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The Ultimate Curriculum

Guide

LANGUA

GE

ARTS

ACTI

VIT Y

S HE E

T S

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STUDENT ACTIVITY SHEETName

Good Parenting MeansWhat makes a good parent? Think

about the qualities that go into good,

responsible parenting. List them on

the lines below.

We Need Our Parents To?.........

1.

2.

Good Parents Make Good ExamplesFind two examples of good parents in today’s newspaper.Write a description of

each on the lines.

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A FLOATING CITYPlans exist to build the “world’s firstmobile community” on a huge ship. Itwill have homes and businesses and itwill offer people many services they haveon land. What do you think should beon the ship? Skim the newspaper to findfive services you would want if you wereplanning this ship. Write your choicesand the reason for each one on thelines.

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Which one item in today’s newspaper do you think you could use to do the most good for

other people? Which one item would help you make a difference in someone’s life?

Could you do more good with a computer or a ladder? How about a bag of groceries

or a car? Skim today’s newspaper to find the one item you could use to help people in

the biggest way possible. Cut out and paste the item in the center of this web and on

each line write a way it could be used to make a difference. Use your ideas to write an

essay about how this item could be used to do the most good.

One Good Thing

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Critical CausesStories in the newspaper are often

about issues and causes that need help.

There are stories about poverty, hunger,

illiteracy, crime, education and many

more. Skim the newspaper to find your

top five stories about causes that need

attention. List them on the lines below.

Next, survey your class to see how

many students picked each cause.

Complete this graph showing the

results of your class survey.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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20

15

10

5

0

Causes

Nu

mb

er

of

Stu

de

nts

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Athletes often behave in admirable ways, deserving of praise. Sometimes they do not. Choose one athlete from today's newspaper to place

in the HALL OF FAME above and another to place in the Hall of Shame. Clip and paste his or her picture in the appropriate

spot or simply sketch a drawing of your choice. Below each picture, write the reasons for your selection.

HALL OF FAME Hall of SHAME

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Which of today's television shows are your favorites? Check the TV listings in the newspaper and choose your two top shows. In the

spaces below, use the format to write about your favorite shows.

AND MYAWARD GOES TO.....

When/what channel is the show on:

Describe the show:

Why people should watch:

One other show you watch:

Star/Show:

Character Played:

Star/Show:

Character Played:

When/what channel is the show on:

Describe the show:

Why people should watch:

One other show you watch:

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Construct a Word-Find Puzzle

1. Skim the headlines and find about 20 words, each one no longer than 12 letters.

2. Write a list of your words.

3. On this grid, write in your words, forward, backward, up, down or diagonally, one letter to a box. Put in the longest words first. Use capital letters.

4. If two words have one letter in common, let those words cross at the common letter.

5. Fill in all the other boxes in the grid with other letters.

6. Exchange puzzles with a friend. Solve them! Enjoy!

FIND MY WORD-FIND WORDS

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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10.

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HEADLINE:

THIS STORY IS ABOUT:

Using the News for

Inspiration!You can use the newspaper for inspiration for writing. Each day’s paper is filled with sto-

ries of fascinating people and events. Here is an exercise to help you use the newspaper

to develop a story. Choose two interesting headlines from today’s newspaper and write

them on the lines below.Without reading the stories, write a paragraph telling what you

think each headline is about.

HEADLINE:

THIS STORY IS ABOUT:

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FIRST-PERSON SINGULAR:

THIRD-PERSON:

OTHER POV METHODS, INCLUDING "WE" AND "YOU.":

What’s Your

Find examples of different POV uses in the newspaper.Try to find at least one example of each method.Write each example on the lines

below.Which do you think is the easiest to read? On the back of this sheet, explain which method you prefer.

int of View?P

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A Newspaper RapUse the newspaper to choose an interesting topic about which you will write a rap song. You will want to choose words carefullyand use some interesting ones. One great way to build your vocabulary and find some interesting words for your rap is to find asource of new words. The newspaper can be a great word source. Skim the headlines to collect new and interesting words. Clipthem out (or write them) and make a collage of them in the space below. Try to use some of these words in the rap that you write.

