At Home: Play Book
The divide between academics and sports is often vast. And although both are important for a well-rounded education, frequently one is sacrificed at the expense of the other. Not so for one hockey coach, though?he’s using his cred as team leader to encourage his players to score in the wide world of reading.
As The Globe and Mail reports, the Shediac, N.B.-based Shane Doiron has begun a sort of book club for his hockey players, a group of nine and ten-year-old boys.
Doiron conceived the idea based on ?his own regrets at sidelining reading while he pursued a hockey career.? While in university, he discovered that his reading skills were too poor to understand his textbook?later realizing that if someone had encouraged him to appreciate literacy, things might have turned out differently.
He has high hopes for the team. After hockey practice, Doiron, the boys, and a few volunteer dads gather in the locker room to read and discuss the latest books, which the boys choose from a selection he offers. The novels are exciting and kid-friendly, ?almost all of them about hockey and adventures.? The team breaks into small groups, which enthusiastically talk about what they’ve been reading.
The boys are responsible for keeping up with the reading, and they’re doing it gladly. And along with the socialization and the literary aspects, they’re also developing reading skills, which is translating into better grades at school?and a better future.
Around the World: Lost City
Last week, we saw just how easily nature can destroy cities and alter the landscape. Scientists and archaeologists suggest a similar scenario as explanation for the demise of the legendary city of Atlantis, long-lost and known mostly from historical accounts.
However, Atlantis? secrets may not be entirely locked in the past. In fact, experts believe they may have found the lost city’s location. As the CBC reports, scientists are investigating marshlands north of Cadiz, in the south of Spain, after noticing ?space satellite images showing unusual features.? Based on the evidence so far, It’s believed to be ?the best possible candidate for the location of Atlantis.?
A team of researchers has been using radar, satellite imagery, and other technology to determine whether the marshlands hold the remains of the legendary city. Already, there’s some light being shed: ?readings suggest the presence of a communal oven and possibly canals.?
Additionally, the team has ?discovered a series of mysterious memorial cities in central Spain, seemingly modelled on Atlantis, leading them? to the conclusion that survivors of Atlantis built new settlements in a style similar to their original home.
