travel articles 4th grade

Beyond "What I Did on Vacation": Exploring the Genre of Travel Writing

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

In this lesson, students are introduced to the genre of travel writing. After reading and analyzing short examples and discussing conventions of the genre, students engage in some guided travel writing activities. They brainstorm events and/or personal experiences that might make a fun piece of travel writing and select one event for freewriting. They then turn their notes into a travel article, using a list of characteristics of good travel writing to assess their writing as they work. They peer review and revise drafts of their writing before publishing it using an online multigenre tool. This scalable lesson can be completed in a few days as a short mini-unit, before a school break as a chance for students to do some real world writing, or over a longer period of time as an extended unit with integrated research.

Featured Resources

• Elements of Good Travel Writing : This handout lists characteristics of good travel articles.
• Multigenre Mapper : Students can use this online tool to create multigenre, multimodal texts, including three types of writing and a drawing, in response to the Gettysburg Address.
• Suggested Reading in the Travel Writing Genre : This reading list includes books and magazines in the travel writing genre.

From Theory to Practice

In her book Thinking Through Genre , Heather Lattimer discusses genre study as "an inquiry into text form" (4). One of the ways to help students see the structural and rhetorical features of a piece of writing is to immerse them in the study of various genres. By studying a wide array of genres, students are better able to see the many decisions a writer makes as a matter of purpose, audience, and form or genre, rather than as arbitrary teacher-established rules. Lattimer suggests, "A genre study is not about reading a particular text; individual texts are read and discussed for the purpose of developing strategies of comprehension appropriate for the genre" (4). Dean states, "Even if we can't develop the full contextual aspect of some genres because of the restrictions of the classroom situation, it is helpful for students to know that not all writing is the same. They can learn the concept of genres." (45) By reading and writing in new genres, students gain strategies for reading new kinds of texts as well as insights into different ways of producing texts. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

• Suggested Reading in the Travel Writing Genre
• Sample Piece of Travel Writing: “The Visit” (or substitute with your own piece if you prefer)
• Computer with Internet access
• Analysis of Travel Writing
• Elements of Good Travel Writing

Preparation

• Read and the Analysis of Travel Writing and note how the characteristics apply to “ The Visit .”
• Consider how travel writing might fit into your larger conversations with students about writing. For example, using travel writing as part of a genre approach to teaching writing can allow teachers to compare and contrast it with other forms of writing. There is a strong overlap between travel writing and personal narrative, as good travel writing centers on good stories and engaging voice and style. Mixed in with that, however, is the description and informational aspects of expository writing. Travel writing also often overlaps with persuasive writing, making emotional appeals to entice readers to take particular sorts of trips. Seeing travel writing as a hybrid genre not only will give students an additional form to work in; it will help them see aspects of familiar forms by comparison.
• Make one copy of the Analysis of Travel Writing and Elements of Good Travel Writing for each student.
• Test the Multigenre Mapper on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tool and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page .

Student Objectives

Students will:

• learn the conventions of the travel writing genre.
• attempt new methods of generating personal writing.
• practice process-based writing and writing for an audience.
• integrate research with personal experiences and reflection.

Session One

• Ask students what they know about travel writing and what they expect to find in travel writing. List their comments on the board or on chart paper. Save this information for use later in the session.
• Hand out copies of “ The Visit ,” or have students access it online. Alternately, you can share another piece of travel writing with students from your class textbook or another source.
• Hand out copies of the Analysis of Travel Writing to each student.
• Have students read “ The Visit ” and then answer the questions on the Analysis of Travel Writing , either individually or in small groups.
• Discuss the article and student responses to the Analysis of Travel Writing handout.
• Ask students to compare that they found in the reading with their observations and expectations at the beginning of the session. Encourage exploration of the similarities and differences.
• Hand out a Elements of Good Travel Writing to each student, and discuss these elements as they apply to the reading.

Session Two

• Review the Elements of Good Travel Writing handout from the previous session.
• Have students watch the short clip " Developing Travel Writing " from BBC.
• When they finish reading, ask students to brainstorm a list of events and/or personal experiences that might make a fun piece of travel writing.
• Give students a few minutes to share their lists with their peers.
• Have students select one event from their lists and write down, using freewriting and brainstorming techniques, everything they can about it during the remainder of the session. If time is short, have students complete their notes for homework. Ask them to bring their notes to the next session.

Session Three

• Allow students a few minutes to review their notes from the previous session and make any changes or additions.
• Explain that these notes are source material for students’ own travel articles.
• Have students compare their notes to the Elements of Good Travel Writing . Ask them to identify any characteristics that are not present in their work or that need to be strengthened.
• Try for a clever attention grabber (explain that this may be the last or most difficult part).
• Give enough background information to set the context: Where were you? Why were you there? Why was this event important?
• Clearly describe the setting. Use details that appeal to multiple senses.
• Clearly describe an important person (alternately, an animal or thing) in the story. Make sure that your reader will understand who the key people are in the article.
• Look for places where you can add dialogue. If the event happened a long time ago, dialogue does not have to be direct quotations. Suggest students focus on the general comments and feelings in their dialogues.
• Mix in personal reflections with the telling of the story.
• Ask students to bring a completed draft of their travel article to the next class session for peer review.

Session Four

• Have students share their revised drafts in small groups of two to four students.
• Ask peers to evaluate the articles by comparing their characteristics to the Elements of Good Travel Writing .
• Encourage students to share supportive feedback and praise as well.
• Have students revise their work using feedback from their peers to create a final draft.
• If desired, allow time for students to publish their travel writing using the Multigenre Mapper to incorporate drawings into their final work.
• Have students research the location in their writings and then incorporate relevant information into the finished versions.
• Read additional travel writing. Some suggestions are included on the Suggested Reading in the Travel Writing Genre handout.
• General interest magazines often carry travel pieces as well. Discuss the kinds of travel writing that are included in non-travel magazines such as Cottage Living and the differences between these and articles found in travel magazines such as National Geographic Traveler . Use this comparison as a basis for a discussion of audience and purpose.
• For some additional ways to write about travel, consult Ten Ways to Write about Your Vacation , which includes writing prompts that can be used as starting points or as more polished pieces.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Assess students’ finished travel writing by comparison to the genre conventions established during discussion and in the Elements of Good Travel Writing . Finished pieces can be shared with peers, family, and/or the school at large via a “travel” edition of a school publication.
• Calendar Activities
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Students read a section from On the Road that deals with cross-country travel and reflects Kerouac's unique writing style. Students then attempt to write a narrative using Kerouac's stream-of-consciousness style.