:

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Examine your newspaper for examples

of the different types of love and

affection on the right.Write the page

number where you found it and a one

sentence description of each example

Use the lines below to rank from one

to seven, one being the highest, how

important each kind of love is to you.

Many

Parent-child love — page:

Pet-owner love — page:

Love of a hobby — page:

Screen-idol love — page:

Career love — page:

Love of language — page:

Patriotic love — page:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Kinds of Love

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Choosing to have children is a major decision you may face as an adult. One factor in how you make this choice is figuring out how having children

might change your life. Use the information in today’s newspaper to find a home, a job and a car for a married person without children.Then, find a

home, a job, and a car for a married person with three children.Write your choices on these lines and write a comparison of the choices on the back of

this sheet. How did having children change your choices?

GET A LIFE

HOME

JOB

CAR

HOME

JOB

CAR

Married with Children

Married without Children

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One way you can

avoid anger before

it happens is to

focus on what

is really important

in life so that you

don’t get angry

about unimportant

things. Use the exercise on the right to

help you find out what you really value.

Q Put a V next to items that are very

important to you.

Q Mark an I next to those things that

are important but not very impor-

tant.

Q Put an N next to the things that are

not important to you.

Q Circle the two most important

things.

Check the newspaper for ideas about

other things that may be important to

you.Write them on the back of this sheet.

What’s Important?

____ Being the best in school

____ Having time alone

____ Helping out at home

____ Eating healthfully

____ Having lots of games and gadgets

____ Playing sports

____ Winning at sports

____ Practicing my religion

____ Being with my friends

____ Wearing nice clothes

____ Being with people who like me

____ Being physically fit

____ Being trustworthy

____ Watching television

____ Feeling happy

____ Being attractive

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Editorial cartoons show the opinion

of the artist.They use characters and

symbols to illustrate

ideas. Choose

an editorial

cartoon from

your newspaper

and paste it in the

box .Then write

answers to each

of the questions.

EditorialCartoons

1) What people or characters are involved in this cartoon?

2) How is what they are doing similar to what they do in real life?

3) What symbols are being used?

4) What is the opinion of the artist?

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Fiction writers sometimes

find inspiration for stories in

the pages of a newspaper.

Imagine that you are a

writer, seeking a story idea. Choose an

interesting article from today’s newspa-

per that you think has the basis for good

fiction.Write a journal entry with notes

and reactions about what you read in the

article you chose. After you’ve completed

your journal entry on the right, write a

story outline on the back of this sheet.

Journal Notes

My Journal

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RELATIONSHIPS:CLIP & COMPARE

With the divorce rate in our country about 50%, it’s important to think about having and main-

taining a good relationship with another person. Skim today’s comic strips to find an example of

a good relationship and an example of an unhealthy one. Paste each in the spaces below and,

under each strip, analyze what makes the relationship good or bad.What are the most important

qualities in a good and loving partnership?


Good relationship

Unhealthy relationship

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Some teens and parents think that

their interests are very different from

each other, while others feel that they

share many things. Find three stories

in today’s newspaper that you think

your parents would find interesting.

Write the headline and a sentence or

two about each story on the lines on

the right.Then, on a scale of 1-5, rate

each story on your interest meter. (5 is

one you find fascinating. 1 means you

could live without this information.)

STORY 1 — INTEREST METER RATING:



The Interest Meter:What do you think is vital information?

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Fiction works are always a mixture of fact and fiction.What you might do is to begin with some intriguing factsand let your imagination expand them into a story.You can use the newspaper as a source of information tolead you to a great story. Skim the newspaper looking for an article that sparks your imagination for writing. Onthe lines below, write the first sentence from the article you chose. Following that write a terrific firstparagraph of fiction, beginning with that sentence.

