Current+Events

=Curious Current Events=

'Current Events' means 'what's up' in your town. You get this information from the newspaper, the TV news, the radio, etc.

Hi Students,

Go to the 'speech bubbles' to add your Assignment #1 work there as per instructions below.

Current Events - Assignment #1

1. Scan or browse the daily newspaper. 2. Choose an article that interests you. 3. READ it and use a highlighter marker to highlight phrasal verbs, idioms, collocations, and vocabulary. 4. Add these expressions and vocabulary with their definitions and practice sentences to your PERSONAL DICTIONARY. 5. Practice using these expressions and vocabulary in your daily SPEAKING Practice and JOURNAL Writing. 6. Retell a short summary of your article to your partner. Choose many partners to retell your article summary to today. 7. Listen to a summary of an article your partner read. 8. Write a REPORT of the summary of the article your partner told you about in WORD. 9. Give your summary to your partner to PEER Edit (correct). 10. Copy and paste your REPORT to the speech bubble > Assignment 1.

- Kinetic 04/09/15

Do one of these exercises everyday of the month ! (Resource The Gazette - In Education)
 * Newspaper Activity Calendar**

There's something in the newspaper for every student at every level. Whether it's world news, sports, entertainment or comics, the newspaper keeps your students interested and in touch with the world around them.


 * SEPTEMBER:**
 * **LABOUR DAY > first Monday of September > statutory holiday**
 * Find some newspaper ads or flyers for school supplies. Go through the ads and see how much your supplies will cost. Which stores give you the best deals ?
 * The first days of school can be difficult, especially if you are going to a new school. Write a letter to the editor suggesting ways schools could make new students more welcome.
 * Many students do interesting activities outside of school. FInd an ad that offers an outside activity you would like to do. Discuss it with your family.
 * Wow! You've made it through the week reward yourself. From today's newspaper, find a movie that interests you. Go out and see it.
 * Write a movie review for a movie you have seen and submit it for your class or school newspaper. Check newspaper movie reviews for style.
 * In Sports, find a story about a football team. Then use the TV guide to find out when the next game will be played. Watch it, then write our own news story.
 * Good nutrition is important, for all ages. Prepare a healthy grocery list from the grocery ads and flyers in your newspaper.
 * Make a list of school sports played at this time of year. Now list sports reported on in the newspaper. Are the lists the same or different ? Why ?
 * Are you superstitious? Find and read a story in today's newspaper about Friday the 13th. Write a story about how you feel about the Friday the 13th superstition.
 * Have all your classmates read today's comic page in the newspaper. Ask them to vote for their favourite comic strip (one vote per student). Graph your results.
 * FInd the editorial cartoon. Note how the cartoonist uses caricature and words to express a message. Design your own cartoon about an event in your school.
 * In groups, brainstorm ideas about uses for recycled newspapers. Share your ideas with the class. Which group had the most unique idea? The most practical ?
 * Pretend the washing machine in your house is leaking and water is going all over the floor. Find companies in the newspaper that could help solve your problem.
 * Do some research and find out the day and exact time of the first day of fall. Check the weekend and Monday newspapers to see if there are any fall stories.
 * Read the front page of today's newspaper and underline all the names of towns and cities. Locate each on a map. Using the map scale, calculate how far they are apart.
 * Find an ad you like in the newspaper. Why do you like it? Design another ad for the same product from your point of view. Ask your classmates which ad they prefer and why.
 * Fall is a great time to pick fresh fruits and vegetables. Find a listing of Farmers Markets or "U-Pick" places in the newspaper. Plan a "U-Pick" outing with your class or family.
 * Cut out a headline from today's front page. Then cut out each letter. Rearrange the letters to make a new headline. Try to make it funny. Write a story to go with your new headline.
 * Science is an important subject in school. Find a science story in the newspaper Become an expert on the topic and explain the story to the students in your class.
 * You've been in school for a month and have done lots of newspaper work. To find out more, see if someone from the newspaper can visit your class. Prepare questions to ask.


