1. Sneezing Season Has Arrived

Get out the tissues, blankets, and chicken soup because the flu bug is here. According to an Associated Press report, the flu season is off to its earliest start in nearly 10 years. In addition, the strain of flu being seen this year tends to make people sicker – especially the elderly. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control said one bright spot in the news is that the vaccine being given this year is a good match for the strains of flu that have been seen so far. An estimated 124 million Americans have been vaccinated. Search the newspaper for flu stories. As a class, discuss how you can work to ensure you don’t get it. Design a flu poster offering tips for fellow students.

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

2. Gallaudet

On December 10, 1787, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was born. In his life, he was credited with bringing education for the deaf to the United States. Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., now trains hearing-impaired students to become teachers, doctors and lawyers, among other professions. Find an article in this week's newspapers about a person who has a handicap and has accomplished great things, as many Gallaudet students have. Or find an example online. Write an outline of the article, and summarize its main point in your own words.

Common Core/National Standard: Reading and comprehending general and technical material.

3. Humiliation as Punishment

If you lived in Puritan times, you toed the line just to avoid the humiliation brought down upon people who misbehaved. People who broke simple laws had their heads and hands pinned in pillories in the town square so people could mock them. If you broke a social standard, such as adultery, they might put a large, red “A” on your chest. But that kind of punishment is ancient history, isn’t it? Recently two high school boys in Mesa, Arizona, who were caught fighting were given a choice of being suspended or sitting in chairs in the high school’s courtyard and holding hands for 15 minutes during lunch period. They chose to hold hands, and other students mocked them, took photos and posted them to social websites. District officials said they don’t condone what the principal did, and they would address the issue further. Search your newspaper and Internet for unusual ways to punish wrongdoers. As a class, debate if humiliation should ever be an option.

Common Core/National Standard: Posing and responding to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text or issue under discussion.

4. Standing on a Cliff

Lawmakers, economists and even local barbers are talking about the “fiscal cliff” that faces the United States. But what does that mean? According to a Yahoo! Finance article, the fiscal cliff refers to a potentially disastrous economic situation that could occur on December 31 because several laws passed by the U.S. Congress are set to expire or take effect. Lawmakers need to reach an agreement on a budget, government spending and tax increases prior to that date or Americans could face significant government spending cuts and tax increases. When combined, those could total over $500 billion or about four percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. Business owners say going over the fiscal cliff will cripple the economy. Search the newspaper for articles about the fiscal cliff, the laws set to expire or take effect, which lawmakers supported them and the implications for American taxpayers and businesses. Create an informative Power Point presentation to share with your class.

Common Core/National Standard: Using technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently, as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

5. Run, Sami, Run!

Don’t ever let Sami Stoner hear you saying you can’t run in physical education class because you have a blister on your foot. Stoner, a senior at Lexington, Ohio, High School, never says she can’t run or compete in a cross-country race because she is blind. She simply holds on to the harness of Chloe, her guide dog, and the two run through parks and on trails all around Lexington. Now Stoner and her golden retriever are petitioning collegiate sports authorities to allow her to run cross-country with her dog at the university level. She will be attending Otterbein University in the fall of 2013. Search your newspaper and the Internet for stories about inspirational athletes who face challenges when competing. Write an opinion essay on why they inspire you.

Common Core/National Standard: Writing arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.