why Mr. Navarro thinks tariffs will usher in a new age of American prosperity.

News Analysis | “How Trump’s One-for-One Tariff Plan Threatens the Global Economy”
By Peter S. Goodman, New York Times reporter covering the global economy

The world economy was already grappling with a perplexing assortment of variables, from geopolitical conflicts and a slowdown in China to the evolving complexities of climate change. Then, President Trump unleashed a plan to uproot decades of trade policy.

In starting a process to impose so-called reciprocal tariffs on American trading partners, Mr. Trump increased volatility for international businesses. He broadened the scope of his unfolding trade war.

5. This lesson plan was published in late February 2025. What developments have there been with the Trump administration’s tariff policy since then?

Follow the news. You can find the latest Times articles related to tariffs here.

What a Trade Deficit Means (Council on Foreign Relations)

What Gets in the Way of Free Trade? (Council on Foreign Relations)

Watch: ‘Christmas, Every Day’

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Watch: ‘Christmas, Every Day’

“Hey, guys. So I’m doing a Green Girl Goods unboxing video. And Green Girl is for tweens, and it is, like, skincare and makeup and all those kinds of things. And it’s a yearly thing. You get four boxes a year. It’s seasonally. So let’s open it. This is the winter box. The straw is really pretty. It’s like this metallic color. I love it. Then it comes with a straw cleaner, so you, like, can get all the stuff out of it or whatever. And then the little notes are super cute. I love them. And then the lip gloss. It’s, like, a matte color, but it’s, like, glossy. And that’s what it looks like. It’s so pretty and I’m so excited to use it. So come back for a Part 2 when I use all of this stuff. Bye, guys. Muah. OK.” [HIGH ENERGY MUSIC] [COWS MOOING] “Going to do a full face or just a half face? What are you doing?” “Like natural, full face.” “OK.” “So.” “Let’s knock out your pictures real quick, Peyton. You can stand right there.” “Do I need to brush my hair?” “Yes. That top’s cute. All right. When we go outside we’ll use the big camera. OK.” “What do we have to do after this one?” “Y’all got the other two dresses, but I think we need to go downtown to do those.” “And then is that —” “That’s it till the bike.” “OK.” “That’s it. There’s nothing else in the laundry room, is there?” “Mm-mm.” “Nita was supposed to come in, but I don’t know if it’s here yet. Oh, my God, Peyton.” [HIGH ENERGY MUSIC] “I messed up.” “Me, too.” “All right, speed it up.” “Lyla, can you see my face?” “No. Can you see mine?” “No.” “Look, this is my facial expression.” “No facial expression.” “What?” “Nothing.” “You look so magical like that. You look so majestic.” “Majestic? Do you even know what majestic means?” “Yeah, it’s like unicorns.” “Ow! God, that hurts in the cold. Don’t do that.” “Ow!” “OK, Let’s try again.” “Ow, I’m scared now.” “Lyla.” [VIDEOS PLAYING] “Ninety-second makeup tutorial, coming up.” “Start with a versatile cream product.” “Get ready with me while we try Hailey Bieber’s makeup routine.” “If you care about your skin or your hair, you’re going to want to get this Amazon Basics satin pillowcase.” “Get ready with me to go to the gym.” “You’re doing makeup to go to the gym?” “Yep, I am. 2023 is the year of doing what makes you happy.” “Perfect, I’m going to use this eyebrow pencil. And this is in Shade 3, which is kind of like the ashy, gray-brown that my eyebrows are right now.” “I’m simply just —” “Hi, guys, get ready with me —” “What I eat as a vegan model in Korea: leaves. [INAUDIBLE] leaves.” “You love it.” “Guess what?” “OK, let’s do it.” Bring the arms down here. Let’s go. One right, one left. Four, three, two, on beat. … work, dedication, practice. Come on … We’re doing a Valentine’s Day ride. Catch this beat on the right lead leg.” “This workout is so fun, and I’m so excited to do all the other ones.” “Bring your hands up.” “So today we’re going to be opening this Yesoul bike.” “OK.” “And a little bit of highlighter. Muah.” “And for sparkles I’m going to be using some of these ones.” “There’s hundreds of thousands of kids their age and even older that are … have their careers completely established, through advertisements and being influencers, and I’m kind of hoping that they can do the same thing.” “YouTube, especially.” “Give them freedom to just live their lives the way they want and not have to worry about going to a 9-to-5 or working a daily job. If they can just generate passive income, that’s, like, everybody’s dream, right, is to be able to do what you want and not have to worry about having to go and earn the money every single day at a 9-to-5 job, hourly rate or whatever.” “They can be their own boss.” “Right, exactly.” “By being an influencer. And enjoy it.” “Yeah, we get UPS packages every single day. There’s somebody sending something for them to try on or wear or demo.” “Whether it’s a supporter or a company or somebody.” “Or fans.” “Or fans or something.” “It’s like Christmas every day.” “For them.” Yeah.” “It’s Christmas every day. [KNOCKING] “Everyone, it’s my birthday.” [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] “How I went from this to this in just two weeks.” “Then, of course, using a [INAUDIBLE] mascara, the best mascara ever. I promise you guys, you will not be disappointed. And I absolutely love the way this turned out. I think it was exactly —” “I would say to girls our age to always be confident, never let anyone …” “Bring you down.” “Bring you down. Always be strong and happy. And yeah.” “I said that.” “I guess I just always stay positive because, like, other inspiring people that we look up to …” “Other people inspire us to be confident. So we try to inspire others to be confident, too.” “Yeah.” And do you feel like making yourself up or things like that make you feel more confident? “Sometimes.” “Sometimes it does.” “When I like, put dresses on and, like, cute shoes or fix my hair.” “It’s really fun.” “It makes me confident, but I’m also confident, like when I’m like …” “Just regular.” “Yeah.” “So.” “In regular clothes.” “Just depends.” Do you feel like it puts pressure on you to have all these followers? People who look up to you? “It’s a little pressure, but it’s not much pressure because —” “They’re like our friends. Like, it feels like we know them because they’ve been following us for, like, a long time. So, yeah.” “Yeah, it’s really good.” “It doesn’t really make me, like, nervous.” “I’m so tired.” “Me, too.” “Hey, guys. So today we are going to be unboxing our Ruby crate. So it’s toward tweens and teens.” “And there’s four boxes you can get. So the first thing we got is this cute little fanny pack, and I’m super excited about it.” “And then we both got this pink chocolate mask.”