Fact or Fiction:GreatOpening Lines

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One important element of a

good story is the setting. A

reader's sensation of being

there depends on the setting being well writ-

ten.That means using vivid description and

enough detail. A good setting helps to flesh

out the characters, too. Check out the comic

strips to see the relationship between the

characters and the setting.

Then take this challenge. In each of

these spaces, paste a comic strip that you like.

At the bottom, write a story about the charac-

ters from one strip in the setting of the other

strip. Be sure to include descriptions of your

characters and your setting.

SETTING CHANGES EVERYTHING

Comic strip 1

Comic strip 2

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THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE!It’s great to be able to stretch your

imagination and get the creative juices

flowing.Your challenge is to take a

short story from the newspaper and

rewrite it with a surprise ending.

Use this graphic organizer to help you.

22


Choose an article from today's news-

paper and write a fiction story using

some of the information from the

article. After you’ve written your story,

you’ll want to make sure that it is a

winner.The checklist on this page will

help you assess your story. Use the list

to analyze the strengths and weak-

nesses of what you wrote. After

answering the questions, go back to

your story and rewrite any sections

about which you answered,“No.”

Check Your Work!1. Are my characters true? Do they sound and act like people in real life?

q YES q NO

2. Do I use a consistent point of view?

q YES q NO

3. Do I establish the setting well enough to place the characters in time and

space?

q YES q NO

4. Does my lead capture the reader’s imagination?

q YES q NO

5. Do my setting descriptions provide the reader with enough detail to imagine

what the setting looks like?

q YES q NO

6. Would I be intrigued by my characters in real life?

q YES q NO

7. Do the settings tell where and when things happen?

q YES q NO

8. Do my characters face interesting choices?

q YES q NO

9. Do I use dialogue to help make the story compelling?

q YES q NO

10. Are my characters’ goals and passions clear?

q YES q NO

11. Does my plot answer the questions what, how and why?

q YES q NO

12. Have I checked and rechecked for grammatical errors?

q YES q NO

13. Have I checked and rechecked the spelling?

q YES q NO

14. Did I revise and rewrite a sufficient number of drafts?

q YES q NO

15. Does my ending make sense?

q YES q NO

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NOTES Making notes about what you are readinghelps you organize the information that youare reading into manageable but meaningfulchunks. It can also help you summarize whatyou read so that you can refer back to it later.Plus, taking notes helps you monitor what youare learning. What you decide to note and theamount of detail depend on what you arereading, but there are some things to thinkabout when you get ready to take notes. Reada newspaper article and complete the graphicorganizer.

0Noteworthy

MAIN IDEA

SUPPORTING DETAIL

ANOT

HER

SUPP

ORTI

NG D

ETAI

LONE MORE SUPPORTING DETAIL

CONCL

USION

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I. Why is it Important To Be Involved with Your Teen? (List reasons and details.)

A.

B.

C.

II. How to Talk to Your Teen. (List key phrases and approaches.)

III. What To Do for Your Teen at Home.

IV. What To Do for Your Teen at School.

Begin your article by writing a strong first sentence for your lead paragraph.


The15Things Parents Should Do For Their TeensImagine that you are a newspaper reporter writing a feature story for parents about how to deal with theirteenage children. You want to give them a list of 15 things that they should be sure to do with or for their kids. Inorder to write your article, you’ll want to create an outline to help you organize your thoughts. You can use thisgraphic organizer to help you. Then read an article from the newspaper and create your own outline for that story.

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It’s Like This

Using comparisons tomake your writinginteresting is a great

way to create a mental picture.Try your hand at writing yourown similes for each of thefollowing ideas or concepts.

EXAMPLE: PalenessShe was as pale as the new fallen snow on the front lawn.

Then find some examples ofsimiles in today’s newspaperand write them down on thelines to the right.

STUBBORNNESS

SPEED

CLEVERNESS

SADNESS

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Home Perfect Home


What do you think would be the perfect house? How many roomswould it have? How should those rooms be used? Read the RealEstate ads to find the home of your dreams. Copy the ad onto theselines and, using that information as a guide, write a description ofhow you envision the house.

