Newseum
Making a Change: Letter From Birmingham Jail
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter From Birmingham Jail" was written in response to "A Call for Unity," written by eight white ministers from Birmingham and published in the local newspaper. After reading both letters and following a list...
Newseum
Battle for the Bill of Rights: Ultimate Survivor Amendment Game
To understand the importance of the wording of the articles of the First Amendment (freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the press, and freedom to assembly and petition), teams argue before a jury for draft amendments of one...
National Park Service
Remembering Pearl Harbor: The USS Arizona Memorial
Young historians use primary source materials to investigate the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and the sinking of the USS Arizona. After reading background articles and studying maps and images of the attack, class members consider whether...
DocsTeach
Uncle Sam and the American Diet
Uncle Sam wants you to follow the food pyramid! Scholars analyze two images of propaganda posters the government created to promote the food pyramid. Academics complete a worksheet to understand the impact of the campaign and end the...
DocsTeach
The Life of Dwight D. Eisenhower
A captivating activity uses images to help pupils understand the life of President Eisenhower. Scholars put the images in chronological order and read the captions to get a better understanding of the war hero turned president.
DocsTeach
Statues of Christopher Columbus
Scholars compare statues of Columbus and discuss how each memorial captures his personality. Academics also complete a worksheet and discuss how some people have called to remove statues honoring Columbus.
DocsTeach
Memorials, Statues, and Monuments to George Washington
An activity uses images of George Washington's statues to compare how they represent different aspects of his life. Scholars complete a worksheet based on their findings and then share as a group how they would construct a new memorial...
DocsTeach
Memorializing Abraham Lincoln in Washington, DC
The legacy of President Lincoln continues to endure. Scholars view images of three statues that have been created to honor President Lincoln. Academics analyze the three images and share their findings in a group discussion format. Young...
DocsTeach
Immigration to America: Stories and Travels
An eye-opening activity uses documents and photos to help academics understand the factors that pushed or pulled immigrants to America. Young historians group photos based on a push or pull factor, then complete a worksheet. Scholars...
DocsTeach
Two Moments in the Life of Rick Rescorla: Vietnam and 9/11
He saved a group of men under fire from the Viet Cong, and he urged those fleeing the burning Trade Center Towers on 9/11 to "be calm, be strong." Rick Rescorla was last seen going back into the twin towers to bring others to safety....
Newseum
Propaganda Through History: Analyzing Historical Sources
Working in teams, pairs, or individually, scholars select one resource from a gallery of historical sources and consider which examples might be considered propaganda, the techniques used to persuade audiences, and evaluate how the...
Newseum
Civil Rights: Reporting Out
After brainstorming a list of contemporary local, regional, and national civil rights issues, pairs of scholars select one of these issues and design an information campaign to spread awareness of the issue.
Newseum
When Tragedy Hits — Role-Playing a Breaking News Story
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...
Newseum
Covering a Catastrophe: Evaluating Disaster News
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...
Newseum
From the Front Page to the History Books
Young journalists compare news coverage of four major events with how the same events are covered in historical accounts. The ensuing discussion asks class members to compare and contrast the role of a reporter and the role of a historian.
Newseum
Journalists Code of Ethics
Journalists are supposed to adhere to a Code of Ethics. To determine the degree to which reporters follow this code, individuals select three recent stories with photographs from newspapers, magazines, online news sites, or television...
Newseum
Civil Rights: Chronicling the Movement
Scholars investigate events in the civil rights era in their community and develop a multimedia presentation of their findings. They compare local events with national events discussed on a NewseumED timeline.
Newseum
Civil Rights News Coverage: Looking Back at Bias
Not all southern newspapers covered the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Young journalists investigate how The Lexington (Ky. Herald-Leader and The Jackson (Tenn.) Sun re-examined their coverage of the movement. After...
Newseum
What Would You Do? Media Ethics Scenarios
Young journalists are presented with scenarios that involve media ethics. They must decide in each case whether to cover the story, what they would cover, and if covered, what the angle would be.
Newseum
Political Persuasion: It’s All About Image
Political candidates work hard at creating an image they believe will appeal to voters. High schoolers collect 10 photos and other images of a candidate and analyze them to determine what techniques create a positive or negative impression.
Newseum
The Making of Fake News: A Case Study
"Fake News" (stories that are entirely fabricated/fictional) is the subject of a case study of the search for Jestin Coler, the creator of some of the most famous fake news stories. After reading NPR's investigative report, scholars...
Newseum
Fake News Through History: Analyzing Historical Sources
Unfortunately, fake news, fuzzy facts, and bogus news stories are not new phenomena. Class members use a "Fake News Through History" worksheet to analyze historical examples of false, invented, made-up news. Researchers share their...
Newseum
Civil Rights: Your Stories of Change
Young activists examine local civil rights issues presented in news media sites to determine what elements make these stories attention-grabbing and trustworthy. Using this information and their worksheets from the first two lessons in...
Newseum
Civil Rights: The Five Freedoms
After a close reading of the First Amendment and the five freedoms it guarantees, class members examine the civil rights timeline to see how civil rights groups applied these freedoms to create change. Using the issue the class chose in...