Families are invited to a June literacy fair to end the school year and get students on the right track for the summer.

This interactive invites students to create original multigenre, multimodal works--one drawing and three written texts--making the tool flexible for multiple writing activities.

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Building a Library: Finding the Right Books for Your Kid (Through Trial and Error)

Are There Any Really Great Examples of Travel Writing for Kids?

This is a fun book about travel for kids, but it’s not actually about kids travelling – which is an important distinction.

One of the most common grade-school writing assignments is the classic “ How I Spent My Summer Vacation .” However, if you go to a bookstore or library and look for books where real kids actually explain what they did do on their summer vacations, family trips, or any other travel experience… you’re not going to find much. Or at least I didn’t. Maybe I’m just not Googling correctly, but, if there are books out there collecting really superior examples of travel writing for kids , they shouldn’t be this hard to find.

First, let me explain what I’m NOT referring to when I say “ travel writing for kids .” I’m not referring to books about geography or other cultures. I’m not referring to nonfiction books that open with “Hello, my name is ____. I am from _____. Let me tell you about my country.” And I’m not referring to maps, atlases, or any kind of reference book. (If you want a particularly good example of a fun, readable geography book for kids, I’m a big fan of the Lonely Planet Not For Parents Travel Book .)

What I am talking about are travel memoirs , first-person accounts of people travelling across the globe and sharing with their readers how those experiences made them feel. And there are so many fantastic travelogues and travel memoirs that are written both by adults and for adults – for example, the nonfiction works of V.S. Naipaul , Alexis de Tocqueville , Paul Theroux , Hunter S. Thompson ( Fear and Loathing is, technically, travel writing), Bill Bryson , Colin Thubron , Mark Twain , John Steinbeck (and his Travels with Charley ) – the list goes on and on.

Personally, I’m a big fan of Michael Palin , the former member of Monty Python-turned-world-explorer, who’s responsible for a remarkable series of BBC travel documentaries and accompanying volumes of travel memoirs. (Palin’s Around the World in 80 Days is a particular favorite.)

But, while the world of adult travel writing is robust and varied, there are almost no works of travel writing that address the experience of children travelling , either coming from the perspective of adults travelling with their children or the perspective of the kids themselves. Which feels like a hugely missed opportunity.

Wilder’s diaries aren’t just historical nonfiction, but they’re also solid examples of travel writing that’s actually about a young person travelling.

(The only big exceptions to my “no travel writing for kids” argument – that I’m aware of – are Laura Ingalls Wilder’s diaries from her family’s journeys across the American frontier, which, I’ll admit, I haven’t read.)

Personally, I love travelling with my daughter. We’re not an exceptionally well-travelled family, but, whenever I take my daughter somewhere she’s never been before, the best part of the trip is always seeing the place through her eyes. Travelling with a child forces you to adopt an entirely different perspective as a traveler. Because, when you travel with your kid, you have to be both their steadfast travel companion, the person who’s going to lead them out into the big scary world, AND you also have to take on the responsibility of placing that big scary world into context for them.

Because there’s no point in taking your kid to Mount Rushmore if you’re not going to explain who those presidents are. And there’s not much point taking them abroad if you’re not planning on talking with them about the similarities and differences between their home culture and the cultures they’re visiting.

It was after finishing one of Michael Palin’s travelogues that I decided that I wanted to find some travel memoirs to share with my daughter. I wanted to show her that kids travel all the time and I wanted to show her that the kid-perspective on travelling to Paris is probably very different than the experience of a forty-year-old professional travel writer. I imagined sharing with her true stories of families biking across Africa together or a parent’s recollections of a son’s first trip to London or the travel diaries of a ten-year-old Army brat recounting her adventures at military bases across the globe. And… yeah, I didn’t find anything like that.

If you Google “travel writing for kids,” the results aren’t very satisfying. There are a lot of sites with instructions on how to get your kid to keep a travel journal, tips on travelling with kids, blog posts about how travelling with kids sucks, and biographies of travel writers who have kids themselves, but you won’t find any particularly substantial examples of travel memoirs about a kid actually travelling.  The first search result I found for “travel writing for kids” is actually a syllabus for teaching travel writing to 9-12 graders, but the course’s recommended reading list is just a collection of standard adult travel classics.

I’m so surprised that there aren’t more memoirs like this available for young readers…

(I did find ONE example of a self-published travel memoir written by a nine-year-old and her mom called We’re Doing WHAT for Summer Vacation , a travelogue that recounts their family’s summer trip across Borneo together. It sounds fascinating and I’m probably going to order it for my daughter on principle alone, but it’s a pretty major outlier.)

If you go to Amazon and do a book search on “travel writing” and then limit your search to the 328 books in the “Children’s Books” category, again, the results leave much to be desired. The first result is Tokyo on Foot: Travels in the City’s Most Colorful Neighborhoods by Florent Chavouet, a gorgeous, absolutely BRILLIANT visual travel diary that… has nothing to do with kids. The remaining results are an odd mixture of travel journal workbooks, Magic Tree House titles, and Flat Stanley books.

I KNOW there are children travelling out there in the big scary world and I know there are parents travelling with their kids in the big scary world all the time. I just wish more of them were writing about their experiences in a format that I could share with my daughter. She’s endlessly curious about the world and, I think, would LOVE to hear what it was like for kids, just like her, to journey to new and mysterious lands and how those travels made them think, feel, and experience life differently.

SO I’m really hoping that the problem here is my completely inferior web-searching skills. If you, dear readers, know of ANY examples of wonderful travel writing that either address the experience of travelling with kids OR are written from the perspective of a child, PLEASE share them with me in the comments section BELOW . I’d love to read them and I’d love to make them easier for other curious parents to find as well.

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Tagged as: memoirs , nonfiction , travel , travel writing

{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

I’m in the final stages of a memoir entitled: Istanbul and Beyond in the ’60s: A Kid’s View of Living Overseas”. My story is about my experiences and memories as an eleven year old living overseas with my family during my dad’s two year assignment with the US government. I tell a story about my family learning, growing and adjusting to change together as we faced religious, political and cultural challenges throughout our journey.

Hi My girls (4 and 6 y.o.) and I spend our summers in Iceland. With tourism growing and people getting more interested in Iceland, I thought last summer ” I have to write a book about -travel to Iceland with kids, what to see, what to do …”

I’ve written two travel books for kids, about the experiences of an American dog living in France.

http://www.lalibrairieparisienne.com

I found that the title ‘Island of the Blue Dolphins’ has strands which match travel writing, albeit it is not a travel memoir as such.

