This Week’s Anton Lesson Plan
Fresh at the beginning of a new calendar year and the changing of presidential administrations, health and science continue to be topics that are thoroughly covered in newspapers of every stripe. With 2017 just kicking off, millions of people are making resolutions, many that deal with health, whether it’s changing dietary choices or making an effort to get to the gym or include some kind of other physical activity in their day-to-day schedule.
Elsewhere, stories having to do with the environment have also picked up quite a bit, particularly when it comes to issues regarding pollution, climate change or species extinction. The following are exercises students can do to experience the different facets of health and science that make up the content of a newspaper.
• Cut out articles telling of the work and problems of local health agencies and services. Write a help wanted ad for a position at one of the agencies.
• Research the area of drugs, tobacco or alcohol and write an article that informs the local readers of the dangers of one of the substances.
• Find articles in your local newspaper that discuss water and/or air pollution and discuss the causes and possible remedies. Write a science fiction story telling how life could be in another 100 years if the pollution problem isn’t solved.
• Using the same articles as above, have a panel discussion on pollution and its effects on your community.
