1. Campaign Sparring

Mitt Romney recently returned to his native Michigan to campaign with his vice presidential running mate, Paul Ryan. He spoke to a crowd of 9,300 in the county where he was raised, according to a Detroit Free Press article. During his speech, Romney again brought up the “birth record” controversy involving President Barack Obama. “No one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate,” Romney said. “They know this is the place where we were born and raised.” That remark set off a firestorm of criticism. Democrats said Romney’s remark connecting to people who question the Hawaii birthplace of Obama should “give pause” to national voters. Find newspaper stories about the campaign. In groups of four, research the platform or positions on issues for each candidate and create a Power Point presentation for the class.

Common Core/National Standard: Using technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

2. Hispanic Heritage

Hispanic Heritage Month begins in September. This is a time when we celebrate the contributions and culture of Hispanic people. Hispanic people come from Spain or from other countries that speak Spanish. In the United States, many Hispanic people come from Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America. As a class, read an article in this week's newspapers about Hispanic culture, or another culture. Write a paragraph describing the customs, language and heritage of the culture and how they compare to the culture in which you have grown up. Share with the class and discuss.

Common Core/National Standards: Engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions; using reading for multiple purposes, such as enjoyment, gathering information and learning new procedures.

3. Hanging It Up

Controversy has plagued bicycle racer Lance Armstrong for more than a decade. At issue were accusations that he used steroids or other performance enhancing drugs when winning races like the world famous Tour de France. Armstrong now says he is no longer going to fight the charges brought by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, according to a New York Times article. He maintains his innocence, but says the constant battle for his reputation has been causing stress on his family and his Livestrong Foundation for cancer research. Armstrong, who has never tested positive for drugs, called the investigation an “unconstitutional witch hunt.” As a result of his decision, however, Armstrong will be stripped of his seven Tour de France wins, his Olympic medal and all other medals, awards and cash prizes he has won since 1998. He also will never be allowed to race again or coach cycling. Find newspaper stories about the controversy. Or find one online. As a class, discuss what Armstrong’s decision says about the charges against him.

Common Core/National Standards: Responding thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue.

4. A Billion Dollar Verdict

Apple Inc. employees celebrated recently after a jury found that Samsung Electronics Co. ripped off Apple technology to make its smart phone and tablet. Apple was awarded a $1 billion verdict in the case. Other smart phone competitors now could run into similar problems, according to an Associated Press story. The ruling also could affect Google, because Samsung uses Google Inc.’s Android operating system to power its cell phones. The article reported that Apple lawyers now are planning to ask that two dozen of Samsung’s devices be barred from use in the United States. The $1 billion verdict represents about 1.5 percent of Samsung’s annual revenue. As a class, use your newspaper’s stock market pages to track the stock prices for Samsung, Google and Apple. Chart each day’s closings for the next two months. Write a summary of developments over that time.

Common Core/National Standards: Understanding that a market exists when buyers and sellers interact and that this interaction determines market prices and thereby allocates scarce goods and services; producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

5. Kicking for Change

Mo Isom wanted nothing more than to be a kicker for the Louisiana State University Tigers football team. The former LSU women’s soccer player first tried out last spring and didn’t make the roster. She was encouraged to improve and try out again in the summer, according to a Yahoo! Sports article, but for a second time she failed to make the roster. LSU coaches said they were concerned about Isom meeting the physical challenges of the position, because the kicker is the last person on defense against a runback of a kick. Find a newspaper article about people playing nontraditional sports for their gender. Or find one online. Discuss whether the opposite sex should be able to play on traditionally one-gender teams.

Common Core/National Standard: Engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions.

1. I Want My Floss

In odd news today, inmates in the Westchester County Jail outside New York City are suing the county for $500 million over dental floss. In their suit, the inmates said not getting dental floss has ruined their teeth. The lawsuit claims that the inmates’ civil rights have been violated by "not allowing inmates access to dental floss while being aware that failure to use floss causes cavities." Inmates claim that once they get a cavity, they get a temporary filling, which falls out in three or four weeks, which then causes them to have their teeth drilled even more. Dental floss can be a safety risk, both for inmates and others, according sources from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care in a Journal News article. Find a newspaper or Internet story about a lawsuit some people might consider frivolous. Summarize the lawsuit.

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. Presidential Heads-Up

On October 6, 1961, President John F. Kennedy told Americans to build bomb shelters to protect themselves from fallout in the event of a nuclear war. At the time, the United States and the Soviet Union were opposing superpowers and, to many, nuclear war between the two seemed a real possibility. Though the Soviet Union no longer exists (and Russia is on friendlier terms with the U.S.), there are still threatening forces in the world, including terrorism. Use the newspaper and other resources to write an essay comparing the tension in America in 1961 and tensions Americans feel now in the face of terrorism threats.

Common Core/National Standards: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience; constructing and interpreting timelines of people and events in the history of the United States since the era of Reconstruction.

3. The Spanking Debate

To spank or not to spank. That is the question that has faced schools in Texas after high school student Taylor Santos opted for a paddling rather than a two-day, in-school suspension. The spanking was done by a male vice principal and left her bottom "fire-engine red and looked as if it had been burned and blistered," her mother told ABC News. Corporal punishment has been outlawed by 31 states, but is still legal in 19 others unless abolished by local authorities, the article said. In the district where Santos attends school, parents must be called before the punished is meted out. However, the spanking is supposed to be done by an administrator of the same sex to reduce the force of hitting on girls. Find a newspaper or online story about using corporal punishment in schools. Write an opinion essay supporting one side or the other.

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

4. How High Can You Go?

Boys, you are going to have to be on top of your game when asking a girl to a dance, because a student at Patriot High School in Nokesville, Virginia, has set the bar really high. He enlisted the help of a U.S. Customs pilot to fly a helicopter over the school and drop a stuffed teddy bear onto the football field to ask a girl for a date. There is no word if the object of the student’s affection accepted his invitation, but the pilot is now in hot water. He has been put on administrative leave pending an investigation. Find a newspaper story about an over-the-top invitation or proposal. Discuss it. Then draw a comic strip showing someone doing something over-the-top and funny.

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.

5. Election 2012: To Tax or Not to Tax?

Each year, the tax man cometh, but who he will be coming to is the big issue in the presidential debates that start this Wednesday. Candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama have widely divergent ideas on taxes. The Associated Press recently ran an article about the positions of the two candidates on taxes and other issues. The article said that the Republican Romney wants to keep the tax cuts approved when George W. Bush was president for all incomes and drop all taxes by 20 percent. He also would curtail deductions, credits and exemptions for the wealthiest Americans, eliminate capital gains taxes for families making below $200,000 and cut corporate taxes by 10 percent. Democrat Obama wants to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans and ensure they pay 30 percent of their income in taxes. He supports extending Bush-era cuts for those making below $200,000, wants to let the top tax rates go back up by 3 to 4 percent and would raise rates on capital gains and dividends for the wealthy. As a class, debate the tax issue. Then write how you would deal with taxes if you were president.

Common Core/National Standards: Propelling conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate a current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.