Newspaper

Activities

■ Look through your news-paper for a story about anewsmaker who probablywould not have wanted thenews to be printed. What didhe or she do that was embar-rassing? Could the personhave changed the situation orwere circumstances out oftheir control? Explain.

■ Read letters to the editorin your newspaper. Underlineall of the opinions. Circle all ofthe facts. Write your ownletter expressing your viewsconcerning a topic discussedin Just Don’t Do It. Mail youletter to your local newspaper.Keep reading the newspaperto see if it is published.

■ Over a period of time,collect newspaper clippingson topics such as drugs andalcohol. Write a summary ofeach article. Use your articlesand summary in a classroomdiscussion.

■ From your newspaper,circle or cut out 10 interestingwords. Using all 20 words,create an original poem. Youmay add other words to yourpoem but the original 20 mustbe included as well.

■ Read a movie review inyour newspaper. Did thereviewer like the movie? Whichwords or phrases suggestedthe reviewer’s opinion? Doesthe review make you want tosee the movie? Write your ownreview of a movie, televisionshow or book.

■ Methamphetamine is inthe news more and more.Look through your newspa-per for stories about meth orother illegal drug use. Howdid this drug affect the qualityof life for its user? What kindof future does the user have?Has the use of the drugaffected others? Can things beturned around for the better?Explain.

■ A good way to maintainyour brain is by using it. Trythe crossword puzzle, Sudokuor other puzzles you find inyour newspaper.

■ Use your mind! Lookthrough your newspaper for20 unfamiliar words. Make acrossword puzzle using thesewords using their definitions.Share your puzzle with afriend.

■ Study the advertisements inyour newspaper. Notice the useof propaganda. Design yourown ad persuading others notto use drugs or alcohol. Shareyour ad with your class.

■ Select a community prob-lem that appears often in yournewspaper. Over time, readnews articles, features and edi-torials. How does the storydevelop from day to day?Does the story grow longer orshorter? Does the topicchange from its original loca-tion in your newspaper? Whydo you think the newspapereditors moved the story?

■ For several weeks, scanyour newspaper for articlesabout car accidents. What wasthe cause of the accidents?Make a graph showing yourfindings. What percentageinvolved alcohol?

from RP Productions

Activitiesrelated to Just Don’t Do It

and reading the newspaper may achieve these

National Curriculum Standards

■ Students apply knowledge of languagestructure, language conventions(e.g., spelling and punctuation), mediatechniques, figurative language, and genreto create, critique, and discuss print andnonprint texts.

■ Students conduct research on issuesand interests by generating ideas andquestions, and by posing problems. Theygather, evaluate, and synthesize data froma variety of sources (e.g., print andnonprint texts, artifacts, and people) tocommunicate their discoveries in waysthat suit their purpose and audience.

■ Students develop an understanding ofand respect for diversity in language use,patterns, and dialects across cultures, eth-nic groups, geographic regions, and socialroles.

■ Students use spoken, written, andvisual language to accomplish their ownpurposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

■ Students read a wide range of printand nonprint texts to build an understand-ing of texts, of themselves, and of the cul-tures of the United States and the world;to acquire new information; to respond tothe needs and demands of society and theworkplace; and for personal fulfillment.Among these texts are fiction and nonfic-tion, classic and contemporary works.

■ Students apply a wide range of strate-gies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate,and appreciate texts. They draw on theirprior experience, their interactions withother readers and writers, their knowledgeof word meaning and of other texts, theirword identification strategies, and theirunderstanding of textual features (e.g.,sound-letter correspondence, sentencestructure, context, and graphics).

■ Students adjust their use of spoken,written, and visual language (e.g., conven-tions, style, and vocabulary) to communi-cate effectively with a variety of audiencesand for different purposes.

■ Students employ a wide range ofstrategies as they write and use differentwriting process elements appropriately tocommunicate with different audiences fora variety of purposes.

Language Arts StandardsLanguage Arts Standards

Aligning the Newspaper with National Curriculum Standards

Aligning the Newspaper with National Curriculum Standards

■ Extend their mathematical knowledge by considering the thinking and strategies of others.

■ Use the language of mathematics as a precise means of mathematical expression.

Standard 9: ConnectionsMathematics instructional programs shouldemphasize connections to foster under-standing of mathematics so that allstudents:

■ Recognize and use connections among different mathematical ideas.

■ Understand how mathematical ideas build on one another to produce a coherent whole.

■ Recognize, use, and learn about mathematics

Standard 5: Data Analysis,Statistics, And ProbabilityMathematics instructional programs shouldinclude attention to data analysis, statistics,and probability so that all students:

■ Pose questions and collect, organize, and represent data to answer those questions.

■ Interpret data using methods of exploratory data analysis.

■ Develop and evaluate inferences, predictions, and arguments that are based on data.

■ Understand and apply basic notions of chance and probability.

Standard 8: CommunicationMathematics instructional programs shoulduse communication to foster understandingof mathematics so that all students:

■ Organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking to communicate with others.

■ Express mathematical ideas coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others.

Mathematics StandardsMathematics Standards

1x+6=26

Content Standard G: Science As Inquiry

■ G1. Science as a human endeavor

■ G2. Nature of scientific knowledge

Content Standard F: Science In Personal AndSocial Perspectives

■ F1. Personal and community health

■ F5. Natural and human-induced hazards

Science StandardsScience Standards

information about selected public issues™ identifying, describing, and evaluating multiple points of view.

■ Practice forms of civic discussion and participation consistent with the ideals of citizens in a democratic republic.

■ Construct a policy statement and an action plan to achieve one or more goals related to an issue of public concern.

■ Participate in activities to strengthen the "common good," based upon careful evaluation of possible options for citizen action.

V. Individuals, Groups, AndInstitutionsSocial studies programs should includeexperiences that provide for the study ofinteractions among individuals, groups,and institutions, so that the learner can:

■ Explain and apply ideas and modes of inquiry drawn from behavioral science and social theory in the examination of persistent issues and social problems

X. Civic Ideals And PracticesSocial studies programs should includeexperiences that provide for the study ofthe ideals, principles, and practices of citi-zenship in a democratic republic, so thatthe learner can:

■ Identify, analyze, interpret, and evaluate sources and examples of citizens' rights and responsibilities.

■ Locate, access, analyze, organize, synthesize, evaluate, and apply

Social Studies StandardsSocial Studies Standards