1. Memorial Day

Next Monday is Memorial Day, a time when Americans remember those who served or died for our country in the armed forces. Today, many men and women are serving the country in military operations overseas or at home. Read an article in this week's newspapers about something the U.S. armed forces are doing. As a class, discuss what they are doing and ask questions about things you may not understand.

Learning Standard: Engaging peers in constructive conversation about matters of public concern by clarifying issues, considering opposing views, applying democratic values, anticipating consequences and working toward making decisions.

2. Astronauts

Sally Ride, the first female American astronaut to travel to space, was born May 26, 1951. She went into space in 1983. Look through the newspaper and find a woman making news. Pretend you're writing about the woman for a magazine or newspaper report on notable women, but you only have room for five sentences about her. Include all the important facts within that sentence limit.

Learning Standard: Demonstrating the ability to write clear and grammatically correct sentences, paragraphs and compositions; identifying and explaining how individuals in history demonstrate good character and personal virtue.

3. Pinocchio

A group of scientists working in the Foja Mountains of the Asian country of Indonesia discovered a new type of frog. The frog they found was a male with a spike at the end of his long nose, so the scientists nicknamed him Pinocchio. They also found a previously undiscovered type of wallaby (a mammal in the kangaroo family) and a new bat. Scientist Bruce Beehler said, "While animals and plants are being wiped out across the globe at a pace never seen in millions of years, the discovery of these absolutely incredible forms of life is much needed positive news." Find an animal mentioned in the newspaper this week. Use the newspaper and other resources to do some research and create a page for a science textbook about the animal.

Learning Standard: Asking questions that help students learn about the world; designing and conducting investigations using appropriate methodology and technology; learning from books and other sources of information; reconstructing previously learned knowledge.

4. Bad Ads

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is asking doctors to report misleading drug advertisements as part of its "bad ad program." The FDA wants to make sure drug manufacturers aren't making untrue claims about the effects or benefits of their drugs in order to sell them. Find an ad in the newspaper, a magazine or online that you think could be misleading. Write a paragraph explaining why. Share your thoughts on the ad with the class.

Learning Standard: Analyzing how purchasers obtain information about goods and services from advertising and other sources; developing and applying critical standards for individual use.

5. At the Movies

The first "Star Wars" movie opened in theaters on May 25, 1977. It introduced special effects that moviegoers had never seen before and spawned two sequels and, over 20 years later, three "prequels." All of the movies took viewers to distant planets. Find an article about an event, discovery or study related to outer space. It can be about space travel, a planet, the moon, the stars, the International Space Station or anything else. Write a summary of what you learned in the article and draw a picture or diagram to go with your summary.

Learning Standard: Comparing and contrasting our planet and sun to other planets and star systems; explaining how we learn about the universe; writing fluently for multiple purposes; representing creatively.