Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Shine the Light on Your Government
What don't we know about our government? Explore the concept of transparency and freedom of information throught this analysis handout, in which scholars examine 2 political cartoons. Background information provides context, explaining...
Curated OER
The Laundry News
In this reading worksheet, students answer 10 multiple-choice questions about the book. For example, "What happened to the very first edition of the Laundry News?"
Curated OER
A Way with Words
How do facts and opinions impact the news? After reading "How to Cover a War" from the New York Times, middle schoolers evaluate the claims in the article. They also consider the media's responsibilities in reporting during wartime....
Newseum
Civil Rights: Reporting Out
After brainstorming a list of contemporary local, regional, and national civil rights issues, pairs of scholars select one of these issues and design an information campaign to spread awareness of the issue.
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Reading the Work of B. Franklin, Printer
Placing Ben Franklin’s ideas about a free press next to those embodied in the First Amendment sheds light on both. Learners interpret and compare two primary sources and then examine them in the light of a contemporary survey about...
Curated OER
Fill-In : March Events in the News
What happened on March 13, 1868? What happened on March 21, 1965? Eager readers fill in the missing historical event occurring on one day in March from 1862 - 1995. There are 31 events each occurring on a different day in March. This is...
US Institute of Peace
Governance, Corruption and Conflict Simulation on Nepal
Can your class help the people of Nepal? Scholars take an in-depth look into the social injustices and struggling economy of a country in turmoil during a multi-day role-playing exercise. After reviewing information on the problems...
News Literacy Project
So, What’s the First Amendment?
The First Amendment to the US Constitution protects people's rights to speech, the press, and religion. Using the resource, scholars discover how. They take a brief online quiz to determine how well they understand the First...
Annenberg Foundation
Student Voices
Whether it's an election year or not, a unit on voting patterns and political campaigns will awaken the civic pride in your high school citizens. Divided into six parts, the curriculum covers various facets of an election, including...
Curated OER
The First Amendment, What it Means and When Libel Comes in to Play
Students research three topics: The First Amendment, John Peter Zenger and his trial, and libel. In this journalism and libel lesson, students discuss things authority figures have done they disagree with and the anit-sedition law....
Curated OER
What are the benefits of having a Free Press?
Students examine why actual malice is necessary in libel cases. Students demonstrate the importance of a third party in libel and slander cases. They analyze why a free press is essential in American society.
News Literacy Project
Democracy’s Watchdog
As part of a study of the importance of the First Amendment, expert groups research different historic case studies of investigative reporting, and then the experts share their findings with jigsaw groups. The case studies include Nellie...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
The Wrong Side of History: How One Group Justified Its Opposition on the Freedom Riders and Civil Rights for African Americans
Designed as a supplement to the study of the Freedom Riders, this resource uses primary sources to reveal the views of those who opposed the Freedom Riders. After careful study of the arguments presented by the members of the Montgomery...
Brown University
The Candidates and Their Values: Election 2016
Voting for the next president of the United States is about finding the candidate who most closely aligns with your own values and sense of democracy. High schoolers become acquainted with the candidates from the 2016 election with a...
Curated OER
"Father" of Our Country vs. "Father" of the Bill of Rights
Learners examine the relevance of the Bill of Rights. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students study the parts of the Constitution and the ten amendments. They investigate the rights and responsibilities that accompany being an American....
Smithsonian Institution
POWs
Why did Vietnam POWs and their families receive more media attention than POWs in previous wars? To answer this question, class members view artifacts, read articles, and engage in class discussion. Individuals then assume the...
Curated OER
Writing a Newspaper Article
The perfect resource for a beginning journalism teacher or someone designing a journalism unit, this activity prompts students to write a newspaper article. It covers all aspects of the writing process, such as a guided warm-up...
Curated OER
The World's Newest Nation
Reading comprehension can be fostered in many ways. Learners become informed as the read a New York Times article on the South Sudan, the world's newest nation. They read the article and then answer each of the 12 related questions.
Curated OER
Norman Rockwell, Freedom of Speech: Know It When You See It
Students explore the U.S. Constitution. In this First Amendment lesson, students examine Norman Rockwell's "Freedom of Speech" and analyze the five freedoms listed in the amendment.
Curated OER
From Tinker to Fraser: Freedom of Speech in Public Schools
The Tinker and Fraser cases were taken the Supreme Court on the basis of the 1st Amendment right to Freedom of Speech. Learners discuss each case, the First AMendment, complete handouts, and conduct a role play activity. Handouts are...
Advocates for Human Rights
The Rights of Immigrants in the United States
Based on their understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Rights of Migrants in the United States, groups adopt a human rights perspective and analyze media reports to evaluate how the US is addressing the...
Curated OER
Writing Newspaper Articles
Students write newspaper articles regarding their service learning experiences. In this writing skills instructional activity, students review the writing process skills to develop high-quality articles. Students write articles regarding...
iCivics
I Can’t Wear What?
Can schools ban t-shirts picturing musical groups or bands? Your young citizens will find out with this resource, which includes a summary of a United States Supreme Court case from the 1960s about a similar dispute over students wearing...
Curated OER
Freedom by the Fireside: The Legacy of FDR's "Four Freedoms" Speech
Students read and analyze Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union Address. They listen to recordings of speeches by F.D.R., answer discussion questions, and participate in a debate.