1. No Swimsuits

The Miss America pageant has been around for nearly a century, but when it takes place on September 9 this year, there will be a huge change for contestants. For the first time in the pageant’s 97 years, there will be no swimsuit competition. The Miss America Organization announced the change after a leadership shakeup put three women in top positions. “We are not going to judge you on your outward appearance,” said Gretchen Carlson, the organization’s chairwoman, who was Miss America in 1989. Instead, the pageant will focus on the achievements and goals of contestants and how they plan to use their “talents, passion, and ambition” to help others. Dropping the swimsuit competition will open the pageant to women of “all shapes and sizes” and let “more women know that they are welcome in this organization,” Carlson said. The changes to the Miss America pageant have come at a time when the #MeToo movement has forced many organizations to re-examine how they treat women. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read stories about different ways organizations are addressing issues of equality, respect and opportunity for women. Use what you read to write a short editorial, analyzing several efforts you think are positive and noteworthy.

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.

2. Teachers for Change

In government classes, teachers have long taught that if you want to change things, run for office. This year, in states across the nation, teachers are taking their own advice. They are running for office in unprecedented numbers, according to teachers unions and educational groups. From coast to coast, more than 170 teachers, former teachers or other school workers are running for state legislatures, the unions and education groups report. And women are strongly represented among candidates for higher office, with at least 20 retired and working female teachers running for the U.S. Congress, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. Among the candidates are some of the nation’s top teachers. In Connecticut, 2016 National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes is seeking a seat in the U.S. Congress, and in Arizona state Teacher of the Year Christine Marsh is running for the Arizona legislature. Teachers are running as both Democrats and Republicans and issues range from school funding to charter schools to giving teachers firearms. Teachers bring a unique perspective to government. In the newspaper or online, find and read stories about teachers running for office. Use what you read to write a political column analyzing what fresh perspectives teachers bring to politics and how that could change the conversation of how government should support schools and education.

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. Immigration Showdown

The nation’s “zero tolerance” crackdown on illegal immigration has caused controversy for the way it has separated parents from children. In the state of Texas, it caused additional controversy when a U.S. Senator asked for a tour of a detention center holding immigrant children in Brownsville near the Mexican border. The government contractor running the shelter called police, and Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon was asked to leave. Merkley said he tried to go through proper channels to arrange a site visit but was turned down. So he just showed up at the center housed in an old Walmart store. The manager told him he couldn’t come in without authorization from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is overseeing care of the immigrant children. “I think it’s unacceptable that a member of Congress is not being admitted to see what’s happening to children whose families are applying for asylum,” Merkley said. The “zero tolerance” approach to illegal immigration continues to cause debate and controversy across the nation. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read stories about what state, local and national leaders are saying. Use what you read to write a short paper detailing the latest developments and predicting what you think will happen over the next six months. Use evidence from your reading to support your prediction.

Common Core State Standards: Writing informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly; using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points.

4. Babies & Lower Voices

Having a baby brings a lot of changes to women both emotionally and physically. One of the less known is that it can change women’s voices. Prime examples are the singer Adele and the “Frozen” actress Kristen Bell. Both reported that after they had a baby, their voices temporarily became lower. And what happened to them is not uncommon, new research has found. According to a new study by researchers in Great Britain, the pitch of new mothers’ voices can sound lower after the birth of their first child. The change, which is described as “vocal masculinizing,” can last for up to a year. Researchers haven’t pinpointed exactly why this happens, but possible explanations include hormone or behavior changes. Researchers said there can be “a big rise in hormones during pregnancy and a drop-off after,” and that can affect a woman’s voice. Medical research is constantly giving doctors and scientists new information about health issues faced by women and children. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read a story about an issue important to women and children. Use what you read to prepare a multi-media presentation outlining key points women should know about the issue.

Common Core State Standards: Integrating information presented in different media or formats to develop a coherent understanding of a topic; conducting short research projects that build knowledge about a topic; citing specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions.

5. College Debt

Nearly every student who goes to college worries how they will pay for it. About four in 10 students take out loans, and they end up owing a lot of money. According to the Federal Reserve banking system, American students now owe a whopping $1.5 TRILLION in student loans. That comes out to an average of more than $28,000 per student for students earning a four-year bachelor’s degree, according to the College Board organization. Among those with student debt, nearly two-thirds are women. Women now owe an average of $2,740 more per person than men, CNN news reports. How to pay for college is an important issue facing students and their families. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read stories about challenges students face and solutions they have found. Use what you read to design a website to help college-bound students and their families get information that would be helpful or important. Design the home page to show categories of information you want to highlight. Pick an image to illustrate each category. Then write headlines and text blocks for each category.

Common Core State Standards: Using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points; integrating information presented in different media or formats to develop a coherent understanding of a topic. they need.