Lesson Plan

Covering a Catastrophe: Evaluating Disaster News

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Young journalists investigate the various ways to share news about a disaster and evaluate the pros and cons of each of these types of news. Individuals then select two different forms of media reports of a recent disaster. Using the provided worksheets, consider which news source proved the most credible, useful, and informative.

3 Views 1 Download
CCSS: Designed
Instructional Ideas
  • Have class members continue to follow the reporting of the disaster and note how information is updated, corrected, and covered in greater detail
Classroom Considerations
  • Suggested sources to investigate include blog posts, Twitter and Facebook
  • Requires copies of the "Evaluating Disaster News" worksheet and the Consumer's Questions handout
Pros
  • The "Consumer's Questions" handout emphasizes how reports are often written to appeal to specific audiences
Cons
  • None
Common Core