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Grades 2-5
Jobs for kids
On September 4, 1833, the first newspaper carrier was hired. He was 10 years old. Look at the Hots Jobs in Classified Section of the Denver Post eEdition. List all the jobs that could be done by young people between the ages of 13 and 18.
Remember your grandparents
September 13 is Grandparents Day. Look through the Denver Post eEdition for stories that you think your grandparents would enjoy reading. Print them out and paste them into a book to give to your grandparents on Sunday, September 13.
Weather troubles
The news has been full of stories about the weather. Find several interesting photos in the eEdition that have to do with weather problems around the country. Write a caption for each picture that tells what is going on in the picture. Use as many descriptive words as possible.
Hurricane season
Through the years, Florida , Louisiana, Texas and other southern states have been hit hard by hurricanes. Look in the eEdition for stories about hurricanes. What are their names? Hurricanes are given male and female names. Make up your own list of hurricane names, giving one name for each letter of the alphabet.
The continent of Africa
Africa is a continent with more than fifty different countries. Search all 30 days of the eEdition for stories about Africa. Make a list of all the different African countries that were written about. EXTRA: After each country, write one sentence explaining why it was in the news.
What I did this summer
What was the most memorable thing that happened to you during your summer vacation. Write this up in the form of a newspaper article using the 5 W's -- Who? What? When? Where? and Why?
Learn about Latin America
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), learn all you can about countries in North and South America where Spanish or Portuguese is spoken. Make a list of these countries, their capitals and big cities, and other interesting things you learn. Search to see how many of these you can find in the eEdition and add that information to your list.
The National Football League
The NFL was founded on September 17, 1920. Write about why you love your favorite football team, if you have one. If you don't like football, tell us why in a short paragraph.
First day of autumn
September 22 is the first official day of autumn (except below the Equator, where it is the first official day of spring). Find four different signs of fall in your newspaper, one from the sports pages, one from the entertainment pages, one from the advertisements, and one from any section at all.
Dear Mr. President
Find an article in the newspaper about President Obama. Write a short paragraph saying what the article is about. Then write a letter to the president telling him what you think of the job he is doing.
Grades 6-8
Labor Day
Labor Day, September 6, is a day to honor America's working people. Look at the Hot Jobs in the classified section of the eEdition to see what kinds of jobs are available in your area. List 10 jobs that have the salary given. Figure out the hourly pay for each job? What is the lowest hourly wage? The highest? What is the average pay for those jobs?
Five a day
September has been named Five a Day Month to help promote the idea that you should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Look for grocery ads for fruits and vegetables and stories or recipes in the Wednesday Denver Post that feature fruits or vegetables. Make a list of all you find, then sort them by color category. Which color is the most common?
Hold the fat
According to a recent report, Americans are continuing to get fatter, even though Colorado remains the state with the thinnest people. Search through the eEdition for articles about people involved in sports and other activities that help people exercise and burn more calories. Arrange your list in order from what you like to do most to the activities you enjoy the least. Research how many calories you would burn doing your three favorite activities on the list.
School success
September is National School Success Month. Look through the ad pages in the eEdition and list all the items a student could use to make him or her successful in school. Next to each explain why the item is important. Include things like healthy food -- for energy and alertness.
What's new
The new TV season will be starting soon. Read the entertainment section in the Friday eEdition to find out the buzz about new shows. Make a list of the new shows that you read about. Put a star next to the ones that you think will be hits. Put an X next to the ones that you think will be flops. Which of the new shows are you most anxious to watch? Why?
The United Nations
The 64th session of the U.N. General Assembly begins on September 15, 2009. Search The Denver Post eEdition for articles that have to do with the U.N. How important is this organization of countries from all over the Earth? What do you think would happen if there was no United Nations?
Art from reality
The famous African American artist Jacob Lawrence was born on September 7, 1917. He created a famous series of paintings based on the migration of African Americans from the south to the north during the early part of the 20th century. Look in The Denver Post for an important story affecting large numbers of people. Create a series of drawings based on this news story.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Since Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15, plan and run a "Latino Culture Quiz Show." Collect answers from articles in the eEdition and from other sources, then write questions that go with the answers. Host the show in your classroom - how will people score?
