1. Find a Way to Help

Eleven-year-old Olivia Bouler of Islip, N.Y., spends a lot of time drawing birds. But she doesn't stop there. She sends sketches and paintings of birds to people who donate to groups helping with the Gulf oil spill relief efforts. So far her "Save the Gulf" campaign has raised around $80,000, which is overseen by the Audubon Society, an organization that focuses on birds and bird habitats. Olivia, who wants to study birds as an ornithologist when she grows up, spends 15 and 30 minutes creating each drawing. Search the newspaper to find a story about someone who needs help or a cause you believe in. Make a list of ways you could use your time and talents to help. Then write a letter to the person or organization offering your help. Make sure it is in the form of a business letter.

Learning Standards: Describing and discussing shared issues in the human experience that appear in literature and other texts from around the world; acquiring information from multiple sources.

2. Gourmet Lunch Trays

School lunches may soon receive a makeover. First Lady Michelle Obama and hundreds of chefs recently gathered on the south lawn of the White House as part of the anti-obesity campaign she is leading. The first lady wants chefs to partner with schools to help teachers and parents teach kids about food and nutrition and to design healthier school meals. Use the newspaper to find foods often served at school lunches or in restaurant meals. Then give these meals a "makeover" by finding healthier foods in ads that could replace foods in the meals. Give your meals an appealing name that would make kids want to eat them.

Learning Standards: Responding to a variety of oral, visual, written and electronic texts by making connections to students' personal lives and the lives of others; comprehending what constitutes good health and nutrition; representing creatively.

3. Identity Crisis?

Earlier this month the Chevrolet carmaker General Motors sent a memo to its employees that had some people in an uproar. The internal memo discouraged GM employees from calling Chevrolet vehicles by their nickname, "Chevy." Instead, the company asked that employees "communicate our brand as Chevrolet." After negative public response, GM issued a new statement, saying the memo had been "poorly worded." But it also said, "In global markets, we are establishing a significant presence for Chevrolet and need to move toward a consistent brand name for advertising and marketing purposes. The memo in question was one step in that process." Search the newspaper business section for a product you believe you could market by making an emotional appeal to traditions or consumer attitudes. Create an ad that does this.

Learning Standards: Responding to a variety of oral, visual, written and electronic texts by making connections to students' personal lives and the lives of others; representing creatively.

4. "D'oh"

Homer Simpson, the doughnut-loving dad in the cartoon series "The Simpsons," has been named the greatest character created for television and film in the past 20 years by the magazine Entertainment Weekly. "The Simpsons" is in its 21st season, making it the longest-running U.S. TV series in prime time. Harry Potter, who was created by British author J.K. Rowling, came in second in the poll of greatest characters. Number 3 was the main character of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Search the newspaper to choose a person you think should be named "a person of great character." Write a journal or blog entry discussing this person.

Learning Standard: Identifying and explaining how individuals in history demonstrate good character and personal virtue.

5. Kicks on Route 66

On June 27, 1985, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials decertified Route 66 and voted to remove its highway signs. Often called the "Main Street of America," Route 66 stretched around 2,200 miles, from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, linking hundreds of mostly rural communities with cities along its course. In the 1930s, Route 66 was the path for the mass westward migration to California from Midwestern and Eastern states. By 1970, four-lane highways bypassed much of Route 66, prompting its eventual decertification as a numbered route. Using the Sports section of the newspaper, find a team that has to travel a long distance for a game. Draw a cartoon or comic strip depicting how they would get there if modern transportation didn't exist.

Learning Standards: Understanding narratives about major eras of American and world history by identifying the people involved, describing the setting and sequencing the events; comprehending the past; using the craft of the illustrator to convey ideas artistically.