National History Day
Uncovering a World at War
Has media always had an influence on public policy? After researching and reading news articles written during World War I, learners understand the influence of communication and media. They discuss articles in small groups and as a...
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Newspaper Scavenger Hunts
Students examine newspapers to find information. In this newspaper lesson, students collect newspapers from their homes to use for the lesson. They work in groups to complete scavenger hunts by locating specified information in different...
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The Camelot Times: Writing a Newspaper
Students create and publish a newspaper based on Arthurian literature and history. After completing a class read of "King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table," students work in groups to write an article based on their...
Media Smarts
How to Analyze the News
Teach kids how to watch television, specifically the news, with this creative idea for learners of all ages from the Media Awareness Network. The elementary school plan focuses on presenting news as a story and uses Jon Scieszka's story...
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First Things First: Using the Newspaper to Teach the Freedoms of the First Amendment
Students use the newspaper as a tool to make connections about what the five freedoms guarantee in the First Amendment. In this first amendment lesson plan, students analyze events in the newspaper to form conclusions about the freedoms...
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Using Information Resources: Lesson 1
Eighth graders examine, brainstorm, cluster, and skim how to use a variety of information resources to assist them in projects or reports. In addition, places to find those information resources as well as the parts of a book is covered...
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Reporting A Story: A School Newspaper Activity
Students collaborate to document cultural groups within the school or community. They create a newspaper chronicling different groups within the school.
University of California
Hot Spots Research Project
The Cold War was only between the US and the USSR, right? Wrong! Scholars use primary and secondary resources to analyze the global impact of the Cold War. The fourth installment of an eight-part series culminates in the creation of a...
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Writing a Newspaper-Style Article
Help your secondary reader/writers assess texts by studying press releases from Statistics Canada and drafting articles based on them. They then compare the press release, their own articles, and actual news stories they find online. I'd...
Teaching Tolerance
Journalism for Justice
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...
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Shasta Dam: How High is Too High?
Research water use in California, environmental protection laws, and the proposition to raise Shasta Dam by 200 feet. Researchers use their findings to build an argument which will be presented at a mock decision panel. Groups then...
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Writing a Newspaper Article
The perfect resource for a beginning journalism teacher or someone designing a journalism unit, this activity prompts students to write a newspaper article. It covers all aspects of the writing process, such as a guided warm-up...
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Surviving AIDS
Enhance your middle and high schoolers' research skills with this lesson plan. After viewing a video clip about HIV and AIDS, high schoolers identify the facts and issues surrounding the disease. They work together to create a newspaper...
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Labor Day Newspaper
Students examine the history of the Labor Day holiday and write a newspaper article about it. They practice using new vocabulary words and discover the layout of a newspaper.
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Using Best Newspaper Writing in a Journalism Class
Students explore the genre of journalism. In this journalism instructional activity, students examine newspaper articles and identify reporting techniques. Students collaborate to identify excellent pieces of newspaper writing.
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Recycled Paper Making
Second graders investigate the life of a recycled newspaper by experimenting in class. In this recycling lesson, 2nd graders create their own recycled paper pulp by mixing an old newspaper into a bucket and adding water. Students...
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Sportswriting
Learners complete a variety of activities (using the Washington Post Newspaper) that reinforce concepts involved in sports writing.
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Camp Newspaper
Fifth graders write newspaper articles about Camp Campbell. They discuss the vocabulary of news stories, read examples, brainstorm ideas, and choose a topic before writing the article. After editing the articles, they word process them...
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Write On!
Help empower your class by learning about the editorial section of the newspaper. They will have the option to also write to a politician. The goal is to teach students how to speak-up and express their opinions on important issues....
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Using Details from Text to Identify Author's Purpose
Explore writing techniques by analyzing newspapers and magazines with middle schoolers. They will collaborate in small groups to read local news stories and identify the main ideas and author's intent. They also utilize an information...
English Enhanced Scope and Sequence
Media Literacy with Focus of Strategies for Collaboration
Introduce your class to literary analysis with a series of activities that has them examine book and movie reviews. Groups then draft their own review of a text, select a digital medium, and craft a presentation.
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Civil War Newspaper
Students investigate the concept of the Civil War while conducting research using a variety of resources. The information is used to create a source for a class project. They create a class newspaper that becomes a summary of some...
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The Brooklyn Museum of Art Newspaper
Students create newspapers. In this technology skills lesson, students create a newspaper layout using a word processor program. The newspaper features stories regarding the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
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Civil War Telecollaborative Newspaper
Fifth graders analyze the different points of view in the Civil War. They role-play a Southern citizen, write and publish a newspaper article, e-mail a partner, and create a class newspaper with articles, editorials, ads, and political...