Fall fashions
Look through the ads in your newspaper to get an idea of the new fashion looks for fall. Write a fashion column describing what you see as the hottest new trends for this season. In your column, talk about what you like and what you dislike about the new styles.
Economics and you
Read your paper for
stories dealing with the U.S. economy, and your local and state
economy. Are things going well, or poorly, or somewhere in between?
Then write an editorial talking about whether or not the state
of the economy affects you personally, either for good or for
bad.
Baseball MVPs
The baseball season is coming to a close. Look through The Denver Post sports section to find out which players are the leaders in different categories. Based on these statistics, who do you think should be the most valuable player in each league? Explain your answer.
The importance of the press
The first newspaper was published on September 25, 1690. Study several issues of The Denver Post. Find examples of press freedom in action by collecting newspaper articles, editorial cartoons, and letters to the editor that express different viewpoints or that criticize local, state, or national governments.
Grades 9-12
Labor Day
September 6 is Labor Day. President Obama has been working hard to create jobs, provide health care and improve the economy for the average working person. Look through your eEdition for current stories about those issues. Write a paragraph in which you give your opinion on how he and his team are doing. Include at least three facts to support your opinion.
Tracking gas mileage
The government has been encouraging people to trade in gas guzzlers for cars that use less gas. Look at the advertisements for new cars in your newspaper. Choose three different kinds of cars, such as a luxury car, a minivan, a small car, and a hybrid car. Find out the estimated gas mileage for each and the price of gasoline per gallon in your area. How much would you spend for gas with each car if you drove it 10,000 miles in a year?
Art drawn from living history
The famous African American artist Jacob Lawrence was born on September 7, 1917. He created a series of paintings called The Great Migration based on the migration of African Americans from the south to the north during the early part of the 20th century. Look in The Denver Post for an important story affecting large numbers of people. Create your own series of drawings based on this news story.
Extreme weather
This has been a summer of extreme weather in many parts of the country. Search for newspaper stories about people who endured weather-related disasters this summer. Write a fictionalized short story using one of these disasters as the backdrop for the story's action.
Patriotic poetry
On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key was so inspired by seeing the American flag flying after the British attack on Fort Henry, that he was moved to write the "Star-Spangled Banner. Look through the eEdition for words, articles and photos that make you feel patriotic and proud to be an American. Write a poem about your feelings.
The United Nations
The 64th session of the U.N. General Assembly begins on September 15, 2009. Watch for newspaper articles about the United Nations and the issues before it. Create a list of issues that you think should be included in the agenda for the next U.N. session. Explain the reasons for your choices.
Hispanic Heritage Month
The annual month for honoring and learning about Latino culture begins on September 15 and runs until October 15. Search through The Denver Post eEdition to find articles having to do with Hispanic Heritage Month. Write a short piece about whether or not you think special "months" like this are important, and why or why not.
Read your Constitution
The Constitution of the United States was signed on Sept. 17, 1787. Find an article in your newspaper that has to do with the Constitution, and write up a brief essay using this article to explain the importance of this famous document. (You will probably want to read, or re-read, the Constitution. It's important!)
Day of Peace
September 21 is the International Day of Peace. Look through the last 30 days of the eEdition for stories about conflicts around the world. Based on what you find, write an opinion piece about how close the world is to "peace." Make sure to include facts from your research.
"Banned Books Week"
Banned Books Week is a national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 in response to challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries and is celebrated the last week in September. Look to see if The Denver Post has any information on this event. Interview teachers and librarians to see if any books have been banned from your school, and, if so, why. Write up the interview. What do you think about the idea of banning books?
Best ad/worst ad
What is the best advertisement in The Denver Post? What is the worst? What is the difference between the two? Take the worst ad and re-do it so that it is better.
A government without newspapers
The first newspaper was published on September 25, 1690. Hold a class discussion to discuss the importance of newspapers to our democracy. Use this quote by Thomas Jefferson as the basis of your discussion: "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."
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