|
Grades 2-5
A month for books
January is National Book Month. Check out The Denver Post to find out about events going on in your area in libraries and bookstores. Create a poster to get people to go to one of these events and to read a good book during January.
Winter sports
Snow and cold weather don't always mean staying in the house. For some people it means having fun with winter sports. Look through your newspaper to see what kinds of winter sports people are doing. Choose one sport that you have never tried. Then write down what you think you would need to get started on this sport and to do it safely.
Bargain hunting
Now is a good time of year to shop for bargains. Choose three or four items your family needs and "shop" for them in The Denver Post ads. From the ads, find out what the prices of the items were before they went on sale. How much money could you save if you were to buy all the items on sale?
Weather ups and downs
At this time of year, the weather can change a lot from day to day. Look at the weather reports in The Denver Post over the course of a week. What was the highest temperature of the week? What was the lowest temperature? What is the difference in degrees?
Southern California
January 17th, 1994 there was a major earthquake in southern California. Read your newspaper to find out what is happening now in California -- how residents in that state are being affected by the weather and the economy. Write a paragraph summarizing one of these articles.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 16th is a national
holiday to celebrate the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. Look
through your newspaper to find out how this day is being celebrated
in your area. Then design an invitation to an event that is happening
in Dr. King's honor. Paste a schedule on your invitation and decorate
it with your own drawings.
Big words
What's the biggest word you can find on the front page of The Denver Post? Write that word down on a separate piece of paper. Beneath that word, write down as many other words as you can create out of the letters in that one word.
Letter to the president
President Obama is just finishing his first year in office. He is in the newspaper headlines nearly every day. Find a news article about the president. Write a short summary of what the article is about. Then write a letter to the president telling him what you think about the job he is doing.
Compliment someone
January 24th is National Compliment Day. Find a story about someone in the news who you think deserves a compliment. Write that person a letter complimenting him or her on something special
Winter sports
January 25, 1924 was the date of the first Winter Olympics. Look through the sports section of your newspaper and list all the winter sports you can find.
Happy Birthday, Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919. Mr. Robinson was the first African American allowed to play in major league baseball. That was in 1949. Today, it would be hard to imagine baseball or any other sport without African American athletes. Find news articles and photos about Great African American athletes. Use this information to create a bulletin board display that celebrates the accomplishment of African Americans in sports just in time for Black History Month.
Grades 6-8
Hi-tech in the news
January is Hi-Tech Month. Look for articles about technology in The Denver Post. List all the words in those articles that relate to technology. Look up any words that you don't know. Create a technology glossary by listing and defining all the words you find.
War on poverty
On January 8, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared a war on poverty. Forty-six years later, poverty is still a big problem in our country. Read news articles that talk about poverty and the problems that result from poverty. Based on your reading, write down your own ideas for a new war on poverty. In your plan, describe what you think the federal government should or should not do to lessen the problem of poverty.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. Pretend you are giving out an award to one individual who is living his or her life in a way that is closest to the teachings of Dr. King. Look through The Denver Post for examples of such people. Choose one whom you think is most worthy of such an award and write a short essay about this person and why you chose her or him.
Looking toward the Super
Bowl
Look on the sports pages of The Denver Post to find out the teams that are still left in the NFL playoffs. Which team do you think will win the Super Bowl? Together with some friends or classmates, make your predictions by secret ballot. Put your predictions away until after the game is played to see who was right.
Cabinet diversity
On January 18, 1966, Robert Clifton Weaver became the first African American to serve on a president's cabinet. How many African Americans and other minorities are represented in President Obama's cabinet? Who are they? What are their positions?
Synonyms
Peter Roget, who wrote Roget's Thesaurus, a book of synonyms and antonyms, was born on January 18, 1779. If you don't already know, find out what synonyms and antonyms are. Find ten words in The Denver Post and write synonyms for them. Now find ten different words and write antonyms for them.
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809. Poe is best remembered for his poetry and his eerie tales of suspense. Look through today's paper to find a news story that might be the basis of a good thriller. Write a short suspense story of your own, using facts from the story.
National Compliment Day
January 24th is National Compliment Day. Pick five people from the news who you think did something that deserves to be complimented -- they can be local, national, or international figures. Write a few sentences about each one explaining your choice.
