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...
Maine Content Literacy Project
Introduction to Literacy Criticism
As learners continue to examine a short story of their choice, they take some time to look at analysis completed by others on the same story. In the eleventh lesson in a series of fourteen, pupils explore various sites for literary...
Curated OER
News Journalism Across the Media: Introduction
Although students are aware of news as information that influences their perceptions of the world, they are often unaware of the various ways to present that information. Encourage them to investigate, discuss, analyze and make valuable...
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Marketing to Teens: Introduction
An introductory lesson shows learners how pervasive and influential advertising is in our culture; particularly, how teenagers are actively targeted by advertisers. As teenagers, your learners already have all the information they need...
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The Basics of Journalism: A Little Preview
Students define journalism and identify the basic components of a news story. In this journalism basics activity, students define the word journalism, read a new story, and break it into parts with two major characteristics for each...
PBS
The Media and the War: The Penny Press, Walt Whitman and the War
The Mexican-American war marked a significant moment in United States history, as well as in the history of American media. The mid-nineteenth century saw the introduction of the Penny Press, which provided many American citizens with...
Rockefeller Archive Center
Understanding Mass Media News
In an age of fake news and photoshopped images, it is vital that 21st century learners development the skills they need to evaluate mass media and assess its validity. A great way to launch such a study is with a carefully crafted lesson...
Curated OER
Student Newspaper Project
Writing teaches us so much. One can identify the many characteristics of a newspaper, use the Internet to gather information, and communicate with others. Primary students create a class newspaper for publishing and dispersal.
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Paragraph Development In News Journalism
Learners identify the qualities of a new paragraph. They develop news paragraphs. They gain an introduction to appropriate paragraph development in news journalism using professional models as a guide.
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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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Radio News
Part of a larger unit from the Media Awareness Network on media literacy, this particular lesson plan focuses on the medium of news radio. Small groups participate in discussions on their radio listening habits as well as the...
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Journalism Career Pathway Unit
Students explore a career in journalism while using various forms of technology; such as, distance learning via the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) and the Internet. They have the opportunity to create a final project that is based...
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Writing a Letter to the Editor
Learners examine the structure and elements of a letter to the editor. They identify letter elements, read and discuss newspaper letters, and write and submit a letter to a local newspaper.
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Diversity/Journalism - Book Making
Third graders explore Canadian culture by creating a book. In this community analysis lesson plan, 3rd graders identify the First Nations people of Canada and discuss the culture, language and diversity. Students create a book discussing...
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Kids' Newsbreaks
Group learners together to identify a question relating to an issue and create a 60-second kids news break highlighting information that begins to answer the question. They research and answer issue questions in a news story format.
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The Introduction and Diffusion of Household Technology
Students conduct research and develop a matrix demonstrating the introduction and spread of common household items from 1900 to 2000 in the U.S. They conduct Internet research, watch and discuss a video, and develop the matrix.
Curated OER
Teach and Learn: Journalism
Students read and discuss keypoints of the article, "Iceland to start hunting whales." They write in the style of newspaper reporters and order the information so that it tells the story from beginning to end with relevant detail
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Freedoms of the Press
Students examine journalism ethics. In this journalism lesson, students complete a think, pair, share activity about the journalistic code of ethics. Students then discuss an ethics scenario.
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Shaping the News
Students explore television journalism. In this journalism lesson, students discuss the attributes of television broadcasting. Students then review their journalism code of ethics and then conduct research for stories that have a moral...
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The Electric Experience
Students investigate the effects of television and radio on culture. In this journalism lesson, students consider how electronic media has shaped journalism as they create timelines that feature the changes and compare and contrast print...
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That Is Not My Opinion!
Being an informed citizen requires distinguishing fact from opinion and understanding persuasion methods. Secondary learners evaluate newspaper editorials. They read opinion pieces, identify the writer's purpose and position on an issue,...
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Mixed Up Media
Students explore online journalism. In this journalism lesson, students discover how electronic medias are changing journalism, examine the conventions of electronic media, and discuss the authority and reliability of forms of electronic...
Curated OER
Beyond the Printed Word
Students investigate the effects of television and radio on culture. In this journalism lesson, students consider how electronic media has shaped journalism as they create timelines that feature the changes and compare and contrast print...
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Mining Mass Media
Students take a closer look at the attributes of electronic media. In this journalism lesson, students compare and contrast electronic and print versions of the same news stories. Students then write their one broadcast news stories.