Curious What Mount Everest Is Up to While You Were Sleeping?

Let your curiosity lead your learning with this curiosity based learning activity in author reading from the book While You Were Sleeping.

Question 1: How do you measure a mountain? To its top rock or where its snow stops?

Question 2: If you could give a lake a name, what would you name it and why?

Action 1: Take a side, write a letter. On the issue with Everest and how it should be measured, choose whose side you're on and write a letter to the other country explaining why you are taking that side:

a) Write a letter to Nepal taking the side of China arguing Everest should be measured to the top of its last rock.

b) Take the side of a Nepal asserting Everest should be measured to where its snow stops in a letter to China.

c) Suggest a third option, writing a letter to both explaining your thinking.

Action 2: Create a travel brochure announcing the new name of the lake and encouraging tourists to visits.

Keep in Mind: Agreeing on measurements and the names of things is an important part of humans understanding them. What is something else that is important to have an agreement on in order to learn more about?

Deeper Learning: What can you learn about how other mountains are measured and lakes named? Is there anything you learn that could help your opinion on Everest or the name you give the lake?

Challenge 1: Find something in or around your house (e.g. a cabinet, piece of furniture, tree, hill, etc.) you think could be measured in two different ways. Make an argument for both.

Challenge 2: Find something around your house (e.g. appliance, article of clothing, store, park, etc.) you think should have a different, more descriptive name. Give it a new name and explain why.

Curiosity Based Learning

Curiosity Q&A

While You Were Sleeping