1. In the Year 2013

At the start of each year, experts try to figure out what events will be the most important in the year ahead. Use today's newspaper to make five predictions about what you think will be major news events in the year 2013. Discuss choices as a class.

Common Core/National Standards: Engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions; generating questions about important issues that affect students or topics about which they are curious.

2. Can the Skiing World Survive Climate Change?

If you’re into skiing, the long-term outlook is bleak. The threat of global warming hangs over every ski resort from Maine to California and around the world. As temperatures rise, ski centers will vanish, experts predict, especially those at lower elevations and latitudes. Last winter was the fourth warmest on record since 1896, forcing half the nation’s ski areas to open later and almost half to close early. Even if this winter turns out to be cold, scientists say, the future is not promising. Improvements in snow-making technology have helped some resorts compensate, but the Natural Resources Defense Council notes “It is uncertain as to what extent snowmaking will last as an adaptation strategy.” In the newspaper or online, find stories about winter sports. Write a short essay about one, discussing how much it relies on natural snowfall or ice. Make a prediction about what will happen to winter sports businesses that rely on cold weather, and how they can compensate for less snow and ice.

Common Core/National Standards: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience; citing textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly, as well as inferences drawn from the text.

3. Thanks to Teachers, Many More Survived

Many children lost their lives in Newtown, Connecticut, when a mass murderer entered their school and opened fire with an assault rifle — but many more survived. That’s because their teachers had the presence of mind to hide them and protect them. Bravely and competently, the teachers took advantage of existing safety rules and added their own common sense to the precautions. Despite this terrible event, schools remain safe places overall. Still, schools all over the nation are reviewing their own procedures, trying to improve existing security strategies. In the newspaper or online read what steps some American schools are taking to keep students (and their teachers) safe. Then compare these measures with those being taken at your school. Be prepared to discuss this with your classmates.

Common Core/National Standards: Engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions; posing and responding to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text or issue under discussion.

4. Elephants in Trouble

In the Asian nation of Malaysia, officials recently discovered more than 1,000 smuggled elephant tusks hidden in secret compartments in shipments of mahogany wood — probably the biggest ivory seizure in history. Demand for ivory is growing in Asia, particularly in China, dramatically increasing its price. To meet this demand, thousands of elephants are slaughtered annually in Africa, and some scientists warn that the animals’ survival is endangered. The recent shipments originated in Togo, destined for China, where ivory is used for chopsticks, bookmarks, figurines and other items. International crime syndicates, aided by corrupt officials, move tusks across the globe. Some African armed groups even hunt elephants and use the tusks to buy weapons, adding to the continent’s instability. As a class, discuss what should be done to protect elephants from this threat. Then find a story or photo involving an endangered animal in the newspaper. Use what you find to design a poster showing ways the animal can be protected.

Common Core/National Standards: Engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions; using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points.

5. ‘Lost Ark’ in Chicago

There is no Henry Walton Jones Jr. on the University of Chicago faculty, but a package arrived for him recently. It contained a journal of Professor Abner Ravenwood. University officials were perplexed until a student came up with part of the answer. Henry was the baptismal name of movie adventurer Indiana Jones, and Professor Ravenswood was his movie mentor. That doesn’t clear up the mystery, however. Nobody seems to know where the package came from, who sent it or why. In the newspaper, find a story about another mystery people are trying to solve. Write out what is known, what is not yet known and how the missing information might be collected. For added fun, rent an “Indiana Jones” movie and write a review of it.

Common Core/National Standards: Citing textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly, as well as inferences drawn from the text; producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.