Curated OER
Eminent Domain: Whose Land is it Anyway?
Students research eminent domain and whether or not there has been a land dispute in their community. Students search local newspapers, local history books or talk with civic leaders and long-time citizens and create a chart showing the...
Curated OER
Who Are Your Local Officials?
High schoolers identify the names and positions held by local public officials. In pairs, students research the requirements and duties needed to hold office. A brief presentation of their research will include the names and positions...
Curated OER
Reading a Local and National Weather Map
Students practice reading a national and local weather map. Using this information, they work together to make predictions about the weather for the next few days. They discuss the use of symbols and maps as a class and discuss how...
Curated OER
What Is a Newspaper?
In this journalism learning exercise, students read and analyze an article about newspapers and complete a variety of activities along with answering twenty four comprehension questions.
Curated OER
Local Leaders
Second graders recognize the importance of having community leaders. In this community leaders lesson, 2nd graders find local leader names and local leader news items. Students answer questions and create a graphic organizer about a...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Vanishing Newspapers
In this current events activity, students analyze a political cartoon about the changing newspaper industry and respond to 3 talking point questions.
K12 Reader
1850: My Letter to the Editor
Young writers assume the voice of a person living in the US in the 1850's with an engaging historical lesson. They craft a letter to the editor of their local paper that details why they believe slavery should be abolished.
American Press Institute
Media Literacy: Where News Comes From
What actually happens at a press conference? Make sense of the mayhem with a mock press conference activity designed to promote media literacy. Individuals participate as either members of the press or the governor's office to examine...
Curated OER
"Every Block, Every Borough"
From the New York Times Learning Network series, this learning exercise poses 10 questions on an article entitled, "Leaving His Footprint on the City" about a man planning to walk every street in all five New York boroughs. The prompts...
BBC
Local Democracy
Middle and high schoolers explore how democracy works. After a teacher-led discussion, pupils go to websites embedded in the plan which lead them through activities that are all about the democratic process. The first website has them...
Newspaper Association of America
Community Connections with Geography and the Newspaper
Understanding geography and government begins at the local level. Using maps and the parts of a newspaper, a unit plan introduces the concept of community. It starts with the creation of classroom and school maps, and then moves through...
Curated OER
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 students each. The groups are responsible for monitoring the daily news. They compose...
American Press Institute
Introductory News Literacy
Aspiring journalists learn about media literacy, journalism, and the press. Units come complete with handouts, assignment rubrics, notes, and extension suggestions. Each unit also comes with a list of vocabulary words and learning...
Curated OER
From Printed Page to Home Page
Students compare on-line newspapers to their print counterparts
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Yellow Journalism
What role did yellow journalism play in bringing the United States into war with Spain? As part of their study of the Spanish-American War, class groups examine newspapers of the times and other texts and then produce their own...
The New York Times
The Careful Reader: Teaching Critical Reading Skills with the New York Times
The 11 lessons in this educators' guide focus on using newspapers to develop critical reading skills in the content areas.
Curated OER
What is the Population Distribution of Cartoon Characters Living On the Pages of Your Newspaper?
Students read various cartoons in their local newspaper and calculate the population demographics, spatial distribution and grouping of the characters. Using this information, they create a population distribution map and share them with...
Curated OER
Distinguishing Between Levels of Government
Twelfth graders study confederal, federal, and unitary governments. They compose an essay that compares and contrasts the purpose of state/local government with that of the national government in the American federal system.
Curated OER
Learning the Component and Information Found in the Newspaper
Fifth graders work in a group to identify and reference the index, front page, metro page, state and local pages, as well as the sports, comics and classifieds in the newspaper 90% of the time during the game of "Identifying and...
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
Local and Global Sustainability Unit
High schoolers examine the characteristics that define a sustainable community at the local and global level. They create and prioritize a list of traits, read and discuss a magazine article, and create a poster.
Curated OER
Chinese Newspapers
Students investigate the role of Chinese newspapers in the Australian Chinese community, both in the early 20th century and today. They identify the role of ethnic newspapers.
Curated OER
Creating a Newspaper
Get the scoop with a fun, engaging newspaper project. After analyzing the parts of a newspaper, including the headline, subtitles, and pictures or images, young journalists get to work by writing their own stories in a newspaper article...
American Press Institute
Creating a Classroom Newspaper
Hot off the press: a mini-unit for class members to create their own newspaper. Complete with graphic organizers, extension activities, and helpful learning targets that teach parts of a newspaper, the resource contains everything needed...