Curated OER
Not Just the Facts
Encourage your learners to explore the differences between hard news and news analysis. They outline a complex news analysis about the upcoming presidential election, then endeavor to write an analysis of the same topic, using local...
Newseum
Compare Coverage of Brown v. Board Ruling
Young journalists analyze how The Topeka State Journal, the Jackson Daily News, and The Providence Journal reported on the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v Board of Education. Scholars scrutinize the headlines, photographs,...
Curated OER
Real Life Or Broken Mirror? Examining Media Representations of Teenagers
Learners analyze representation of teenagers in the news and other media, discuss importance of media literacy in interpreting media portrayals of reality, and discuss and write about accuracy, or lack thereof, of media images of young...
National Park Service
News Bearly Fit to Print
There are an average of three human fatalities by bears in North America every year, which is low when you compare it to the 26 killed by dogs and the 90 killed by lightning annually. The lesson encourages researching human-bear...
Curated OER
Writing Bug - Inquiring Minds Want to Know - #5
In this journal writing activity, students are given four headlines for news stories published in tabloid newspapers. Students write the story that might have matched one of the headlines.
Curated OER
Race to the Presses
Young scholars explore how the news media relays information about race in the United States by creating collages from newspapers and magazines and by sharing their reflections about the responsibilities of the news media in covering...
Curated OER
Fighting Fire With Satire
Students consider satire in the news by exploring various sources of "fake news," and then creating their own political satire in the form of a skit, news article, or cartoon.
Curated OER
Radio Free School
Students explore radio news formats, styles, and sequences, and then write segments for a student-centered news radio program. In small groups, students develop and write news segments for a student-centered radio program.
Curated OER
News-2 You Weekly Activities
Students complete activities from a special education newspaper. In this News-2 instructional activity, students read the paper, play games, and complete worksheets. Subscription to newspaper is required.
Curated OER
Designing Illuminated Text
Students examine illuminated manuscripts from the Gutenberg Bible. Using the examples, they use the internet to explore the effects of the printing press on the value of literature and art. They create their own illuminated initial...
Curated OER
The Road to Careers (Part 3)
Fourth graders work in teams to write individual friendly letters to the readers of the Careerville News who have written to the Career Information Columnist requesting information about working in Careerville. They focus their friendly...
Curated OER
Press-ing Freedom
Learners consider how free speech applies to journalistic practices in light of a legal case involving two reporters. They participate in a fishbowl discussion about journalism codes of ethics and write response papers.
Curated OER
The News Article and The Editorial
Here is an outstanding series of lessons on journalism, writing newspaper articles, and writing editorials. This type of writing has long-been neglected in our schools, so this collection of writing activities is most-valuable. Along...
Curated OER
Hard News to Hear
Students compare the news angle, information sources and construction of different news reports about the Russian school hostage crisis. Based on what they explore the event and about reporting breaking news, they write an analysis of...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Vanishing Newspapers
What is happening to our newspapers? In the context of the current trends of media and the ever-declining print news industry, this handout includes two political cartoons for pupils to analyze, both created by artists working for...
Curated OER
School Facilities: Setting the Mood for Education
Students watch the News Ohio video about Lincoln Junior High School. They write a reaction paper, explaining what effect the studying environment has on students. If the classroom was in a basement, perhaps a little dark and damp, would...
Curated OER
Using a Graphic Organizer to Critically Observe Televised News Broadcasts
Students compare two television news broadcasts. They discuss how to organize information when comparing two objects and read and discuss two books to create a Venn diagram to compare both books. After creating the diagram, they view...
Curated OER
Swift Response
Students examine how matters of national security affect the press' ability to practice free speech. They read and discuss an article regarding the Swift program, discuss opinions about patriotism and the press, and write a letter to the...
Media Smarts
Newspaper Ads
Just how free is the press? After examining the advertising and propaganda techniques used by advertisers, class members consider the influence advertisers may exert over newspaper content.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Yellow Journalism
What role did yellow journalism play in bringing the United States into war with Spain? As part of their study of the Spanish-American War, class groups examine newspapers of the times and other texts and then produce their own...
Curated OER
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988)
Students explore the concept of student press rights. In this case study lesson, students read excerpts of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier. Students then complete the provided worksheet activities and determine whether they agree with the outcome...
Curated OER
All the News That's Fit to Blog
Young scholars critique three Web logs, each of which offers first-hand accounts, but reflect different points-of-view, on the war in Iraq; students write a response to one of the entries and analyze what they learned about the war from...
Curated OER
Gas Prices Keep Rising
Young scholars discuss rising gas prices, then read a news article about how the increase in fuel cost may affect other prices. In this economics and current events lesson plan, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...
ARKive
Galapagos Conservation
The Galapagos Islands inspired Darwin to develop his theory of evolution. These wonderful islands will also be the topic of a lesson on habitat and conservation. In small groups, learners will collect and synthesize information regarding...