Oil-seeking Robots
New workers are being assigned to the Gulf oil spill mission: robots. Researchers recently began using glider robots carrying sensors to zigzag through the ocean to measure water temperature, organic material and other important data. The robots use water power and are controlled remotely by researchers from institutions across the U.S. The goal is to track the spill and use the data to find out where the oil will go next. Search the newspaper ads for cell phones, computers and other technology. Pick one ad and list ways this technology could solve a problem or make life easier.
Learning Standards: Showing how common themes of science, mathematics and technology apply in real-world contexts.

ID, Please
On July 1, 1984, something new opened at the box office. Thats when the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) introduced the PG-13 rating. MPAA, a trade group that represents the American film industry, states that PG-13 films may be inappropriate for children under 13 years old. The first movie with this rating was Red Dawn, which starred Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen. Choose a movie from the newspapers movie listings that you have seen or think of another movie you saw. Write a narrative explaining the movie without expressing your opinions. Next, write a critique of the movie with your opinions. Which was harder to write? Why?
Learning Standards: Writing fluently for multiple purposes to produce compositions, such as personal narratives, persuasive essays, lab reports and poetry.

World Cup Fever
The quarter finals of the World Cup soccer tournament will be played this weekend. Look through this weeks newspapers and see what people are saying about each match. Check out the scores and descriptions of the teams previous games. Make a prediction about who you think will win each game. Explain and give evidence for your predictions. Be sure to check later to see if you were right about any of the teams.
Learning Standard: Drawing defensible inferences about unknown outcomes, making predictions, and identifying the degree of confidence they have in their predictions.

Younger Idols
American Idol is changing its rules and will allow 15-year-olds to audition for Season 10. Previously, auditions were reserved for 16- to 28-year-olds. Show executives say that lowering the age limit allows them to find young, talented people wanting a career in the music industry. Auditions will begin July 17 in Nashville, Tenn. Search the employment ads in the newspaper. Based on the types of jobs listed, what industries do you think are thriving in the current economy? What industries do you think are hurting in this economy?
Learning Standards: Evaluating employment and career opportunities in light of economic trends.

Annie Retires
After an 86-year run, the comic strip Annie will no longer appear in newspaper funny pages. The cartoon, which is about a red-headed orphan, began in 1924. Over the last eight-plus decades, the comic has taken many political stands, such as its opposition to the New Deal in the 1930s. Annie also became the subject of books, movies, a board game and even a Broadway musical. But newspapers were really her home. In its prime, the comic strip appeared in hundreds of newspapers. Recently, fewer than 20 newspapers ran the comic strip. Search the national section of the newspaper to find an article about a person or a group taking a stand on a social issue. Create a comic strip expressing your view on the issue.
Learning Standards: Responding to a variety of oral, visual, written, and electronic texts by making connections to their personal lives and the lives of others.