 * OCTOBER:**
 * FInd a picture in the newspaper of someone you would like to meet. Why would you like to meet this person ? What questions would you ask ?
 * What cities are expected to have the highest and lowest temperature today ? If you could be in another city listed on your newspaper's weather page, where would it be ? Why ?
 * Find five people in today's newspaper who are wearing glasses. Who are these people ? Why are they in the news ?
 * FInd a job listing in today's newspaper that interests you. What skills do you have that would help you succeed ?
 * Visualize yourself as the main character of a comic strip. Describe what it would be like to be this character.
 * FInd a top news story that interests you and follow it for four days. What updates were added each day ?
 * Plan a party meal by finding grocery items in the newspaper. Stay within a budget of $100.
 * What is "news"? Write your own definition. Compare yours with that of a classmate. Find a movie that you would like to see. What time would you have to leave your house to arrive on time? How much would it cost to bring 12 friends and pay for their admission ?
 * **CANADIAN THANKSGIVING:** Clip items from the newspaper that you admire or you are thankful for and make a collage.
 * Circle five items in the newspaper that are new to you. What can you learn about each item from the newspaper ?
 * FInd a hero in today's newspaper. Write a letter to invite him/her to your school. What would you like to ask this hero ?
 * Add up all the scores on today's sports pages, then divide to find the average.
 * Examine a news photo for 30 seconds. Put it away and write down everything you can remember.
 * Look through the newspaper and find an example of a random act of kindness or good deed. Start a class bulletin board display.
 * Look through the newspaper and circle all the names of countries that you can find. Locate each on a map. Which is furthest away from your home?
 * Read a story on the front page and then design an editorial cartoon to complement it
 * DIvide into teams. Each team receives duct tape and a stack of old newspapers. Build a newspaper tower. THe first group to reach the ceiling wins. The most unique tower also wins.
 * Your pet is lost Write a classified ad that describes your lost pet examine classified ads for style.
 * In today's newspaper, find an item that you use in your daily life that was not invented 10 years ago.
 * Read a newspaper article and circle two words you don't recognize. Look them up in a dictionary and try using them in a sentence when you talk to your friends.
 * Design an ad for a store that has Halloween candy on sale. Before starting examine ads in today's newspaper. What makes a good ad?
 * **HALLOWEEN:** Clip all of the Halloween characters and symbols that you can find in the newspaper. Mount them and create a Halloween collage.


 * NOVEMBER:**
 * The first day of November is **ALL Saints Day**, FInd stories in today's paper that explains the significance of this day.
 * Name the major political parties. Find references to the political parties in today's newspaper. Which party has the most references ?
 * Items in the newspaper are written to inform, entertain, persuade or advise. Find two examples of each. Which is your favourite? Why?
 * Pretend you are an advice columnist. Choose a problem described in one of today's advice columns and write your own response to it.
 * Ask a friend in class what his/her zodiac sign is. Find the horoscope in the newspaper and count how many signs are between yours and your friend's. Compare your horoscopes.
 * Select a movie from the entertainment section that you want to see this weekend is there a review for the movie ? Do you think you will agree or disagree with the critic ? Why?
 * **VETERAN's DAY > November 11 >** Today is Veterans, Remembrance or Armistice Day in different parts of the world. Are there stories in today's paper that tell you which country recognizes which holiday ?
 * This is **WORLD PEACE WEEK** Write a letter to the editor explaining what peace means to you.
 * Find three stories in today's newspaper that deal with peace. Make a collage of these stories.
 * Ask your teacher to show you what a peace sign looks like. Create a big peace sign using words from the paper that mean peace to you.
 * Choose five headlines from today's newspaper. Rewrite them using one of the following word in each headline: Love, Peace, Happiness, Friendship, Harmony.
 * Do you have a NBA or NHL team in your area? From today's sports section, find the NBA & NHL teams that are named after animals. How many are there ?
 * FInd the closes NHL franchise to your city in today's sports standings. Add the point total for all teams in your conference; average them. Is your team above or below average?
 * Write an obituary for an object such as an old shoe or a tin can. Check the obituaries in the newspaper for style.
 * FInd the birth notices in the newspaper. How many girls are listed ? Subtract the number of girls listed from the number of boys. Were there more girls or boys listed ?
 * What was the last CD or movie your purchased? Read an entertainment review from today's paper. Write your own review about your most recent purchase.
 * Scan the newspaper. FInd all the stories that name a culture different from your own. Create a collage of all the different stories/cultures.
 * Cut out comic strip frames that show occupations. Classify the pictures according to occupations. WHich comic character has the most interesting job? Why ?
 * Which ad from today's newspaper do you think is best ? List all the reasons why you chose that ad over all the other advertisements. then, create your own ad.
 * Choose a comic strip. Create your own continuation of the situation.
 * There are only 26 days until Christmas. Use the advertisements from the newspaper to prepare a wish list for Santa.


