1. Polar Bears

Polar bears are among the biggest and most beautiful animals that live around the Earth's North Pole. But warming temperatures and melting ice have threatened the bears' Arctic habitat. To help the bears, the U.S. government has announced it will protect more than 200,000 square miles in the state of Alaska as a "critical habitat" for polar bears. About 93 percent of the area proposed for the polar bear is sea ice, with the remaining 7 percent made up of small islands or land-based dens of snow and ice. The move by the government would limit drilling for oil or gas in the polar bear areas, as well as other development. As a class, talk about the ways human actions can affect wildlife or the environment. Then find a story or photo about nature or the environment in the newspaper. Write out three ways human actions could affect the environment in the story or photo.

Learning Standards: Describing positive and negative effects of humans on nature and wildlife; explaining ecosystem concepts and processes; writing fluently for multiple purposes.

2. Ice House, America

In cities around the country, thousands of families have lost their homes because they could not pay back banks that loaned them the money to buy the houses. Now a Detroit, Michigan, photographer and an architect who designs buildings are planning to freeze one of these homes in ice to get the nation's attention. Photographer Gregory Holm, who grew up on Detroit's east side, and architect Matthew Radun plan to create "Ice House Detroit" to call attention to what happens in neighborhoods when families lose their homes. They say they will buy a house, spray it with water over the winter until it is covered in ice and then recycle materials from the home in the spring. Holm and Radun are working to raise $11,000 to fund the project, and hope to announce soon which house in the city they'll freeze this winter. As a class, talk about some money and job challenges faced by families. Find a story in the newspaper about these challenges. Then design an ad for the paper, asking people to help those involved.

Learning Standards: Engaging peers in constructive conversation about topics of interest or importance; representing creatively.

3. Speed on the Sea

When America's military forces need to move, they often have to move fast. That is true for fighter jets in the air and warships on the sea. To move forces as fast as possible, two giant new warships have been developed for the U.S. Navy that can go as fast as cars speeding down a highway. The 418-foot Independence and the 378-foot Freedom can each go more than 50 miles per hour at sea -- even though each is longer than a football field! Both ships use diesel engines and gas turbines to get the extra speed the Navy needs, and they are built to be able to travel waters on the coasts of nations. That would help the Navy fight pirates as well as military opponents. As a class, talk about the things the U.S. military does for the nation. Then find stories about activities of the military in the newspaper. Design a poster showing one of these activities and how it helps the nation.

Learning Standard: Reading and writing fluently, speaking confidently, listening and interacting appropriately, viewing critically and representing creatively.

4. Smiling Obamas

The family of the president of the United States is called the nation's First Family. And every First Family gets to have an "official" family photograph. The photo for President Barack Obama's family has just been released, and it is full of hugs and smiles. In the photo by world-famous photographer Annie Leibowitz, the President is smiling with his family in the White House, his 8-year-old daughter Sasha has her arm around his shoulders and 11-year-old Malia is shown perched on the arm of First Lady Michelle Obama's chair, giving her a hug. Photos often can reveal a lot about people. Find a photo of a person in the newspaper. Write down all the things the photo tells you about the person. Learning Standards: Responding to a variety of visual, written and electronic texts by making connections to students' personal lives and the lives of others; writing fluently for multiple purposes.

5. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an ingredient in food that children need to develop strong bones. Kids can get it by drinking milk and by eating dairy products like cheese and different kinds of fish. Yet at least one in five U.S. children aged 1 to 11 doesn't get enough Vitamin D, according to a new study. As a result, they could be at risk for a variety of health problems, including weak bones, higher blood pressure and a risk of being overweight. The scientists of the study also said that African American and Hispanic children face a greater risk of not getting enough Vitamin D and encouraged their families to make a special effort to serve more dairy foods and fish. In the food ads in the newspaper, find dairy and fish products offered for sale. Plan a menu for two meals that would use include these products and give kids and families plenty of Vitamin D.

Learning Standards: Acquiring information from multiple sources and then organizing and analyzing it; comprehending what constitutes good health and nutrition; responding to a variety of texts by making connections to students' personal lives and the lives of others.