This does sound like a great writing project for kids. Kids have lots of thoughts and ideas they want to share. They just need to get it all down on paper.

Here is a first hand account of a trip to Paris.

http://www.amazon.com/PARIS-TRAVEL-GUIDE-BY-HAILEY-ebook/dp/B00KDMMZTY

Richard Halliburton’s Complete Book of Marvels. Out of print, alas, and dated, but a favorite of mine.

This is a really interesting question, Tom. I’m thinking hard and the only thing that comes to mind is the book “Up: A Mother and Daughter’s Peakbagging Adventure.” I haven’t read it, but it’s on my list. I hope my daughter loves hiking, though we’ve only barely scratched the surface . . .

http://www.amazon.com/Up-Mother-Daughters-Peakbagging-Adventure/dp/030795207X

Oh, awesome. Thanks for the suggestion, Neal!

I should also mention that I also got a great recommendation via Facebook for “Are We There Yet?” by Alison Lester, a fictional picture book that is based on the author’s real-life travels around Australia with her family. It looks pretty great.

http://www.amazon.com/Are-There-Yet-Alison-Lester/dp/1929132735

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Travel Writing Examples!

Anthony bianco – travel writing examples.

Hey, I’m a versatile kind of chap! I write in all sorts of styles and formats, both online and in print. I’ve listed a few travel writing examples on this page to give you an idea!

I really enjoy travel writing and have undertaken a number of press trips and famils , blogger trips and travel influencer campaigns .

Some of the places where my work has appeared has included a number of publications and industries, including:

Airline In-flight Magazines

Travel Insurance Content

Thought Leadership

Roadside Assistance

Travel Tips

Visa Information

I have a lot more where that came from.

I also have online content and SEO skills .

Give me a yell and contact me for more information!

One-Page NONFICTION Readings: Grade 4 Center for Urban Education

Resources to Guide and Assess Nonfiction Reading/Thinking\Writing Aligned with Common Core Standards

One-Page Readings

These passages are listed at their readability level according to the Fry formula. However, you may want to use a reading from an earlier grade level because the formula does not factor in conceptual difficulty of a text.

Breaking the Food Chain infer and support the main idea of a passage

Chicago Changer, Jane Addams infer and support the main idea of a passage

Chicago High Schools evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Chicago Legacy: Burnham's Plan locate and use information to analyze a situation, write about a topic English / Spanish

Chicago Legacy, DuSable's Choices and Changes locate and use information to analyze a situation, then write about it English / Spanish

City Government infer and support the main idea of a passage

The Early Chicago Environment and People   classify information and summarize a nonfiction topic  

Learn about Egypt infer and support the main idea of a passage

The Football Team identify the main idea

A Garden in Lawndale evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Gwendolyn Brooks, An African American Poet

Illinois Pioneers and Prairies   Analyze and infer

Learning about the Solar System identify the main idea of a passage, write an extended response about a nonfiction passage

Natural Gas: An American Treasure infer and support the main idea of a passage

Penguins--Unique Birds

Pilsen, A Community Changes identify causes and effects

Plants and Places infer and support the main idea of a passage

Prairie Changes identify an author's purpose, write an extended response

Prairie Changing the Ecosystem with Multiple Choice Questions analyze information in a nonfiction text

Seasons on the Prairie infer and support the main idea of a passage

Seasons on the Prairie with Multiple Choice Questions

Settlement infer and support the main idea of a passage

Settlement with Multiple Choice Questions

Space Food infer and support the main idea of a passage

Staying in Phoenix infer and support the main idea of a passage

Today's Telephone infer and support the main idea of a passage

Transportation Workers evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

What is a Fable? evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Working at the Television Station evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

Working at the Hospital evaluate information, summarize, and identify and support a main idea

The Working Tools of Insects infer and support the main idea of a passage

Reading Resources Click Here for graphic organizers to guide and assess reading competence.

Click here for additional grade levels.

More resources.

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Language & Grammar

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Mentor texts for common core nonfiction standards.

I just finished up my Literature mentor texts blog post, check that out  here . Are you now looking for mentor texts for informational ELA standards?

Now, it’s time for the informational ELA mentor texts! My ELA packs for Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th grade include three mini-lessons, printables, passages, interactive notebook activities, task cards, and an assessment. Some of these activities are really complimented when books that focus on that specific standard are used. I have had many, many requests for a suggested book list. So, I wanted to create a blog post for my ELA teachers to reference when using mentor texts for ELA! All the books that are linked in this blog post are linked to affiliate Amazon links.

Ask and Answer Questions

Ask and Answer Questions (RI.1.1, RI.2.1, RI.3.1) Key skills to hit: answer text-dependent questions and ask strong questions for more information

•  Odd Boy Out by Don Brown
• Hurricanes! by Gail Gibbons
• What Makes a Magnet? by Franklyn Branley
• What If You Had Animal Ears? by Sandra Markle
•  Whose Tools are These? by Sharon Katz Cooper
•  A Tree is a Plant by Clyde Robert Bulla
• Living in… Mexico by Chloe Perkins
• Emmanuel’s Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson
• She Loved Baseball by Audrey Vernick

Main Topic and Main Idea

Main Topic/Main Idea (RI.1.2, RI.2.2, RI.3.3) Key skills to hit: finding the main topic (1st and 2nd grade) and main idea (3rd grade); finding key details to support the topic or idea

• Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport
• Who Has These Feet? by Laura Hulbert
• I Am Amelia Earhart by Brad Melzer
• Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca
• The Museum Book by Jan Mark
• Ivan: The Remarkable Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate
• Schomburg: The Man Who Built the Library by Carole Boston Weatherford 
• One Plastic Bag by Miranda Paul

Making Connections – Informational ELA Mentor Texts

Making Connections (RI.1.3, RI.2.3, RI.3.3) Key skills to hit: connections within historical events, scientific ideas, or technical processes

• Now and Ben by Gene Barretta
• How People Learned to Fly by Fran Hodgkins
• From Peanut to Peanut Butter by Robin Nelson
• School: Then and Now by Robin Nelson
• The Magic School Bus Gets Baked in a Cake by Joanna Cole
• From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons
• Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
• This is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from Around the World by Matt Lamothe

Unknown Vocabulary

Unknown Vocabulary (RI.1.4, RI.2.4, RI.3.4) Key skills to hit: new vocabulary, words and phrases, context clues

• Fire! Fire! by Gail Gibbons
• So You Want to Be President by Judith St. George
• Rocks and Minerals by Kathleen Zohfeld
• Jump into Science: Dirt by Tomecek
• Frog or Toad? How Do You Know by Melissa Stewart
• An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston
• D is for Drum: A Native American Alphabet by Michael Shoulders
• The World is Not a Rectangle by Jeanette Winter

