1. Looted Items Returning to China

To the Asian nation of China, the looting of the Summer Palace near the city of Beijing has long been a symbol of the humiliation it experienced when western troops invaded in the 19th century during the Second Opium War. But some of the anger will be eased later this year when the French leader of the company that owns Christie’s auction house returns two bronze animal heads that disappeared when the palace was destroyed. The offer was made by Francois-Henri Pinault, one of 60 high-powered French citizens accompanying French President Francois Hollande on a visit to China. Historic items and artifacts are very important to different countries. In the newspaper or online, find an item or place important to a community or state. Write a paragraph explaining why the item is important.

Common Core/National Standards: Reading closely what a text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions.

2. The Final Reunion

After Japan’s attack on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor at the start of World War II, something dramatic was needed to turn the war effort around for the United States. A daring plan was devised. Sixteen B-25 airplanes, modified so they could take off from an aircraft carrier, flew over Japan and bombed the capital city of Tokyo. Of the 80 Americans who participated in the 1942 raid led by Lt. Col. James Doolittle, 62 survived World War II. They were celebrated as national heroes and have been gathering for a reunion in a different city each year. Only four survive, all in their 90s, and this year’s reunion in Florida will be the last, because of their age. Members of the military often are honored for their actions. Find a story about a U.S. military action in the newspaper. Brainstorm a way that participants could be honored and write out your idea in a paragraph or short essay.

Common Core/National Standards: Reading closely what a text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions; writing informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

3. ‘Sweet Caroline’ Surging

In Boston, Massachusetts, the Neil Diamond song “Sweet Caroline” is played at every Red Sox baseball game. After the Boston Marathon bombings, Diamond sang the song in person at the Red Sox’ Fenway Park to show his support for the city. Sales of the song soared, and Diamond now says he will donate royalties from the sales to a fund for victims of the bombings. There are a lot of royalties. Sales for the 1969 hit jumped 600 percent in one week — from 2,800 to 19,000. With the Internet, find and watch a video of Diamond leading fans in the song at Fenway Park. Then discuss why you think the song is popular with fans. In the newspaper stories or ads, find an event that is popular in your community. Pick a song you like that would fit the event. Write a paragraph explaining your choice.

Common Core/National Standards: Engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions; producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience; integrating information presented in different media or formats to develop a coherent understanding of a topic.

4. Testing Firm Flunks

A company that creates and scores certain tests for the New York City public school system may deserve a failing grade. Nearly 2,700 students had been told incorrectly that they were not eligible for seats in the School District’s gifted and talented programs, on the basis of tests wrongly scored. While the city’s education department is notifying parents that their children are now eligible to apply, updated scores are being distributed and the deadline for applying has been extended. The errors affected 13 percent of the kindergarten-through-third-grade children who took the tests and were told they hadn’t qualified for the highly coveted programs. From sports to science clubs, school programs make news in many ways. Find a story about a school program in the newspaper or online. Use what you find to design a poster highlighting the value of the program to students.

Common Core/National Standards: Conducting short research projects that build knowledge about a topic; using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points.

5. The Camel’s Not for Eating

Leaders of the African nation of Mali were so grateful to France for helping them drive back Islamist rebels that they presented a gift to French President Francois Hollande — a camel. But Hollande felt the animal would be out of place in his European nation, so he left it with a family in the Mali city of Timbuktu. What he apparently didn’t realize is that camel meat is a major ingredient in tagine, a regional stew, and the Timbuktu family mistakenly thought that was the purpose of his “gift.” Embarrassed Mali authorities are planning to give the French president a replacement camel, which will be delivered to him in France. The relations between different nations often make news. Find a story in the newspaper about the dealings between two countries. Write a paragraph describing the status of their relationship and what each country has to offer the other.

Common Core/National Standards: Conducting short research projects that build knowledge about a topic; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions; writing informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.