Part of a series aimed at breaking down cultural bias from the Canadian Media Awareness Network, this activity identifies where opinions do and don't belong in a newspaper. Pupils review handouts about the purpose of editorial comments...

What would Ben do? Jumping off from the pseudonymous letters Ben Franklin fooled his older brother into publishing when he was still a teenager, young literary lovers dive into acting, writing, and addressing a local issue with wit and...

Learners write an opinion piece, including facts of this situation and any other statistics about helping others during a fight. Students offer suggestions about how to break up a fight, or when not to try (based on what national experts...

This learning experience fosters awareness of representations we see, and don't see, in the media. Learners list TV programs, games, and films they enjoy, identify characters' ethnic, religious, (dis)ability, and sexual orientation...

Fifth graders run a school newspaper on a school website and discover how to use various literary forms as they relate to the writing process. In this school newspaper lesson, 5th graders synthesize information from different sources,...

Fifth graders write a website based school newspaper using a variety of literary forms to present the news of the school.

Students research Ohio's concealed gun legislation using provided resource links, read editorials and commentaries from Ohio's daily and weekly newspapers, and analyze these opinion pieces.

Ripped from the headlines! Discuss topical social issues like racism, discrimination, and diversity while exploring the concept of citizen journalism. Begin with a professional-looking presentation on the history of citizen journalism....

Students examine the ways in which editorials and Op-Ed pieces respond to current events. They write editorials in response to news items from the New York Times.

Placing Ben Franklin’s ideas about a free press next to those embodied in the First Amendment sheds light on both. Learners interpret and compare two primary sources and then examine them in the light of a contemporary survey about...

In this opinion and facts worksheet, students write the opinion and facts of letters to the editor that are for and against a candidate running for office. Students also write the propaganda technique used and example of an endorsement...

Students research background material about voting in their community. They interview local/county election officials to see what is going on in the community. They also interview teachers, and students to determine if they are newly...

Students examine journalism in extreme conditions. In this war-zone journalism lesson, students research media coverage of Vietnam, Grenada, the Gulf War, and military actions in Somalia and Kosovo. Students compare coverage in the...

Students examine how matters of national security affect the press' ability to practice free speech. They read and discuss an article regarding the Swift program, discuss opinions about patriotism and the press, and write a letter to the...

Learners explore the controversial topic of same-sex marriages in a fishbowl discussion. They write balanced news articles based on interviews exploring people's opinions on laws that define marriage.

Learners read and write newspaper articles. In this newspaper article writing instructional activity, students collect and share current news articles, examine how they are written, then choose an event from the 20th century and write...

Students share opinions about groups or activities that give meaning to their lives. They read and discuss the article "Challenging Tradition, Young Jews Worship on Their Terms". Afterward, they investigate and write news articles about...

Students research various aspects of school bus safety about what makes a bus safe or unsafe. They check the Internet (with sites below and others) and see what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has to say.

Students explore ideas about journalism ethics as they relate to Watergate and discuss various issues related to an anonymous source being revealed. They write letters to the public editor of The NY Times about credibility and anonymous...

Students examine how Presidents are judged during their time in office as well as afterwards. They conduct and Internet search for Jimmy Carter's inaugural address and write a news story about his address. Once they have written an...

What is considered news vs. propaganda? Learners will discuss objectivity and press responsibility while exploring these two concepts. They work in small groups to explore the article in-depth, guided by reading comprehension and...

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...

Students examine the impact of photography on bringing readership to a magazine. They read and discuss an article, and create a magazine cover and inside spread designed to compete with an existing publication.

Explore well-known expressions that are frequently used. Middle schoolers read an article with the author's opinion of the most annoying phrases. Afterward, they complete numerous activities that check their reading comprehension. Some...