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My Picks for This YearTV show I plan to watch

Popular movie star

Car that conserves gas

Newsmaker

News location

Champion athlete

Sport worth watching

Sport to play

Clothing "must-have"

Cool shoes

Great business

Valuable stock

Hi-tech toy or gadget

Now is your chance to predict the future. Based onthe information, stories, and ads in the newspaper,see whether you can find one example of each person, place, or thing that will be hot this year.

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SPORTING News

You can learn about sports by reading the newspaper. Skim the headlines to find an article aboutone sport. Complete this sheet to show a few things you know about the sport, a few thingsyou’d like to know, and, after reading, fill in a few things you learned. Below the chart, write a

few sentences telling whether you will watch the sport on television and why.

NAME OF THE SPORT:

THINGS I KNOW ABOUT THE SPORT:

THINGS I’D LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THE SPORT:

THINGS I HAVE LEARNED:

I WILL ____ WILL NOT ____ WATCH THE SPORT ON TELEVISION.

WHY?

29STUDENT ACTIVITY SHEET

Name

Good coaches recognizethat players have to bemotivated through

words. Words can hurt or theycan help, and they are verypowerful. Skim the newspaperto find words or phrases thatwould help to motivate some-one. Write those words in thisspace. Make a word collage ofmotivational terms by writingthe words in different stylesand different colors.

High PraiseHigh Praise

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We Are A WORLD of Difference

If you compare any two people, you will see lots of ways in which they are the same and lots of ways in which theyare different. Learning to identify and appreciate the similarities and differences helps teach you how to get alongwell with all kinds of people. You learn how to be tolerant and to accept people who are different from you by real-

izing that in many ways, we are all alike.Choose two people from today’s newspaper and fill in this T-chart showing what they share and what they don’t. Write

a point-by-point description of each person and show whether the other person has the same trait or a different one.

Person 1 Person 2

31STUDENT ACTIVITY SHEET

Name

Point of ViewIn fiction, who tells a story determines how the story is told. That is known as point of view.Literature has several different points of view. Read about them here. Then try rewriting a news storyfrom the newspaper as fiction using one of these points of view.

Objective Point of ViewWith the objective point of view, thewriter tells what happens without statingmore than can be understood from thestory's action and dialogue. The writerdoesn’t tell what the characters think orfeel.

Third-Person Point of ViewWith the third-person point of view, thewriter lets us know exactly how the charac-ters feel. We learn about the charactersthrough this outside voice. The charac-ters are referred to with the pronouns“he” or “she,” and the writing does not comeout of the character’s mouth.

First-Person Point of ViewWith the first-person point of view, the writer is inthe action of the story. It is written using the word “I,”and the thoughts and feelings are those of the main character.

Omniscient Point of ViewHere, the writer knows everything about all the characters. (“Omniscient” means “all-knowing.”)

As you read a story, think about how the point of view makes you feel about the characters. First-person narrators are not always trustworthy. The story is coming from them, so it is up to you todetermine what is true and what is merely that character’s point of view.

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Rules for Parents and Teens to Follow

Imagine that it is your job towrite a list of rules for par-ents and teens to follow in

order to have a healthy rela-tionship. Write them on theright.

PARENTS SHOULD:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

TEENS SHOULD:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Look through the newspaper and identify a healthy parent-child relationship. On the back of this sheet or onanother piece of paper, write a description of the one you found and explain why you think it is a good one.

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Room To GrowParents try to decorate babies’ room with things that will help them develop but will also keep them safe. Teens can

also use nurturing environments in their personal spaces. Imagine that you are an interior designer whose chal-lenge is to use the newspaper to choose items to put in a teenager’s room to foster safe and healthy development.

You can choose furniture, books, electronics, food – whatever you find in the newspaper that would enhance a teen’senvironment. Paste each one on this floor plan; on another sheet of paper, write a detailed explanation for why youchose each one. Be sure to add windows and closets wherever you’d like.

