1. Save the Cheetahs

For nearly 30 years, the Middle East country of Iran has not gotten along well with the United States or other western nations. But an effort to save a rare breed of cheetah is creating ties between Iranian wildlife experts and those from the United States, Great Britain and other western nations. Central Iran is home to the last 100 Asiatic cheetahs left in the wild, but they are in danger of becoming extinct if steps aren't taken. With family or friends, find stories and photos involving wild animals in the newspaper. Talk about dangers wild animals face in the world and your region and come up with a list of ways people could help endangered animals.

Learning Standard: Describing positive and negative effects of humans on nature, wildlife and the environment; engaging peers in constructive conversation about issues or topics of interest.

2. Say Cheese -- Yak Cheese!

Cheese is a popular food on pizza and hamburgers. Now there's a new cheese available that has people yakking. In fact, it's made from the milk of yaks instead of from cow milk. Yak cheese isn't yet available in a lot of stores, because only recently did supplies start coming in from yak-herding countries like Nepal, India and Mongolia on the continent of Asia. With a partner, find three healthy foods you like in the ads of the newspaper. Write a sentence for each describing why it is good for you.

Learning Standard: Comprehending what constitutes good health and fitness; acquiring information from multiple sources and then evaluating, organizing and communicating it.

3. In-Line Hockey

In-line skates are popular with kids from elementary school through high school. They also are becoming popular in sports. This week the 2008 In-Line Hockey Junior Olympics are taking place in a sports complex outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The two-week competition will bring in more than 300 teams from across the United States and around the world. With a partner, search the sports section for stories about sports that are growing in popularity. Use what you find to talk about "Sports to Watch" in the future.

Learning Standard: Responding to a variety of written, visual and electronic texts by making connections to students' personal lives and the lives of others; engaging peers in constructive conversation about issues or topics of interest.

4. Summer Art Summer's here and everyone's looking to have fun. Search today's newspaper and find photos, words and stories that show fun things to do in the summer months. Cut out pictures and words that remind you of summer and create a "Summer Fun" art collage by pasting the pictures and words on a sheet of paper. While the paste is drying, use the collage as an inspiration to write a short poem. Read your poems aloud for family or friends.

Learning Standard: Reading and writing with developing fluency, speaking confidently, listening and interacting appropriately, viewing strategically and representing creatively.

5. 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 fiction. With a partner, look through the newspaper for a news story that interests you. 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.

Learning Standard: 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.