Dear Teachers,

Here is Teen Newsweek's planning calendar for the 2006-07 school year. We hope you find it useful!

---The Editors

10 Ways to Spark Learning with Teen Newsweek

Teen Newsweek combines the global reporting power of Newsweek with the educational expertise of Weekly Reader to deliver timely news to your classroom. Each issue meets social studies and language arts standards and connects current events to history, geography, government, world cultures, and even science. Read on for 10 ways to make the most of Teen Newsweek.
 
1. Get the point. As students read the cover story, ask them to note the five W’s (who, what, when, where, why) and how. Use the comprehension questions in every Teacher’s Guide to test students’ understanding. (This activity offers valuable test preparation!)

2. Hold a debate. Our weekly debates spark lively classroom discussions. Before reading each debate, ask students to respond to the “What Do You Think?” question. After reading, divide your class into groups to formally debate the issue. Did students’ opinions change? If so, ask them how and why.

3. Analyze the cartoon. Political cartoons use pictures and humor to editorialize events in the news. Ask students to examine the symbolism and meaning of the cartoon in each issue of Teen Newsweek. Do they agree or disagree with the cartoonist’s opinion? Have students create their own political cartoons.

4. Examine stories through pictures. Photojournalists tell stories with pictures. Have students analyze the photographs that accompany each story. Ask: What information does the photograph provide? What is its emotional impact? Ask students to write short stories inspired by the people or events pictured.

5. Interpret graphics. Ask students questions about the charts, graphs, or other informational graphics in Teen Newsweek. What conclusions can they draw from the data?

6. Practice geography. Use the maps in the student edition and the map questions in the Teacher’s Guide to broaden students’ knowledge of geography. Have students find each place in the news on a map. Throughout the year, use pushpins to track the places that are covered. Do students detect any trends?

7. Be published! We publish student letters and personal essays. Encourage students to express their opinions in letters to the editor. My Turn personal essays (no longer than 450 words) give students the opportunity to practice writing nonfiction. Students whose essays are published receive gift certificates for $25.

8. Create newscasts. Use Teen Newsweek articles to create a weekly news show for broadcast on the school radio, TV station, or public-address system.

9. Find local angles. Ask students to find a local angle for a news story in Teen Newsweek. Then have each student write an article on the topic. (For a story about a natural disaster, for example, a student might interview a local Red Cross volunteer to learn about disaster preparedness and to find out what teens can do to help.)

10. Take the Smart Stuff challenge! The Smart Stuff multiple-choice quiz in each Teacher’s Guide tests and expands students’ general knowledge. Play it as a team trivia game for fun and points, or assign it as a research activity and have students find the answers using library and online resources.