Newspapers in Education
Teachers and homeschool parents, please share this with your classes. Using this guide will make your subjects more relevant and interesting to your students and will encourage creative thought. If you or your students have any suggestion or ideas for these teacher guides please email Sarah Nachin – [email protected] This guide is based on the newest Florida Standards for grade school through high school.
Activities and Questions based on the Nov. 15, 2024 – Nov. 21, 2024 issue
Health Education activity for High School (HE.912.SUA.5.2) Utilize current, accurate data/information to formulate a health-enhancing message to effectively persuade others to be drug and alcohol-free.
Read the article on page A-1 and A-6 entitled “Coalition for a Healthier County.”
Utilize the information in the article to advise a friend about the dangers of drug use. You can write it as an essay (400 words or more), but make it personal and not just facts. Or you can write it as a dialogue between you and your friend, with them stating their point of view and you countering that point of view. The dialogue should be at least 450 words.
Critical Thinking Activity for High School: (ELA.9.C.4.1) – Conduct research to answer a question, drawing on multiple reliable and valid sources and refining the scope of the question to align with findings.)
Read the article on page A-2 about Congressman Gus Bilirakis’ support for Senator Rick Scott to be Senate Majority Leader. Write an essay of at least 400 words stating whether or not you agree with Mr. Bilirakis. Cite at least two sources about Mr. Scott that support your point of view. Be sure and give the title of the article, the date, and who wrote it (if the author is named). If you quote anything word for word, be sure and put quotation marks around the sentence or sentences. At least 90% of your article must be in your own words.
Extra Credit: Argue the point of view that someone else would be better qualified, name that person and give at least three reasons why they would be better qualified. Consult at least two sources to back up your opinion. Give the title of the article, the date, and who wrote it (if the author is named).
Composition Activity for Middle School: (ELA.6.C.3.1) Follow the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling appropriate to grade level.
Read the article on pages A-1 and A-3 entitled “Springstead Student Receives Youth Hero Award.” Write either a fictional story or a true story about a teenage hero. You can use your imagination, the internet or your own experience for your article. The article should be at least 350 words. Cite your sources if you use the internet or other resources. List the title of the article, the date and the author (if they are named). If you quote anything word for word be sure and put quotations marks around the sentence or sentences. At least 75% of your article must be in your own words.
World Languages Activity for Middle School: (WL.K12.AL.6.1) Compare and contrast cultural practices and perspectives among cultures with the same language in order to dispel stereotyping.
Read the article on page B-9 entitled “Stuck on Language.” List all the differences the author shows between American English and British English. This would include spelling words differently and using different words for the same object or idea. Then, research on the internet some other differences between the two forms of English. Give at least five differences in the spelling of the same words and five differences between the names that English people give for items and the names that Americans give for items. After doing this, write an essay of at least 300 words, giving your own opinion about which way of speaking and writing is better to you. Give at least two reasons for your opinion.
Social Studies activity for Elementary School: (SS.2.A.2.1) Recognize that Native Americans were the first inhabitants in North America.
Read the article on page B-8 about Native American Heritage Month. Then, write an essay of 250 words or more on any of the following topics. Use at least one resource (either a book or the internet), list the title of the resource, the date it was written and the author (if his or her name is listed). If you quote anything word for word be sure and put quotations marks around the sentence or sentences. At least 90% of your article must be in your own words. Here are the topics:
1. The Seminole tribe’s importance in Florida history
2. How the Plains Indians, such as the Sioux, and the desert Indians, such as the Navaho, were different in their houses, their clothing and their customs
3. What places in Florida have Native American names and what do those names mean in English. (Name at least four)
Comprehension activity for Elementary School: (ELA.1.R.2.2) Identify the topic of and relevant details in a text. Identify the central idea and explain how relevant details support that idea in a text.
Read the article on page B-6 about the American Legion. Write down the topic sentence of the article and the main idea of the article (2 sentences). These cannot be the same. Then list four sentences that expand on the topic.
Extra Credit: Write an essay of at least 250 words on the topic “Why Veterans’ Day is Important.”
The ideas you write about should be your own and not from a book or the internet.
If you wish to submit any of your compositions from this week to the newspaper for us to consider publishing, please email to [email protected]. Be sure and include your student’s name, age, grade level and school that you attend. If home-schooled mention that. Submission is not a guarantee that your work will be published. Submissions may be edited due to space restrictions.