The Weekly Reader online text collection
This page is a collection of resources to help you write a weekly response
paper. A collection of "texts", including pictures, news stories, vocabulary
words with origins, and poetry are available below, as is a link to Jim
Burke's Weekly Reader website.
Online Texts to Read and Respond To
Teen Ink offers both a print magazine and an online edition and archive.
Poetry, essays, fiction,
artwork and photography, and op ed pieces... literally thousands of items
worth responding to.
Teen Ink
This is a terrific online collection of short poems in many styles, oriented
toward high school students.
Poetry 180
This page features a different photo with a caption every day. Some are
beautiful, some are exotic, and
some are very surprising!
National Geographic Picture of the Day
Time Magazine posts a regular photo essay, focused on world or national news,
sports, or human
interest stories they have covered in the recent past. An archive of recent
stories can be found here;
between captions and images, each offers many possibilities for writing.
Time Magazine Photo Essays
Merriam-Webster's word of the day is more than a vocabulary lesson--it's a
collection of odd, offbeat
tidbits about the origin of words and phrases from everyday speech. Some of
the stories will get you wondering...
Word of the Day
This web page sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors is a
weekly collection of some of the best high school newspaper stories and features.
High School Journalism National Edition
Award-winning photographers compete every day to bring you the most
thought-provoking images on
the web.
Steve's Digicam's Picture of the Day Contest
Rock stars and philosophers, presidents, artists, and writers... anybody who
said anything memorable
might be here. Every day features another 4--5 famous quotes to think and
write about. There's a
searchable archive, too.
Quotes of the Day
NPR presents audio diaries from real teens. Unfortunately, due to bandwidth
issues, these should ONLY
be read as transcripts during the school day--the streaming audio slows down
our server. Many to choose from--real stories from real teens.
Radio Diaries: Teenage Diaries
Short, personal essays about just about everything, from love to God, from
fighting racism to music,
work, and family. Also available as streaming audio files, but don't listen
from the classroom! In class,
read the essay as written.
This I Believe
Published online through MSNBC and Newsweek, this is a magazine written by
college students. In a typical, glossy magazine format, current news,
reviews, and opinions are covered from a student perspective.
Current Magazine -MSNBC
Jesus Diaz wrote this illustrated article on--no lie--a poseable Barack Obama
action figure. It appears in the January 21, 2009 online issue of Gizmodo.
''Toys: Best Obama Action Figure Ever Battles Darth Vader, Terrorists, Dick Cheney''
Regularly updated political cartoons; includes an archive of old cartoons and
a news headlines ticker on
the same page.
Daily Dose- Newsweek Political Cartoons
_Christina's World_, painted by Andrew Wyeth in 1948 is a painting of his
longtime neighbor, Christina Olson. Christina was paralyzed below the waist
from an undiagnosed disease; the painting shows her dragging herself to pick
vegetables in her family's garden on their farm in Maine.
Christina's World
"The Misery of Rain" is StoryCorps Podcast episode 51, from National Public
Radio. In this episode, former homeless vet George Hill remembers the
incident that inspired him to turn his life around.
''The Misery of Rain''
Steve's Digicams Picture of the Day for September 28, 2008 is a beach with an
odd circle of pebbles and driftwood. Who left it there, and why?
_Steve's Digicams Picture of the Day_. 28 September 2008. 30 September 2008.
http://www.steves-digicams.com/potda/09282008.jpg
Steve's Digicams Picture of the Day 28 September 2008.
''Diorama Drama'' is StoryCorps Podcast episode 44, from National Public
Radio. In this episode, Cynthia Rahn remembers a time when she was in
Kindergarten and her mom came through for her in a pinch.
''Diorama Drama''
''The Notebook'' is an article by Michael Jenkins from the September, 2008
edition of _Teen Ink_ magazine, page 14. Kind of makes you wonder if movies
really do sort themselves neatly into "guy movies" and "girl movies" or if
books and movies are maybe less stereotyped than we think they are--?
''The Notebook''
At Time Magazine's Picture of the Week site, the picture for Friday, September
26, 2008, entitled ''Consecration'' shows ''a priest [who] blesses an armored
vehicle during Russian army exercises at the Donguz military training range in
Orenburg, Russia.''
''Consecration''
No photographer is listed for this photo of a very young football player, at
the bottom of a pile of football players. Featured on Steve's Digicam's, on
October 11, 2008.
Steve's Digicam's Picture of the Day October 11, 2008.
''Homeschool Blues'' by Catie Frankland ran in the October 2008 issue of _Teen
Ink_, on page 13. What would it be like to be educated at home, by your
family, instead of in school?
''Homeschool Blues''
''Triple Take'' was the _Time Magazine_ Picture of the Week for October 25,
2008. The caption reads: ''A Chihuahua takes part in the second annual
"howl-oween" dog costume contest in Boston, Massachusetts.''
''Triple Take''
This Weekly Reader article from September 24, 2004 asks a question that is
worth thinking about this week, with the election in the news. Teens pay
taxes. Should they be allowed to vote?
''Sufferin' for Sufferage: Should Teens Have the Right to Vote?''
You Tube video of the famous speech.
Martin Luther King -I Have a Dream speech
You Tube video of Martin Luther King's last speech. (He was assassinated on
the following dream.)
Martin Luther King's last speech.
This NPR story describes the response of 109 year-old Amanda Jones, daughter
of a former slave, who voted for America's first black president.
At 109, Slave's Daughter Revels in Historic Vote
In this story from the January, 2009 issue of Teen Ink, on page 14, the author
describes the impact of her grandmother's Alzheimer's disease on her family.
''Lessons from Grandma''
In this photo from Time Magazine's Pictures of the Week Tuesday, January 13,
''Stacks of Barack Obama t-shirts sit on a shelf at the Official Inaugural
Collectibles store in Washington.''
''Memorabilia''
This January 24, 2009 opinion column in the high school newspaper _The Crimson
Aviator_ maintains that violence in video games is common--but fun, and not a
problem. Do you agree?
''Violence in Video Games Is No Big Deal''
This article by Jesus Diaz for Gizmodo on January 21, 2009 describes--I am not
making this up--a fully poseable Barack Obama action figure. Lots of photos,
including one of him battling a Darth Vader action figure (with light sabers).
''Toys: Best Obama Action Figure Ever Battles Darth Vader, Terrorists, Dick Cheney''
This Wikipedia article discusses the famous German WWII Panther tanks, and
includes a color illustration.
Panther Tank
Other Resources