Chandler Unified School District
Satire: The Art of Indirect Persuasion
A free press is entitled to its opinions. While the news pages report the facts of events, editorial pages feature writers' and cartoonists' opinions about events to either directly or indirectly persuade. Introduce viewers to the art of...
K20 LEARN
Government Power: Do the Actions of Government Effect Me?
What does the government have to do with getting a driver's license? Including the calorie count for a meal on a restaurant menu? By discussing these kinds of questions and researching how concepts behind federal, state, and local...
Newseum
Believe It or Not? Time to Talk Back
Young journalists select a news story, editorial, or opinion piece that they disagree with or one that leaves them with questions. They then create their report in response and share it with the class.
K20 LEARN
Conflict And Choice In Tangerine: Character Development
Introduce middle schoolers to Edward Bloor's novel Tangerine with a lesson that asks scholars to make predictions about events in the novel based on an article written by the Smoop Editorial team. Predictions are posted in the classroom...
American Press Institute
Introductory News Literacy
Aspiring journalists learn about media literacy, journalism, and the press. Units come complete with handouts, assignment rubrics, notes, and extension suggestions. Each unit also comes with a list of vocabulary words and learning...
Curated OER
Fact Versus Opinion
Young learners distinguish statements as fact or fiction. After exploring a newspaper, they determine the type of information it contains. They read editorial articles and discuss the differences between the editorial page and the front...
Curated OER
Presidential Endorsements: Newspapers Decide
Students read The Plain Dealer editorial about its "non-support" of a candidate and other articles about this and discuss the newspaper's role in the political process. Students then form an editorial board and debate which candidate...
Curated OER
Making an Argument: Effective use of Transition Words
Work on using transition words in context by prompting elementary and middle schoolers to write their own persuasive essays using transition words. They explore new forms of transition words and examine how they are used in an editorial...
Curated OER
Security Guards: Are They Needed?
Students discuss the need for some school districts in their area to hire security guards. Using the internet, they identify the severity of the problem in the other districts and discuss what else could be done to make schools safer....
Curated OER
School discipline includes paddling
High schoolers debate the pros and cons of paddling in schools. Students investigate the policy in their corporation. If high schoolers disagree with the policy, students write an editorial that helps your readers find ways to make the...
Curated OER
Accident Pinpoints Dangerous Site
High schoolers read about local accident sites and conduct research of areas of high incidence. They interview police and insurance agents and explore what can be done if a site has multiple accidents. They write a news feature about the...
Curated OER
Teen Drivers with Passengers
Students research the current driving laws, particularly as they apply to teens. Students interview state legislators perhaps to see if they think this is a good idea. Students write an in-depth article about teen driving and the effect...
Curated OER
Safe and Sound: Rock Concert Dangers
Students read attached articles and others they can find about dangers at rock concerts and also what bands, venue owners and others have done to increase safety. They conduct interviews and write a feature about concert safety in the...
Curated OER
Cleveland may gamble on gambling
Students write a news feature or editorial discussing the debate of whether gambling should be legalized in Cleveland. Students research and debate about the issue. Students interview community members to hear views.
Curated OER
Student Travel in the Shadow of War
Learners research and discuss pros and cons of study abroad during times of war, and document decisions and positions of local school administrators on topic. Students then write editorials voicing their opinions.
Curated OER
Weapons in school: Protection or danger?
Students write an editorial (staff opinion) or commentary (writer's opinion) if they/he or she believe the school rules are either too strict or too lenient when addressing weapons possession. Students research past situations in their...
Curated OER
Levies to decide school funding
Student write a news analysis or editorial about Ohio schools possibly cutting busing, sports, and other extra-curricular activities. Students interview the district treasurer, and then interview community members. Students write about...
Curated OER
Pay-to-play a costly solution
Students write a news feature or editorial about students paying money to participate in high school athletics. Students interview members of the school community to find out the situation in their school.
Curated OER
Whoa! Slow Down-Some of You!
Students analyze demographic data (growth rate, natural increase, fertility rate, crude birth rates, and crude death rates) and determine which areas of the world contain the fastest and slowest growth rates. They construct population...
Curated OER
No Joke - My Voice Counts!
Students respond to cartoons. In this social and cultural issues lesson plan, students examine how cartoons can be used to get a message across to the reader. After examining numerous cartoons, students create their own cartoon with a...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: 2011 Pulitzer Prize
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the 2011 Pulitzer Prize and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: With Apologies to...
In this historical events worksheet, students analyze political cartoons about George Bush as well as Robert Minor. Students respond to 3 talking point questions.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Unemployment
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about unemployment and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Obama Baggage
In this current events worksheet, high schoolers analyze a political cartoon about President Obama and respond to 3 talking point questions.