Almost everyone likes to go outside to go somewhere and to breathe the fresh air. Right now 115 million Americans across 16 states are under hazardous air warnings and alerts because of Canadian wildfires. They have been told to try to stay indoors to avoid toxic smoke. The smoke is currently moving along the east coast and expected to shift westward. Did you know –

• The New York skyline is almost nearly invisible
• The air quality index in New York City is over 400
• The cause of ignition is unknown in Alberta
• This year the soil has remained drier than usual, allowing the fire to keep smoldering deep underground
• Most fires in the boreal forest of northern Canada are started by lightning
• Haze from Canadian wildfires linger over New York three days and counting
• The aerial coverage of smoke and haze extends over a thousand miles
• Rain is very beneficial and helps clean the air

Homeschoolers/Educators/Parents: sketch/color an illustration. Theme: news. Read and listen to the audiobook story “Chicken Little” in Learning to Read: Fairy Tale Adventures. Put these words in alphabetical order: sky, falling, danger, assured, tell, listen. Use each word in a sentence. Talk about what Chicken Little told the other animals. What four words did Chicken Little keep repeating? List three wildfire facts. Go to a weather news channel to learn more about the Canadian wildfires. Write about the Canadian wildfires and how the news affects you.  (Skillset: identify, comprehend, creativity, listening, reading/writing practice.)