 * DECEMBER:**
 * December is a month of celebrations. Look through the newspaper and create a bulletin board of events happening in your community.
 * FInd out what your school or class is doing for holiday celebrations. create an advertisement for the upcoming events.
 * The International Space Station was launched on December 4, 1988. Check the newspaper for any articles about the space program.
 * Your class has been given $1,000. to donate to charities. Look through the newspaper for deserving groups or individuals. Explain your choices.
 * THin k of your favourite holiday song and create a comic strip illustrating that song.
 * Find three interesting photos in today's newspaper. Write a short story that ties those three photos together.
 * **DECEMBER 10 > HUMAN RIGHTS DAY >** Discuss the difference between a "right" and a "privilege". Look through the newspaper for examples of each.
 * Find two ads in the newspaper for the same product. Compare the ads to determine which is more effective and why.
 * Look through the newspaper for words or pictures of foods to plan a special meal for your family. Be sure to include all of the food groups.
 * Write a help wanted ad for people to help wrap gifts at your local mall. Decide how much to pay and what the duties will include.
 * Cut sport stories from the newspaper. Cut off the headlines. GIve the stories and headlines to a friend to match up.
 * Look through the newspaper for the Web address of the newspaper and go online to compare the newspaper to its electronic version.
 * The school has been snowed in. Search the classified seciton of the newspaper to find ways to get home.
 * Make a holidy fun schedule for your family. Look thorugh the newspaper for activities you and yoru family can participate in over the school break.
 * **December 21** is the **FIRST DAY OF WINTER** ! Check the weather page in the newspaper for four cities that will enjoy a white Christmas.


 * JANUARY:**
 * **January 1st > HAPPY NEW YEAR !**
 * Write a news story about an activity you took part in during the holidays.
 * Clip photos of three famous people in the news. What New Year's resolutions do you think they should make ? Why ?
 * In the newspaper, find five words that you can combine with the word "snow" to make a compound word. Write your compound words on a sheet. Use each in a sentence.
 * Find a pet for sale in the classified ads. Imagine you are the animal described in the ad. Write a letter to a potential owner telling why you are the perfect pet.
 * It's National Soup Month. Think of a slogan to promote this campaign and incorporate it into an ad.
 * Look at the job postings. FInd a job that you do not think will exist in 50 years. Write a paragraph explaining why you do not think it will exist.
 * Keeping roads and sidewalks clear of snow can be a problem. Write a letter to the editor with suggestions of how you would keep winter roads safe and clean.
 * Express yourself! Using words from headlines (or letters to make your own words) create a bumper sticker about something that is important to you.
 * Find the results from one hockey game. Imagine that every goal scored in the hockey game is worth $11.75. How much money would each team have made ? Which team made most?
 * Find the crossword puzzle in today's newspaper. Can you figure out the answer for number one across? Write an acrostic poem using this word.
 * Examine the pictures on the sports pages. What emotions do the different pictures show? Make a list of the different emotions that you can find. Why do you think the pictures show different emotions?
 * FInd the classified ads and read several. Think about how they are written. Write a classified ad to sell yourself. Be sure to list your best qualities so that people will want to buy you.
 * You are a Martian who has just landed on earth. To learn about life on earth, read today's newspaper. Write a report back to Mars describing what you have learned from the newspaper.
 * A time capsule is being sent to outer space to help alien beings understand life on earth Look through your newspaper. Find five things (pictures or stories) that you would put into the time capsule.
 * In the newspaper, find the following: a percentage, a number written in words, a postal code, a mixed numeral, a decimal, a fraction, an amount of money, an age and a date.
 * Have an alphabet race in the newspaper. FInd a word that starts with A and circle it. Then find a word that starts with B, then C, D and so on. Can you find a word that starts with each letter of the alphabet ?
 * Many stories in the newspaper are missing endings because daily news events are often still occurring. Select an "unfinished" news story from today's newspaper and write an ending.
 * Imagine you had just invented something new. Design an advertisement to try to sell your invention. Include a picture of the invention.
 * What do you think should be done to reduce violence in hockey? Write an editorial to explain your views.
 * Can you find any information or news about the importance of health? Write an article explaining what you think it means to be healthy.


