1. Zoo Stars

June is National Zoo and Aquarium Month. Zoos and aquariums allow people to see interesting animals and marine life up close. As a class, talk about what animals or wildlife you would include if you were starting a zoo or aquarium. Then go through the newspaper this week and clip photos of animals and marine life you could include in a zoo or aquarium. Don't forget to look at photos that are part of ads in the paper. Pick three animals or sea creatures you would like to include and write a reason you chose each one.

Learning Standards: Acquiring information from multiple sources and then evaluating, organizing and communicating it; writing fluently for multiple purposes.

2. Summer Wear

School's almost out for the summer. Hunt through today's newspaper and find pictures of clothes that would be right for your favorite summertime activity. Draw a comic strip of yourself, showing you wearing the clothes and having fun in summer. Give your comic strip a creative, "summery" name.

Learning Standards: Reading and writing fluently, speaking confidently, listening and interacting appropriately, viewing strategically and representing creatively; using the craft of the illustrator to express ideas artistically.

3. A Grand Old Flag

Old Glory. The Stars and Stripes. Whatever you like to call it, the American flag stands for freedom and democracy. June 14 is Flag Day, because that is the day in 1777 that the Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the banner that would symbolize the new nation. The Flag Resolution stated, "Resolved: that the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing the new Constellation." There is some debate over who actually designed and made the first flag. Some historians believe it was designed by members of Congress and taken to a seamstress named Elizabeth "Betsy" Ross, who sewed for George Washington. Other historians say that is just a historical legend. The actual flag has changed over time with new stars added as new states joined the nation. Find a picture of the flag in the newspaper this week. Write your own caption for the picture, stating what the flag means to you.

Learning Standard: Understanding and being able to use complete and correct declarative sentences in writing.

4. Crime Report

There's an old saying, "A penny for your thoughts." Evidently that's all a penny is good for, according to a medical clinic in Utah. Last week, Jason West, of Vernal, Utah, paid a $25 medical bill all in pennies. What did he get for his efforts? He got arrested for disorderly conduct. He claimed he didn't owe the $25, but finally paid the fee in person in the form of 2,500 pennies. He then asked the staff to count them all. Workers at the clinic called the police, and he could be fined up to $140 for the disorderly conduct charge. According to writer Claudine Zap, 29 New Jersey students got detention when they paid for their $2 lunches in pennies. As a class, look in the newspaper for unusual crime reports. Pick one and discuss as a class what the right penalty should be for the crime.

Learning Standard: Asking thoughtful questions and responding to relevant questions with appropriate elaboration in oral settings.

5. Find a Way to Help

Imagine swimming or wading to school with your books balanced above the water. Doesn't sound like much fun, but it was reality for children who lived in a Philippine mangrove village, according to an Associated Press story. After learning about the children from the Layag-Layag village, a man used Facebook to raise money for boats to get the children to school. Now, a bright-yellow, donated motorboat takes the children from their neighborhood to the city of Zamboanga, where they attend elementary school. As a class, find an article in newspaper about people in need. Put together a plan for your class or school to help them.

Learning Standards: Understanding and demonstrating how to play a positive and active role in promoting the well-being of others.