The New York Times
I Don’t Think So: Writing Effective Counterarguments
When it comes to writing effective arguments, writers must do more than simply make a claim, counterarguments must be considered. Aspiring writers analyze counterarguments in editorials, and then learn how to write counterarguments in...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Franklin’s Fair Hand American Journalism
Scholars know him for his role in the American Revolution, but Ben Franklin was also a journalist and printer. Learners investigate his standards for what was fit to print using primary sources—including writings where Franklin explains...
Curated OER
Surviving AIDS
Enhance your middle and high schoolers' research skills with this lesson. After viewing a video clip about HIV and AIDS, high schoolers identify the facts and issues surrounding the disease. They work together to create a newspaper...
Media Smarts
You Be the Editor
Look at different case studies to discuss the ethics of journalism. Twelve real-life events are written up and your learners get to be the editors. Encourage your class to think about the implications of publishing decisions. After each...
Curated OER
Don't Lose Your Way in the News
Students explore language arts by participating in a newspaper analysis activity. In this journalism lesson, students identify how newspapers present stories, who is writing them and how they can obtain information from them....
Curated OER
Punctuation (The Comma vs. The Semicolon)
Explore English by participating in a grammar correcting activity. Elementary and middle schoolers distinguish when to use commas from when to use semicolons. Then they correct twelve sentences by placing commas and semicolons in the...
Curated OER
Newspaper Unit: Reading Lesson Plan
Work on identifying the different parts of a newspaper with your English learners. After reviewing newspaper terminology, pupils pair up and complete a scavenger hunt, looking for specific things in the newspaper and recording their...
Curated OER
Yellow Ribbons Show Support
Students research ribbon campaigns in the community. They interview students and community members who wear ribbons representing various campaigns. Students write a feature about these people and the campaigns.
Curated OER
Costco and Zoning
High schoolers research zoning laws in the community. They interview city planners to find out necessary steps for approval. Students collect information about facilities being proposed. They write an article on their findings.
Curated OER
Police Arrest MySpace Users
High schoolers research the background of websites, MySpace and FaceBook. In groups, they interview local experts about Internet crimes. They investigate what their school's policy is and write a news feature how local schools are...
Curated OER
Targeting Young Speeders
Students research the police ticketing of teens in their city or county. They determine if the police are targeting teens and why. Students explore other ways the community tries to ensure safer teen drivers. They survey teens in school....
Curated OER
The Candy Thief
Learners research crimes and corresponding punishments of students. They interview local judges to see if they try to match the punishment with the crime. Learners write an analysis article about crimes and their punishments in your...
Curated OER
Breaking the Code: Actions and Songs of Protest
Young scholars listen to and discuss the purpose of protest music. They analyze an editorial cartoon related to Jim Crow and read questions from the literacy tests given to African-Americans. They work together to write a song about the...
Curated OER
The Rise and Fall of the Jim Crow Era
Students explore African American history by researching the Jim Crow laws. In this Civil Rights lesson, students define the Jim Crow laws, the reasons they were put into place, and how they were ultimately defeated. Students write a...
Curated OER
A Tongue-Twisting Language Arts Lesson
Students discover enunciation and alliteration by reading tongue twisters in class. In this language arts lesson, students listen and repeat some of the classic childhood tongue twisters along with their teacher. Students...
Curated OER
Ida Tarbell: Hysterical Woman vs. Historical Facts
Learners examine journalism and its different styles. In this effective communication instructional activity students create an editorial message and articulate an article.
Curated OER
Pachyderms on Planes! The Amazing Angolan Ambassadors
Students investigate international aid by researching the history of Angola. In this world crisis lesson plan, students investigate the history, civil wars and poor economy of Angola and discuss ways to turn the poor nation around....
Curated OER
he Inauguration and the Media
Students read, review, and write about the presidential inauguration as it appears in the media. They use local local and national newspapers to gain information about the inauguration. Students develop their own editorial on the...
Curated OER
Traditions and Transformations
Students examine how traditions change over time. In this instructional activity on Jewish culture, students interview persons of the Jewish faith, write poems, and create murals that exemplify Jewish culture.
Curated OER
Fallout
Students view a short film about the results of dropping the atomic bomb at the end of World War II. They research controversies surrounding the use of the bomb and nuclear weapons. They write two editorials about the issue.
Curated OER
New York City Delights: The Taxi Cab
You set the rate! Step into the shoes of a taxi driver in New York City, and also pretend to be a person who uses taxis to get around town. The class will conduct collaborative research to learn about the history of taxis. Then, they...
Curated OER
It's Your Opinion
Everyone has a different opinion about the characters they read about in books. Have your class explore forming an opinion and finding evidence to support it as they read and discuss what they think about a particular character. They...
SeaWorld
Shark!
Here is an impressive collection of lessons on sharks. In them, pupils undertake a serious study of sharks, their habitats, their social structure, and how humans adversely impact their existence. These lessons effectively integrate...
Curated OER
Project-Based Learning: Diversity
Ethnic and cultural diversity are explored in a service learning lesson, great for upper graders. They participate in four weekly activities that require them to research ethnic and cultural diversity.