1. A Brave Schoolgirl

A Pakistani teenage girl has been fighting for her life ever since she was shot in the face on a school bus in the South Asian nation. Those responsible have not yet been caught, but they are apparently in the Taliban, an Islamic extremist group active in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan. What did they have against Malala Yousafzai? She has spoken out in favor of educating girls, which the Taliban contends is contrary to Islamic principles. She also has been critical of the extremists. Despite Afghan, Pakistani and American efforts to crush the Taliban, which once actually governed Afghanistan, it remains a force in some areas of both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The current U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan has had only occasional success in efforts to eliminate the Taliban, and in Pakistan, some powerful leaders are actually believed to be friendly to the Taliban. In the newspaper or online, find stories about the Taliban and the effect it is having in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Write a few paragraphs about religious extremism in today’s world.

Common Core/National Standards: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

2. Learn from the Setting

The setting of a story — where it takes place — can often be important to understanding the action that takes place. This is true in real-life stories as well as in fiction. Scan the newspaper for a news story that interests you. On a sheet of paper, write out where the story takes place. Then write three ways the place affects what goes on in the story — or how it could affect future events. Share ideas as a class.

Common Core/National Standards: Responding thoughtfully to classic and contemporary texts; engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions.

3. $100 Million Art Heist

Paintings worth an estimated $100 million were stolen from a gallery in the European nation of the Netherlands, and authorities admit they have no idea who did it. Taken from an exhibition at the Kunsthal museum in Rotterdam, the seven paintings included works of such masters as Picasso, Matisse and Monet. The culprits broke into the gallery, probably through an emergency exit, and just yanked the works off the walls, leaving only white spaces and dangling broken wires behind. It’s believed the thieves will have trouble getting rid of the paintings, because the works are so well known in the art world. As a result, the thieves will most likely have to hang onto them for a while or settle for black market sums far below the market value. In the newspaper or online, find a story about art, art heists or art security. With classmates, discuss reasons people buy — or want to steal — artworks. Then write a short newspaper editorial outlining ways that museums could improve protection of the works of art they own.

Common Core/National Standards: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

4. To Err Is Human; to Forgive …

Like anyone else, scientists make mistakes, but in L’Aquila, Italy, such mistakes (if that’s what they were) may land seven scientists in prison for six years. That’s the sentence that was given to scientists on the European nation’s Great Risks Commission for not predicting the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that killed 308 people in the area around L’Aquila in 2009, devastating most of the town. Before the quake, residents had been reporting small tremors for weeks. Charged with manslaughter, the defendants were indicted for “inexact, incomplete and contradictory information” that did not adequately warn the community. The defense argued that there’s no reliable way to predict an earthquake, and said it would appeal the sentences. In the newspaper or online, find an article on earthquakes and what precedes them. Then write a paragraph outlining your view of the L’Aquila case.

Common Core/National Standards: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.

5. Not So Cheery

Cheerleaders have sued an East Texas school district and some of its officials for prohibiting the use of Bible verses on banners they display at public school football games — contending that the ban violates their First Amendment right to free speech. Governor Rick Perry and other Texas state officials are supporting the suit against the Kountze School District near Houston in a case that may eventually be headed for the U.S. Supreme Court. The district banned the banners as unconstitutional, contending they could be seen as governmental support of religion. The cheerleaders, and their backers, have countered by saying that their constitutional right to free speech is at stake. What do you think? As a class, discuss the rights outlined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Then find a story in the newspaper or online about a case involving one of these rights. Write a few paragraphs summarizing the First Amendment issues in the case. Then write a few paragraphs about how you would handle the cheerleader case, in which the freedoms of religion and speech are seen as conflicting.

Common Core/National Standards: Coming to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material, explicitly drawing on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic; producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.