The resource, a standalone, shows how news coverage of John Brown's Raid began when the event happened and how that reporting shaped perception in West Virginia history. The resource includes interesting anticipatory discussion...

Although students are aware of news as information that influences their perceptions of the world, they are often unaware of the various ways to present that information. Encourage them to investigate, discuss, analyze and make valuable...

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 lesson plan,...

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...

How does broadcast news differ from accounts reported in newspapers? On the radio? Through the Internet? Middle schoolers discuss the news and speak about the differences between news in print and broadcast news. Given a list of six...

News Quizzes can be a fun way for learners to test their own knowledge. They read the Times published on May 6, 2011 and then take a five question online quiz. This quiz can also be printed.

"Fake News" (stories that are entirely fabricated/fictional) is the subject of a case study of the search for Jestin Coler, the creator of some of the most famous fake news stories. After reading NPR's investigative report, scholars...

Is it news or not? That is the question young journalists must consider in a lesson about newsworthiness. Class members watch a short video that details five key characteristics of quality, credible news. Individuals then use these tips...

Young scholars demonstrate the impact of the printing press on society.  In this printing press lesson, students discuss occupations and industries that have grown up due to the invention of the printing press.  Young scholars...

Reading the paper is like eating oatmeal, it's a great way to start the day! Kids dig into the September 20, 2011 edition of the New York Times and then take a short multiple choice quiz. The quiz can be completed in print or online.

Get the class online so they can check out the May 10, 2012 edition of the New York Times. They'll read or scan each article and then take a five-question quiz. A great way to start the day. Note: The quiz can be printed!

The New York Times December 5, 2011 edition, is ready to read. Kids plunge head-long into the paper and then use what they know to take a five question quiz. The quiz can be printed or taken online.

What does your class know about the stories in today's paper? They read the articles and top headlines in the January 4, 2012 edition of the New York Times and then take a short quiz. The quiz contains five questions and can be done...

Check out this packet of worksheets involving mapping activities, vocabulary logging, reading and comprehending informational texts, etc., which focuses on Italian city-states during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. There are also...

A current and engaging informational text with some superb scaffolding activities, this six paragraph article discusses the release of the iPad from Apple, eBooks, and the history of reading and writing materials. After reading the...

Students compare and contrast methods of media coverage. In this media awareness lesson, students keep track of news regarding a world or national issue for the period of 1 week. Students collaborate to describe the type of coverage...

Critical thinking and social justice are central themes for this resource on bias and crime in media. The class views and discusses an incisive PSA that highlights assumptions based on race. Small groups read newspaper opinion pieces...

Young journalists use a "Is This Story Share-Worthy?" flowchart graphic to decide whether a story is worth sharing online. Instructors provide groups with fake news, poor quality stories, opinion pieces, biased news, and high-quality...

Young people are the future voices of the country. In order to be knowledgeable about local and federal elections, future voters must first become aware. Bring an informative lesson plan to your social studies class, in which middle...

Learners analyze the relationship between war and media. In this media awareness lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on freedom of the press and military censorship. Learners participate in an activity connected...

Students explore controversial current events. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students research selected issues and examine the issues from different perspectives. Students script and record news stories that feature their findings.

Eighth graders decide on which pictures and sounds to use to make their story come to life. They discover copyright rules pertaining to photographs and how to make a story come to life. They complete edits on their work to make sure all...

Roll the presses! Or at least have your class members participate in the time-honored tradition of the student press by creating their own newspapers or journalist pieces on a social problem. After conducting research and collaborating...

Fourth graders engage in a lesson plan constructed in order to dissect the parts of a story used by the news media in order to communicate to the public. They use the media in order to help obtain information. Students create their own...