Informational ELA Mentor Texts – Text Features

Text Features (RI.1.5, RI.2.5, RI.3.5) Key skills to hit: know and use various text features

• National Geographic Readers: Planets by Elizabeth Carney
• Wildlife Photographer by William David Thomas
• I Wonder Why the Sea is Salty by Anita Ganeri 
• How Things Work: In the Yard by Lisa Campbell Ernst
• National Geographic Readers: Pandas by Anne Schreiber
• Little Kids for Big Book of Why by Amy Shields 
• Living In… South Korea by Chloe Perkins
• Celebrate Chinese New Year by Carolyn Otto

Author’s Purpose or Point of View

Author’s Purpose or Point of View (RI.2.6, RI.3.6) Key skills to hit: find author’s point of view, compare author’s point of view to their own

• Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs by Houghton Mifflin
• Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors by Tanya Lee Stone
• Turtle Tide: The Way of Sea Turtles by Stephen R. Swimburn e
• If the World Were a Village by David J. Smith
• You Wouldn’t Want to be an American Pioneer by Jacqueline Morely
• George Washington and the General’s Dog by Frank Murphy
• Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan
• Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx by Jonah Winter

Images in a Text

Images in a Text (RI.1.7, RI.2.7, RI.3.7) Key skills to hit: use images in a text to further understand the text

• Seeing Symmetry by Loreen Leedy
• Timeless Thomas by Gene Barretta 
• Are You an Ant? by Judy Allen
• Clothesline Clues to What People Do by Kathryn Heling
• I Read Signs by Tana Hoban  (very early readers)
• A Medieval Feast by Aliki
• The Story of Frida Kahlo by Susan B. Katz (3rd-4th grade)
• Jazz Age Josephine by Jonah Winter

Author’s Point and Reasons

Author’s Point and Reasons (RI.1.8, RI.2.8) Key skills to hit: find the main point the author is trying to make, find the reasons the author gives for their point

• If You Lived in Colonial Times by Ann Mcgovern
• What If Everyone Did That? by Ellen Javernick
• Hippos are Huge! by Jonathan London
• The Bravest Dog Ever: The Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford 
• What If You Had Animal Teeth? by Sandra Markle
• Tuesday Tucks Me In by Luis Carlos Montalvan
• Let them March by Monica Clark-Robinson
• Susan B. Anthony: Fighter for American Rights by Deborah Hopkinson

Text Structures- Informational ELA mentor texts

Text Structures (RI.3.8) Key skills to hit: compare and contrast, cause and effect, sequence

• Who Would Win? Killer Whale vs. Great White Shark by Jerry Pollatta
• Cats vs. Dogs by Elizabeth Carney
•  Endangered Animals of the Jungle by William Rice
• Earth: Feeling the Heat by Brenda Guiberson
• Milk: From Cow to Carton by Aliki
• From Seed to Pumpkin by Wendy Pfeffer
• Sisters and Champions by Howard Bryant

Informational ELA Mentor Texts – Comparing Nonfiction

Comparing Nonfiction (RI.1.9, RI.2.9, RI.3.9) Key skills to hit: find the important points from two texts, find similarities and differences between them

• Rosa by Nikki Giovanni  and  If a Bus Could Talk by Faith Ringgold
•  Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft  and  All About Animals in Winter by Martha Rustad
• I am Helen Keller by Brad Melzer  and  Helen Keller: Courage in the Dark by Joanna Hurwitz
• Looking Closely Inside the Rainforest by Frank Serafini  and   Step Into the Rainforest by Howard Rice
• The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver by Gene Barretta  and  George Washington Carver National Geographic Reader by Kitson Jazynka

Want a FREE way to organize your mentor texts?

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Suggested Standards-Based Literature Activities

For full ELA units with mini lessons for these books and extra reading passages (and much more), check out the grade level sets for RI standards. If you click the links below, check out your grade level. They’re sold separately as well if you only want one or two standards at a time.

For full ELA units with mini lessons for these books and extra reading passages (and much more), check out the grade level sets for RI standards. If you click the links below, check out your grade level. They’re sold separately as well if you only want one or two standards at a time.

Want to read more ELA nonfiction topics?

• Using Nonfiction Text Pictures and Images
• How to Teach Author’s Point and Supporting Reasons
• Teaching Kids How to Compare and Contrast Nonfiction Texts
• Read more about: Books , Common Core Aligned , Reading Blog Posts , Uncategorized

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• Top 7 Class Trips for 4th Graders

Students, especially youngsters like 4th graders, not only enjoy field trips but are greatly influenced by their teaching power. While a simple field trip across town would help your kids learn, imagine what would happen if they went to one of these top class trip destinations? Explore the possibilities and consider a 4th-grade class trip to one of these top 7 attractions around the U.S.!

1. Petrified Forest National Park - Arizona - Part of Navajo and Apache counties in northeastern Arizona, the Petrified Forest is an incredible site chock full of science for your visiting student group. Named for the fallen trees which date back to the Late Triassic Period of 225 million years ago, your group will encounter an abundance of petrified wood, interestingly shaped rock formations and a variety of wildlife. Students are encouraged to come and explore the natural history of this amazing earth through paleontological programs, nature walks, and ranger-led tours through the massive Arizona park.

2. City Museum - St. Louis - Fun and educational is just what you want from a field trip, right? Housed in the former International Shoe building in downtown St. Louis, the City Museum combines engineering, industrial objects, and physical science into a fun learning environment. The City Museum is an award-winning establishment that makes learning fun with a wide assortment of exhibits, playrooms, exploration zones, and more! There are outdoor as well as indoor exhibits including an aquarium, a skate park on the third floor, a small Ferris wheel on the roof, and MonstroCity outside, a hodgepodge of industrial objects put together to form something completely unique and wild.

3. Mammoth Cave National Park - Kentucky - The longest known cave system in the world, Mammoth Cave is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its significance in the geological study. Your group will delight in a trip to this underground wonderland of rock formations and waterways. The ranger-led activities are offered by season and may include Frozen Niagara Tour, Domes & Dripstones Tour, the Wild Cave Tour, and many above-ground activities such as birding and nature walks. Rangers will be able to further go into detail about how Mammoth Cave is one of the most scientifically significant cave systems in the entire world, about the history of its discovery, and how studying caves can help our futures.

