1. Prizes

Newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer died on October 29, 1911. Pulitzer gave Columbia University in New York City a million dollars to set up a school of journalism. He also set aside money to establish the Pulitzer Prizes, which are given out each year to honor excellence in journalism and the arts. In groups, look through the newspaper this week and award prizes for best news article, best feature article, best editorial article and best photo. At the end of the week compare your picks with what other groups chose, and discuss the reasoning behind your selections.

Learning Standard: Using reading for multiple purposes, such as enjoyment, clarifying information and learning complex procedures; engaging peers in constructive conversation about topics of interest or importance.

2. The Queen

The British queen surprised theatergoers earlier this month when she and her husband showed up to see a play in London's West End theater district. An aide for Queen Elizabeth told a newspaper that she and her husband, Prince Philip, frequently sneak out to the theater, but they're not usually spotted. What would you say to President Obama if he showed up at a local theater on a night you were there? Would you ask him something personal or ask about an issue making news? Look through the newspaper and pick an issue that's important to you. Write a paragraph summarizing the issue. Then write down five specific questions you'd ask the President about the issue if you ran into him at a theater.

Learning Standard: Focusing on meaning and communication while listening, speaking, viewing, reading and writing in personal, social, occupational and civic contexts.

3. Ghosts

Kids across the country take to the streets on Halloween, dressed in all types of costumes. People trick-or-treat, throw parties, decorate their homes with pumpkins and ghosts, and eat lots of candy. Look through the newspaper for articles about how people in your neighborhood and city are celebrating Halloween. Use the Internet to read about how people in other countries celebrate Halloween. Write a paragraph describing what you learned.

Learning Standards: Describing, comparing and explaining the locations and characteristics of races, cultures and settlements; writing fluently for multiple purposes.

4. Traveler

Every year Conde Nast Traveler magazine ranks the best cities in the world, based on its Readers' Choice Survey. This year, for the 17th year in a row, the magazine named San Francisco, California, the best U.S. city to visit. Which city would you like to visit? Look through the newspaper and online and pick a city. It can be anywhere in the world. Read about the city and look at images of it in the newspaper or online. Then write down a list of reasons you'd like to visit it. Share your chosen city and what you wrote with the class.

Learning Standard: Expressing responses and making connections between oral, visual, written and electronic texts and students' lives.

5. Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was prime minister of the Asian nation of India in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. She first ruled for 11 years, but then was accused of corruption and voted out. But Gandhi was elected again in 1980. On October 31, 1984, however, she was assassinated by her own bodyguards. Using the newspaper and online sources, read about another leader, past or present. It can be someone in government, business, a local community or anything else. Write a short biography of the person. From what you learned in your research, make a list of five characteristics that you think helped the person be a leader.

Learning Standards Considering the effects of an individual's actions on other people, how one acts in accordance with the rule of law and how one acts in a virtuous and ethically responsible way as a member of society; demonstrating understanding of the complexity of enduring issues and recurring problems by making connections and generating themes within and across texts.