 * FEBRUARY:**
 * Did the groundhog see his shadow yesterday ? Write a short news story describing the event and the groundhog's prediction. Remember to include the 5Ws and How.
 * Circle all the nouns in the headlines on the section fronts. Underline the verbs and put brackets around adjectives.
 * February is HEART MONTH. Using food advertisements, prepare a healthy menu for your family for a week. How much will it cost ?
 * Interview six classmates for their opinion on a current affairs topic. Including their headshots, design an opinion page for your school newspaper using their comments.
 * FInd a recipe. You require twice the amount, so double it and list the new ingredient measures.
 * Using the weather information in the newspaper over the course of a week, calculate the average high and low temperatures for each city listed.
 * Scan the newspaper to find significant statements by world leaders that you think might become famous quotations in the years to come.
 * Using graphs, chart the course of five mutual funds over a month. If you had invested $100. in each, would you have made or lost money?
 * Is there a humorous or light news story that has caught your attention? With a group of classmates, act out the events as detailed in the story.
 * **February 14th > VALENTINES DAY** > Create a Valentine's Day car for your best friend using pictures and words from the newspaper.
 * Look through the week's newspapers to find articles about people who have abused or have been denied their rights as citizens.
 * FInd three animals in the comics and explain how the artist has given them human characteristics.
 * What local politician is making news right now? Write a front page story about him or her and give your story a headline of six words or less.
 * Create an ad for an airline detailing special rates for cross-country travel during the last week of February.
 * Using ads in the entertainment section, plan a special weekend for yourself and a friend - food, movies, sports, concerts. You have $400 to spend.
 * Is your favourite NHL team guaranteed a playoff position this season ? Calculate the win/loss percentage for the top two teams in each division.
 * FInd and clip articles about each North American country as well as from as many European, African and ASian countries as you can find. Locate each country on the map.
 * Check the birth announcements. How many boys and girls are listed ? In what year will they reach the ages of 16, 25, 40, 65, and 90 ?
 * Create a cmic strip. Draw the pictures, add words and give the strip a name.
 * Scan the travel section for a holiday destination for your March break week. Write a story explaining why you would like to travel there.


 * MARCH:**
 * Clip newspaper pictures of different facial expressions. Paste them in a scrapbook. Below each, write the emotion being expressed and a list of things that would make you feel that way.
 * Clip pictures and articles about famous women in your community. Discuss what contributions they have made to society. What contributions would you like to make ?
 * FInd articles about conflict or wars in various parts of the world. rEsearch the cause of each conflict. What are the effects ?
 * Create a newspaper weather page for tomorrow. What do you think the weather will be like ? Forecast for the next five days.
 * Find a display ad that you think is poorly done. Redesign the ad using your own words and graphics.
 * Choose a story in the newspaper that has no photographs. Cut it out and past it on a piece of paper. Above the story, draw a picture that would be appropriate.
 * Write a letter to someone who lives in another part of the world. Share with them interesting stories from your local newspaper.
 * Using newspaper headlines, search for words that begin with the same letter. Write a tongue twister.
 * Using the letters in the headline of today's lead story, write out as many names of countries as possible.
 * Write a classified ad about your dream house. WHat special features would it have and how much would it be worth?
 * FInd a story about a person who has done something to help others. List things you can do to help others.
 * Find a story in the international section of the newspaper. Why is this story included? How may this story affect you and your family?
 * FInd a picture taken in your community. Make a list of things that you could touch, hear and smell if you were in the picture.
 * Design an ad promoting a cultural event happening in your community.
 * **MARCH 21 > INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION** Is there one group of people in today's news that is not being portrayed positively ? Change the story to focus on the positive.
 * **MARCH 24 > WORLD WATER DAY** Use news photos and headlines to design a poster promoting water conservation in your school or in your home. Post it where people will see it.
 * Look for a new story about an environmental issue in your community. Who could you write to about this issue? What would you say ?
 * Cut out a comic character that you have something in common with. Discuss your choice.
 * Using newspaper headlines, cut out adjectives, verbs, nouns and articles. Put these words together to make a poem about diversity.
 * Study how feature stories are written. Write a feature story about your teacher, focusing on his or her accomplishments in your class or with a particular student.
 * Find a story about a person who has accomplished his or her goals. What challenges did he or she have to overcome ? List goals you would like to accomplish by age 25 ? 50 ? 75 ?