4. Bryant Family Farm - Kansas City - For all children, learning proper nutrition and where food comes from is highly important. At many working farms, students can do just that. In Kansas City, the Bryant Family Farm is a multi-generational family-owned and operated farm producing organic meats and grains for the health-conscious public. There are more than just cattle here but milking goats, grass-fed turkeys, chickens, pigs, and even an alpine buck. The Bryants believe in emphasizing clean, healthy living and all of their animals and grains are free of antibiotics and are kept and cared for humanely.

5. Conner Prairie - Fishers, IN - Living history museums are very popular and wildly educational, as exemplified by Conner Prairie in Indiana. Conner Prairie is based on 19th century Indiana, complete with old homesteads, animal stables, Native American camps, and a Civil War Journey. You're likely to interact with costumed guides playing the role of a 19th-century farmer or soldier, the animals as they roam about their pens or the demonstrators at the Craft Corner as they make authentic crafts. Explore the William Conner Homestead, one of the oldest homes in Indiana, learn how to dye clothes the way they used to, how to make candles, how to barter at the Trading Post, and much more!

6. USS Midway Museum - San Diego - One of the country's longest-serving aircraft carriers is now an open museum in San Diego's Embarcadero. The USS Midway, now retired, plays host to a floating museum complete with 29 restored aircraft, 60 exhibits, and two exciting flight simulators. Groups are encouraged to tour the ship at their leisure using the downloadable audio tour guides, though school classes are offered the added benefit of educational programs. The fourth-grade program is entitled "On Board with Electricity and Magnetism," which illuminates why electricity is needed onboard an aircraft carrier, and how it works.

7. Bok Tower Gardens - Lake Wales, FL -  Open since 1929, Bok Tower is not just a botanical garden but the site of a national historic landmark, the Singing Tower, as well as the lovely Pinewood Estate and extensive Visitor Center. Begin at the Visitor Center and watch a short film on the history of the attraction, view art exhibits, and then head out on your own or on a guided tour of the property. Pinewood Estate is open for visitors to explore and while you may not be able to go up inside the Singing Tower, you can surely hear their daily concerts with the historic 60-bell carillon. There are also grade-appropriate educational programs available for Guided Adventures and Discovery Days.

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The History of Space Exploration

During the time that has passed since the launching of the first artificial satellite in 1957, astronauts have traveled to the moon, probes have explored the solar system, and instruments in space have discovered thousands of planets around other stars.

Earth Science, Astronomy, Social Studies, U.S. History, World History

Apollo 11 Astronauts on Moon

A less belligerent, but no less competitive, part of the Cold War was the space race. The Soviet Union bested its rival at nearly every turn, until the U.S. beat them to the finish line by landing astronauts on the moon.

NASA photograph

Humans have been traveling to space for over 60 years. Our journey officially began on October 4, 1957. On this day, the Soviet Union became the first country to send a human-made satellite into Earth's orbit . The Soviet Union was a large group of countries that included Russia. Its satellite was named Sputnik. A satellite is an object that orbits , or circles, a planet, moon, or star. Sputnik orbited Earth. It made one full trip around every 96 minutes. A month after the Sputnik launch, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik II. This was an even bigger accomplishment because Sputnik II carried the first living creature into space. It was a dog named Laika. A Race to Space For years, the United States and Soviet Union had been competing to develop satellites. The countries were not getting along at this time in history. The conflict was known as the Cold War. There were no battles. It was mostly a war of threats. Still, the United States was worried. They were falling behind in the race into space. The U.S. had been working on its own satellite before the launch of Sputnik. There were two failed attempts. Then, finally, the U.S. had success. It launched the Explorer satellite in 1958. Explorer carried scientific instruments, one of which was a Geiger counter. This tool allowed the U.S. to study high-energy rays in space. The rays reach our solar system from faraway stars and galaxies. In the late 1950s, the United States created a government group to run the space program. It is called the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA. The Soviets Met Many Space Goals First Meanwhile, Soviet successes continued. The first human in space was a Soviet named Yuri Gagarin. He made one orbit around Earth on April 12, 1961. His flight lasted 108 minutes. About three weeks later, NASA launched astronaut Alan Shepard into space. His spacecraft did not go all the way around Earth, though. The flight lasted just 15 minutes. The Soviet Union met several space goals ahead of the United States. The Soviets launched the first satellite , first dog and first human into space. They achieved the first spacewalk. This was the first time a person stepped outside of a spacecraft in space. They also sent the first woman astronaut into space. The U.S. Launches Forward In 1961, American President John F. Kennedy gave NASA a challenge. He wanted the U.S. to put a man on the moon before 1970. NASA worked hard to meet this challenge. They developed Project Gemini. Astronauts tested what would be needed for a flight to the moon. Project Apollo followed Project Gemini. Apollo took astronauts into orbit around the moon. Then it took them to the moon's surface. In 1969, on the Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong became the first human to step on the moon's surface. NASA had met President Kennedy's challenge. NASA would land humans on the moon five more times. During these missions, astronauts collected samples of rocks and dust that scientists still study today.

During the 1960s and 1970s, NASA also launched a series of space probes . Space probes do not have human pilots. They are robotic spacecraft that explore space. These probes studied the planets Venus, Mars, and Mercury. Probes Help Scientists Find Planets Space stations were the next step in exploring space. The first space station was the Soviet Salyut 1 station. This was launched in 1971. Then NASA launched the Skylab space station. Skylab was the first laboratory where astronauts and scientists studied Earth. Today, astronauts do research on the International Space Station. It's like a science lab orbiting Earth. Astronauts from many countries work together there. The Apollo Moon program ended in 1972. Much of today's space exploring is done by probes . Probes have made many discoveries. They have taken photos of the surface of Mars. They have even discovered oceans underneath the surface ice of one of Jupiter's moons. Scientists think these oceans may contain life. Other instruments in space do important work too. One example is the Kepler Space Telescope . Now retired, this space telescope has discovered thousands of exoplanets . These are planets outside of our solar system.

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Travel Writing Persuasive Articles

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We look at persuasive articles and how a modeled example uses DAFOREST techniques to engage its readers, plus how you can begin a persuasive article in order to engage a reader. We look at the theme of travel writing through different holiday destinations and how we can persuade readers to want to visit these places. Ideal for Grade 6, 7 and 8 students, and those UK students preparing for AQA English Language Paper 2 Section B or Question 5. Fully differentiated throughout.

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MAKE WAVES WITH THIS FREE WEEKLONG VOCABULARY UNIT!

