1. Summer Jobs

Many students want to work over the summer to make money for college or for things they would like to buy. As a class, check out the Help Wanted ads in the back of today's newspaper. Discuss what types of jobs are available for teens and young adults. Discuss job resumes and then make one for yourself.

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. Pumped Up for Sports

Steroid use among high school students has been getting a lot of attention recently. Some high school athletes are using steroids to bulk up, and it has become a problem that worries health and school leaders. Drug use is an issue that affects young people, communities and families. Read an article in this week's newspapers about drug use or the consequences of drug use. Or find an example online. With the newspaper, Internet and other resources, write about the dangers of abusing a drug.

Learning Standards: Gathering and synthesizing information from books and other sources of information; writing fluently for multiple purposes.

3. Underwater Dangers

One of the biggest worries about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is what damage will be caused by huge clouds of oil floating under the surface. Scientists who study sea life are warning this danger could be as damaging to wildlife and the environment as the sticky gobs of oil that are washing onto beaches and into marshes on the Gulf Coast. As the BP oil company struggles to clean up the spill, scientists say the damage to microscopic plankton in the water could threaten everything from shellfish to fish to whales. That's because plankton are an important food at the "bottom" of the food chain in sea environments and many other creatures depend on them. In the newspaper or online, find a story about the oil spill, its effect on the environment and its possible effects on wildlife. Write a paragraph summarizing the latest developments and what you think scientists, BP or the government should do next.

Learning Standards: Explaining ecosystem concepts and processes; describing positive and negative effects of humans on wildlife and the environment.

4. Summer Predictions

Summer is a time for fun, but that doesn't mean important things don't happen. As a class, pick out five important issues described in this week's newspapers. Discuss each issue and make prediction about what might change and what might stay the same over the course of the summer. Summarize one of your predictions in a written paragraph.

Learning Standards: Engaging peers in constructive conversation about topics of interest or importance; integrating listening, viewing, speaking, reading and writing skills for multiple purposes and in varied contexts.

5. D-Day

June 6, 1944, was D-Day. On D-Day during World War II, U.S. and allied forces stormed the beach at Normandy, France, in a surprise attack. France was occupied by Nazi forces at the time. Research D-Day with this week's newspaper, the Internet or library resources. Write a brief list of ways the world might be different today if D-Day had never happened.

Learning Standard: Selecting events and individuals from the past who have had global impact on the modern world and describing their impact.

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