1. Radio Broadcast

The first commercial radio station was KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its first significant radio broadcast took place on November 2, 1920, when announcers read the results of the presidential election and played music. Think about how information is presented differently today via different mediums. In groups, pick an article in the newspaper. Rewrite it two ways: as a script to be read on the radio, and as a script for a TV broadcaster. Include a description of any images or videos you'd use for the TV broadcast.

Learning Standards: Acquiring information from multiple sources; designing a communication environment for maximum impact on the receiver; comparing and contrasting standards of the presentations on a same topic of a popular movie, television program, article or other medium; representing creatively.

2. Mona's Home

On November 8, 1793, the Louvre opened in Paris, France. The Louvre is an art museum that is home to some of the most famous paintings in the world, including the "Mona Lisa." In honor of the Louvre's birthday, find a photo in today's newspaper that interests you. Then draw your own version of the picture. Get creative.

Learning Standard: Identifying and using aspects of the craft of the speaker, writer and illustrator to form and express ideas artistically.

3. Poetry

T.S. Eliot won the Nobel Prize in Literature on November 4, 1948. Though Eliot is best known for his poems, he was also an influential literary critic. Pick an article in the newspaper that interests you. Then write a poem based on the article. Trade your poem with a classmate. Edit your classmate's poem, making sure to explain any changes you suggest. Trade your poems back and review your classmate's critique of your poem. Follow up by asking your classmate to explain anything that's unclear or that you disagree with.

Learning Standard: Planning and drafting texts, revising and editing their own writing, and helping others revise and edit their texts in such areas as content, perspective and effect.

4. Troops

Nearly 60 U.S. soldiers were killed in Afghanistan last month, making it the deadliest month for the U.S. military since October 2001, when the war in Afghanistan began. Use the newspaper and online sources to write a summary of what's currently going on in Afghanistan. Include a paragraph about the debate over whether the U.S. government should send more soldiers into the country.

Learning Standard: Understanding how the world is organized politically, the formation of American foreign policy and the roles the United States plays in the international arena; writing fluently for multiple purposes.

5. Education

The Baby Einstein Company is offering refunds for its DVDs, which are geared toward young children, after the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood complained that the DVDs were deceptively marketed as being educational. How would you educate little kids? In groups, pick a news story in the newspaper. Design a fun way to convey the story to kids. You can write a skit, make a poster, or anything else. Share what you created with the class. To perfect your creation, ask the class to offer specific, constructive criticism.

Learning Standard: Reading and writing fluently, speaking confidently, listening and interacting appropriately, viewing critically and representing creatively.