4th Grade California Travel Journal | California Report | California Project

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California fourth Graders have traditionally done a California State Report each year. The California Travel Journal is a similar project with a unique spin. Students learn about the state by planning an imaginary trip and creating a travel journal (a diary of sorts but including researched information) by researching the following destinations:

• 1 National Park • 1 State Park • 1 Mission • 1 Major City • 1 Gold Rush Town • 1 Tourist Attraction

The California Travel Journal has a map activity as well. Not only do students locate and color-in the four regions of California, but they are also asked to find major cities, rivers, mountains, and deserts. Students also use the map to show their travel route for the California trip.

This unit includes: A California Travel Journal Sample Project Directions Handouts (editable) Map Directions Handout (editable) Pacing Guide with Due Dates (editable) Oral Presentations Handout (editable) Route Planning Handout (editable) Rough Draft of Map Research Outline Note-taking Pages Rough Draft of Bibliography Page Student Checklist Forms to be Used on Due Dates Student Writing Pages Final Copy of California Map Final Copy of Bibliography Page Rubric (editable) Detailed Teacher Notes

Why you’ll love this unit:

• Everything is very organized and the detailed teacher notes guide you through the project process.
• The unit is fun and motivating! Several of my students each year end up taking the actual trip with their family!
• Students have a lot of choices in this project which makes it fun for them and gives them greater buy-in!
• There is a sample report included to use as a ready made example.
• Any handout with directions is editable, as well as the rubric, which means you can customize it to your needs.

If you’d like to see more 4th grade social studies activities, please check these out: 4th Grade California Missions Project Native American Report

Thanks so much! Jenn

©The Teacher Next Door™ Purchasing this product grants permission for use by one teacher in his or her own classroom or for one homeschool parent teaching his/her child. If you would like to share with others, please purchase additional licenses.

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Renew your Global Entry now before the price goes up

Skipping long immigration lines will soon set you back $120.

The price of avoiding long airport lines is going up.

Customs and Border Protection announced this week that fees are going up for expedited security programs including Global Entry, which gives users faster clearance when entering the country and lets them use expedited lanes at security checkpoints. The cost will increase from $100 to $120 on Oct. 1.

The agency said in a news release that the price has not changed in 15 years and that the new fee is “better reflecting the program costs.”

“As these programs have matured and expanded, updating the fee structures is critical to the continuation and management of the programs,” the news release says.

Customs and Border Protection says on its website that it can take “several months” to get an application processed. Customers need to fill out an application online, await conditional approval, then take the final step of doing an in-person interview. That can happen at an enrollment center ahead of travel or upon arriving in the country at participating airports.

The changes come with one perk for families: Those under 18 who apply for Global Entry with a parent or legal guardian who is already a member or also applying will no longer have to pay a fee. They have been required to pay $100 with their application.

For those who find the new price too steep — or the uncertain wait time too onerous — the agency suggests another option: Mobile Passport Control .

The app, which some call the “best-kept secret in air travel,” lets travelers submit their photo, customs declaration and passport to streamline their return to the country at approved airports. There’s often a separate line for MPC at airports.

“Travelers who successfully use the MPC app will no longer have to complete a paper form and may be provided a designated queue,” the Customs and Border Protection website says. “As a result, travelers may experience shorter wait times, less congestion and efficient processing.”

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Map: 4.8-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes New Jersey

By William B. Davis ,  Madison Dong ,  Judson Jones ,  John Keefe and Bea Malsky

Shake intensity

A light, 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck in New Jersey on Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake was felt across the New York City metropolitan area, and from Philadelphia to Boston.

The temblor happened at 10:23 a.m. Eastern about 4 miles north of Whitehouse Station, N.J., data from the agency shows.

As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake's reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map.

Aftershocks in the region

An aftershock is usually a smaller earthquake that follows a larger one in the same general area. Aftershocks are typically minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake.

Quakes and aftershocks within 100 miles

Aftershocks can occur days, weeks or even years after the first earthquake. These events can be of equal or larger magnitude to the initial earthquake, and they can continue to affect already damaged locations.

Source: United States Geological Survey | Notes: Shaking categories are based on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. When aftershock data is available, the corresponding maps and charts include earthquakes within 100 miles and seven days of the initial quake. All times above are Eastern. Shake data is as of Friday, April 5 at 10:44 a.m. Eastern. Aftershocks data is as of Friday, April 5 at 1:08 p.m. Eastern.

Watch CBS News

Is Trump's $175 million civil fraud bond valid in New York?

By Katrina Kaufman

Updated on: April 4, 2024 / 4:18 PM EDT / CBS News

When former President Donald Trump posted a $175 million bond in New York on Monday, it appeared that he had evaded a financial crisis. He had paused enforcement of the more than $460 million judgment against him following a civil fraud trial , while his appeal is pending. 

But the surety bond was missing vital information typically included in those filings, experts say. These standard elements include documents related to power of attorney for the bond provider, Knight Specialty Insurance Company, a financial statement from the company and a certificate of qualification from the Department of Financial Services.  

New York Attorney General Letitia James indicated in a filing Thursday, after the original publication of this story, that she, too, has concerns about the bond.

James took "exception to the sufficiency of the surety" given by Trump and the other defendants. She objected to the fact that the bond was issued by a company that is not an admitted carrier in New York, and lacks the certificate of qualification required by New York Insurance Law Section 1111. 

Trump attorney Christopher Kise on Thursday alleged James' filing was  "another witch hunt" and accused her office of "hiding out in silence" after an appellate court reduced the defendants' bond from more than $464 million to $175 million.

"The Attorney General now seeks to stir up some equally baseless public quarrel in a desperate effort to regain relevance," Kise said.

Within 10 days, Trump or the company must file a motion to "justify" the bond, meaning Knight must prove that it is financially capable of paying the bond.

"There seem to be serious issues," said Bruce H. Lederman, an attorney who has filed many bonds in New York, including for a real estate developer challenging a judgment. Lederman said he was struck by "glaring errors" in the bond.

"In all the years I've been doing this, you always have to have a certificate from the Department of Financial Services saying that you're licensed to issue a surety bond," he said, referring to the missing certificate of qualification. 

Lederman also noticed that Knight Specialty is not listed on New York's Department of Financial Services website. 

The company refiled its posting, as directed by the New York Supreme Court clerk, after CBS News published its report on Thursday and before James' took exception to the bond.  

On Wednesday, the clerk's office had returned to Trump's attorneys the bond filing "for correction." There was no reason publicly specified in the request.

Adam Pollock, a former assistant attorney general in New York, said, "This bond is deficient for a number of reasons." 

"Including that the company doesn't appear to be licensed in New York and doesn't appear to have enough capital to make this undertaking," Pollock said.

