1. Olympics

The 2010 Winter Olympics start Friday, February 12 in Vancouver, Canada. Look at articles in the newspaper about the games and athletes. Find one athlete who impresses or inspires you, and write a short biography of the person.

Learning Standards: Writing fluently for multiple purposes to produce compositions, such as stories, poetry, personal narratives, editorials, research reports, persuasive essays, resumes and memos; identifying and explaining how individuals in history demonstrate good character and personal virtue.

2. No Moon Trips

Ever since Americans last walked on the moon in 1972, the nation's NASA space agency has wanted to send astronauts back to the Earth's only natural satellite. But because the nation is short of money, President Obama has said he will end a program building new rockets and spacecraft that could take astronauts to the moon. Ending the Constellation rocket program for moon missions will allow NASA to work more on long-range planning for flights that would take astronauts to the planet Mars, which is next out from Earth in the solar system. NASA will also work to get private companies to develop spacecraft that could take U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station orbiting around the Earth. As a class, talk about what humans can learn by exploring space. Then use the newspaper or Internet to read a story about a space mission. Write a complete sentence describing the space mission. Write a second complete sentence describing a space mission you would like to be part of.

Learning Standards: Explaining how we learn about the universe; explaining how scientists decide what constitutes scientific knowledge; engaging peers in constructive conversation about topics of interest or importance.

3. Rain Runoff

A proposed law in Los Angeles, California, would require new houses and developments in the city to collect and re-use "runoff" from rainstorms or build systems to filter it. Storm runoff is rainwater that falls onto the ground but is prevented from soaking into the ground by streets and sidewalks. It's a problem because the water can gather up polluting chemicals and dirt before making its way into a natural body of water like a lake or river. Find a news story about an environmental problem that people are trying to fix. Summarize the article. Then research and write down additional ways people could be addressing the problem.

Learning Standards: Describing, comparing, and explaining the locations and characteristics of ecosystems, resources, human adaptation, environmental impact, and the interrelationships among them; describing positive and negative effects of humans on nature and the environment.

4. Your Health

A new report from the International Union Against Cancer says that 40 percent of the 12 million people diagnosed with cancer every year could avoid the disease through vaccinations and lifestyle changes, such as eating more healthily and avoiding sun exposure. In groups, use articles in the newspaper and online to make a chart that suggests healthy choices and behaviors to replace unhealthy ones. Share your ideas with the class. Then hang up your charts as a reminder.

Learning Standards: Applying knowledge, ideas and issues drawn from texts to students' lives and the lives of others; organizing data using tables, charts, graphs, spreadsheets and data bases.

5. Ice House

Two artists in Detroit, Michigan, are drawing attention to the city's high number of abandoned homes by encasing one of those homes in ice. Photographer Gregory Holm and architect Matthew Radune have spent weeks spraying the house with water to build up a thick layer of ice as part of Ice House Detroit. They're also blogging about the project. Look through articles in the newspaper or online and find another example of a person or group of people working for or promoting a cause in an unusual way. Write a summary of what they are doing and whether or not you think it's an effective way to create change.

Learning Standards: Composing coherent written essays that express a position on a public issue and justifying the position with reasoned arguments; analyzing responses to oral, visual, written and electronic texts; providing examples of how texts affect their lives, connect them with the contemporary world and transmit issues across time.