1. You Are What You Eat

Obesity rates among kids and teens in the United States have grown higher and higher, but a new study suggests that inactivity may not be the culprit. The study, by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, found that the amount of physical activity among teens has not changed that much in the past 20 years, which means what they're eating is playing a bigger role in making them heavier. In groups, use newspaper articles and online sources to create a poster promoting healthy eating for teens. Share as a class and discuss what you think are the most effective approaches.

Learning Standards Demonstrating understanding of the complexity of enduring issues and recurring problems by making connections and generating themes within and across texts; comprehending what constitutes good health and nutrition.

2. Shoes in the News

The Soles4Souls program was set up in the United States to collect "gently used" shoes for people in poor countries who don't have the shoes they need. This month Soles4Souls got a big boost from the Finish Line company that makes sports shoes and clothing. Finish Line collected approximately 92,500 pairs of used shoes at its 679 stores and donated them to the Soles4Souls program. What's more, the company contributed $1 for each pair of shoes its customers donated, raising $92,500 to ship and distribute the shoes in countries that need them. Many organizations work to help people, either in this country or in countries in other parts of the world. With a partner or as a class, find an example in the newspaper. Use what you find to draw a poster showing some of the things the organization does.

Learning Standards: Identifying and explaining how people demonstrate good character and personal virtue; acquiring information from multiple sources; representing creatively.

3. Court Case

A case currently before Britain's Supreme Court in Europe could affect thousands of schools. The case began when JFS, a religious school for Jews, rejected an applicant whose father is Jewish and whose mother is a Jewish convert. JFS argued that under its definition of what makes someone Jewish the student is not a Jew and therefore cannot attend the school. The student's family sued and lost, but when they challenged the decision the Court of Appeals ruled in their favor, saying that the school's policy discriminates based on ethnicity. The school then appealed to the Supreme Court. Read about the case in the newspaper or online. Then write a newspaper editorial explaining how you think the British Supreme Court should rule, and why.

Learning Standards: Describing the political and legal processes created to make decisions, seek consensus and resolve conflicts in a free society; explaining why people may agree on democratic values in the abstract but disagree when they are applied to specific situations.

4. SNL

TV and movie producer Lorne Michaels was born on November 17, 1944. Michaels is best known for creating "Saturday Night Live," the long-running TV show made up of short skits, many of them based on current events. In groups, find an interesting news story in the newspaper. Then create a funny skit based on it. Perform your skit for the rest of the class.

Learning Standard: Communicating information accurately and effectively and demonstrating expressive abilities by creating oral, written and visual texts that enlighten and engage an audience.

5. Year One

Barack Obama was elected president last November. What has he been able to do in a year? In groups, pick an issue that President Obama is involved in, such as a law he's trying to pass. Using the newspaper and online sources, create a presentation about the issue. Include how Obama addressed the issue during his campaign, what he has been able to accomplish so far, what has stood in his way and what the future likely holds for action on the issue.

Learning Standard: Locating information pertaining to a specific social science topic in-depth, using a variety of sources and electronic technologies; explaining how American governmental institutions at the local, state and federal levels provide for the limitation and sharing of power and how the nation's political system provides for the exercise of power.