New on Coursera, Google Agile Essentials course helps professionals deliver projects and results faster

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New on Coursera, Google Agile Essentials course helps professionals deliver projects and results faster

By Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer, Coursera

Today, Google Agile Essentials is available on Coursera to help professionals across industries manage projects more strategically and efficiently. 

Amid a rapidly changing skills landscape, Agile methodology remains vital, with nearly every company in a recent BCG survey adopting it. First used in software development, Agile is an iterative approach to project management that emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, and continuous improvement, enabling teams to adapt quickly and deliver results. Its enduring demand and proven productivity gains make it an essential skill across teams and organizations. 

In less than 10 hours, seasoned experts at Google guide learners through the Agile framework and how to apply it in real-world projects. In this standalone course, learners will gain practical skills to:

  • Use Agile principles and the Scrum framework to streamline workflows
  • Organize complex projects into clear, actionable steps and prioritize key tasks 
  • Optimize sprints to improve team alignment and productivity
  • Leverage Agile tools and documentation to keep projects on track 
  • Lead high-performing agile teams using proven collaboration techniques

Upon completion, learners will earn a shareable course certificate from Google, showcasing their agile expertise.

Companies that adopt can adapt 2-4x faster than traditional companies, making these skills increasingly valuable. We’re proud to partner with Google to equip professionals with the frameworks needed to lead with agility and speed. 

Enroll in the Google Agile Essentials course to start driving impact with Agile today!

What Would You Try to Save From Your Home in a Disaster?

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What Would You Try to Save From Your Home in a Disaster?

Imagine you suddenly have to flee your house and must make split-second decisions about what to save. What would you take and why? A framed photo? A family heirloom? A favorite souvenir, memento or trophy? A religious object? Some jewelry? Clothes? Your phone or computer?

For many people who survived the recent fires in Southern California, this was not a hypothetical question, but a painful reality.

In “What They Took,” New York Times editors share six stories from survivors of the Palisades and Eaton fires about what items they rescued from their homes and why they matter. Here is one of those stories — about Clarence Wright of Altadena, Calif., written by Ronda Kaysen:

After Clarence Wright fled his Altadena home and learned that it had been destroyed, he mourned the poems he had lost.

In spiral-bound notebooks, he had chronicled the lives of his children, explored his political leanings and mused about romance, friendship or a stranger at the airport.

The only poems he had left, he thought, were in three copies of a collection that he self-published 20 years ago. He had long kept those in his car so that he could reread his work on trips to the beach or the mountains.

“I would like to remind myself of who I am and who I was and where I came from,” said Mr. Wright, 75, who lived in his three-bedroom house for 40 years, raising four of his children alone after his wife died at an early age.

But as the fog of crisis recently lifted, he remembered that his spiral-bound notebooks might have survived after all.

It turned out that they were in a backpack that he had grabbed in the frantic early morning evacuation. The backpack had been sitting in his trunk for weeks.

“I was relieved because I thought that everything that I’d ever done would not exist anymore,” he said.

For Mr. Wright, the fire and its aftermath have resurfaced painful memories of his time as a Marine in Vietnam. He is now working on a new poem to make sense of those feelings after his home and community were destroyed.

“It brings out sort of an anger,” he said. “But in order to control that anger, I put it in words.”

— Ronda Kaysen

Students, read the entire article and then tell us:

  • If your home were in danger and you could only save a few treasured possessions, what would they be?

  • What story do the objects tell about you?

  • What’s your reaction to the objects — and animals — saved by the families in the article? Which items — and the stories of their rescue — were most interesting, memorable or moving?

  • For some students, the following question may not be hypothetical: Have you ever faced a natural disaster like a fire, flood or tornado — or a human-made disaster like a war — when you had to abandon your home quickly? What was your experience? Were you able to save any meaningful items, like the people profiled in these six stories were able to do?

  • Does the article change how you think about your own possessions or the meaning of home? How so?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

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