In a Forum piece on Thursday, April 29, entitled, "How Jay-Z can make foreign policy accessible," writer Lionel Beehner talks about the benefits of comparing complex policy issues to events in popular culture. He refers to an example used by George Washington University’s Marc Lynch who compared Jay-Z’s spat with the Game to U.S. foreign [...]

continue reading.....

Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy once said his dad taught him that  “composure was more important than emotion.” Consider what this means. What is the difference between the two? Then, identify an individual in today’s news who could benefit from being more composed and less emotional. Next, describe a historical figure who used both [...]

continue reading.....

Define the terms “financial” and “literate.” Next, with a peer, discuss what it means to be financially literate. Now, with the same partner, look through the Money section of USA TODAY and identify four financial terms that you are unfamiliar with. Assign each other two terms to research. Then, using information from the Money section and other [...]

continue reading.....

Fifteen-year-old Phoebe Prince of South Hadley, Mass. killed herself in January because she was being bullied by nine of her peers. All nine now face criminal charges. In a column on Friday, April 9, writer Caitlin Kelly talks about her experience being bullied in high school. Kelly writes: "I was terrified and traumatized. Like many [...]

continue reading.....

OBJECTIVE: Use your dramatic skills and analytical skills in working with dramatic text to write a mini screenplay based on a true life event. ACTIVITY:   Select one story from today’s paper and develop it into a 3-minute or less scene.  Choose your story carefully, remembering the elements you must take into consideration — including those [...]

continue reading.....

We use FoolProof and the USA TODAY financial literacy articles as supplements in our curriculum for all our business and economics classes. The combination of the videos in FoolProof and the articles in USA TODAY are a huge hit with our students.   Micheal Sheffer, Corning East High School, Corning NY  

continue reading.....

On Jan. 24, 1848, James W. Marshall found a gold nugget at Sutter’s Mill in northern California — a discovery that caused settlers from the east to flood California in the gold rush of 1849. Sometimes the discovery of a single item or piece of information sets in motion historic events. Look through today’s paper [...]

continue reading.....