Knight Specialty is not licensed in New York to issue surety bonds, and Lederman noted the company's absence from the Department of Financial Services database. But the company contends it is nevertheless authorized to issue the bond.

The company also does not appear to meet a restriction under New York insurance law barring companies from putting more than 10% of its capital at risk.

Amit Shah, the president of Knight Insurance, said the restriction does not apply. He said Knight has over $1 billion in equity.

"Knight Specialty Insurance Company is not a New York domestic insurer, and New York surplus lines insurance laws do not regulate the solvency of non-New York excess lines insurers," he said. "So we don't believe we need the 10% surplus." 

The billionaire behind Trump's bond is Don Hankey , the chairman of Knight Insurance, which owns the subsidiary that wrote the bond. 

Hankey said that Trump used "cash" as collateral for the bond, a total of $175 million. 

"First he furnished about $120 million worth of bonds that we OK'd, so we assumed it would be investment-grade bonds and cash. But as it turned out, it was all cash," he told CBS News in a brief phone call on Tuesday. 

But Trump retained that $175 million cash collateral, according to Shah. He said the money is in an account that is "pledged" to the company. He would not specify the type of account. Trump paid a premium to the company that Shah declined to disclose. 

"It seems to me that the underlying case is about the [New York] attorney general requiring strict compliance with the law," said Lederman. 

"The law requires an insurance company posting a surety bond to be authorized in New York," he said. "And there are serious questions about if this bond was properly posted."

Under a New York law known as CPLR 2502, an "insurance company [shall be] authorized to execute the undertaking within the state." 

When CBS News asked Hankey about Knight Specialty's authorization to issue bonds in New York, the company's net worth and potential deficiencies in the bond filing for Trump, he deferred to Knight's president: "I'm chairman of that company. I've got several other companies that I own. Amit Shah would be the person to talk to."

Shah explained that the company is authorized to issue a surety bond in New York through the Excess Line Association of New York (ELANY). He said the company is approved by ELANY to issue bonds from its home domicile state of Delaware, where it is allowed to write surety bonds. 

"Our position is we're compliant," said Shah. 

Knight's compliance officer, Mike Pepitone, said that there are a number of insurance companies that do not hold a license in every state, but a company is able to write a bond in other states where they are not licensed on what he said is called "an excess and surplus lines basis."

"For court bonds, as regulated by the CPLR, the law is clear about in-state license requirement," said Pollock, who noted that there are surety bonds used in other industries like construction that would not be subject to that rule.

Shah initially said that the company had in fact submitted a financial statement with the bond. In its initial bond filing, Pepitone said the financial statement was not supposed to be included, but later, in its updated bond filing Thursday, the company shared its financial statement.

If Knight Specialty does not have Trump's cash collateral for the bond in its possession, Lederman questioned whether the company "could or would pay immediately" if Trump loses his appeal. Lederman said James should investigate to determine if the company is in compliance with state law requirements.

"The attorney general would have ample grounds to push back here," said Pollock.

The New York Attorney General's office declined to comment. But Lederman said, "The attorney general is now requiring Trump to follow the law and have the court approve the bond because as filed, the bond is not acceptable."

Knight's updated filing included a financial statement showing that the company's surplus to policyholders is $1 billion and a joint limited power of attorney signed by Hankey and Shah.

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UConn Men's Basketball Faces Travel Issues En Route to Final Four in Phoenix

• Author: Tom Dierberger

In this story:

The UConn men's basketball team punched its ticket to the Final Four without much trouble, handily defeating Stetson, Northwestern, San Diego State and Illinois to win the East Region.

Actually traveling to the Final Four in Phoenix, however, posed a challenge for coach Dan Hurley and the Huskies.

CBS Sports' Matt Norlander reported Wednesday the Huskies' original flight to Phoenix was scheduled to leave Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET, but their plane arriving from Kansas City had logistical and mechanical issues that forced a delay.

Per Norlander, the crew flying the plane from Kansas City would be over their FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) hours and can't fly the team to Arizona. UConn would have to wait until 10 a.m. ET on Thursday to fly on that plane.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported later Wednesday that the Huskies found a solution—a flight expected to leave the East Coast around 11:30 p.m. ET Wednesday. UConn will arrive in Phoenix around 2 a.m. ET Thursday.

Was told that UConn’s men’s team appears to have a solution to its travel woes getting to Arizona. A flight is expected to leave around 11:30 tonight. They’ll get in around 2 a.m. As @MattNorlander noted, there’s been mechanical/crew issues for the Huskies. — Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 4, 2024

While the Huskies waited in limbo for an available flight, the other three Final Four teams—Alabama, Purdue and NC State—already arrived in Phoenix.

UConn, the tournament's No. 1 overall seed, is set to face No. 4 seed Alabama in the national semifinals on Saturday at State Farm Stadium.

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4.8 magnitude earthquake rattles NYC, New Jersey: Live updates

NEW YORK – A 4.8 magnitude earthquake recorded in New Jersey that shook residents in surrounding states and New York City on Friday morning was one of the strongest in state history.

The temblor was reported about 5 miles north of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, at about 10:23 a.m. Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter was about 45 miles away from New York City, where residents reported shaking furniture and floors.

“Earthquakes in this region are uncommon but not unexpected. It’s likely people near the epicenter are going to feel aftershocks for this earthquake in the magnitude 2-3 range, and there’s a small chance there can be an earthquake as large or larger, following an earthquake like this,” Paul Earle, a seismologist at the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program told reporters. “In terms of our operations this is a routine earthquake … Immediately we knew this would be of high interest and important to people who don’t feel earthquakes a lot.”

People reported feeling the shaking as far north as Maine and as far south as Norfolk, Virginia, following the quake, according to USGS. Scientists said those in the affected area should listen to local emergency officials and be prepared to seek cover if aftershocks occur.

“If you feel shaking, drop, cover and hold,” Earle said.

No major disruptions or damage have been reported in New Jersey or New York.

"We have activated our State Emergency Operations Center. Please do not call 911 unless you have an actual emergency," said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.

President Joe Biden spoke with Murphy about the earthquake and the White House is monitoring the situation, the White House said.

"The President said his Administration is in touch with state and local officials and will provide assistance if needed," according to a White House statement.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the quake was felt throughout New York, and officials are assessing impacts and any potential damage.

In Yonkers, New York, Mayor Mike Spano said City Hall shook but no injuries were reported.

"A few moments ago our entire house shook for about 25 seconds or so here in Mendham, NJ," former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said.

USGS is still investigating the exact fault line at the center of Friday’s quake, and said it occurred in a region with dozens of fault lines that were more active millions of years ago.

