Creating Context: The Printing Press as Impetus

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...

As young consumers of media, it is important for high schoolers to explore concepts of bias and prejudice, and how they may be present in media. After discussing ideological messages that media can contain, individuals complete a warm-up...

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...

Is there a place for newspapers in an online world? How influential is the 24-hour television news cycle? High schoolers delve into an activity about three news formats—online news, print news, and newscasts—and consider the advantages...

Step into the shoes of a newscast director with a media analysis activity. High schoolers look over vocabulary for news media before deciding which three of five stories they'd want to air on tonight's news, based on exclusivity, viewer...

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...

Ever wonder why the most controversial or dramatic news stories are the first ones in a newscast? Evaluate every part of a television newscast, including the anchor's posture and facial expressions, the time allotted to each news story,...

Different media sources portray news in a variety of ways. In groups of three, learners look at different news sources, bringing in all the findings the next day. Three handouts help scholars compare sources, define specific terms used...

Students use library or online resources to create time lines on the life of Johannes Gutenberg and tell the impact his invention, the printing press, had on the development of newspapers.

The framers of the United States Constitution felt a free press was so essential to a democracy that they granted the press the protection it needed to hold the powerful to account in the First Amendment. Today, digital natives need to...