I think the lesson plans offered on this site are excellent. Even if you just use them as the basis for your own lesson, they are really comprehensive and interesting.
I LOVE the idea of having my class read about an issue and then write letters to the editor. Reading comprehension, current events, communications, writing, constructing a logical argument, and civic engagement - all in one lesson!
The New York Times has a blog full of lesson plans related to news content in their paper. It's an incredibly rich website, full of ideas for tons of different kind of lesson plans - current events, journalism/writing, civics, international events, and many, many more. This is the kind of website you can visit as a teacher to get ideas or have your students use as part of a class project.