# data[].attributes.body
Hi, I am George Amato, and I'm a molecular biologist. Sometimes the government calls me to help solve mysteries, like this time in 1993. One of their officers told me he had spotted some suspicious packages at Kennedy Airport in New York City. These boxes contained handbags and shoes.

By looking at the pattern on the reptile skins, the officer had a hunch they were made from Yacare caiman, a relative of the crocodile and alligator.

My blood started to boil. "But the Yacare caiman is a protected species," I said into the phone. "Bringing skins of that animal into the U.S. is against the law!"

"Exactly!" said the guy at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "That's why the officer seized the shoes and handbags from the reptile skin importer."

"So, what's the problem?" I asked.

"The importer said it was not a protected caiman," he said.
The importer claimed that it's impossible to tell the difference between caimans just by comparing skin patters. This disagreement went to court. And that's where I came to the rescue.

First, I took samples of the reptile skins to my lab at the American Museum of Natural History. Then, I made lots of copies of the the DNA, so it was easier to study. Next, I used a machine to figure out the DNA's sequence, which looks like a long string of letters. Finally, I compared this skin's sequence with other crocodilian sequences in our DNA computer library. It was a perfect match to the Yacare caiman! Those shoes and handbags were definitely made from a legally protected species.

I gave this report to the judge. Based on the DNA evidence, the judge agreed that the skins were illegal. The skins were taken away and the importer had to pay a fine.

Source: https://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/genetics/dna-detective

# data[].attributes.body
1) I will scan the text for words/phrases written in bold and write them below. Next, I will write the definitions in my notebook.

2) I will decide if each statement is true/false. If it is false, then I will write the correct information in my notebook.

a- The boxes at the airport were full of shoes and clothes. __________________________

b- The Yacare caiman is a relative of the crocodile and alligator.
___________________________

c- Illegal means “with the law”.
_______________________

d- A DNA's sequence is a like along string of letters.
____________________________

# data[].attributes.headline
 "The Farmer Who Shared" By Sherya Sharma

# data[].attributes.subject
 "The Farmer Who Shared" By Sherya Sharma

# data[].attributes.body
There once was a farmer who had great fields of corn. She grew the best corn in the area. She won first prize at the state fair every year, and everyone flocked to her fields in late summer to enjoy her delicious harvest.

One day, a news reporter went to interview the farmer and ask her about her secrets to success. Days of research before the interview revealed to the reporter that the farmer would always share her best-producing seeds with the neighboring farms.

When it came for the interview, the reporter was loaded with a powerful question. The reporter asked, “Ma’am, why did you share your best seeds with your neighbors, knowing that they are also going to enter their corn into the competition against you. Wouldn't this make it difficult for you to win?”

The farmer looked up and took a deep breath before she replied. The farmer answered, “During the season when the strong wind comes across the fields, pollen from the ripening corn is swirled from field to field. It is very important to understand that if my neighbors grow poor corn, the cross-pollination will ultimately degrade the quality of my own corn. So, If I want to grow great corn, I must help my neighbor grow good corn as well.”
Source: https://www.bedtimeshortstories.com/farmers-inspirational-story

# data[].attributes.body
1. I will pick 2-4 new words and look them up in a dictionary.

2. I will answer the following questions:

1. What was the secret to the farmer’s success?

2. What’s the reason that the farmer shares her best seeds?

3. I will write a paragraph answering the following question:

What do I think is the moral of the story? And how can I apply this to my life?

I can start my paragraph with this sentence: “I think the moral of the story is…”

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Source: Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staff/Published:9/24/2015

# data[].attributes.headline
Genes Might Make You Healthy or Unhealthy 

# data[].attributes.subject
Genes Might Make You Healthy or Unhealthy 

# data[].attributes.body
1. What is the main idea of the introduction?
2. I will create a mind map of the key information presented in the article. I will draw it in my notebook.
3. I will write a letter to the scientist, Ms. Melissa, explaining what I understood from the article and asking her if she could provide more information about the FTO gene.

# data[].attributes.body
1) Before reading the text, with a partner create a mind map for the word “habit”.
"Atomic Habits” is a book written by James Clear, an American. It is based on personal experience about
changing habits.
2) Let’s read part of an interview with James Clear about his book, “Atomic Habits”.
Interviewer: Why did you decide to write about habits?
James Clear: Habits are among the most important topics to understand in life for different reasons. First, habits
can provide external results. They can help you lose weight, increase your income, be more productive, reduce
stress, and so on.
You get what you repeat. Habits also shape our identity and beliefs. Another reason I decided to write about
habits is because I felt there were many books that discuss how habits work from a scientific or philosophical
level, but there was not yet a book that provided readers with a step-by-step, practical manual for how to
actually change a habit. My hope is that "Atomic Habits" can be that manual.
Interviewer: What exactly is an atomic habit?
James Clear: I chose the phrase “atomic habits” for three reasons.
The first one you might expect. The word “atomic” can mean tiny or small, like an atom. One of the central
features of my philosophy is that habits should be small and easy to do.
The second reason is that the word atomic can also mean “the fundamental unit in a larger system.” Atoms form
molecules, molecules form compounds, etc. In a sense, habits are like the atoms of our lives. They are small
routines—fundamental units—that combine into the overall system of our life.
And finally, atomic can mean “the source of immense energy or power.
(source: https://www.quietrev.com/atomic-habits/)
3) I will look up the words in bold in a dictionary and find their Arabic translations.
4)I will answer the following comprehension questions:
a) According to the author, what kind of book is “Atomic Habits”?
b) According to the author, how are habits similar to atoms? Draw a diagram of how they are similar with
labels.
5) I will prepare an oral presentation with a poster about good and bad habits that I have. I will also include in
my oral presentation a plan on how I can change my bad habits using tiny steps.
6) I will listen to my classmates present their oral presentations and ask 1-2 questions about the presentation