1. A Hole-in-One for Women

Women marched. Women protested. Women won the right to vote with the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on August 26, 1920. Since then, women have served in Congress, flown to the International Space Station, saved lives and become generals in the military. But it wasn’t until last week that they broke into one of the last bastions of the men’s world. Two women finally were allowed to join the Augusta National Golf Club, according to a Yahoo! Sports article. Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore, a South Carolina business executive, were admitted as members to the formerly all-male golf club, which hosts the famous Masters Golf Tournament each year. Augusta National has been under fire for years — first for its refusal to allow minority members and more recently for not allowing women. Find a newspaper story about women in sports. As a class, discuss how sports can influence the success and achievement of girls.

Common Core/National Standard: Engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions

2. Dateline — Your School

Welcome back to school! Every fall, issues facing students in school make news. Read an article in today's newspaper about an issue that affects young people. Imagine that you are a journalist for your city's newspaper. Create a list of 10 questions that you could ask a young person about the issue in the article. Now go interview a classmate! Write up your findings as a news story for a class or school paper.

Common Core/National Standard: Generating questions about important issues that affect students or topics about which they are curious; narrowing the questions to a clear focus; creating a thesis or a hypothesis; producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

3. Homeless People and Puppies

The homeless problem in San Francisco, California, affects both humans and animals. So the city’s Animal Care and Control department recently came up with a solution. The department is pairing homeless puppies with formerly homeless people living in supportive housing situations. The people are being paid $75 a week in an effort to get them back on their feet and reduce the amount of begging and panhandling on city streets. Not everyone is a fan of the program. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals group is objecting vigorously, calling it “puppy Russian roulette,” according to a Yahoo! News story. They say people with former drug and alcohol problems shouldn’t be given animals to care for, and the money should be used differently. Find a newspaper story about the homeless. Or find one online. Write an opinion essay on whether you think a program like San Francisco’s could work for them.

Common Core/National Standard: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

4. Put the Phone Down!

What would it take for you to put your smart phone away and enjoy a meal? The Eva Restaurant in West Hollywood, California, is hoping a 5 percent discount on your dinner would be enough of an incentive to check your phone at the reception hostess desk, according to a Yahoo! News article. The owners of the restaurant, Mark and Alejandra Gold, want people to focus on their meals and not be distracted by emails, texts and phone calls. They said their idea is based less on smart phones disturbing other patrons and more about having people take time out from the connections of the world. Find a newspaper story about technology and its impact on daily lives. As a class, debate whether these changes are good or bad for society.

Common Core/National Standards: Engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions; responding thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarizing points of agreement and disagreement.

5. Walking for a Cause

The Susan G. Komen organization now has more than $3.2 million in its coffers, thanks to the women of Michigan. A total of 1,100 women walked 60 miles over three days to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. Ann Salter was one of those women. She was diagnosed with breast cancer 15 months ago and wasn’t sure she had recovered enough from the cancer treatments to walk. She raised $3,900 from sponsor pledges, and the rest of her team raised more than $20,000, according to the Detroit Free Press. Find a newspaper story about people raising money for good causes. Or find one online. Write an informational report about one organization.

Common Core/National Standard: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.