1. Flying Is Safer

Flying may be safer than ever. The Aviation Safety Network reports that last year was the safest in worldwide commercial air flight since 1945, with just 23 deadly accidents and 475 fatalities. That was less than half the number in the year 2000, and it’s been four years since the last fatal crash in the United States, a record since propeller planes gave way to the jet age a half-century ago. Safer flight is attributed to better designed and manufactured planes and engines, advanced navigation and warning technology, and increased sharing of information by regulators, pilots and airlines. When crashes do occur, passengers are more likely to survive. Use the newspaper or Internet to find a story about air travel or air safety. Write a summary of the key facts in the story and present them to the class.

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. Beloved Ms. Morrison

On February 18, 1931, author Toni Morrison was born. Morrison's work tackles universal themes using history specific to the African American community. Her characters inhabit worlds of the past and yet speak to us today. Skim through today's newspaper to get a sense of what's going on in your world. Then write a creative story about fictional people living in these times.

Common Core/National Standards: Producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience; responding to a variety of oral, visual, written and electronic texts by making connections to one's personal life.

3. Guests at a Funeral

A 15-year-old girl was buried in Chicago, Illinois, this month, and the funeral guests included the First Lady of the United States, the governor of Illinois and the mayor of Chicago. Caught in the crossfire of what was apparently a gang fight, Hadiya Pendleton was killed only a week after she had performed with her school band in President Obama’s inaugural parade in Washington, D.C. In the national debate over the use of firearms following the Newtown, Connecticut, school massacre, her death has become a symbol of gun violence plaguing Chicago and other American cities. The funeral, in a church on the city’s South Side, was filled to overflowing, with a guest list that included First Lady Michelle Obama, Gov. Patrick J. Quinn and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Find stories in the newspaper or Internet about the debate over gun control and gun violence. Use what you find to discuss the issue as a class.

Common Core/National Standards: Responding thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarizing points of agreement and disagreement; engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions.

4. Free at Last

A 56-year-old man has been released from a Texas prison after serving nearly 30 years for a murder he apparently did not commit. A judge in Corsicana ordered Randolph Arledge freed after DNA testing pointed to another man as the culprit in a 1984 slaying. The judge will recommend to the Texas Court of Appeals that the conviction be formally overturned. DNA testing is only a recent development in science, but it has revolutionized crime detection and legal proceedings. Use your newspaper and the Internet to do some research about the impact of DNA testing on the legal system, and be prepared to discuss it with the class.

Common Core/National Standards: Using technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish and update individual or shared writing projects; engaging effectively in a range of collaborative discussions.

5. More from Her Diary

Bridget Jones apparently is still writing in her diary. A third Bridget Jones book is on its way, 14 years after the first sequel to Helen Fielding’s best-selling novel “Bridget Jones’s Diary” was published. The publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, said the new novel, “represent[ing] a totally new phase in Bridget’s life,” will be released in November. “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” have sold more than15 million copies in 40 countries, and were adapted into movies starring Renee Zellweger. The novels stemmed from the newspaper column that Fielding writes for The Independent of London. Think like Bridget Jones and try your hand at keeping a diary. Read the newspaper for a week, and write down stories that interest you, photos you like, ads that sell things you might want. Be sure to write your opinions and feelings about what you read and see — that’s what makes a diary fun!

Common Core/National Standards: Using technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish and update individual or shared writing projects; producing clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.