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Slanted Sentences

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine biased words in news articles, suggest synonyms, then rewrite the sentences to demonstrate how word choice can alter meaning.
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Digesting the News

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the editorial concepts, site designs and business models of online news digests. They propose detailed plans for Web sites that demonstrate their own areas of expertise.
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The Great Debate

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students watch tapes of televised presidential debates dating from 1960. They analyze debates and participate in mock debates.
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You Be the Judge

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars research and evaluate a case considered by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act. They watch a Bill Moyers video, conduct a debate, and write about the decision they would make if they...
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Journalists Under Fire

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students examine journalism in extreme conditions. In this war-zone journalism lesson, students research media coverage of Vietnam, Grenada, the Gulf War, and military actions in Somalia and Kosovo. Students compare coverage in the past...
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Politics of Death

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the topic of euthanasia. In this religion and ethics lesson, students investigate the cases of Terri Schiavo and Hugh Finn in order to gain an understanding of the euthanasia controversy.  
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Cartoons for the Classroom: All Eyes on Iowa

For Students 8th - 12th
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the Iowa caucus and respond to 3 talking point questions.
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Worksheet
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Breaking News English: Violence Erupts Across Egypt

For Students 5th - 10th
In this English activity, students read "Violence Erupts Across Egypt," and then respond to 1 essay, 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 8 true or false questions about the selection.
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Extraordinary Explorers

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students, using the Internet, B41460research facts about explorers and travelers. They also state what places they have explored and share with the class.
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Jerusalem

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students review Jerusalem's long and vital history. They view the video Jerusalem: History of the Holy Land. Students are explained that to portray Jerusalem's compelling history as a site of crucial importance to Jews, Christians, and...
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Oprah Winfrey

For Students 4th - 8th
For this famous person worksheet, students read a passage about Oprah Winfrey and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze, synonym matches, and...
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Lessons to be Learned: The Importance of Attribution, Accuracy, and Honesty

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Students investigate real world examples of media law issues. In this media law instructional activity, students read Janet Cooke’s feature and respond to the writing. Students read articles by Stephen Glass to highlight facts in need of...
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Vidal's History--And Yours?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers watch AMERICAN MASTERS: THE EDUCATION OF GORE VIDAL and apply Guided Reading principles to Vidal's writing. They discuss how to think and question in his way and determine for themselves how political writing can shape...
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A Dream and an Idea: Searching for a Roadmap to Create a Country

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students listen in on American historical events. In this colonial America lesson, students participate in an activity that requires them to watch video segments that feature Revolutionary War battles and the Constitutional Convention....
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In pictures: Young reporters tour TVC

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students view a wide range of young reporters and their accomplishments. They view all the places they toured and then analyze one particular place in pictures. Students create a portfolio out of their pictures for view.
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Prairie Voices: Spare Time

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students examine forms of recreation throughout the last 150 years. In this leisure time lesson, students investigate leisure activities in pre- and post-industrial society as they listen to a teacher-led lecture and discuss their...
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Working on the Railroad

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils view and discuss "The Transportation Revolution," a lecture by Peter A. Coclanis. They read and respond creatively to brief descriptions of railroad workers and their job responsibilities.
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Current Events Research

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Pupils monitor current events using on-line and traditional resources. They explore issues such as what trends they see developing in specific news issues over time and how different news stories might be interrelated.
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Ballad Blast

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students write epic poems, songs, or ballads to describe adventures of their own. They discover that storytellers often told stories as epic poems, songs, or ballads. They share and discuss some of Homer's Odyssey and Iliad.
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King's Dream Revisited

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They complete a Webquest, listen to an excerpt from a speech, take an online quiz, answer discussion questions, and read newspaper articles about current...
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What is News?

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders discover elements that make a story newsworthy. They play an online game about newsworthy stories and complete a worksheet with partners. They also examine the difference between facts and opinions.
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Stop the Bus: Confronting Our Assumptions About Muslims in America

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore Virginia Interfaith Center's A More Perfect Union "Misunderstanding" Ad Campaign, view two episodes of PBS America at a Crossroads series, examine historical context of colonialism and geo-political tensions in Middle...
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Confronting Genocide

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers discover what the term genocide means and are assigned to groups to reasearch an act of genocide in order to answer each question from their worksheet. They then compare their results making special notes of patterns they...
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PULSE: A STOMP Odyssey (6-8)

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine how non-profit organizations support the arts. In this non-profit instructional activity, students learn how foundations provide funding that supports arts in a community which contributes to the common good. They watch...