'It felt like a plane crashed outside' near epicenter

Nicole Kravitz, 33, was baking muffins at the cafe she co-owns with her husband in New Jersey when the floor began to shake. She and the cooks looked at each other for a few moments, and then at some stacked plates and glasses that had started vibrating.

Their eatery, Branchburg's Best, is located in New Jersey's Somerset County, near the epicenter of Friday’s earthquake.

“It felt like a plane crashed outside,” she said. “No one knew what was happening.”

Some workers ran out the door to see if something had smashed into the building while she checked the basement for damage. Meanwhile, Patrick Tucker, her husband, who was picking up beef from a nearby farm, watched agitated chickens and cows run around in their pens, visibly shaken by the quake.

Kravitz said the intensity of the earthquake made her feel like she was back in Southern California, where she had lived for several years before she returned to her home state in 2016.

Quake was one of the strongest to ever impact New Jersey

Friday's earthquake was the most significant in New Jersey since 1884 , when an Aug. 10 earthquake somewhere near Jamaica Bay, New York, toppled chimneys and moved houses off their foundations as far as Rahway, New Jersey, 30 miles away.

Other than that quake, there were only  three earthquakes in modern history  that caused damage in the state: 1737 (New York City), 1783 (west of New York City) and 1927 (New Jersey coast near Asbury), according to New Jersey Office of Emergency Management records.

The Dec. 19, 1737 earthquake is believed by modern experts to have been a 5.2 magnitude quake. Charted as taking place in the greater New York City area, some accounts say its epicenter was near Weehawken. State records show it threw down chimneys. Chimneys were also hurled down during the Nov. 29, 1783 quake. Estimated at a 5.3 magnitude that originated in modern day Rockaway Township, according to state records, it was felt from Pennsylvania to New England.

The Aug. 10, 1884 quake, estimated at a 5.2 magnitude was the last the state has seen of its significance and was felt from Virginia to Maine, according to state records.  Read more about New Jersey's earthquake history.

-David M. Zimmer, NorthJersey.com

New Jersey business owner describes worst quake ever felt, but went right back to work

It was a busy day for La Bella Salon & Spa in Lebanon, New Jersey, when an earthquake struck near the rural township.

About a dozen stylists and customers, some who were getting their hair dyed while others got manicures and eyelash extensions, all froze as the building rattled for about 30 seconds.

“People started to feel the shaking, and it got worse and worse. We were like ‘Oh, my god, what is going on?’" said shop owner Rosanne Drechsel. “I thought a truck hit the building or something.”

After the tremor subsided, nearly everyone in the building started receiving texts and phone calls from friends and family, Drechsel, 61, said.

Nothing was damaged and no one was injured, but Drechsel, who was born and raised in New Jersey, said it was “by far the worst earthquake” she had ever felt.

“We all went back to work and finished the appointments,” she said. “Customers are calling now to see if we're still open and if they can still make their appointments later on today.”

'It was scary': Quake rattles shelves in Brooklyn bodega

In Brooklyn, residents said they felt their buildings shake and many went outdoors after the rumbling stopped to check in with neighbors.

Julio Melo, a deli worker, said he thought the sounds of the earthquake resembled those of a large truck going down the street. But when Melo, 32, looked around and saw beer bottles rattling on store shelves, and a potted plant shimmy down the counter, he thought it might be something bigger, he told USA TODAY.

“I looked at my employee and he had the same tragic face on as me, it was scary,” he said at Jenesis’ Grocery Corp. in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.

-Claire Thornton

Where was the earthquake felt?

Residents and officials said the earthquake was felt throughout New York, as well as in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and elsewhere. It was also felt as far away as Cambridge, Massachusetts, about 250 miles away from the reported epicenter.

Charita Walcott, a 38-year-old resident in the Bronx borough of New York, said the quake felt "like a violent rumble that lasted about 30 seconds or so."

"It was kind of like being in a drum circle, that vibration," she said.

Earthquakes common in the region, but the size is unusual: Expert

Dr. Chuck Ver Straeten, a geologist and curator of sedimentary rocks at the New York State Museum, told USA TODAY it’s not surprising this earthquake happened where it did.

“New York, around New York City going into New Jersey, there’s a lot of earthquakes historically down there. Happens every year,” he said. But it’s less common for them to be of such a high magnitude. It’s not surprising that many people felt it, he said. Usually earthquakes in the region are at a lower magnitude and less likely to be felt.

Ver Straeten said the real question now is if this is just a precursor to a larger quake.

“You never know what is the earthquake, what is a pre-earthquake, what is an earthquake happening after the main earthquake, you just have to see,” he said. “One slip along the rock fault, when one happens, it makes other areas around there more tense also and they start to slip and you slip again and slip again.”

But, he added, it would be unlikely for a larger quake to follow this one. In the Northeast, it’s more common for one large quake to be followed by smaller aftershocks, rather than a mounting series of tremors. 

Ground stops issued at regional airports

The Federal Aviation Administration issued departure ground stops for New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) until 11:30 a.m. ET and New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) until 12:30 p.m. According to flight-tracking website FlightAware, JFK is seeing about 32 departure delays and EWR about 41 as of 11 a.m. ET. 

The FAA said there's a "medium" probability of extending the ground stops.

What does magnitude mean in an earthquake?

Magnitude is a measurement of the strength of an earthquake . Officially it's called the Moment Magnitude Scale . It's a logarithmic scale , meaning each number is ten times as strong as the one before it. So a 5.2 earthquake is moderate while a 6.2 is strong.

The magnitude and effect of an earthquake, according to Michigan Technological University :

• Below 2.5: Generally not felt
• 2.5 to 5.4: Minor or no damage
• 5.5 to 6.0: Slight damage to buildings
• 6.1 to 6.9: Serious damage
• 8.0 or greater: Massive damage, can totally destroy communities

Intensity scales, measured in Roman numerals, are used to describe how strong the earthquake felt to people in the area.

According to the California Earthquake Authority , an intensity of I is typically felt only under especially favorable conditions. A IV, which leads to light shaking, is felt indoors by many, but not typically outdoors. It might awaken some people at night and lead to a sensation like a truck striking a building. A parked car would rock. Intensities VI and above would be strong, frightening and felt by all, with the damage increasing up to a X where the shaking would be violent. Some well-built wooden structures would be destroyed and most masonry and frame structures along with their foundations would be ruined.

While you might have heard the term " the Richter Scale " used to describe earthquakes, it is no longer commonly used because it was only valid for certain earthquake frequencies and distance ranges.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Contributing: Reuters