Students create a cartoon on a current news topic. Students can write editorials and letters to the editor. Also, encourage students to write letters to elected officials. I use newspapers from Albuquerque, Santa Fe and other towns. A variety from different towns allows students to experience subjects from different viewpoints.
Parents are a great source.
This is an activity that can be varied and naturally evolves into many activities, some student suggested. This is a great homework activity. Evaluation criteria can be varied according to assignment difficulty.