1. The Same or Different?

There are many ways to tell a story or give information One is to compare how things are the same or different. Find two photos of outdoor or indoor scenes in the newspaper. Study them closely. Then pretend you are a reporter sent to the scenes. Make a list of how the scenes are the same, and how they are different. Then write a sentence predicting news that could happen because of the similarities or the differences.

Learning Standards: Summarizing the sequence of key events in stories describing life from the past in the local community, the state or other parts of the United States; acquiring information from multiple sources.

2. Valuable Numbers

Social Security numbers are important nine-digit codes assigned to U.S. citizens, permanent residents and people working temporarily in the country. They are mainly used for tax purposes, but they also are used when people apply for credit for a house, car loan or other purchase. If a person has bad credit, the person can be denied credit cards and other loans. Now, thieves are stealing the Social Security numbers of kids. This new type of identity theft targets Social Security numbers that aren't being used and sells them to people so they can create phony credit histories, run up huge debts and never pay them off. Experts say the only thing parents can do is to check with credit bureaus (groups that keep track of credit history) to see if there is a credit file for their child's Social Security number. Read the newspaper for an example of a person or group that has been taken advantage of or had a crime committed against them. Write a letter to the person or group who did the criminal or unethical act, detailing the ways their actions harmed someone.

Learning Standards: Considering the effects of an individual's actions on other people, how one acts in accordance with the rule of law and how one acts in a virtuous and ethically responsible way as a member of society; writing fluently for multiple purposes.

3. A Hard Day's Work

A recent Reuters/Ipsos survey found that only two-thirds of workers from around the world use all the days off given them by their companies. The study, which looked at time-off habits of around 12,500 people in 24 countries, found that French employees (89 percent) were most likely to use all their days off. The least likely to use all their vacation days were Japanese workers (33 percent). Around 57 percent of U.S. workers took all the days off given by their employers. Look through the newspaper to find a place you'd like to visit, or something you'd like to do if you had more time off. Using information from the article, photographs or the Internet, create a one-page travel brochure describing this destination or activity in a way that would attract and interest readers.

Learning Standards: Demonstrating ability to use different voices in oral and written communication to persuade, inform, entertain and inspire audiences; reading and writing fluently, speaking confidently, listening and interacting appropriately, viewing critically and representing creatively.

4. Just What the Doctor Ordered

Researchers have discovered a new relief for severe and chronic pain: snail venom. They found that the chemicals produced by some snails can affect the human nervous system and ease the pain of cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, car accidents and other painful conditions. The pill can be taken by mouth instead of having a shot into the spinal cord. The new drug has been tested on rodents and has been shown to work better than drugs such as morphine without the risk of addiction. Find an ad in the newspaper for a product that claims to do something, such as helping people lose weight. Using the information in the ad and your own knowledge, write whether you think this product does what it claims to. Why or why not?

Learning Standards: Analyzing claims for their scientific merit and explaining how scientists decide what constitutes scientific knowledge; writing fluently for multiple purposes.

5. Zoom, Zoom

The first race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was held on August 19, 1909. The speedway was built on 328 acres of farmland in the state of Indiana by a local businessman. The original idea was to use the speedway as a testing facility for the state's growing automobile industry. Races were held so spectators could see cars from different manufacturers performing and then see them up close in a showroom away from the track. Two years later, in 1911, the Indianapolis 500 began. This 500-mile race is now the world's most well-known motor race. Read the newspaper to find current or archived articles about the automobile industry in the United States. How many of the articles deal with the difficulties the industry has had during the current economic recession? Write a blog or journal entry expressing your opinions about what has happened, what problems need to be addressed and how things could be made better.

Learning Standards: Describing and demonstrating how the economic forces of scarcity and choice affect the management of personal financial resources, shape consumer decisions regarding the purchase, use, and disposal of goods and services and affect the economic well_being of individuals and society.