These words appear in this week s issue of react: committed, skyrocket, tethered, cited, boasts, rodent, inspiration, terminally, range, waif, relevant, arrogant, plight, devouring, asset, transition, gimmick, besieged.
Have your students find the words in react and define them either by using the context of the sentence or a dictionary. Challenge them to use as many as possible in a short story, write a creative sentence for each, or write a synonym or antonym. Ask them to identify the root words where applicable.
The second letter in this advice column is about a teen whose hair has fallen out, and how the teen gets teased because no one else is allowed to wear a hat.
What do your students think of the way the school handled this problem? Talk about other possible solutions, perhaps even changing the school rules. Can your students find another story in today's newspaper where changing the rules might solve a problem? What do students think is the best way to get unfair rules changed?
In Silverton , Oregon, parents can be punished for crimes committed by their children. Some people think the law holding parents responsible for their children's actions is effective, while others believe that the government should not have so much power.
Have students skim the newspaper for an article about a crime committed by a juvenile. Then ask them to write out what they feel would be a proper punishment for the crime. Discuss the purpose of punishment. Is it meant to be retribution or deterrence? Would they involve parents in the punishment? Have each student write a description of the relationship between crime and punishment.
The story suggests creating a parenting class as part of the program for parents whose children commit crime. Have small groups of students imagine that they are teachers planning the agenda for the class. Ask them to write an outline for a lesson plan for the parenting class, using the newspaper as a resource. Have them search the paper to find issues they feel are important for parents to know when dealing with teens.
MindDrive is a new video pinball game you operate using only your brain waves!
Have students find a picture of a machine in the newspaper that they would like to operate using their minds. Then have each student write a one minute speech explaining how this ability could change their lives.
A recent poll shows that only 38 percent of Americans think they have enough to make them happy.
This short article gives students a great opportunity to focus on the difference between luxuries and necessities. Do they understand the difference between the things they NEED and the things they WANT? Have each student scan the newspaper ads to find three items they WANT and three they NEED. Direct them to write a brief explanation for each choice. Finally, discuss which is easier to find in the paper luxuries or necessities. Why?
Would you believe that there is a bird that can whistle the theme song to a TV sitcom? Or a pet rat that comes when called? They're all here in this fun feature story.
Have students use the newspaper index to find the classified ads and the section offering pets for sale or adoption. After reading several ads to see how they are written, have students write ads to sell a few of the pets described in this story.
Actress Winona Ryder is one of the most popular stars with teens because she often plays teen roles compellingly, even though she is 25. She credits much of her success with a life-changing experience she had.
Talk with your students about how Winona was teased and beaten up in high school but grew positively from that experience. Can students find someone in the newspaper who has had a difficult experience? Have them write a follow-up news story about how that experience could result in something positive.
Singer Evan Dando , leader of the band the Lemonheads, says music makes him happy. Now that he has overcome his drug problem, he sounds better than ever.
Drug rehabilitation was a turning point in Evan s life, and a part of his personal history in which he is proud. He also talks about how he used a work of art he created at 6 years of age as an album cover because he reveres his childhood. Ask students to search the newspaper to find examples of people having turning-point experiences. Then have each student design an album cover they could use if they were a recording star. The artwork should represent some part of their personal history or a turning point in their lives.
Jackie Joyner - Kersee may be the greatest female athlete ever! The Olympic gold medal track star is now going to take on a new challenge playing professional basketball.
This story uses many math and statistics concepts. Write this list on the blackboard and have students find an example of each in the story: Height, age, date, length of time, amount. Can your students also find an example of each of these in the newspaper?
react receives mail, e-mail, phone calls and faxes from around the United States and the world which are featured in ask anything (page 3) and our voices (page 14). Likewise, teens from various places are featured in stories throughout the issue.
Have your students list all of the cities, states and countries noted in this week s issue of react and plot them on maps. Direct students to the newspaper s weather map, and have them list the temperatures for each place. Then challenge them to determine the percentage difference between the lowest and highest temperatures. For U.S. references, have your students identify the city/state farthest from yours and plan a road trip, calculating miles, determining the best route, listing what to pack for the weather they might experience, etc.