1. Where's Harry?

Harry Houdini was born on March 24, 1874. He was a magician who was famous for his amazing death-defying escapes. People are still fascinated by his craft and his bravery. Find an article in today's newspaper about a contemporary celebrity. Write a persuasive essay discussing whether or not you think this person will still be famous in 100 years. Be sure to give at least three reasons to explain why you think the way you do.

Learning Standards: Responding to a variety of texts by making connections to students' personal lives and the lives of others; demonstrating the ability to write clear and grammatically correct sentences, paragraphs and compositions.

2. Cats

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber was born on March 22, 1948. Webber wrote many famous musicals, including "The Phantom of the Opera," "Cats," and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." He also won Grammy awards and an Oscar. With a partner, pick a story in the newspaper that interests you. Then write a theatrical song based on it. You can put your words to a tune you already know, or create a new tune. Share your song with the class.

Learning Standard: Reading and writing fluently, speaking confidently, listening and interacting appropriately, viewing critically and representing creatively.

3. Sierra Club

Conservationist Edgar Wayburn died earlier this month, at age 103. Wayburn had been the president of the Sierra Club, an environmental group, and the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work preserving wilderness areas in the United States. Read articles about the environment, conservation or living "green" in the newspaper. Then pretend you write for a kids' newspaper or magazine and write your own news story about an environmental issue. Make sure it's on a level that younger kids can understand, while still being interesting and informational.

Learning Standards: Describing the environmental consequences of major world processes and events; explaining how parts of an ecosystem are related and how they interact; analyzing how humans and the environment interact.

4. Grade Your Food

Last week the New York City Board of Health voted to rate the cleanliness of city restaurants with letter grades. The grades will be posted in highly visible places in the restaurant, so patrons can easily see them. In groups, pick five foods mentioned in the newspaper. Research the foods in books or online. Then pick a grade for each based on how healthy it is. Create a poster that shows the foods and grades, and a short explanation of why you picked that grade.

Learning Standards: Developing and applying critical standards for individual use; communicating information accurately and effectively and demonstrating expressive abilities by creating oral, written and visual texts that enlighten and engage an audience.

5. iPad

Apple's newest product, the iPad, hasn't even come out yet, and it's already generated 120,000 pre-orders -- in one day! Apple has had success creating buzz for many of its products though intense marketing and advertising campaigns. Pick an ad in the newspaper for a product you might consider purchasing, and write a short paper evaluating the ad's effectiveness. What message is the advertiser trying to convey? Does the ad come across as sincere? Does it make you want to buy the product?

Learning Standards: Demonstrating how language usage is related to successful communication in different spoken, written and visual communication contexts, such as job interviews, public speeches, debates and advertising; writing fluently for multiple purposes.