1. Too Heavy? Exercise!

If your goal is to lose weight, diet without exercise accomplishes little, researchers have concluded after a study of 304 obese teenagers. Teens trying to lose weight should engage in an exercise program, including aerobics and resistance training, the experts suggest in journal called JAMA Pediatrics. Dieting alone produced an 0.6 percent reduction in fat, but among adolescents doing both resistance and aerobic exercises, body fat and waist circumference decreased much more significantly, according to the report from the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Getting exercise is important to health and fitness. And exercise does not need to be vigorous like that in sports. Moderate exercise from activities such as walking, biking or skateboarding can also help people become physically fit. In the newspaper, find an activity you would like to try that would give you exercise. Write a paragraph explaining why you would like to try the activity, and the benefits it would give you.

Common Core State Standards: Writing informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions.

2. On Screen & Netflix

A sequel to the Oscar-winning movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” has become the first major film to debut across the world on a streaming online service and in theaters at the same time. Available August 28 to Netflix subscribers at no additional fee, it is the first of several films that Netflix plans to release jointly with film distributors. Netflix hopes this will change the traditional method for releasing films — in theaters first and on streaming or rental services several months later. Debuting in select Imax theaters (major chains are reluctant to change the existing system), the new film is a follow-up to the Chinese martial arts drama that was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won four in 2000, including Best Foreign Film. Movie companies spend a lot of money advertising and promoting films when they come out. In the newspaper, find advertisements for new movies that interest you. Study the ads closely. Then write an analysis of the ads, comparing their approaches and deciding which you think are more effective.

Common Core State Standards: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions.

3. Family Incomes Declining

The incomes of most American families are continuing to decline, the Federal Reserve has reported. Except for the wealthiest Americans. In its annual Survey of Consumer Finances, the Fed notes that for the bottom 20 percent of U.S. families income dropped by 8 percent from 2010 to 2013, while for the most affluent, it rose by 10 percent. Income inequality has been described by President Obama as “the defining challenge of our time” and by the Fed’s chairwoman Janet Yellen as “one of the most disturbing trends facing the nation.” There seems to be no agreement on the causes, let alone potential remedies. In the newspaper or online, find a story about the challenges faced by low-income people. Read the story closely and write a short editorial suggesting ways the community could help people who are struggling financially.

Common Core State Standards: Writing opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information; 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.

4. Fighting for Forests

World leaders have pledged to restore more than 74 million acres of degraded forest land in a move to help fight climate change. The United Nations Environment Programme and the International Union for Conservation of Nature also have called for an end to global deforestation by 2030. The acreage involved is greater in size than the Asian nation of India, the U.N. announcement noted, and the initiative is designed to reduce a billion tons of carbon from the atmosphere each year. Carbon gets into the air in the form of the gas carbon dioxide, which is created by car emissions and the burning of fossil fuels like oil and coal. Global warming is often in the news and there are many proposals for dealing with it. In the newspaper or online, find a story about a situation caused by global warming. Use what you read to brainstorm a public service TV ad to educate people about the problem. Write an outline for your ad, including images you would use.

Common Core State Standards: Reading closely what a text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; integrating information presented in different media or formats to develop a coherent understanding of a topic.

5. Good Job News

Tesla Motors has chosen an industrial park outside Reno, Nevada, for a massive $5 billion factory that will manufacture batteries for the company’s electric cars. It would be 10 times as large as any battery plant now operating, and Tesla says it will be able to reduce the cost of batteries by 30 percent. At least four other states — Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico — were vying for the plant and the 6,500 jobs it’s expected to provide. Economic growth is important to every community. In the newspaper, find a story about a business expanding, creating jobs or launching a new development project. Write a letter to the editor of the newspaper, detailing ways the news will help the community.

Common Core State Standards: Writing informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions.