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Activities for Week 1

READING: Vote! Vote! Vote! That will be an important message from now until election day on November 3. Newspapers will be filled with news, opinions and ads about the candidates. To make responsible decisions, voters have to be able to tell fact from opinion in what they read amd hear. Read an article or column in today´s paper related to one of the candidates. In your journal, write these things you learned and tell whether it is a fact or an opinion. Follow the news on the candidate until election time.

WRITING: Find an election ad in today´s paper. Usually election ads have the candidate´s name, office the candidate is running for, a campaign slogan, and something about the candidate´s qualifications or character. Does the ad you chose include these items? Is any other information included? Pretend you are running for the same office and create an ad for yourself.

MATH: Money for advertising is an important budget item in an election campaign. Find election ads in the newspaper. If a quarter-page ad is $500 dollars, estimate how mush each candidate spent to advertise in today´s paper.

CAREER CONNECTION: At your school´s career center, check out the education requirements for one of your dream careers. What subjects would you need to take NOW to be ready for your dream career?

Activities for Week 2

READING: October 14 is Columbus Day. When Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic, he had planned to reach India. Actually he really had no idea of the length of the journey or the dangers he would face. What he did took courage. Find a news story or column that tells about a person who did a brave deed. Find facts, quotes and other information the writer uses to show the person´s bravery.

WRITING: In your journal, write about a friend or relative who has shown courage. What did the person do? How did the action affect others? If you were to give a plaque to this person, what would it say? How is that person like the one in the newspaper? How is that person different?

MATH: The average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is almost 12,000 feet. The average depth of the Pacific Ocean is nearly 13,000 feet. About how many yards deeper is the Pacific Ocean (3 feet = 1 yard).

CAREER CONNECTION: Careers in the future will require you to be a problem-solver. Think about a time you solved a problem. What was the problem? How did you solve it? List the steps in your thinking process.

Activities for Week 3

READING: What effect does a change in seasons have? See if you can find out by reading the newspaper. Find an article that describes an incident caused by a change of season, such as a fall celebration, tornado or flood. What was the event and when did it happen? Who was involved and what effect did it have?

WRITING: In your journal, write a poem about the events of the article you read. Use the headline as the first and last line. Write a short story that dramatizes the events of the article.

MATH: Collect leaves from trees and tape them in your journal. Measure the length and width of each leaf at the largest point and record the measurement. Look at the design of each leaf. How many different angles can you find if your choices are acute, obtuse, right, and straight? How many of the leaves are symmetrical?

CAREER CONNECTION: What careers could be affected by changes in the seasons? List five. How does living in Florida affect a student´s career choices?

Activities for Week 4

READING: Find a news article or opinion column about one of the candidates running for office. Before you read, think about what you would like to know about the candidate. Now read the article and see if you find answers to your questions.

WRITING: Pretend your candidate is coming to your school for an interview. Make a list of the questions you would ask. Over the next few days before the election, follow the news to see if your questions are answered by the news coverage. In your journal, explain how your questions were answered.

MATH: Pretend you´re going to a costume party and want to make a cape to wear. What length cape will you need if you measure from your neck to the top of your foot? What width would you need if you want the cape to fit loosely around you? What tool would you use to do the measurements? What would the length and width be in yards (12 inches = 1 foot; 3 feet = 1 yard)? If fabric is $12 per yard, how much money will you need for your cape? Fabric comes in different widths: 36", 45" or 60". Which width would be best for the cape?

CAREER CONNECTION: Being able to write well will be important in job hunting. Choose a job listing from the classified ads and compose a letter that you might send to the employer. Explain what you are doing to prepare for this career.

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