05 Bella Tarantella

Bella Tarantella Judy passed a note to Frank, who passed it to Rocky. No fair! You turned Amy Namer's globe into gloop on purpose! -JM. Rocky passed a note to Frank, who passed it to Judy.

DID NOT! R.Z Judy was about to pass another note when Mr. Todd told the class it was time for the big scoop. She sat up straight as a pencil. Mr. Todd was drawing a map on the board. Judy hoped a map was not the big surprise. "Class, we're about to start a whole new way to learn geography," Mr. Todd announced. "Class 3T is going to go around the world in eight days!" "What? Huh?" everybody asked. "We're going to work with Ms. Valentine's

class—" "Yippee!" said Judy. "That's Amy Namey's class." Rocky and Frank frowned at her. "We'll make a big map like the one on the board and put it up in the hallway between our classrooms. Then we'll trace the journey of First Around-the-World Woman Reporter Nellie Bly. We'll learn about all the countries she visited." "Did she go to Italy?" asked Rocky. "My grandma's from there." "Yes," said Mr. Todd. "Did she go to Disneyland?" asked Bradley. Mr. Todd chuckled. "I'm afraid not." He wrote the names of eleven countries on the board.

USA ENGLAND FRANCE ITALY EGYPT YEMEN SRI LANKH MAL AYSIA SINGAPORE CHINA JAPAN

"We'll get into small groups, and each group will take a country. Here are some things you might try to find out about for each country." Mr. Todd pointed to the board: A) WHAT THE FLAG LOOKS LIKE B) TRADITIONAL FOOD FOR YOUR COUNTRY C) HOW TO SAY HELLO AND GOODBYE OR COUNT TO TEN IN YOUR COUNTRY'S LANGUAGE D) ANY GAMES THAT STARTED IN YOUR COUNTRY "We have only eight days to get all the way around the world, so we're going to have to work fast. There's a lot to learn, a lot to do." "Can we bring in something real from that country?" asked Jessica Finch. "I have a nesting doll from Russia."

"I'm sorry. That's not one of the countries we're studying," said Mr. Todd. "I have money from Italy," said Rocky. "And some carbone dolce. It's black rock candy that looks like coal." "Ooh, I have tea from London," said Judy. "That's in England. And I have a cuckoo clock in my bedroom that my grandma Lou brought me all the way from Germany." "Tell you what," said Mr. Todd. "These are all good ideas, but let's wait until you know what country you'll be working on." "Is this the big scoop?" asked Frank. "Geography?" "Yes," said Mr. Todd. "I'm afraid it is. But I haven't told you the best part. We are going to kick off our Around-the-World tour with... a