1. Fact & Opinion

It is important to learn how to recognize the difference between fact and opinion in what you read. With family or friends, review how facts are true things, and opinions are how a writer feels about something or a decision about whether something is good or bad. Then go to the editorial page of the newspaper, and read an editorial. Remember that editorials contain both facts and opinions. Go through the editorial with a red pen or marker and circle every fact word. Then go through with another color and underline opinion words.

Learning Standards: Responding to a variety of written, electronic and visual texts; differentiating between historical facts and historical interpretations; employing multiple strategies to construct meaning.

2. Newsy Music

Music is something people enjoy a lot in the summer. And popular music, rock or rap often draw ideas from the news. With family or friends, look through the newspaper today for stories that might make good subjects for rap or rock songs. From one you find, write a few lines that might be the start of your rap or song, or the chorus that would be repeated. With family or friends, compare song ideas taken from the news. Were there some that were chosen more than others?

Learning Standards: Reading and writing fluently, speaking confidently, listening and interacting appropriately, viewing critically and representing creatively; responding to a variety of visual, written, oral and electronic texts by making connections to students' personal lives and the lives of others.

3. Mission Recycled

A sailboat made from 12,500 recycled plastic bottles recently finished sailing across the Pacific Ocean. The four-month journey was undertaken to bring attention to the harm that plastic waste and other trash can do to the world's oceans. The 60-foot catamaran called the Plastiki had six crew members and traveled 8,000 nautical miles at sea. It left San Francisco, California, on March 20, stopped at various South Pacific island nations and docked last week in Sydney Harbor in Australia. The boat is held together with an organic glue made from sugar cane and cashews. Using the newspaper display ads, see how many items you can find that are not biodegradable. Write a paragraph describing what happens if these items are not disposed of properly, and come up with ideas about how these items can be recycled and used again.

Learning Standards: Describing ways in which humans alter the environment; understanding ecosystem concepts.

4. 'Wish You Were Here'

Communities in Florida's western Panhandle region are getting creative in efforts to get tourists to visit their beaches and businesses. Florida's tourism industry is a $60 billion business, but since the Gulf oil spill happened in April, towns from Panama City to Pensacola have reported a decline in business of 30 to 50 percent each week. Now, in Panama City Beach, the Convention and Visitors Bureau is taking photos of tempting beach scenes from mobile phones and sending them to digital billboards as far away as Baltimore, Maryland, and Atlanta, Georgia, with messages like "Our Coast Is Clear." Other communities are trying other marketing strategies, such as wearing "Thank You" buttons and randomly giving out gift certificates to visitors. Find a Gulf Coast town affected by the oil spill in today's newspaper, the newspaper archives or an online source. Read about what that town has to offer for tourists -- beaches, restaurants, etc. -- and what the town has lost. Create a newspaper ad inviting people to vacation in this town.

Learning Standards: Reading and writing fluently, speaking confidently, listening and interacting appropriately, viewing critically and representing creatively; understanding and analyzing how purchasers obtain information about goods and services from advertising and other sources.

5. Hoops History

The National Basketball Association (NBA) was formed on August 3, 1949. The newly formed organization came about from the merger of the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League. At that time, the NBA had 17 teams from small towns and big cities across the United States. Today, there 30 franchises in the NBA. Sports teams play an important role in many communities. They provide jobs, pay taxes and support community organizations and schools. Find a story in the sports section of the newspaper about a team you like. Think about all the ways the team connects with the community. Create a chart or illustration showing the connections in a visual or graphic form.

Learning Standards: Organizing and presenting information in maps, graphs, charts and timelines; using reading for multiple purposes, such as enjoyment, clarifying information and learning complex procedures.