1. From Outer Space to Classrooms

Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Yoda, R2D2, C3PO and even Darth Vader soon may be helping provide a better education for children on this planet. George Lucas, the creator of the “Star Wars” films, recently sold his companies to Disney for $4 billion. He pledged to give a sizable portion of that money to education. Lucas, along with Microsoft founder Bill Gates and businessman Warren Buffett, have all signed agreements to donate the majority of their wealth to philanthropic and charitable organizations. For Lucas, improving education is critical to the advancement of the country, and he has created an educational foundation whose work can be found at www.Edutopia.org. Search the newspaper and the Internet for articles about Lucas and others donating their wealth. Write an essay detailing to what causes you would donate money if you had billions of dollars.

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

2. Welcome to America

Immigration is a hot-button issue in the United States these days, even though the country historically has been made up of people coming to America to find a better life for themselves and their families. On November 12, 1954, what was once the gateway to America for immigrants closed its doors forever. Ellis Island, located off the shore of New York City, was the portal through which more than 12 million people started new lives. It was opened in 1892. Search the newspaper and the Internet for articles on immigration and immigrants. As a class, debate the America’s current immigration issues and their affect on the country. Common Core/National Standard: Propelling conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate a current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas.

3. Think Before You Eat

You may not think twice about eating cupcakes or drinking sodas, but the American Diabetes Association hopes you will. November is National Diabetes Month, an observance to raise awareness for this disease that affects the body’s ability to regulate its sugar levels through insulin production. There currently is no cure for diabetes, but it can be managed through diet, exercise, medication and insulin injections. In the United States, there are 25.8 million diabetics. Search the newspaper and the Internet for information about diabetes, its symptoms and its side-effects. Create educational posters to raise awareness about the disease in your school. Common Core/National Standard: Using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points.

4. Making and Keeping Promises

Last week, Democrat Barack Obama was re-elected as president of the United States. While campaigning for president, candidates often make promises for changes or policies that can make a difference in people’s lives. Now that the 2012 election is over, use the newspaper and online resources to review what President Obama promised. Will he really change an economy struggling to recover from a major recession? How will he make that change happen? Will he help create more jobs for the unemployed in America? Will he change the way American children are educated? How will he handle our relationships with other countries? As a class, search the newspaper and Internet and make a list of the promises Obama made. Discuss which promises are the most important and how you would like to see those promises fulfilled.

Common Core/National Standard: Propelling conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas

5. Coming Together for America

When you are elected president of the United States, you become a lightning rod for criticism. People feel free to comment on everything you do and every decision you make, and they blame you for everything that goes wrong. President Barack Obama faced intense criticism during his first term in office. People blamed him for the state of the economy, the unemployment rate and his health care plan. A president doesn’t actually make laws, however. The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate are responsible for making the laws for the country, and the president must then sign them to put them into effect. During the past four years, there has been intense fighting and competition between the Democrats and the Republicans in Congress, which many people felt hurt the country. Search your newspaper for stories about the need for Democrats and Republicans to work together for the next four years. As a class, discuss what you think Obama can do as president to bridge the gap between the two parties.

Common Core/National Standard: Propelling conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas