1. Women

On November 28, 1990, Margaret Thatcher resigned her post as the prime minister of Britain after 11 years in office. Thatcher was the first woman elected to the position in the European country. Look through the newspaper and find another woman who has achieved something significant. Come up with five questions about this woman's life and accomplishments. Then research in the newspaper, online and in books and write down the answers.

Learning Standards: Acquiring information from multiple sources; writing fluently for multiple purposes to produce compositions, such as personal narratives, persuasive essays, lab reports and poetry.

2. Math Challenge

Get in small groups and use the newspaper and a calculator to complete the math problem below. Show your work.

Learning Standards: Using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to solve problems; exploring relationships arising from interesting contexts and using variables and relationships to solve mathematical problems.

A. Multiply the number of times President Obama is mentioned on the front page by the number of panels in the comic closest to the upper left corner of the first comics page.

B. Add the number of people in your group to the answer.

C. Multiply that answer by the number of teams on the first page of the sports section that won games.

D. Subtract from that answer the number of different women mentioned on the first page of the business section (including article writers).

E. Subtract the number of show times listed for today for the Disney movie "A Christmas Carol."

F. Add to that answer the number of horoscope water signs (Pisces, Aquarius or Cancers) represented in your group.

H. Multiply tomorrow's low temperature in Cairo, Egypt by that answer.

I. What's your final answer?

3. Dinos

Scientists in South Africa have announced the discovery of a new species of dinosaur. The Aardonyx celestae was a plant eater that walked on two legs, but could also drop down on all fours. Adam Yates, the head scientist, believes that the species from 200 million years ago represents a link between earlier, smaller, two-legged dinosaurs and the massive four-legged dinosaurs that came later. Look through the newspaper this week and find an article about a scientific discovery or new scientific theory. Write a short report explaining what the discovery or theory is and what impact it might have. Draw a picture or diagram to go with your report.

Learning Standards: Asking questions that help students learn about the world; learning from books and other sources of information; reconstructing previously learned knowledge; constructing new scientific knowledge.

4. Give Thanks

November 26 is Thanksgiving, a day to be thankful for what you have. Many people also use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to help others who have less. Look through newspaper and find examples of people volunteering to help others. Then write down three ideas for things you could do -- by yourself or with your family or your class -- to help people in your school, neighborhood or city.

Learning Standard: Considering the effects of an individual's actions on other people, how one acts in accordance with the rule of law, and how one acts in a virtuous and ethically responsible way as a member of society.

5. Explorer

In November of 1520, European explorer Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean, after sailing westward from Europe across the Atlantic Ocean and through a waterway at the tip of South America. The waterway, now called the Strait of Magellan, is named after him.

Pick 10 names of places, streets or buildings mentioned in the newspaper. For each, do research to see where the name came from, and write down what you found.

Learning Standard: Using reading for multiple purposes, such as enjoyment, clarifying information and learning complex procedures.