Curated OER
Sense, Sensibility and Sentences: Examining and Writing Memorable Lines
Involve your readers in finding works of literary genius. Have each individual write down compelling sentences that they read or hear, whether in a newspaper, advertisement, book, movie, song, or any other place! Once each person has a...
Curated OER
All the News That's Fit to Click: Analyzing New York Times Design
Explore the New York Times, online and in print. Partners take the roles of reader and monitor while each peruses the newspaper. Discussion questions compare the online version to a hard copy print edition. Links provide comparison of...
Curated OER
Strong Convictions
How can the rhetorical structure of an editorial help to develop its argument? Use this New York Times editorial to emphasize the importance of structure in a piece of informational text. Adolescent writers then use the editorial as a...
The New York Times
'The Century's Bitterest Journalistic Failure'? Considering Times Coverage of the Holocaust
Rich with primary sources and additional resources, this plan asks class members to think critically about newspaper coverage of the Holocaust. Focusing in particular on the analysis of the article "150th Anniversary: 1851-2001: Turning...
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...
Curated OER
I've Got Your Number
Students assess the journalistic value of numbers used in newspaper articles while learning about the significance of the Hubble telescope's new data on the age of the universe.
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 novel...
Curated OER
Building on the Past
Students consider how the scientific advances of the past have contributed to the science topics reported on today in the Science Times section. After reading a current science article, they compare and contrast the way science was...
Curated OER
"One Giant Leap for Mankind"
Students explore the significance of the Apollo 11 lunar landing by interviewing an adult for memories of the mission. They incorporate their interviews into news articles as 'journalists' in July 1969 to document this historic 'step for...
Curated OER
Hey There, Sports Fans!
Students discuss the impact that fans have on a sports team. After reading an article, they identify how Chicago Cubs fans are responding to their loss in the playoffs. With a partner, they develop surveys in which they give to family...
Curated OER
Causes of the Revolution Newspaper
Students examine the events that led to the Revolutionary War. Using the internet, they discover the advantages and disadvantages of each side. They use the information to produce a special edition newspaper on the war. They must include...
Curated OER
The Life of a President
Students examine the life of President Gerald R. Ford. After reading an article, they discuss his legacy. They collect articles written during his time in office and examine the key issues of his presidency. They write an article about...
Curated OER
Why Predict?
Twelfth graders examine the process of predicting. They observe a fine art transparency, discuss their predictions about the artwork, identify the types of predictions made during a weather broadcast, and evaluate headlines from...
Curated OER
What's the Story?
Students explore how the same news story can be presented differently through various journalistic styles. They discuss the unique characteristics of each style and find articles on the same event in each of the different styles.
Curated OER
Notable "Quotables"
Students select their own Quotes of the Day from articles of their choosing for analysis on a Quote of the Day poster for the classroom.
Curated OER
Kicking It Around
Students analyze the recent boom in women's sports, focusing on the Women's World Cup Soccer tournament to examine various people's views about women athletes. They write a newspaper article summarizing what they learned in their...
Curated OER
A Valid Conclusion? Testing and Reporting on Hypotheses Using the Scientific Method
Students explore importance of accuracy in reporting, focusing particularly on articles documenting scientific discoveries, and practice scientific method by conducting experiments to test and report on scientific hypotheses.
Curated OER
Don't Touch That Dial!
Students explore the affects, both positive and negative, that television has had on society in the past half-century. They read the article "Inside the Soap Opera of Television's Early Days."
Curated OER
Slanted Sentences
Students examine biased words in news articles, suggest synonyms, then rewrite the sentences to demonstrate how word choice can alter meaning.
Curated OER
Feeding the Soul
Students share memories of a special meal. They research, write and peer edit a newspaper column about a favorite food associated with Thanksgiving (or other holiday or celebration).
Curated OER
Supplementary Angles
Students develop an understanding of the journalistic concept of the "news angle," by examining the newspaper coverage of an airplane disaster.
Curated OER
Read (or Scroll) All About It!
Learners compare written headlines found in print and online news sources while using The New York Times. They conduct research with the top stories from the newspaper and have discussion that involves critical thinking skills.
Curated OER
Hooray for Harry
Students examine the Harry Potter series of books and read about charitable endeavors of J.K Rowling. They explore various websites and look for newspaper articles about charitable giving or charitable service.
National First Ladies' Library
Jefferson's Legacy: A National Library
Students examine the creation of the Library of Congress. They investigate reasons why Thomas Jefferson sold his personal collection to the Library. Employing various research resources, students write newspaper articles about the sale...