This activity is terrific after teaching about how human actions impact the environment. It also fits well with Earth day.
Students are presented a common issue (an abundance of litter in the park). First, students use their creativity and art skills to design a sign which will be posted in the park to reduce littering.
Second, students must write a letter to the city council. The letter is an argument about what the city should do to reduce the litter problem. Students must provide two suggestions and support them.
I often copy these pages front and back, so that students can choose which will be displayed (their wrting or their artwork - since middle schoolers tend to be self-conscience about, well everything, including their artistic ability).