Newseum
Reporting Part III: Staying Objective
The third and final lesson 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...
Media Education Lab
Propaganda Techniques
In an age of fake news, alternative facts, and biased reporting, it is more important than ever that 21st century learners develop the critical-thinking skills necessary to recognize, analyze and resist the propaganda techniques used in...
Curated OER
Reporting War: a Comparison of News Reports on Vietnam And Operation Enduring Freedom
Students research how television news shows reported on the War in Vietnam. They describe how television news shows reported on the Iraqi War and compare the two coverages. They contrast how are they similar and how they are different.
Facing History and Ourselves
Hands Up, Don't Shoot!
Why is it so difficult to develop a clear understanding of the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer? To answer this question class members listen to a NPR discussion of the findings of...
Curated OER
Newspaper Writing on Flight in History
Students read about important events in history through newspaper articles. In this newspaper lesson plan, students look at different writing styles and author's bias in different articles about the same event. They write their own...
Curated OER
Stonewall and Beyond: Gay and Lesbian Issues
Help learners understand their own biases and how their perspectives may have been influenced by biased media sources. They keep a journal while viewing videos, exploring websites, and engaging in class discussions related to gay and...
Curated OER
Getting the News about the Stamp Act
Learners review opinions of the Stamp Act as stated in colonial newspaper articles of the 1760's. They compare colonial newspapers to those of today. They take a side regarding the Tax Act and write a note to a friend explaining their...
Curated OER
Fact Or Opinion
Groups of junior highers find newspaper articles which contain both facts and opinions, and present examples of each to the class. The focus is on discerning between fact and opinion. Two excellent worksheets are embedded in the plan...
Curated OER
Slanted Sentences
Students examine biased words in news articles, suggest synonyms, then rewrite the sentences to demonstrate how word choice can alter meaning.
C-SPAN
Title IX
There's more to Title IX than equality in sports. The federal statute—aimed at preventing gender discrimination—guides how schools handle everything from sports to sexual assault. A series of clips from athletes and schools delves into...
Curated OER
World Media: Comparison of Iraq War Accounts
High schoolers are introduced to the concept of news/media bias from region to region. Upon reading differing articles, students answer source questions on the structure/content of each article.
Curated OER
Writing Newspaper Articles
Students write newspaper articles regarding their service learning experiences. In this writing skills instructional activity, students review the writing process skills to develop high-quality articles. Students write articles regarding...
Curated OER
Without Limits
Seventh graders research about the important contributions of two scientists they chose from the list. For this science lesson, 7th graders develop a creative presentation such as skits or news program about their research. They present...
Curated OER
Nontraditional Job Opportunities
As your learners prepare to enter the workforce, address some common stereotypes that may be limiting their professional goals. The class brainstorms gender-stereotyped careers, exploring where those ideas originate. They complete a job...
Anti-Defamation League
Student Dress Codes: What's Fair?
The controversy over school dress codes continues. The debate involves questions like, why is there a policy? Who sets the policy? Who enforces the policy? What is a fair policy? Tweens and teens have an opportunity to engage in the...
Curated OER
Local Motives
Investigate current local elections across the United States with this New York Times reading lesson. Using informational text, middle and high schoolers research local elections and create their own news reports about what they...
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
Dissecting the Media
Students examine an editorial point of view in journalism and explore how this contributes to the West's understanding of events in the Middle East. They discuss the concepts of objectivity and subjectivity, and how tone and vocabulary,...
Curated OER
Interactive Duty
Young scholars consider the role of multimedia news features. They analyze the New York Times coverage of the president's State of the Union address.
University of Pennsylvania
Using Comic Strips to Teach Multiple Perspectives
Scholars view comics from two different perspectives; one paints the Alfred Dreyfus as innocent, while the other portrays the exact opposite. They solve the mystery of what happened by analyzing the source, working in groups, and...
Anti-Defamation League
Soccer, Salaries and Sexism
Call it soccer, call it football, but call it unfair! the US women's soccer team has called out the US Soccer Federation for unfair treatment in terms of salaries, support, and working conditions in a lawsuit filed in 2019. Young...
Curated OER
Cleveland may gamble on gambling
Learners write a news feature or editorial discussing the debate of whether gambling should be legalized in Cleveland. Students research and debate about the issue. Learners interview community members to hear views.
Curated OER
Journalism: Potential Bias
Students investigate a current event involving the United States from different journalistic viewpoints. They compare a Western newspaper with one from the Middle East and submit written evaluations noting agreements and disagreements in...
Carolina K-12
Propaganda, Spin and Soundbite Politics
It's all about the spin! In an introduction to propaganda techniques and soundbite politics, scholars first learn about common propaganda techniques before seeing them in action in the context of the 2016 election cycle. Activities...