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The Atlanta Testing Scandal
What happens when a school is caught tampering with state test scores? Learners find out about the Atlanta Testing Scandal as they read a New York Times article. After they read, they test their comprehension by answering seven who,...
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Conflicted Feelings About Government Benefits
Government spending on social programs in the US is a big topic. It is also the current event kids will read about as they delve into this issue of the New York Times. They'll read the article, then answer seven comprehension questions....
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Bud, Not Buddy
Fifth graders read the book Bud, Not Buddy and participate in activities that generate understanding of the Great Depression. In this realistic fiction lesson, 5th graders read about a boy who grew up during this time. Students...
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Safe and Sound: Rock Concert Dangers
Students read attached articles and others they can find about dangers at rock concerts and also what bands, venue owners and others have done to increase safety. They conduct interviews and write a feature about concert safety in the...
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Everyone Gets a Laptop
Students view a news segment on a local school district giving every student a laptop. After viewing, they interview the school principal and discusses what he expects the outcome to be. They interview parents and students in their own...
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How green is your school?
Pupils read about Sidwell Friends School and the Green School concept. They develop coverage for their student media. Students interview administrators, janitors, teachers and pupils. They present findings to the class.
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Sunshine Week: Your right to know
Students read background material about accessing open records, including how to file a Freedom of Information request. Students choose a restaurant close to school they want to investigate and contact the county health inspection office...
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Hip-Hop: A Journalist's View
Students watch a CNN television news special about hip-hop and write a review. Using the internet, they investigate the pros and cons of the music while interviewing students on their opinions. They examine the growth of this type of...
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Weather
Young scholars explore the weather and how it affects different seasons and activities. In this weather lesson plan, students discuss how the weather differs in each season, interview an Elder about how weather effects their activities,...
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Full Court Press
Young scholars watch a video clip about bullying, discuss the video, and help develop an anti-bullying policy for their school.
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Writing News Interviews
Students write ten facts for a topic of choice. They describe why they chose that topic and begin to research it. They complete a handout on note taking that is used to draft questions for interviews.
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News Interviews of Historical Figures During the Indian Wars
Students examine the lives of important historical figures. Using primary source documents, they develop a list of questions to ask the figure if they were still alive. In groups, they discover information about the other historical...
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Breaking News English: Tests Show Diana Driver Was Drunk
In this English worksheet, students read "Tests Show Diana Driver Was Drunk," and then respond to 1 interview, 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 8 true or false questions about the selection.
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Ecosystem Services - Water Purification
Students see that ecosystems provide services to people that are essential to life as we know it. Reporters (drops of water) could interview the trees and soil in the surrounding ecosystems for news stories on how they helped keep the...
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Oral History and Interview Skills
Learners develop interview skills and learn about US history at the same time. Students research an event from local history. Learners prepare a list of questions based on the research. They create a list of interview questions and...
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Alexander the Great
Students examine the accomplishments of Alexander the Great. In this ancient civilizations lesson, students research the life and leadership of Alexander the Great. Students then script and perform modern news conferences, talk shows, or...
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Interview a Politician
Students, in groups of two, choose a politician of interest and research that person. They each assume the role of either the reporter or the politician and write a "mock" interview that they later present to the class.
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Calling on Congo
Students listen to an interview with a former news coorespondent in Congo. They discuss an article about the instability in the country following their elections. They research Congo's history along with its connection to the United...
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Walter Cronkite: Witness to History
Students brainstorm a list of news sources. They interview people about today's media and discuss their results. After watching segments of a film about Walter Cronkite, they role play as reporters and subjects from an historic period...
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Teaching The Personality Profile
Students write a comprehensive personality profile feature that demonstrates knowledge of the Wall Street Journal formula of feature writing and the concept of show, don't tell. They experience a press conference interview situation.
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"One Giant Leap for Mankind"
Students explore the significance of the Apollo 11 lunar landing by interviewing an adult for memories of the mission. They incorporate their interviews into news articles as 'journalists' in July 1969 to document this historic 'step for...
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Where Were You?
Students examine various New York Times readers' reflections on the life and death of President John F. Kennedy, by reading and discussing "Readers Reflect on President John F. Kennedy." Students then write their own personal...
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Photojournalism And Creating A Layout
Young scholars gain an idea of how a photographer prepares and shoots a photo story. They explore how to use Pagemaker and lay out a story for the newspaper. They see the powerful effect that photography can have on news stories.
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Remembering Jackie Robinson
Learners create a list of famous African Americans, then read a news article about Jackie Robinson. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary activity, then students read the news...