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What is the purpose—or mission— of an organization? What should be the ethics—or correct behavior—ofan organization you might want to work for? Make a list of organizations mentioned in the newspapertoday.Then write an ethics mission statement for each one of the organizations.

Ethics and Organizations

organization missionstatement

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1)

2)

3)

4)Mission:

To treat ouremployees andcustomers withthe respect and

concern wewould want

to experience.


35STUDENT ACTIVITY SHEETName

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______ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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______ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Knowing what you want is important in a job search. To help you identify and clarify your mostimportant values, goals and principles, record your values and goals as an individual and your valuesand goals for society as a whole. Then go back and number them in order of importance. Finish bysearching the newspaper for occupations that would help you achieve these goals.

Values Assessment

Occupations that are compatible with goals and values

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My Goals & Values Society Goals & Values

Sample: Astronaut

Unique Occupation To Discover New Worlds______ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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A resume is often the first thing an employer will look at in deciding whether to hire you. Study the Help Wanted adsto find a career for which you hope to be qualified after graduating from high school or college. List the qualificationsneeded for that job, and check off those you already possess. Finally, imagine you have the necessary requirementsand write a resume applying for the job. (Write your three references on the back of this sheet.)

Resume Writing

Career Objective:

Education:

Employment History:

Activities:

__________________ qualifications(Write Occupation Here)

o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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References available upon request.


The ability to show strengths and talents may be what determines whether you land a job. Look through the newspaper for advertisements you con-sider attractive, creative or memorable. Or think of ads you remember from TV. Then in the space below, create a fresh, creative, memorable adver-tisement to “sell” your strengths, talents and expertise.

Advertise Yourself


Just as a government has laws, sports have rules. Find the Sports section in the newspaper and pick a storyabout a sport. In the space below, write out a rule about the sport. Then draw a picture of the penalty forbreaking the rule. Finally, draw what you think would be a better penalty for breaking the rule.

Wide world of sports

Sport: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rule: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Penalty for

Breaking Rule

Better Penalty


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The President of the United States is the head of the Executive branch of the government. Among thepresident’s duties are enforcing laws, appointing officials, dealing with foreign countries and command-ing the armed forces. Discuss these duties as a class. Then in groups or as a class, see if you canfind examples in the newspaper of the president doing the different duties of his job. Try to find articlesin the newspaper that will fit each one of the categories. Write the headlines on the correct lines.

Hail to the chief

Appoints Officials

Commands the Armed Forces

Enforces Laws

Deals with Foreign Countries


tthhee FFiivvee ww’’ssWho, what, when, where and why. Those are the “five W’s.” When you learn to recognize the five W’s, you have a great tool to use whenever you have to write a summary. Select one story from the front page of today’s newspaper and read it. In the “W’s” below, fill in each fact. At the bottom, use all five of your W facts to write a one-sentence summary of the story you read.

who

why

what

where

summary:

when

41

Accentuate the PositiveBelieve it or not most teens have a positive self-image.They describe themselves as happy, responsible andself-reliant. Find a person in the news whofits each one of those categories.Thenwrite a character analysis of yourself.Are you positive or negative?

My character analysis

An activity sheet for students



A fast way to find a place on a map is to use the map’s index. A map index lists names of streets or landmarks inalphabetical order. Next to each are written the points, or “coordinates” (co-OR-din-ets), showing where theplaces are located on the map. To practice using an index, locate the index in today’s newspaper. Then completethe “Index Search” on this page by writing out answers and page numbers for each question.

INDEX SEARCH

Which sections have something to do with a game? (Name the game or some of the games.)

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In what section and on what page(s) will you find the comics?

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What section will tell you when TV shows are on?

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What section gives information about jobs to be filled?

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What section might tell about the latest golf tournament?

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What section will discuss the latest movies?

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What section will offer choices for a home to buy?

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Finally, what section are you most likely to look at first? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_________________________ Index Search(your name here)


1.

