Newseum
Today's Front Pages
Take a close look at a number of newspapers with collection of lessons and activities. Using a poster (which can be found under the materials tab), learners examine the hard copy of a local newspaper. This leads into an exploration of...
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Cartoons for the Classroom: John Q. Public
John Q. Public was a notable cartoon representation of the average American; but how accurate was this portrayal? Emergent analysts consider several topical points as they take a critical look into a cartoon portrayal of the American...
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Cartoons for the Classroom: Satire or Slander
Encourage your young learners to analyze and think critically about how media portrays people or events. Upper graders analyze a political cartoon depicting President Obama as a Muslim and the First Lady as a revolutionary. Guided by...
Learning for Justice
Beauty is Skin Deep
If you are in need of a lesson on tolerance or the impact of media, this plan could be useful. The class begins with a brainstorming session in which they reflect on their own experiences with bias based on appearance. Next, they...
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Messages and Viewpoint in Media
Explore media point of view. In this literacy and current events lesson plan, pupils identify examples of first and third person point of view in media articles. They analyze examples of media, interpret the messages, and determine...
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One Event: Different Perspectives
Watch selected scenes from the mini-series, The Path to 9/11, and then have your class download and explore the 9/11 Commission Report. How are these two sources similar and different? Have your learners summarize each source and compare...
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Identify Intended Media Messages
How does media convey different messages? Use this instructional activity to explore media by identifying and analyzing selected images. Middle schoolers analyze a poster and discuss the intended meaning of the imagery and how it makes...
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Current Events
Here is an ongoing activity intended to build interest in local, national, and world news. The class is divided into four groups of approximately five learners each. The groups are responsible for monitoring the daily news. They compose...
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Watching the Elections
Students analyze the media products and advertising techniques used in political campaigns. In this elections lesson, students view political debates and then work in groups to find examples of types of advertising techniques used in...
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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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Sex on TV: Teens and Parents Talk
Students observe human psychology by completing a media analysis worksheet. In this parent and teen communication lesson, students identify the main programs on television today and how sex is used to sell the program as well as...
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Performance Event
Students examine the media by writing a compare/contrast paragraph. For this mass communications lesson, students identify and discuss the main sources of information for Americans in today's age. Students analyze pictures of people...
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Propaganda of War
Students examine examples of war propaganda. In this historical literature lesson, students research the elements of propaganda in relation to various wars of the past. They discuss different types of propaganda, and the potential...
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African Americans Seen Through the Eyes of the Newsreel Cameraman
Fifth graders examine the portrayal of African Americans in the media. For this socio-political lesson, 5th graders view various news clips of African Americans and discuss the way they are presented. Students create narrations of the...
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Media Literacy Discussion Guide
Students examine and analyze visual media and its messages critically. They determine whether specific media messages inform, entertain, or persuade and what factors influence the media. Using primary sources, they participate in peer...
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The Visual Grammar of Film
Students analyze film terminology to become analytical views and critically examine media. In this film analysis, students identify film terminology and explain the effects of the director's choices. Students analyze cinematic and...
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Where Are the MDG's?
Students read local and global media to bring awareness to the Millennium Development Goals. In this Global Awareness lesson, students read the Millennium Development Goals and identify them in news media (print or online). Students...