Curated OER
Woody Guthrie: Life and Art
Woody Guthrie will capture the imagination of even your most reluctant learners. Using his work, your class will develop their skills in non-fiction reading comprehension, interpreting primary source material, and use of multiple forms...
Curated OER
Media Campaign
Eleventh graders design and present a media product supporting environmental stewardship. They demonstrate an understanding of the nature and types of waste and of their management in industry and the community. They assess the results...
Curated OER
Scavenger Hunt
Fourth graders demonstrate the ability to locate, retrieve and handle media and equipment. They compose a written discourse to inform. They participate in a library media center scavenger hunt.
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
Your Angle on the Story
Students review several articles on same current event, and then cover news issues themselves while assuming secret identities of various individuals who have vested interests in issue. Students write newspaper articles from these...
Curated OER
Race to the Presses
Students 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
Hurricane Katrina: You Be the Reporter
Students work in a small group to create news stories, feature stories and editorials/letters to the editor and organize them in a podcast, video-based program, or newspaper/magazine focused on Hurricane Katrina.
Curated OER
Clear and Present Danger
Students assume identities of lawmakers, judges, writers, and protestors during times in American history when freedoms of speech and press were limited because country was on the brink of war or fighting one. Students use primary source...
Curated OER
Media Arts Production
Students learn about the basic legal and ethical responsibilities shouldered by people making "reality" videos (i.e. videos with non-actors).
Curated OER
The Campaign: Issues and Strategies. Campaign Press Coverage
Pupils discuss and fill out worksheets on the amount and type of press coverage given to certain candidates. In this press coverage lesson plan, students complete 4 worksheets and view maps of the United States to see where the press...
Curated OER
The Holocaust: Media Anchors
High schoolers explore the Holocaust by reading the book "Until We Meet Again" and viewing the film "Devil's Arithmetic". They identify the political, economic and social context of the Holocaust and complete a research project on a real...
Curated OER
Campaign Ad Critique
Learners analyze current campaign TV ads and literature. They identify the ad by "type." They learn to look beyond the ad to understand its intended purposes and its real content.
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier
Freedom of speech is not always free. Scholars investigate how the First Amendment provides for the right to express opinions. Through the court case Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, they analyze free speech using primary documents—and hopefully...
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
Cell Phone Use and Cancer
The cell phone you're using is making you deaf: news at 11:00. Oftentimes, the media uses fear tactics and other techniques to increase its audience base. In an intriguing look at the difference between scientific journals and...
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.2
One way to get your class to evaluate and synthesize multiple multimedia sources is through a research project. The idea here is that class members will watch videos and listen to scientific debates in order to create a casebook about...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Teosinte Hypothesis
Don't want to sound corny, but your class will be a-maize-d by an engaging activity! Explore the history of the modern corn plant through a video and Punnett squares. Junior genetics experts get hands-on experience with actual research...
Curated OER
Pablita Indian Legends
Scholars are introduced to the characteristics of a legend. They read and discuss Old Father Story Teller by Pablita Velarde. Then, in groups, they write and illustrate a poem based on one of the legends from the book. This lesson plan...
NPR
Teaching Podcasting: Podcasting Overview
Listen up! After engaging in a discussion about podcasts, scholars listen to some examples of podcast episodes and radio shows. Next, listeners discuss the difference between scripted and question-and-answer podcasts.
NPR
Teaching Podcasting: Choosing a Topic
Pick a topic, any topic! Working in small groups, scholars choose three topics they think would make interesting podcasts. Next, each group shares their ideas with the class to narrow down their choices.
NPR
Teaching Podcasting: Planning the Story
Without structure, things fall apart. Scholars discuss the importance of structuring a podcast to tell a story that makes sense. They walk around the classroom, stopping at stations to answer questions on posters about planning their...
NPR
Teaching Podcasting: Brainstorming Sounds
Making a podcast requires a sound mind. Pupils listen to a variety of radio stories, making a note of the sounds they hear. Then, in small groups, learners devise a list of sounds they want to include in their podcasts.
NPR
Teaching Podcasting: Recording Practice
Time to record and upload! Working in small groups, scholars use recording devices to practice recording their voices, conversations, and sounds in the classroom. Pupils then upload their recordings onto a computer.
NPR
Teaching Podcasting: Interview Practice
Step aside, Barbara Walters! Using an interesting resource, pupils practice interviewing one another about something they are most proud of. As individuals listen, they record their partners' responses and then upload them onto a computer.
Newseum
Political Persuasion: It’s All About Image
Political candidates work hard at creating an image they believe will appeal to voters. High schoolers collect 10 photos and other images of a candidate and analyze them to determine what techniques create a positive or negative impression.