1. Whaling

Peter Bethune, an anti-whaling activist from New Zealand, was taken into custody on a Japanese whaling ship. He sneaked onto the ship as part of a protest against whaling and is being charged with trespassing. Find an article in the newspaper or online about a person, or group of people, using an unconventional method to fight for a cause. Write a newspaper editorial that explains what they are doing and whether or not you agree with it.

Learning Standard: Composing coherent written essays that express a position on a public issue and justifying the position with reasoned arguments.

2. The Games People Play

The Winter Olympics are big news, and many people are following the competition in Vancouver, Canada, this week. Look at the TV and sports sections in today's newspaper and see who's competing today. Make a list of five athletes you can expect to see on TV tonight. Write and design a newspaper ad to get people to watch the Olympics tonight, based on the performances of these athletes. Which athletes will you emphasize in your ad, and why?

Learning Standard: Investigating practical situations such as scheduling, routing, sequencing, networking, organizing and classifying.

3. Facebook

A few years ago a high school student in Florida created a Facebook page to let everyone know how much she hated her English teacher. The student, Katherine Evans, was suspended from school. Evans, now a sophomore in college, sued the school's principal on the grounds that her Facebook comments were protected by the First Amendment, which promises the right to free speech. The principal tried to have the case dismissed, but last week the judge ruled that the case can go ahead. As a class review the first 10 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution to see constitutional issues and topics that often make news. Then find something in the news that connects to a constitutional issue, such as free speech. Write an outline of the situation and your opinion on it. Discuss issues as a class.

Learning Standards: Engaging each other in elaborated conversations that deeply examine public policy issues and help make reasoned and informed decisions; explaining the meaning and origin of the ideas, including the core democratic values expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and other foundational documents of the United States.

4. No Phone Zone

The government is trying to prevent "distracted driving" -- driving while texting or talking on the phone -- with new laws, a Web site, and TV commercials. Oprah Winfrey is helping to publicize the problem by asking people to sign a "No Phone Zone" pledge on her Web site. In groups, design a campaign to reduce the risks of distracted driving. Write down a plan for what your campaign would look like, including what your primary message is, who your target audience is, what means you would use to reach your audience, and who your spokespeople would be. Create a newspaper ad that's part of the campaign.

Learning Standard: Consistently using strategies to regulate the effects of variables on the communication process. An example is designing a communication environment for maximum impact on the receiver.

5. iPhone

February 24 is the birthday of Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs. Jobs helped develop and market innovative -- and wildly successful -- products for the company, including the iMac computer, the iPod and the iPhone. The iPhone, especially, proved so popular that it sent competing companies scrambling to produce a similar product. In teams or pairs, use the newspaper to brainstorm an idea for what the next big thing in the world of technology might be. Draw a sketch of your idea. Give it a name. Share it with the class.

Learning Standard: Showing how common themes of science, mathematics and technology apply in real world contexts; applying knowledge, ideas, and issues drawn from texts to their lives and the lives of others; asking questions that help students learn about the world.