Meet the press
The first televised news conference was held on January 25, 1961 by John F. Kennedy. Imagine that you are a reporter going to a presidential press conference and you will have one chance to ask a question. Read your newspaper to find an issue that you think is important. Then carefully word one question that you would ask the president.
Winter sports
January 25, 1924 was the date of the first Winter Olympics. Look through the sports section of the Denver Post and list all the winter sports you can find. Do some research and find out which of these sports are Olympic sports. Are there any winter sports that are not in the Olympics that you think should be? Make a case for adding your sport to a future Winter Olympics.
Local news
Look in your newspaper for an interesting story about your city or town. Mark the "who," "what," "where," and "why" in your story. Briefly explain why the story is important to people in your community.
.
Grades 9-12
National Book Month
January is National Book Month. Read the book reviews Arts & Entertainment section of the Sunday Denver Post. Choose your favorite review, then, in the style of that review, write a review of the best book you read in 2009. Get other people interested in reading it.
Reach your potential
January is National Reach Your Potential Month. Sometimes role models can help us aspire to greatness. From several issues of The Denver Post, pick five people who had to overcome great odds to reach their potential. Include national, international, and local figures. In each case write a paragraph that explains why you admire this person and how he or she is inspiring to you.
Holiday sales
In January, economists
look at how well the holiday shopping season went. Look for
news articles about this. Then answer these questions: Was it
a successful season for retailers? If so, what reasons do economists
give for the success? If it did not meet expectations, what
reasons are given for that? What types of products accounted
for the biggest sales? What products had disappointing sales?
How will these results impact the economy overall?
New session of Congress
Congress begins a new
session this month. Find news stories about Congress and the bills
it is expected to consider in the coming weeks. Make a chart of
the five major issues Congress will consider in the months ahead.
On your chart, note the positions that you think the Democrats
and Republicans will each take on the issues.
Persuasive writing
Thomas Paine published "Common Sense" on January 10, 1776. It was enormously popular and many believe it helped to foment the American Revolution. Look through the editorial page of The Denver Post. Choose the most influential editorial or letter you can find. What makes the piece powerful? How does it affect your thinking? Does it change your mind or did you already agree with it?
An obituary for a great man
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706. Find out more about Ben Franklin's life from reference sources. Then using several obituaries in The Denver Post as a guide, compose an obituary for Mr. Franklin that would do justice to his many talents and accomplishments.
Ike's farewell -- January
17, 1961
President Dwight D.
Eisenhower said these words in his farewell address to the nation:
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the
acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought,
by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous
rise of misplaced power exists and persists." Based on
this quote, and your news reading, how do you think Eisenhower
would evaluate the current influence of the military-industrial
complex? Write an editorial-style essay from Eisenhower's point
of view.
State of the Union
President Obama will be getting ready for his State of the Union message, which he is scheduled to deliver soon. Review recent issues of The Denver Post to assess our country's strengths and weaknesses. Make a list of each. Then prepare a speech in which you describe our strengths and what you think is needed to improve "the state of the union."
Changing technology
The first Macintosh computer went on sale on January 25, 1984. Look through The Denver Post stories and ads for the latest in computer technology. How has computer technology changed in the last 26 years? How do you think it will change in the next 26 years? Write a brief report describing what you think your computer will look like and what it will be capable of in 26 years.
Inventive foods
On January 26, 1922, Chester Nelson invented the Eskimo pie. Companies are always looking for new ways to present old foods. Look through The Denver Post to get ideas for a new food invention. Create a name, logo, and advertising slogan for your new food invention.
A call to action
Thomas Paine was born on January 29, 1737. He is credited with helping to inspire the American Revolution with his writings. "These are the times that try men's souls," are the opening words to one of his most famous pieces of writing. Use these words to start your own inspirational essay. Based on your news reading pick a world or national problem to write about. In your essay, call people to action by basing your arguments on facts you find in the newspaper.
Social Security
The first Social Security chick was issued on January 31, 1940. Social Security is an issue for every administration. Read any news stories you can find about Social Security and what position the president and congress have on the issue. From your reading, do you think Social Security should remain as it is or do you think it is in need of reform? Write a position paper stating your ideas about how to maintain the Social Security program for future generations.
Copyright ©2004 - 2008 Knowledge Unlimited, Inc.
|
