1. Civil Rights

April 4 is Maya Angelou's birthday. Angelou is a poet, playwright, author, director and speaker. Much of her work focuses on civil rights and fighting injustice in the United States and around the world. In today's newspaper, find an article about an issue that speaks to you. Write a poem, rap or rhyme about it. Present your poem to the class.

Learning Standard: Writing fluently for multiple purposes to produce compositions, such as stories, poetry, personal narratives, editorials, research reports, persuasive essays, resumes and memos.

2. Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama, a.k.a. the Buddha, was born on April 8, 563 BCE. The Buddhist religion he founded is still thriving today, though some of his adherents, like the Dalai Lama, live in political fear or exile. Find a story in today's newspaper about a religious group that is at odds with a government. As a class, discuss the situation, the country, extenuating factors and possible resolutions.

Learning Standard: Engaging peers in constructive conversation about topics of interest or importance; locating and describing the diverse places, cultures and communities of major world regions.

3. Ford

Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford died at his home in Dearborn, Michigan, on April 7, 1947. By introducing the assembly-line concept to auto manufacturing, Ford changed history by creating the first affordable, mass-produced car. Find another example of someone who greatly influenced an industry, a community or a country in the newspaper or online. Write a paper about the person and his or her influence.

Learning Standards: Selecting events and individuals from the past that have had global impact on the modern world and describe their impact; writing fluently for multiple purposes.

4. Tourism

Michigan lawmakers have voted to give $9.5 million to the state's tourism campaign, Pure Michigan. The campaign promotes Michigan through national advertising. In groups, design a campaign to promote your school, neighborhood or city. Come up with a name for your campaign (like Pure Michigan), along with an advertisement for print or for TV. Share what you created with the class.

Learning Standards: Demonstrating how language usage is related to successful communication in different spoken, written and visual communication contexts, such as job interviews, public speeches, debates and advertising; recognizing and using varied innovative techniques to construct text, convey meaning and express feelings to influence an audience.

5. Photojournalism

Photographer Marty Lederhandler died last week at age 92. Lederhandler worked for the news-gathering organization the Associated Press, which means his photos appeared in newspapers and on TV shows across the country. During his 66-year career with the Associated Press, he photographed many famous events and people. Look at the photographs in the newspaper this week. Pick one and write a short essay explaining how the photograph enhances the article it accompanies. What information or emotions does the photo convey?

Learning Standards: Analyzing students' responses to oral, visual, written and electronic texts; providing examples of how texts affect their lives, connect them with the contemporary world and transmit issues across time.