PBS
The Media and the War: The Penny Press, Walt Whitman and the War
The Mexican-American war marked a significant moment in United States history, as well as in the history of American media. The mid-nineteenth century saw the introduction of the Penny Press, which provided many American citizens with...
American Press Institute
In the Newsroom: The Fairness Formula
Reporting the news is easy, right? Think again! Show young scholars the difficult choices journalists make every day through a instructional activity that includes reading, writing, and discussion elements. Individuals compare the...
Curated OER
What's the Purpose Anyway?
Examine author's purpose in newspaper articles, comic books, cookbooks, encyclopedias and other forms of written materials. Working in groups, middle and high schoolers read teacher-selected articles and write an explanation of the...
Curated OER
Football game seating: Security or Restriction?
Students write an article or an editorial about the situation of Cleveland-area schools instituting policies to restrict seating at night football games. Students research their own school policy, as well as other school policies.
Scholastic
Making Judgments Practice
Encourage young learners to identify persuasive writing techniques in a text with this resource, which includes two multiple-choice worksheets with advertisements for students to analyze.
Curated OER
8th Amendment: The Death Penalty
Students explore capital punishment. In this death penalty lesson, students research capital punishment and write an editorial defending 1 side of the issue.
Curated OER
Day you were born newspaper
Students construct a newspaper about historical events that happened on the day they were born. For this newspaper lesson plan, students write an editorial, create a visual, find a political cartoon, and insert an interview.
Curated OER
News View
Students read and analyze three different news sources that describe the same event. They compare/contrast the similarities and differences of the news sources, and write an essay describing the main event.
Curated OER
Pachyderms on Planes! The Amazing Angolan Ambassadors
Learners investigate international aid by researching the history of Angola. In this world crisis lesson, students investigate the history, civil wars and poor economy of Angola and discuss ways to turn the poor nation around....
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Timely vs. Timeless
In this historical events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about bank failure and respond to 2 talking point questions.
Curated OER
Fact vs. Opinion (Part II)
How can you tell the difference between fact and opinion? Using newspapers, learners determine which articles contain statements of fact, and which articles reflect the writer's opinion. The lesson plan includes a discussion format and a...
National Center for Families Learning
The Summer Fun Summer Learning Drama and Plays Unit
The play's the thing that puts the play in a summer learning drama program designed to combat summer slide and encourage family literacy. Participants learn about drama as an art form, engage in dramatic presentations, write scripts, and...
National Center for Families Learning
The Summer Fun Summer Learning Music Unit
Take note. Soul music. Gospel music. Country music. Summer comes alive with the sounds of music as program participants learn about various genres of music, create instruments, and write and perform songs about the facts and traditions...
Curated OER
Creating a Newspaper
Get the scoop with a fun, engaging newspaper project. After analyzing the parts of a newspaper, including the headline, subtitles, and pictures or images, young journalists get to work by writing their own stories in a newspaper article...
National Endowment for the Humanities
A Defense of the Electoral College
Each presidential election year, the debate about the electoral college rages. Michael C. Maibach's "A Defense of the Electoral College" offers young political scientists an opportunity to examine a reasoned argument for why the...
Newseum
Reporting Part I: What Matters to Me
Young reporters have an opportunity to craft a news story about a topic that interests them. Class members brainstorm events and issues that affect them and possible sources of information. Individuals then select a topic, research it,...
Curated OER
Where Are You Coming From?
Pupils examine and discuss author's purpose and the influence of an author's perspective in his or her writing. In groups, they read scenarios and respond to them from the perspective of a designated character. Materials are attached.
Curated OER
Turning Literature into News
Students examine the newspaper. In this writing purposes lesson plan, students read the newspaper and discuss the purpose: to inform, entertain and persuade. Students identify facts and opinions. Students write an article and discuss...
Curated OER
Returning to the South
Students write feelings about the concept of Home. They discuss reasons for leaving home. They read "Return South Migration" and in groups interview each other about the narrative. They complete a worksheet and write an editorial for the...
Curated OER
Treaty of Versailles
Students watch and listen to a PowerPoint presentation about the Treaty of Versailles, then write an editorial criticizing the Big Three. Students write from the perspective of a German in 1920 who has just learned of the harsh terms of...
Curated OER
Toontime
Learners examine and discuss how editorial cartoons are made and their role in society. They research and write about Andrew Jackson's presidency, and create an editorial cartoon of a modern presidency.
Curated OER
On the Leading Edge
Students write an op-ed piece concerning presidential leadership. After reading an archived article from The New York Times, students compare and contrast the leadership styles of former Vice President Al Gore and President George W....
Curated OER
Breaking the Code: Actions and Songs of Protest
Students listen to and discuss the purpose of protest music. They analyze an editorial cartoon related to Jim Crow and read questions from the literacy tests given to African-Americans. They work together to write a song about the...
Curated OER
Re-Viewpoints From 2002
Students explore how editorials use various devices to convey a message to a reader. They select key news topics from 2002 and write their own editorials.