Smithsonian Institution
The Soldier’s Experience—Vietnam versus World War I
The Vietnam War and World War I were two very important—and different—wars. To understand the differences, and similarities, class members watch videos, examine primary source documents, and then create a newscast that examines the...
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....
US Institute of Peace
Organizations Working for Peace
From helping refugees to negotiating peace treaties, the peacekeepers of the world keep busy! Introduce young activists to the many individuals and organizations throughout the world that work daily toward peace. 14th in a series of 15...
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...
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...
Facing History and Ourselves
Social Media and Ferguson
How can social media help or hinder civil dialogue? How can information shared on social media be verified? As the investigation of media reports of the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown continues, class members read news...
Facing History and Ourselves
Verifying Breaking News
The attempts of journalists to verify the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown take center stage as individuals analyze three of the initial newspaper accounts of the story. The whole class discussion then focuses on the...
Curated OER
Fighting Fake News
Fake news. Alternative facts. Internet trolls. In an age of Newspeak, it's increasingly important to equip 21st century learners with the skills needed to determine the legitimacy of claims put forth on social media, in print, and in...
Curated OER
Using the Commentaries in Class
Young scholars examine language and communication by listening to a commentary radio show. For this communications lesson, students listen to Michael Josephson's radio broadcast using the Internet and analyze his words and their...
Curated OER
Weather Report
Students prepare a weather script for a broadcast. In this weather broadcasting lesson, student record the present temperature, high temperature, a sky watch, and the current moon phase to be presented in a school broadcast at the...
Newseum
Is It Fair?
Young journalists learn how to analyze word choice, context, and counterpoints to judge the fairness of a news story. They practice using these tools to judge a series of headlines for the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. They...
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.
State Bar of Texas
Gibbons v. Ogden
Have you ever played the game Monopoly? Do you know what it takes to win the game correctly? Scholars research the nature of outlawing monopolies in the United States while controlling trade. They investigate the court case Gibbons v....
Newseum
Civil Rights News Coverage: Looking Back at Bias
Not all southern newspapers covered the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Young journalists investigate how The Lexington (Ky. Herald-Leader and The Jackson (Tenn.) Sun re-examined their coverage of the movement. After...
Newseum
Breaking News: Tracing the Facts
Breaking news reports can be short of facts. Young journalists select a pair of news articles about a disaster; one published within hours of the event and the second published the following day. They examine whether facts in the report...
Magic of Physics
Radio Transmission
Radio waves are all around us! How do they transmit sound? Using an interactive, scholars examine how songs travel through the air. The resource explains the process from the radio station, to signal towers, to the radio unit. A look at...
Facing History and Ourselves
Free Press Makes Democracy Work
A unit study of the importance of a free press in a democracy begins with class members listening to a podcast featuring two journalists, one from a United States public radio station and one from Capetown, South Africa. The...
Curated OER
World War II Multimedia Newscast: History, Technology, Journalism
High schoolers compose a multi-media newscast on various subjects relating to WWII to demonstrate their knowledge and ability to research.
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
To Be or Not to Be
Students gather information about setting goals through a variety of activities. In this setting goals instructional activity, students view a PowerPoint that explains the outcomes of the project, take notes, interview a local business...
Curated OER
Statistics Newscast in Math Class
Students study sports teams, gather data about the teams, and create a newscast about their data. In this sports analysis lesson, students research two teams and define their statistical data. Students compare the two teams, make...
Curated OER
Houghton Mifflin Social Studies/ Chapter 5, Lesson 2: Mexico Defeated (pp. 116-120)
Third graders study how the United States declared war on Mexico and succeeded in gaining control of California. Several activities are included in the lesson. The lesson outline is included as a link.
Curated OER
Conversation Lesson: News
In this conversation lesson worksheet, 7th graders use context clues to get the meaning of 8 words, then select 6 news stories from a list of 12 and explain why they would choose those for an evening TV news broadcast.
Curated OER
Flip Camera Christmas Lessons and Ideas
Students use a Flip camera to complete various projects about Christmas. In this Christmas and technology lesson plan, students write and record letters to Santa. Students write letters to Christmas characters and record them. Students...