Meet the Learning League, Your Students’ New Learning Buddies

Newsela is introducing our new Generation Genius ELA video lessons for grades K-5. These engaging videos feature a loveable cast of characters and include supporting instructional materials that provide an entry point for young learners to develop literacy skills.

We can’t wait for you to meet the Learning League, who your current learners will love exploring and thinking with across a wide range of ideas and topics. Let’s get to know them!

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Jump to:

• Addie: The Mathematician
• Frankie: The Journalist
• Dr. Jeff: The Scientist
• Kayla: The Artist
• Lex: The Wordsmith
• Noor: The Historian
• Pip: The Dog
• Sam: The Athlete

[Addie: The Mathematician](id-addie)

Addie sees the world through numbers and patterns and uses math to solve everyday problems. Her room is a lab filled with puzzles, robots, and inventions. 

She loves showing her friends how math is everywhere—from crafts to video games and even cooking—and how it’s exciting and approachable, not scary. Addie’s friends call her creative, methodical, enthusiastic, and playful.

[Frankie: The Journalist](id-frankie)

Equipped with his trusty tablet and microphone, Frankie is always on the lookout for the next big story. He documents discoveries, interviews experts, reports facts, and digs into a text to get to the truth. 

Frankie believes there is more than one side to every story, and he encourages his friends to ask questions, dig deeper, and approach situations with empathy and fairness. His friends describe him as brave, witty, outgoing, and persistent.

[Dr. Jeff: The Scientist](id-jeff)

Dr. Jeff is a fun-loving scientist who helps the Learning League explore the world. He demonstrates complex scientific principles through dance moves and experiments. That’s how he got his nickname, “Dancing Dr. Jeff!”

His lively energy and silly explanations help make even the most challenging concepts easy to understand. Dr. Jeff’s lab is packed with cool gizmos, colorful potions, and surprises at every turn. Dr. Jeff's pals know he’s wacky, enthusiastic, supportive, and inventive.

[Kayla: The Artist](id-kayla)

Kayla is an artist and a maker. Her passions are drawing, crafting, and hands-on projects. She uses art to express her emotions, connect with friends, and better understand the world around her.

You can usually find Kayla drawing on adventures or hanging out in the Kid Genius Clubhouse. Her backpack is filled with art supplies, and she loves using them to show her friends that anyone can be an artist with a bit of practice and imagination.

Once your students meet Kayla, they’ll find out she’s creative, imaginative, empathetic, and resourceful.

[Lex: The Wordsmith](id-lex)

Lex loves words, stories, and languages. He helps his friends appreciate literature and language, and awes them with his ability to weave words into captivating stories and poems. You’re most likely to find Lex in a cozy reading nook with books, writing materials, and inspiring quotes.

He believes everyone has a story worth telling, and he loves helping his friends find their voices by exploring synonyms, metaphors, and diverse genres. Ask the other members of the Learning League, and they’ll tell you Lex is imaginative, expressive, enthusiastic, and thoughtful.

[Noor: The Historian](id-noor)

Noor loves true stories! Her magical notebook can transport her into the past and let her experience history firsthand. Whether she’s interviewing historical figures, observing historical events, or experiencing life in different eras, Noor always comes back with interesting stories and insights.

She’s passionate about connecting history to today’s world and loves helping her friends learn from their past to create a better future. Noor’s friends say she’s energetic, curious, compassionate, and detail-oriented.

[Pip: The Dog](id-pip)

Pip isn’t just a dog; he’s the Learning League’s best friend and sidekick. Pip is always sniffing out clues, noticing details his pals miss, and sometimes causing loveable mischief that leads to solutions. 

Pip communicates with expressive gestures and enthusiastic tail-wags to help lead the group in the right direction. The Learning League describes him as friendly, loyal, curious, and humorous.

[Sam: The Athlete](id-sam)

Sam is happiest on the field, court, rink, or anywhere with action. He’s the best at physical skills, but sometimes needs a little more help in the classroom. Sam is never afraid to ask questions and get help from his friends. 

Whether he’s learning about rhythm by bouncing a basketball, understanding fractions by sharing snacks at halftime, or visualizing gravity during a skateboard trick, Sam makes connections best when he’s doing real-world learning.

Sam’s friends love his honesty, humor, and openness, which often helps others better understand tricky topics, too. If you ask them, the Learning League will say Sam is daring, energetic, friendly, and a little impatient.

Bring the Learning League into your classroom with Newsela ELA

Ready to introduce your students to The Learning League? Starting today, you can log in to your Newsela ELA account to access new video lessons. Just search for The Talespinner or The Case of the Pea Milk. New lessons will be released on a rolling basis throughout the year—so there’s always something new to explore!

Not a Newsela customer yet? Join now to start your free 45-day trial of all our premium products and content, including Newsela ELA. You’ll be able to access the Generation Genius ELA content along with relevant articles, text sets, and Luna AI-powered supports to make learning a breeze.