1. Temptation on the Doorstep

More and more people are buying holiday gifts online. It may be more convenient, and sometimes even less expensive. But there’s a downside. If the recipient is away and a package is left on the doorstep, it is accessible to thieves. These Grinches may drive through residential neighborhoods, looking for unattended packages. Some even follow UPS and FedEx trucks on their routes. Police across the nation report an increase in this type of crime. Some arrests have been made, but it’s a very difficult crime to curtail. Preventive measures are possible, though. The Better Business Bureau suggests that customers ask the shipping company for tracking numbers and require signatures on all deliveries. Customers also can request that a package be held at a lobby desk or at a local shipping center. In some cases, home surveillance cameras have been set up (and requests for such cameras have more than doubled in the past year). Check in your newspaper or online to find stories or information about such thefts in your community or other places. In a paragraph, summarize some steps that are being taken to stop such thefts, and how effective they are.

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. Movie Magic

On December 18, 1946, Steven Spielberg was born. As a movie director, he has brought tales like “Lincoln,” “War Horse,” “Minority Report,” “Schindler’s List,” “A.I: Artificial Intelligence,” “Jaws,” “Jurassic Park” and “The Color Purple” from books and short stories to the movie screen. Imagine that Spielberg or another director made a film of one of the top stories in the newspaper today. Create a critic’s review of that movie, based on a review you find in the newspaper. Be sure to mention the actors who would perform in your imaginary movie.

Common Core/National Standards: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience; recognizing and using levels of discourse appropriate for varied contexts, purposes and audiences, including terminology specific to a particular field.

3. Subcontinent Sports

When the Mumbai Gladiators play the Kolkata Vipers, don’t expect it to be like an NFL game. These are among the eight teams in the Elite Football League of India, which is introducing American football to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other Asian countries. So far, it hasn’t caught on, the promoters concede, and the quality of play leaves much to be desired. But some European sports — like rugby, soccer and cricket — have attracted a following among south Asians. The football games are televised, but thus far the number of viewers is so small that the network isn’t trying to sell ads. Check your newspaper or the Internet to see what other sports or activities are popular in Asia. Discuss American sports other than football you think could be popular in Asia or other countries. Design a poster or TV ad promoting one of these sports for an Asian audience.

Common Core/National Standards: Engaging in a wide range of discussion topics; using drawings or visual displays when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or points;

4. Better Word Choice

The word “lunatic” will no longer be in federal law, the U.S. Congress has decreed. A law to do that was passed recently by the House of Representatives, 398-1, after being passed by the Senate in May. Two years ago, all references to “mental retardation” were removed from federal law. “Federal law should reflect 21st century understanding of mental illness,” said U.S. Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), a co-sponsor of the measure. “Continued use of this pejorative term has no place in the U.S. code.” Mental health organizations noted that terms like lunatic “perpetuate … stigmatization” of people with mental problems. In the newspaper or online, find stories or ads that address mental health issues, or services for people who have mental health issues. Write a paragraph discussing how attitudes toward mental health have changed over the years, using information you learned by reading.

Common Core/National Standards: Citing textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text; producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience;

5. … And Still Scoring

Kobe Bryant is the youngest National Basketball Association player ever to score 30,000 points. One reason the 34-year-old Bryant achieved this so young is that he became a professional sooner, joining the Los Angeles Lakers right out of high school. This is not an argument for passing up college, unless you are as good at basketball as Kobe Bryant, which just about nobody is. Quite possibly the best in the world, he is still a top scorer. Search the newspaper for a week for two or more stories about games in which Bryant has played this season. Think like a sportswriter and write a short essay comparing how he played in the two games and how that reflects on what he has done in his career. For further fun, search the newspaper or Internet to compare Bryant’s talents with those of the other four players who have scored 30,000 career points —Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain.

Common Core/National Standards: Integrating information presented in different media or formats to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.