Teaching Tolerance
Journalism for Justice
Roll the presses! Or at least have your class members participate in the time-honored tradition of the student press by creating their own newspapers or journalist pieces on a social problem. After conducting research and collaborating...
University of Arizona
Found News Poems
Combine informational text and creative writing with one fun activity! Middle and high schoolers write found poems based on newspaper headlines that they find. The resource includes a thorough lesson plan and many links to articles that...
Curated OER
Television Newscasts
When we watch news broadcasts on television, we receive a much more visual perspective than when we read the newspaper. How do sets, clothing, and music contribute to our understanding of the story? Compare American and Canadian news...
Curated OER
Edward R. Murrow: This Reporter
What would Edward R. Murrow think of today’s news broadcasts? Learners examine the work of the first public television newscaster and his commitment to researched, accurate reporting. The eight-day study concludes with investigators...
University of the Desert
Fact and Opinion within the Media
How can the media foster cultural misunderstandings? These activities encourage learners to distinguish between fact and opinion in the media
Curated OER
Macbeth News Broadcast
Here is an authentic assessment task for Shakespeare's Macbeth. Young literature scholars prepare, perform, and record a news broadcast about the major events in the play. For example, groups may choose to report on the death of Lady...
Curated OER
News Crew Tools
Students create newsgathering equipment using recycled materials and a variety of craft materials. They discuss the roles and responsibilities of a news reporter and the kind of equipment they use, create their props, and use their props...
Facing History and Ourselves
Social Media and Ferguson
How can social media help or hinder civil dialogue? How can information shared on social media be verified? As the investigation of media reports of the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown continues, class members read...
Brown University
Following the U.S. Presidential Election
Election years provide the opportunity to evaluate news media as well as the next prospective president. High schoolers read about the same event in several different news sources, varying in type, origin, and political leaning,...
The New York Times
News and News Analysis: Navigating Fact and Opinion in the Times
Help your class understand the difference between fact and opinion by exploring the New York Times homepage and articles. In pairs or small groups, pupils complete a scavenger hunt, answering the provided questions. Next, discuss the...
The New York Times
Should Anthony Weiner Resign?
The news regarding congressional representative Anthony D. Weiner's scandalous online communications was a hot-button topic in public media in 2011. Use this article to review the timeline of events surrounding the situation, and then...
Curated OER
Using the News in Class
Students listen to international news stories. Students use context clues to determine the meaning of vocabulary words from context, then complete a matching exercise to see if their vocabulary definitions were correct. Students...
Curated OER
The American Press and the
Students read and analyze newspaper accounts of Holocaust-related items in various WWII newspapers. They discuss the physical placement of Holocaust-related news items to other news items in the same paper.
Curated OER
Chicago Tribune vs. US (1942): When Does Freedom of the Press Go Too Far?
Students define freedom of the press in peace and war time. As a class, they identify the need for the public to be informed, but discuss where the line should be drawn to protect national security. They develop their arguments and...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Creating a Psychology News Wiki
If you're searching for a way to keep your class informed of current psychology news, this ongoing assignment is both educational and engaging. Class members locate and read a psychology article of interest, write a psychological...
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.
Curated OER
Student Opinion: What Small Things Have You Seen and Taken Note of Today?
An interesting and unusual topic for a news article, this resource from the New York Times website asks learners to take a moment and consider all the things they notice during a typical day. Based of the editorial piece "Things I...
Curated OER
Student Opinion: What Are You Afraid Of?
A great resource for informational texts as well as writing topics, the New York Times website provides writing prompts about various news articles through The Learning Network. This particular worksheet provides a very short...
Curated OER
Interpreting & Verifying the News in an Era of Info Overload
Students practice their critical thinking skills. In this media awareness activity, students read articles about media overload and interpretation of media. Students respond to discussion questions and discuss how they verify...
Curated OER
Covering the News
Students compare the coverage of two crime stories Using local or national newspapers, news magazines and other reference materials, each group trace the "unfolding" of two crime stories: The Laci Peterson investigation plus one students
Social Media Toolbox
Social Media Messages
What are the elements of a good social media post? The 13th activity in the 16-part Social Media Toolbox incorporates all of the typical components found in a Facebook or Twitter post. Scholars work together to create great posts based...
Curated OER
Little Owl Press Report/Newspaper and Newscast Project
Discover journalistic techniques by having learners prepare and write their own class newspaper. They discuss the five W's of investigative journalism and conduct interviews with school figures. They utilize video technology, podcast...
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...
Nemours KidsHealth
Media Literacy and Health: What’s the Truth?
In this personal health media literacy worksheet, students use the eight questions on this sheet to evaluate a health news report on television. Students write paragraphs the determine whether the reports are valid sources of information.