The New York Times
Big Brother vs. Little Brother: Updating Orwell's 1984
Government surveillance is an enduring conflict that has become increasingly complex with our nation's use of technology. Add to the understanding of Orwell’s 1984 by using the resources here that display the contemporary actions of Big...
Curated OER
Breaking News English: China Regulates News Websites
In this English learning exercise, students read "China Regulates News Websites," and then respond to 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 8 true or false questions about the selection.
Curated OER
Pressing Cases
Students investigate famous criminal cases in which the media has played a significant role and reflect on how the news helps to shape attitudes and behaviors in their own lives.
Curated OER
Roman Holiday in Google Earth
Young scholars plan an itinerary for an educational trip to Rome. In this research skills lesson, students use Google Earth to conduct research for their project in their travel teams. Young scholars also set up blogs to share their...
Curated OER
High Profiles
Young scholars research and write newspaper articles about current world leaders, using a New York Times International article as a model. They research a current world leader's personal background and political history.
Library of Congress
Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Fugitive Slave Act
From the time of its publication, Uncle Tom's Cabin has been controversial. To better understand the debate, class members first examine a broadside decrying the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and then two newspaper reviews of the...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Fred Seibel, the Times-Dispatch, and Massive Resistance
A instructional activity challenges scholars to analyze editorial cartoons created by Fred Seibel, illustrator for the Times-Dispatch, during the Massive Resistance. A class discussion looking at today's editorial pages and Jim Crow...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Finding the Positive
To instill the importance of a positive classroom community small groups create a collage out of magazine clippings that highlight three characteristics of self-awareness. Written examples accompany the finished product. Groups turn in...
Curated OER
The Art of Violence
Violence and human suffering, as represented in art and film, are the focus of an investigation of the power of visual images and the moral implications of such representations. Class members examine “Guernica,” Pablo Picasso’s massive...
Curated OER
And The Winner Is
Learners investigate the concept of The MTV Awards shows and how they have been used to form the culture of a generation over time. They view rerun episodes of the shows and write reflectively about observations that are made.
Curated OER
Untying the Knot
What are the current trends in divorce? What contributes to this? Examine celebrity relationship trends and how they relate to the general public with this discussion lesson. Middle schoolers analyze the results of a Census Bureau study...
Curated OER
A Burning Desire to Move?
Young scholars consider the dangers of living around active volcanoes. They develop media campaigns to encourage different groups of residents around Mount Vesuvius to consider moving.
Federal Reserve Bank
Income Taxes
Most adults dread April 15 — tax day! Tax preparation can be intimidating even for adults. Build confidence by leading individuals through the process and then give them a scenario to practice. The exercise uses tax vocabulary to give...
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
Collaborative Writing
Collaborative writing projects can be a lot of fun for students. They use a Scholastic Story Starter and the class blog to write a creative story containing basic story elements. The web link to Scholastic is included but non of the...
Curated OER
Treasure Hunters
Students design an on campus treasure hunt to find various architectural vocabulary words which they then create definitions for on the blog page on the Environmental Design website.
Curated OER
Vital Voters
Students create voter education campaigns to raise awareness of and interest in the government for future voters.
Curated OER
Stranger Than Fiction
Students reflect on the importance of science literacy. They review the year's science curriculum by reading, discussing and writing questions on teacher-selected New York Times articles and the related science content.
Curated OER
The Reader's Recourse
Students discover the recourse newspapers face for reporting wrong information. After reading an article, they examine the dispute between a pharmaceutical company and the New York Times. They evaluate the roles of the editor and the...
Curated OER
Medium Studies
Students consider the evolution of newspapers. In this current events lesson, students investigate changes in newspaper production as they visit selected websites to educate themselves about the topic. Students then discuss...
Curated OER
Interactive Duty
Students consider the role of multimedia news features. They analyze the New York Times coverage of the president's State of the Union address.
Nemours KidsHealth
Food Labels: Grades 3-5
Bring awareness to the ingredients scholars ingest daily with two lessons that look deeply into food labels. The first lesson explores the difference between processed and fresh foods while the second lesson focuses on sugar content.
Curated OER
Television CensorChip
Explore the current television rating system, its content descriptors, and the new V-chip technology that more readily allow parents to control their child's television viewing. Help learners develop a survey that will determine the pros...
Curated OER
Mobile Phones
Investigate how mobile phones impact their lives through this technology instructional activity that has students discuss the history of the cell phone and research how cell phones are being used in third world countries. Students create...