QuestionnaireScan the newspaper and determine what are the most pressing issues of the day. Based on this information,create your own questionnaires. What are some of the questions you would like to ask Americans? Why isthis information important? Write your questions on these lines.

2.

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5.

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7.


Working in small groups, check the sports section for athletes who are mentioned in today’s newspaper. Thenyou can research the newspaper for the following information that is part of the short form in the Census questionnaire. What are the names, ages, gender and race of the athletes? You can complete a chart to showthe results.

sports figures census

Athlete Age Gender Race


PetsMore Americans have dogs for pets than any other animal. Conduct a survey of the “Pets for Sale”section of the classifieds. Make a graph showing the different types of pets for sale and the number

for each category. Write 3 observations about your graph.

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9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1Type of Pet

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TV and Teen Drinking

________

_________________________________

Dear______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sincerely,

Researchers have found that the more television high school students watch, the morelikely they are to start drinking.Teens are influenced by the characters on TV who drinkalcohol and are often portrayed as influential and glamorous. Study the television list-ings for information about the content of the programs. Based on that research andprior knowledge of the shows, identify programs that might encourage high school students to drink. Write a letter to that show’s sponsors telling them how you feelabout the message of the shows.


b

l

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Schools without strict codes of behavior have more discipline problems and poor academic achievement when compared to schools with more demanding standards.Find someone in today’s newspaper showing unacceptable behavior. Whose behavior isappropriate? Complete the Venn Diagram comparing the behaviors of both individuals.Your class can brainstorm a list of rules that should be part of your school’s policy.

Ain’t Misbehavin’

STUDENT ACTIVITY SHEET

Name

lAPPROPRIAT

E

UNACCEPTA

BLE

Select a MentorTeenagers need good role models.Choose someone from the newspaper who you believe hasthe potential to be a good mentor. Prepare a series of ques-tions you would ask your mentor candidate to assess his/herqualifications.Then write the answer you hope to hear.List the qualities that make a good role model and mentor.

Q.

A.

Q.Q.

A.

Q.

A.

A good mentor is...Q.

A. A.

A.

Q.


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The Problems of TeenagersSelect a newspaper article that is about a teenager. List people in the story, set thescene, identify the problem, and find solutions.Then complete the graphic organizer.

Characters

Problem Solution

Setting


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An internal monologue is a conversa-

tion that a character has with himself

or herself.The conversation helps the

reader get to know the character.

Choose someone from the sports

section of the newspaper and write an

internal monologue that person might

have.What might that person be

thinking about? You can get details for

your monologue from the article.

Find theCharacterClues

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CHARACTER in the NEWSStrong character development is essential to a good story.The newspaper is a terrific source of

interesting people to write about. Find someone in today’s newspaper who would make a good

character to write about.Write that person’s name in the circle below.Then, on each line, write a

fact about that person or a quote that tells something about his or her appearance or personality.

On the back of this sheet, write a paragraph with a vivid description of that character.

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My Personality = My Career

Finding a job that you love is one way to make sure you’re happy at work. It helps

if you can find a job that suits your personality. Check the Classified ads to find

the top five jobs for your personality type. List them in order below; with 1

being the best. On the lines, write a character sketch of yourself describing, in detail,

your personality and telling why these jobs are made for you.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

My Job Choices

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Highly Successful People

What do you think of whenyou hear the word “suc-cess”? Write a definition

of the term on these lines. Then findat least three successful people in thenewspaper and identify what makeseach one successful.

PERSON 1

PERSON 2

PERSON 3

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WEB OF LIFEBiographies are stories about someone’s life. Is there someone in today’s newspa-per about whom an interesting biography could be written? You can find some-one whose life might make a good story by skimming the national, local, and inter-national news in today’s newspaper. Pick one newsmaker. In the center of theweb, write that person’s name. On each thread of the web, write some biographi-cal information about this person, either from the news story or from online research.

MY NEWSMAKER

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