Curated OER
Be a Weather Newscaster
Ninth graders, in groups, create and videotape a news broadcast. Each group researches, develops and writes a weather forecast, a commentary on an environmental concern, a school activity and a commercial.
Curated OER
Journalists Under Fire
Students examine journalism in extreme conditions. In this war-zone journalism lesson plan, students research media coverage of Vietnam, Grenada, the Gulf War, and military actions in Somalia and Kosovo. Students compare coverage in...
Media Smarts
Violence on Television
Focus on a specific incident of violence on television in the case of the Canadian Broadcast System showing Silence of the Lambs on public television. Look at the broadcasting codes and a complaint that was filed against the Association....
Curated OER
Producing a Daily News Broadcast: A Cross-Curricular Activity
Sixth graders create a daily newscast which they broadcast to the whole school. They write the scripts for the broadcast, after reviewing interviews, feature writing, and proposals. They organize the newscast for presentation and edit...
Curated OER
Journalism: Underage Drinking
Students research underage drinking and read a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association about the issue. They interview experts on substance abuse and liquor store owners about their policies. Students publish their...
Curated OER
News Broadcasts
Learners create a news broadcast after studying example broadcasts about disaster relief organizations. In this broadcast news lesson, students research disaster relief organizations and then write a news broadcast related to a disaster....
Newseum
The Fundamentals of News
A short video introduces middle schoolers to different media-related news terms. Viewers then complete a worksheet and discuss the differences between news and journalism, between facts and opinions.
Social Media Toolbox
Twitter Time
Tweet all about it! Junior journalists explore the Twittersphere to determine its effectiveness as a news broadcasting tool in the 12th installment of the 16-part Social Media Toolbox. Participants follow and record their observations of...
Newseum
When the News Media Make Mistakes
Mistakes happen. When they happen in news reporting, be it in print or on the internet, journalism ethics requires that the errors be corrected. Young journalists use an Accuracy Checklist to track how news organizations post corrections...
Media Smarts
Bias
See how bias operates firsthand. Half of the class reads one article while the other half reads another article on the same event. The obvious differences emerge when the two sides talk about their observations though. Several handouts...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
The Weekly News, Part 2
Sixth graders use articles they've previously written to produce a school news broadcast. In this journalism lesson, 6th graders discuss the goals of a news broadcast and use previously written articles to plan a news broadcast. Students...
Curated OER
Mining Mass Media
Students take a closer look at the attributes of electronic media. In this journalism instructional activity, students compare and contrast electronic and print versions of the same news stories. Students then write their one broadcast...
Curated OER
The Power of One: Convergence in Scholastic Media
Pupils explore the different forms of media utilized by journalism including writing, photography, video, sound and the Internet. In this journalism lesson, students compare and contrast the ways in which information is presented between...
Curated OER
Middle School Masters of the Web- Video Newsletter
Students develop a school newscast. In this school newscast lesson, students practice interviewing skills, use of video and podcasting equipment, and editing skills. They work in groups to develop a school newscast using digital pictures...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
The World in 22 Minutes: Constructing a TV News Lineup
Students examine several newspapers to compare front pages, headlines, and photographs, experience role of news editor, define and discuss factors that go into news judgements, and arrange twenty-two minute news broadcast by selecting...
Curated OER
Editorial Writing: What's On Your Mind
Students write an editorial column for a newspaper. For this journalism lesson, students discuss and analyze editorials in print and broadcast media. Students will compare the differences in these two formats of editorial...
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
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...
Curated OER
World War II Multimedia Newscast: History, Technology, Journalism
Learners compose a multi-media newscast on various subjects relating to WWII to demonstrate their knowledge and ability to research.
Curated OER
Radio Broadcasting Before Television
Students compare the radio to other forms of mass communication. In this Radio Broadcasting Before Television lesson, students learn the different types of radio shows in the 1920s and 30s. Students write and perform radio scripts...
Social Media Toolbox
Reporting with Social Media
What does it take to create news stories that are both informative and objective? Aspiring journalists walk the line between engagement and activism with activity 15 of a 16-part series titled The Social Media Toolbox. Grouped pupils...
Media Smarts
Television Broadcast Ratings
Explore the relationships between programming, advertising, and the ensuing rating wars. Help develop the media smarts of your pupils through this examination of advertisers for popular shows. Although the included Sweep Chart features...