 * APRIL:**
 * **April 1st > April Fool's Day >** Draw a cartoon strip featuring your favourite cartoon character playing an April Fool's joke or having one played on him/her/it.
 * **April 2nd > Children's Book Day** > Catch up on world events by reading your newspaper. THen write a children's story using characters from several nations to help solve a world problem.
 * If you struck it reich, what would you do with your money? Use the newspaper (news, ads, travel, stocks, etc.) to help you decide.
 * This is **ANIMAL CRUELTY PREVENTION MONTH**. Look for stories on this issue. Then write an editorial on how animal cruelty can be prevented.
 * **April 7 > World Health Day** > What do you think about the state of the world's health ? Use news articles to help you make your diagnosis.
 * FInd a sports story dealing with a conflict. WHo is involved ? What is the conflict about ? How could it be resolved ?
 * Work in pairs to play this game. Have one partner secretly select a picture in the newspaper. THe other player asks questions that can be answered with "YES" or "NO" to try to identify the photo.
 * Imagine you are a reporter assigned to interview one player from each team in an upcoming baseball game. List five questions you'll ask each player. Role play the interview with a friend.
 * Choose one news story that makes you smile. Read it aloud to a partner
 * Find the lost and found as in the classifieds. Select one and rewrite the ad from the perspective of the object that was lost or found. Follow newspaper style.
 * Today marks the anniversary of the singing of the luxury liner, the Titanic. If you were a reporter assigned to interview a survivor, what questions would you ask ? Write a feature based on the answers.
 * Prepare a tV or radio segment based on the information from today's newspaper. Perform it for the class.
 * **PASSOVER** > FInd a sports story or photo that's not in the sports section. W Where is it? Why do you think it's set apart from the sports section ?
 * **GOOD FRIDAY** > Clip an interesting news photo. Tell what you think happened just before and just after the photo was taken.
 * **EASTER MONDAY** > THis is **EARTH WEEK.** Do some research on the environment and then use the facts to write an editorial explaining why citizens of the world should take care of it.
 * **EARTH DAY** > If you could give Mother Earth a gift, what would it be ? Describe your gift in a letter to the editor or illustrate it in a cartoon strip.
 * Write a horoscope for Earth. Instead of zodiac signs, refer to the different natural resources or elements that make up Earth (for example, air, water, fish, forest, etc.).
 * Watch the newspaper for stories about pollution. Draw an editorial cartoon expressing your opinion on this issue.
 * Write a Home Wanted ad for an endangered animal seeking a new place to live.
 * Design an ad that pays tribute to the millions of volunteers who make essential contributions to their communities.
 * Choose an action photograph. Cut in in half. Ask a partner to draw the missing half. Compare it with the original
 * Put together a display about a sport that interests you, using information you gather from the newspaper.


