Newspaper Association of America Foundation

More Ideas for Using the Newspaper:
LIFE SKILLS

1. Draw a rough floor plan of a home. Collect newspaper pictures of furniture and appliances to fill the home and make it comfortable. Determine the approximate cost of furnishing a home by using classified ads.

2. Make a chart that is divided into four parts: spring, summer, fall, winter. Cut out pictures of clothing you would wear during each season. Paste the pictures under each word.

3. Prepare menus using food advertisements in the newspaper. Example: Christmas dinner, Italian dinner, etc. Make sure that you include something from all four-food groups.

4. Collect articles of accidents that have happened in the home. Tell how the accidents could have been prevented.

5. Select a job in the classified section of The Times-Dispatch. Write a letter to the Human Resources director of your chosen job stating what qualities make you perfect for that job.

6. Check the salary levels for unskilled workers in the help-wanted section of the classified ads. Compare the salaries to those for skilled laborers or professional positions. What are the differences and why?

7. Find a recipe in the food section of The Times-Dispatch. Examine the recipe's ingredients to see if it includes enough of the nutrients necessary for a balanced diet. What other foods or recipes could you add to make a balanced meal?

8. Go on a scavenger hunt in The Times-Dispatch. Find and circle the following items: the price of a used Ford truck, the name of the president of the United States, a TV show that starts at 8PM, the high temperature of a city in Virginia, a sports score, an index.

9. Look at the grocery ads in The Times-Dispatch and find an example of multiple products sold for one price (example: 3 ears of corn for $2.00). What is the cost of each item? Is a larger quantity of an item always the better value?

10. Find an example of a comic strip in the Flair section of The Times-Dispatch that shows two coworkers or an employee and manager having a conflict. Rewrite the comic strip depicting a better way for the characters to handle the disputed situation.

*Ideas compliments of the Newspaper Association of America Foundation