How can your journalism class ensure they use social media responsibly and legally? The sixth instructional activity in a 16-part Social Media Toolbox series asks pupils to dig deep into the legal aspects of social media use by school...

Events in recent years have underscored the importance of a free and independent press in a democracy. Young journalists engage in lessons about the function of journalism in a democratic society, practice the steps of Bok's Ethical...

How do people express their rights of free expression through the press? Journalism 101 is the perfect combination of modules for 11th and 12th graders to learn about First Amendment rights, reporting and writing skills, digital...

When is using someone else's copyrighted material appropriate? Learn about copyright and fair use with a lesson from PBS.org. Scholars read through a reference sheet about authors' rights and users' rights, and then create posters...

In this journalism worksheet, students fill out short answer questions using their workbook about journalism in order to get a merit badge. Students complete 5 questions total.

Students identify and discuss First Amendment rights, examine how to make sound legal judgements regarding photographs of private individuals, examine difference between public and private figures as far as libel law is concerned,...

Start a writing lesson by examining a news video that explains writing clearly, concisely, and correctly. Learners consider the importance of writing news properly to avoid breaking the law, then write their own weekend news stories.

Newspapers are great learning tools. They act as a conduit for current events, reading comprehension, and critical thinking. Here, pupils read a New York Times article regarding US immigration law under the Obama administration and...

"Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;. . ." Why is this guarantee of free speech and a free press the First Amendment to the US Constitution? Why are these rights so essential to a...

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...

Criticism of news and entertainment journalism is at an all-time high. Help 21st-century learners develop the media literacy skills they need to become critical consumers with a three-lesson guide the looks at persuasive techniques used...

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...

Students find out what the laws are concerning graffiti in the community. Is it a misdemeanor, does being caught result in a fine? Jail? Community service to remove it? The information is found by interviewing key people in the community.

Students investigate the laws covering smoking in public places in their community and find out if city council or other governing bodies have considered changing these laws. Students conduct interviews and write an article explaining...

Research, role-playing, and reflection are the three “R’s” that form the basis of an examination of Cyberbullying. Although based on the Criminal Code of Canada, the included scenarios and case studies provide valuable resources for a...

High schoolers research Ohio's concealed gun legislation using provided resource links, read editorials and commentaries from Ohio's daily and weekly newspapers, and analyze these opinion pieces.

Students investigate ethical decision making when using photos in journalism. In this ethics in journalism lesson plan, students read about the ethical use of images in media, discuss recent controversial photos, and look at online case...

High schoolers learn about ethical issues and its connection to journalism. Students examine examples of ethical issues some journalists have faced. in small groups, high schoolers collaborate to write a code of ethics for their school...

Students explore the controversial topic of same-sex marriages in a fishbowl discussion. They write balanced news articles based on interviews exploring people's opinions on laws that define marriage.

For this journalism worksheet, students use a copy of their local newspaper to complete this page. Students answer questions about the publisher and staff of the paper, the weather, TV programming, comics and classified sections. There...

Students investigate copyright violation laws.  For this media copyright lesson, students read two articles that discuss copyright laws, then they develop their own perspective on the laws.  Students then divide into small...

Young journalists engage in a role-playing exercise that asks them to consider the journalism and ethical issues raised by the coverage of the mass shootings at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007. Pupils play the role of either a reporter...

Keep your youngsters abreast of current events with these activity worksheets! Or, consider what historical events throughout early American history would have looked like on a national newspaper? Your young historians will become...

Students research the HPV vaccine and estimate its cost. They interview doctors and local health officials about it. Students write feature stories based on their research focusing on the timelines for implementation in their states or...