 * MAY:**
 * This is **NATIONAL SAFETY WEEK**. Brainstorm summer safety rules. Categorize them by topic (water safety, sun, bicycle, etc.) Break into groups to design a newspaper ad promoting each category.
 * Tomorrow is **WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY**. Watch the paper for stories about journalists who are risking their lives to bring us the news. Identify their location and the dangers they might face.
 * Find examples in the newspaper of people who are exercising their freedom of speech.
 * Clip articles concerning the treatment of animals. Write a letter to the editor on behalf of the animals discussed in the articles.
 * Beethoven was deaf when he composed his 9th Symphony. It was first performed in D Minor in 1824. Create a music review as it might have appeared the day following this performance.
 * Design a newspaper ad telling your mother how much you appreciate her. Frame it and present it to her on **Mother's Day**.
 * Write a poem describing the good qualities of your mom or any other mom. Incorporate the 5Ws and How into your poem.
 * Imagine your family is looking for a classic car to drive around in the good weather. FInd the oldest classic in the used-car want ads. What year/model is it? How much does it cost ?
 * Look for articles about people breaking the law. WRite down what they did and, if known, what their punishment is. Do you think the punishment fits the crime? Explain.
 * It's hockey playoff time! Use the sports section to find out which teams are left in the NHL playoffs. Which player has the most points?
 * **INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FAMILIES** > Create a family newspaper, by yourself or with family members. The stories can be funny or serious. Don't forget to add pictures.
 * Sunday is International Museums Day. Use the newspaper and other resources to plan our day. Which museums would you visit ? What are the costs ? What might you see at each museum ?
 * Who is your favourite music act currently on the rock/pop charts?
 * Do some research on the musician or band and then write an entertainment feature.
 * A? C+? F? What mark would you give your community, province, state, country or world on the state of the environment ? Explain.
 * Sports writing is among the most colourful in the paper. Make a list of 10 great action words from the sports pages. Use each in a new sentence.
 * For one month, clip sports photos and articles of unusual or record-breaking occurrences in major league baseball. With a partner, prepare a radio broadcast summing up this month's highlights.
 * Use the newspaper to plan family activities you would enjoy this weekend. Draw up a schedule including times, places and costs.
 * You are lost at sea. Cut words form the headlines to make a message you could put in a bottle and send to rescuers. Paste the words on a piece of scrap paper.
 * Choose a politician or other person in the news who's involved in controversy. Imagine this person needed advice. What would he or she write in a letter to Ann Landers? How might Ann Landers reply?
 * Plan a year-end celebration for the class. Where will it take place ? Who will provide food ? Check the newspaper for ideas and prices. Designate a photographer to capture the fun
 * Look through the classified ads for jobs in banking and finance. Circle tow or three that you find interesting. WHat qualifications do you need for the jobs ? Does a future in finance appeal to you ?
 * AFter you have finished reading a book, write a review to persuade others to add this book to their summer reading lists.


 * JUNE:**
 * Check the weekend travel ads in your newspaper. Describe the imaginary holiday you would like to take to one of the advertised locations.
 * Select a hero form today's newspaper. Write a letter to that person explaining why you admire him/her.
 * Peruse the sports section of your newspaper. Which sport do you think contributes most to making the world a better place ? Why ?
 * Write a letter to the editor to tell why you think school should or should not be held over the summer months.
 * Clip the editorial cartoon from the newspaper. Write an explanation of the message you think the cartoon is expressing.
 * Your family is planning to build a gazebo for Father's Day. Check the cost of building supplies in the newspaper. What is the lowest package price?
 * FInd the following in your newspaper: a number greater than a million, the price of a 4 year old car, the name of your city, a letter from someone.
 * What is the highest price of an item advertised in today's first section ? What is the lowest price? What is the difference in dollars and cents, between the two prices ?
 * Find two newspaper ads for the same product. What is the difference in price ? What percentage of the cost would you save by going with the least expensive product ?
 * Write an advice column to your teacher, telling him/her how to relax over the summer.
 * This week, use information from the weather page to chart sunrise and sunset times and amount of daylight. What pattern can you see ?
 * Find a photograph of an athlete in action. Read the story and outline. Write a speech or thought bubble for what the athlete might be saying or thinking.
 * Scan the classified section of your newspaper, and count the total number of job advertisements. Categorize them by type of job. Which category has most ads?
 * Select a job ad from the classified section and prepare an application for the position of your choice.
 * Plan summer activities using newspaper ads, articles and entertainment listings. Share your plans with the class.

Have a safe, wonderful summer !

Calendar produced by the Canadian Newspaper-in-Education Association Copyright 2002 Note to the teacher: Permission is given for the reproduction of any part of this calendar for use in your classroom.

- Carefree 13-07-21

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