There is still no agreement in Washington D.C. about how to handle the Nation’s "debt ceiling." Using articles from a recent USA TODAY, try to determine what the debt ceiling is, how each party would like to avoid crossing it, and what will happen if no agreement is reached before the deadline. Write a paragraph [...]

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The 2012 presidential campaign season has begun. Using images from USA TODAY articles, create a collage of the candidates currently running for president. Reading articles from USA TODAY, try to determine what distinguishes these candidates from one another. Find images from USA TODAY or other sources that highlight these differences and include them in your [...]

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Recent weeks have seen a number of cyber attacks from so-called "Hacktivists" – computer hackers who attack organizations with whom they disagree. Scan USA TODAY newspapers this week for articles about such cyber security breaches. Use specific examples from recent weeks to inform a class discussion. Do you believe that such attacks are justified in [...]

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Wildfires have engulfed over 650 square miles of Arizona and are now crossing the border into New Mexico. Follow the wildfires over the course of this week, using USA TODAY articles to inform you on its development. For each day that you read about the wildfires, create a song that expresses the developments of the [...]

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With the NBA and NHL Finals in full swing, it is a good time for a "Career Championship Tournament." As a class, generate a list of 30 professions/careers on the board (students could look through copies of USA TODAY to help them brainstorm the list). From the list, each student chooses eight careers that he/she [...]

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Several towns throughout the Midwest have been devastated by severe weather over the past weeks. None has been harder hit than Joplin, Missouri where a tornado ravaged the town and took over 100 lives. Read articles from USA TODAY and explore this web interactive to learn how extensive the damage has been and to research [...]

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The ongoing struggle for peace in the Middle East has once again reached the headlines. Using articles from a recent USA TODAY as a starting point for your research, investigate the main causes for continued unrest between Israel and Palestine. Create a table listing the three most divisive issues preventing peace. For each issue explain [...]

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The second-to-last launch of a NASA Space Shuttle is scheduled for this week. To commemorate the conclusion of this successful program, USA TODAY Education has partnered with the National Institute of Aerospace to create Because It Flew. This series of four fun, interactive, hands-on activities introduces students in grades 4-12 to the legacy and importance of [...]

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The Mississippi River is reaching near-record flood stages, and many communities that have never before experienced floods are watching as the waters of the mighty Mississippi creep closer and closer to their homes. Using articles from recent USA TODAY newspapers, read about families who have been asked to unexpectedly abandon their homes. Then consider what [...]

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The Space Shuttle program comes to a close this spring after thirty years of space flights. The final two shuttle launches are scheduled for May and June. There have been over 130 successful Space Shuttle missions, but the complexity of the spacecraft and the inherent danger of space travel mean that everything has to be [...]

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