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June 14 - 18, 2010
1. Ask your students if they have ever read the comic strip, "Little Orphan Annie." Or, perhaps they've seen the movie or the show, "Annie." They might not even know that it was based on a newspaper comic strip. But, it was and that strip ran in newspapers for about 87 years, ending its run this past Sunday. While the strip was supposed to appeal to children, originally, it took on some serious social issues. The creator, Harold Gray, focused on the gap between rich and poor, and glorified the concept of doing hard work for a honest day's pay. He abhorred labor unions and expressed that, too. He shared this thoughts on politics, government and justice. So, clearly, young people weren't his only audience. Ask your students to give a careful read to today's comic strips. Can they find any that are taking on current issues? Have them write about their conclusions. Finally, perhaps students would like to create a comic of their own to express opinions about today's news. Click on this link to visit a free website where they can create strips. Here is one that was created using that tool.
2. Baseball great Lou Gehrig's birthday is June 19. Your students may never have heard of him but they are sure to find his story compelling and inspiring. Share these facts. Gehrig attended Columbia University on a football scholarship, but ultimately ended up playing professional baseball for the New York Yankees, beginning in 1925. During his career, he broke several records and became an American hero for his athletic prowess. He and Babe Ruth were constantly making news. They both became legendary. But, they had a falling out and didn't speak for many years. During the 1939 season, Gehrig began to have trouble playing the game he loved. He was diagnosed with a very rare disease, ALS, now known as Lou Gehrig's disease. His prognosis was not good as his body would continue to lose motor ability. He would never play ball again, and the disease would kill him within a few years. So, his team decided to declare a "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day" on July 4, 1939. More than 62,000 fans sat in rapt attention in the stands as Gehrig gave a short speech. In it, he said that he considered himself "the luckiest man on Earth." He said that the opportunity to play the game he loved, with the teammates he revered, made his life a blessing. Thousands in the stands were moved to tears. Even Babe Ruth stepped out on the field to hug his former teammate and rival. It is still considered to be one of the most poignant moments in sports history. Invite your students to click on this link to watch a two-minute video of the speech.
Gehrig's story helped people to put their own problems and lives in perspective. Ask your students to talk about how learning a story like this one might inspire them to keep going when times get tough. Ask, "Does it help you cope with your problems when your read about how others do so?" Invite your students to find someone in the news whom they think could be helped by an inspirational story like Gehrig's. Have them write that person a letter with encouraging words. Finally, as a follow-up, Gehrig closed his speech by saying, "So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for." What do your students think he meant? Who in today's news would they guess have the most to live for?
3. Father's Day is coming up next Sunday. What words would your students use to describe a good dad? Can your students find an example of a good father in today's news? If they could meet that man, what would they say to him about what makes him a good parent? If President Obama is in the news, you might ask if they think he is a good father and why they think so.
4. In one of his most well known speeches, during his Senatorial campaign, on June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other". He gave this speech when accepting the nomination for Senator from Illinois. He lost that election, but the speech lives on. That famous phrase about the divided house comes from the Bible which says, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand." So, Lincoln may not have been original but the speech proved very powerful. If your students were going to write a speech about a current event, what famous phrase can they think of that they would weave into a speech?
1. Students can determine the ratio of sales jobs to factory jobs in the Classified ads. Which would be easier to get? Which do they think pay more? During a recession like the one we're in, which field do they think is more lucrative?
2. Send students to the weather information in the news. They can select 10 cities listed, write the high temperatures for each and then find the mean, median and mode.
Invite your students to visit this site to play some terrific math games online. There you'll find lots of animated stories that explain math concepts. Each lesson is accompanied by a worksheet.
1. Explain to students that Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space on June 16, 1963. Invite them to imagine that they have just arrived on Earth from space. If they looked only at today's news, what would they think of Earthlings? They should write a report back to their space commander telling what life on Earth is like.
2. Tell students that science fiction is a genre in which stories are made up but are woven with facts of real science. They may involve some truth in the world of science theory. Which article in today's news do your students think lends itself to being a work of science fiction? Why? Allow time for a discussion.
3. Since summer is just about upon us, it's a great time to talk about summer safety with your students. Tell them that wearing a seat belt is the best way to keep safe in the car. Why do they think some people don't buckle up? Have them look through the newspaper to see how display ads are designed. They should then create one encouraging people their age to wear seat belts.
4. Does your local newspaper have any articles about the oil spill in the Gulf? Have students summarize any that they find and to talk about how the spill might impact their lives. Click here for an online tool that will enable students to put in the name of their town or city and to "move" the spill on the map to show how much of their local area would be covered by the amount of oil that has spilled into the Gulf.
1. June 14th is Flag Day. It's the anniversary of the day in 1777 when the Continental Congress approved the adoption of the first American flag. Later, in 1818, it was decided that the number of stripes would stay constant at 13 but that the stars would equal the number of states. There are several rules of flag "etiquette" that describe how the flag should be treated with respect. Can your students find any graphics in the news that depict or resemble the flag? Is it being treated with respect? Why or why not? Ask students what they know about the U.S. flag and its history. Record their answers on the board. Some historians believe that Betsy Ross sewed the first flag. It may be interesting for students to virtually visit the Betsy Ross house in Philadelphia, PA to learn more. The first act about the flag passed by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. It said, "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." Since then, quite a few other resolutions have resulted in the flag we have today, representing what matters most to Americans. Although the colors of the flag haven't been stated to have meaning, they were based on the colors of the country's first official seal and for that there were meanings attributed to the colors. According to the Continental Congress, white signified purity, red stood for hardiness and valor, and blue for vigilance, perseverance and justice. Which story in today's news do your students think best expresses the ideals of America, similar to the way the flag represents us? Allow time for a discussion.
Finally, a flag should represent something meaningful about a person or a country. Your students may enjoy creating their own flag after thinking about what is most important in their lives. Click here for a very cool web tool which will enable students to create their own personal flag based on the flags of the world. Here is one we created as an example.
2. Before George Washington was the first President, he lead the Continental Army. He started that command on June 15, 1775. His impressive leadership resulted in his becoming the country's President. Can your students find an impressive leader in today's news? Who is it, and what are that person's best leadership attributes?
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Lessons written by Deborah Drezon Carroll. Carroll taught for ten years in Philadelphia, PA and is the author of two parenting books and is currently working on a new one. (Check out her blog at http://raisingamazingdaughters.wordpress.com.) She also coordinated the Newspaper in Education department of the Philadelphia Inquirer for 16 years.