Curated OER
Fact Versus Opinion
Learners differentiate between fact and opinion. They define fact and opinion, then listen to and identify examples of each. Students identify different books where facts and opinions can be found, and cut out newspaper and magazine...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King Jr.: A Fact Or Opinion Activity
Students discuss the difference between fact and opinion, then read a brief biography of Martin Luther King Jr. They complete the Martin Luther King Jr.: Fact or Opinion worksheet.
Curated OER
Understanding and Using Primary and Secondary Sources in History
Explore primary and secondary sources in this historical analysis activity. Young researchers define the terms primary source and secondary source. They read a primary source document provided by the teacher and answer questions about...
Curated OER
School Newspaper
Fifth graders run a school newspaper on a school website and discover how to use various literary forms as they relate to the writing process. In this school newspaper instructional activity, 5th graders synthesize information from...
Newseum
You Can’t Say That: In My Opinion
As a part of a study of the First Amendment, high schoolers research a current news story that seems to involve one of the freedoms granted by the First Amendment. Investigators decide whether they think the action presented in the story...
Newseum
Weighing the Arguments
To understand how personal perspectives can affect policy and politics, scholars examine the woman suffrage media map and historical artifacts to analyze arguments for and against women's suffrage. Class members then take on the role of...
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...
Curated OER
Electrifying Franklin
Fourth graders research and present information about Benjamin Franklin's life and accomplishments. In this lesson on Benjamin Franklin, 4th graders review idioms and sayings written by Franklin then compare and contrast his various...
Curated OER
What an Accomplishment
Middle schoolers identify and discuss the images on the back of the South Dakota quarter. They discuss the differences between facts and opinions, and research information about the four presidents memorialized on Mount Rushmore.
Curated OER
Pioneering Children on the Move
Students inquire about life for pioneer children. For this pioneer period lesson, students analyze photographs of children, make information foldables, and create a covered wagon that was typical of the ones of the past. Students will...
Newseum
Bias Through History: Analyzing Historical Sources
Young journalists use the E.S.C.A.P.E. (evidence, source, context, audience, purpose, and execution) strategy to evaluate historical and contemporary examples of bias in the news. The class then uses the provided discussion questions to...
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...
Scholastic
Thanksgiving Lessons Grades PreK-2
A quintessential resource for teaching an elementary unit on the first Thanksgiving addresses a variety of skills, including informational reading, critical thinking, comparing and contrasting facts, technology tools, and historical...
Curated OER
The Vikings
Students research and explore Viking culture, distinguishing between fact and fiction, and examine their contribution to our society.
Curated OER
Harriet Tubman In The News
Students investigate the history of Harriet Tubman. They use newspaper articles from history and modern times in order to gather information. They use a graphic organizer in order to categorize information. They distinguish the readings...
C-SPAN
Campaign Endorsement Project
So many politicians, so many endorsements! Learn to differentiate between facts as well as the process of endorsements with an informative resource. Class members watch current endorsement videos, research candidates from three different...
Newseum
Persuasion Portfolios
After class members brainstorm a list of current social and political issues, groups each select a different topic from the list to research. Teams create a portfolio of at least 10 examples of stories about their issue, stories that...
Curated OER
The Campaign: Issues and Strategies. What do you think?
Students research a candidate in an election and discuss how the media portrays that candidate and how the media influences voters. In this candidate lesson plan, students also distinguish fact from opinion, look at political cartoons,...
Curated OER
Good News/Bad News/Who Cares?
Students practice evaluating facts, bringing to bear their own experience, preferences, and international contexts. They recognize that there are many ways of interpreting a single piece of information and form the habit of reflecting...
Curated OER
Spin and Bias in the Media
Students compare different types of media. In this media comparison lesson, students will assess the where all types of media gets its information by viewing a video of a news story and critiquing it.
Curated OER
A Lesson To Accompany "The First Bank of the United States: A Chapter in the History of Central Banking"
Here is an interesting topic. Learners examine the economics that led to the founding of the First Bank of America. They participate in a reader's theater experience depicting the debate between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson...
Curated OER
Making Points on Election Dilemma
Students define a straight news article, and identify characteristics of an editorial news feature. They read a CNN article that examines the 2000 presidential election, and determine what is factual and what is opinion.
Curated OER
Which Side Would You Be On?
Fourth graders describe how the French and Indian War resulted in expansion of United States Territory and analyze information from two or more sources for agreements, contradictions, facts, and opinions.
Curated OER
History Lesson Plan: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Students explore the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this Middle Eastern history lesson, students discover the ancient and contemporary history of Palestine in a lecture format. Students research primary and secondary sources regarding...