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Lesson Plan
Newseum

From the Front Page to the History Books

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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.
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

Journalists Code of Ethics

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

Disinformation Nation: Separating Politics and Propaganda

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Separating political rhetoric from propaganda is no small feat. Class members are challenged to examine two different sources about a candidate in an upcoming election and determine whether the primary purpose of the source is to inform...
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Lesson Plan
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Newseum

Reporting Part III: Staying Objective

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed Standards
The third and final lesson plan in the Reporting series tests young journalists' ability to be objective in reporting contentious topics. After brainstorming a list of contentious topics that interest them, the class selects one, and...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Newseum

Reporting Part II: Beyond the Basics

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed Standards
Scholars examine the articles written for the series' first lesson and select ones that would benefit from further research. In a 48-hour deadline, teams of three select one topic to investigate in greater depth and craft a revised...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Newseum

Reporting Part I: What Matters to Me

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed Standards
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,...
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Unit Plan
Simon & Schuster

Curriculum Guide to: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Five lessons make up a curriculum guide to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Readers find examples of Twain's use of irony, closely examine Huck's colloquial language, as well as his sense of morality, and identify themes in the novel....
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Lesson Plan
Utah Education Network (UEN)

Lessons Learned in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
To conclude a study of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, class members create illustrated newsletters about Huck's lessons as he journeys down the Mississippi River. Using Microsoft Publisher, pairs copy, save, and import illustrations...
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

Civil Rights: Chronicling the Movement

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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.
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

Compare Coverage of Brown v. Board Ruling

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Young journalists analyze how The Topeka State Journal, the Jackson Daily News, and The Providence Journal reported on the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v Board of Education. Scholars scrutinize the headlines, photographs,...
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

Civil Rights News Coverage: Looking Back at Bias

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

What Would You Do? Media Ethics Scenarios

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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.
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

Disinformation Nation: Is It Propaganda?

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Propaganda or not? That is the question researchers must answer as they analyze techniques used in ads. Pupils use a three-part definition to determine if the ad is propaganda or advertising.
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

Political Persuasion: It’s All About Image

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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.
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

Disinformation Nation: Checking Your Emotions

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Propaganda is designed to manipulate! High schoolers learn how to recognize the devices propagandists use to evoke strong emotional reactions and practice techniques that help them avoid being manipulated.
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

Photo Ethics: What Is Newsworthy?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Do not try this at home! At school! Or any other place! Groups of young journalists discuss the ethics of publishing photos of school peers performing dangerous stunts. They share their decision with the class and explain their reasoning.
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

The Making of Fake News: A Case Study

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
"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...
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Activity
News Literacy Project

News Goggles: Corrections and Clarifications: Accuracy and Correcting the Record

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
Accuracy and fairness are key principles in journalism. It is the responsibility of reputable news organizations to correct their stories when new information is found. Viewers learn to spot these corrections and clarifications through a...
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Activity
News Literacy Project

News Goggles: Chasing Scoops and Verifying Raw Information

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
A 23-slide presentation teaches young media analysts how to identify a scoop or exclusive first report of a breaking story, how these reports become verified, and how subsequent reports in other news sources add information or refocus...
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Activity
News Literacy Project

News Goggles: Identifying the News Source

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
A 25-slide presentation teaches viewers how to identify the source of stories in newspapers and online news sites. The slides show how to locate the byline where either the reporter's name or the wire service that provided the story can...
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Unit Plan
Simon & Schuster

Classroom Activities for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

For Teachers 5th - 8th
A 16-page packet includes three activities for a unit study of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Before beginning the novel, class members identify the factors in their lives that helped create their frame of reference,...
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

The Freedom to Make a Change

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
As part of a study of the First Amendment, young historians research instances when individuals or groups used the First Amendment to change the United State's laws or policies. Teams are each assigned a different case study. With the...
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Lesson Plan
Newseum

Fake News Through History: Analyzing Historical Sources

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
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Newseum

Civil Rights: Your Stories of Change

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
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...