Curated OER
Cell Phones with Cameras Banned in Locker Rooms
Students research the way phones work and what places - both locally and nationally - have already faced the problem of in appropriate use. Students also interview gym owners or managers in their community and those who use they gyms....
Curated OER
Where Do I Begin: Writing an Effective Feature Story
High schoolers write an effective feature story. In this journalism lesson plan, students learn through 6 activities to ask open-ended questions, write effective leads, and handle quotes, and write headlines for news stories.
Curated OER
Creating a Digital Newspaper
Young scholars create a digital newspaper. In this digital newspaper lesson, students review the sections of a newspaper and brainstorm ideas for their paper. Young scholars complete a schools news report, student interview, opinion...
Curated OER
To Be or Not to Be
Students gather information about setting goals through a variety of activities. In this setting goals lesson, students view a PowerPoint that explains the outcomes of the project, take notes, interview a local business person, write a...
Curated OER
Weekly Current Events Podcasts
Young scholars create a weekly current event podcast. In this podcast lesson plan, students find current events for the week and write out a script to explain this event. They add in music and sound effects and record their final...
Curated OER
Editorial Writing: What's On Your Mind
Students write an editorial column for a newspaper. For this journalism lesson plan, students discuss and analyze editorials in print and broadcast media. Students will compare the differences in these two formats of editorial...
Curated OER
Middle School Masters of the Web- Video Newsletter
Students develop a school newscast. In this school newscast lesson, students practice interviewing skills, use of video and podcasting equipment, and editing skills. They work in groups to develop a school newscast using digital pictures...
Curated OER
Dissection Time
Students take a closer look at the organization of magazines. In this journalism lesson, students complete handouts about the jobs and responsibilities in the magazine industry. Students then learn about the steps of publishing and...
Curated OER
Press Release
Seventh graders write and publish a press release. In this news writing instructional activity, 7th graders analyze press releases from various online sources. Students write a press release about a major event in their school.
Curated OER
Minority Graduation Rates: A 50-50 Chance
Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate and synthesize data from a variety of sources. In this lesson the issue is minority graduation rates.
Curated OER
How safe is your school bus?
High schoolers research various aspects of school bus safety about what makes a bus safe or unsafe. They check the Internet (with sites below and others) and see what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has to say.
Curated OER
Towing Cars -- Legally and Not So Legally
Learners discuss the issue of having cars towed in a small community when they should not be. After watching a local news story on the issue, they work together to conduct three full days of research. They write an article to be...
Curated OER
Stepping in: Good Samaritan or Fool?
Students write an opinion piece, including facts of this situation and any other statistics about helping others during a fight. Students offer suggestions about how to break up a fight, or when not to try (based on what national experts...
Curated OER
First Amendment and the Future
Students read the Knight report and discuss key findings before deciding what aspects of the findings students can replicate in their own school and conduct a survey. They write survey questions and test them on sample group before...
Maine Content Literacy Project
Introduction to Literacy Criticism
As learners continue to examine a short story of their choice, they take some time to look at analysis completed by others on the same story. In the eleventh lesson in a series of fourteen, pupils explore various sites for literary...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Presidential Mock Interviews
Students, working in pairs, conduct mock interviews of American presidents, highlighting personal and political details. They research their chosen president on the Internet prior to their role-playing presentation. Students publish...
Curated OER
Heart to Heart Interviews
Students interview veterans at a local homeless shelter. They publish their interviews in a class newspaper. They also present their information in different forums.
Social Media Toolbox
Why Social Media?
Is social media the best way to convey news in your school? Young journalists dig deep into the social media question in the second of 16 lessons from The Social Media Toolbox. After learning about the relationship between social media...
Social Media Toolbox
A Look at Social Media Policies
Should school news publications use social media if their district is against the use of social media in school? Pupils ponder the policy, then examine their publication's plan in parts seven and eight of a 16-part Social Media Toolbox...
Social Media Toolbox
Social Media Survey
Survey says ... social media is here to stay! How do the pupils in your school use social media? Using lesson four from a 16-part series, The Social Media Toolbox, learners study surveys and create their own. The resource includes...
Curated OER
Medicare Reform
Students calculate how much of each paycheck is deducted into the Medicare system, explain the need for health insurance and Medicare, and work in small groups to develop their own plan to reform Medicare.
Curated OER
Immigration Debate
The 2010 immigration bill passed in Arizona provides class members with an opportunity to examine various perspectives of the immigration debate by watching news videos, reading interview, editorials, and viewing images. Discussion...
PBS
The Impact of Genetically Modified Seeds
What is all the fuss about genetically modified foods? PBS provides this resource designed to supplement the documentary Food, Inc. to help learners investigate the benefits and controversies of genetically modified foods...
Curated OER
Journalist Japes
Young scholars explore the job of a journalist. In this careers and writing instructional activity, the teacher introduces the job of a journalist, then students choose a headline and write a news story. Lesson includes extension ideas.