Current Events Lesson Plans

Journalism Lesson Plans

1. A Long Way Home- In this lesson, students examine the difference between "hard news" and editorial writing by considering several pieces written about the Elián González custody battle.
2. A Way with Words- In this lesson, students evaluate how facts and opinions function in relaying the news and consider the media's responsibilities in reporting during wartime.
3. Black, White and Digitized All Over- In this lesson, students examine the pros and cons of getting news from print newspapers and from their online counterparts.
4. Classroom Newsletter- This is a two week lesson plan in which students create a newsletter for their classroom and/or school. Students visit a local newspaper and learn about the various jobs at a newspaper.
5. Combing Through the News- In this lesson students will use the Sean 'Puffy' Combs trial to compare how and why various media cover a news story differently.
6. Deconstructing and Creating Obituaries of Notable Figures in Recent American History- Working as a class and in small groups, students will deconstruct an obituary, examining what elements and incidents of a person's life are chosen to memorialize in an obituary.
7. Drawing on Terror- In this lesson, students assess the ways in which editorial cartoons offer insight into events that shape our world, specifically focusing on the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
8. Every Picture Tells a Story- In this lesson, students consider controversial photos of Elián González and decide how they, as editors of the Times, might have displayed them.
9. Examining Journalistic Angles in Highly-Covered News Stories- By examining coverage of an airplane disaster, students develop an understanding of the journalistic concept of the 'news angle.'
10. Exploring A Code of Ethics- Students will understand the impact of a code of ethics and the importance of ethical writing in the field of journalism.
11. Exploring and Creating "Important" News Stories- In this lesson, students will explore the current trends in news coverage as a springboard for creating their own news broadcasts and analyzing American news media.
12. Exploring News Coverage of Race in the United States- In this lesson, students explore how the news media relays information about race in the United States by creating collages from newspapers and magazines and by sharing their reflections about the responsibilities of the news media in covering race-related topics.
13. Exploring News and Editorial Coverage of the Elián González Case- In this lesson, students examine the difference between 'hard news' and editorial writing by considering several pieces written about the Elián González custody battle.
14. Exploring Newspaper Op-Eds- In this lesson, students learn about how famous people, through newspaper Op-Ed articles, often inform the public about issues of national importance.
15. Freedom of the Press- This lesson focuses on the role the press plays as a "watchdog" for the citizenry.
16. Identifying News- Ask different journalists to define news and you will get a variety of answers from the simple to the complex. Most students will define news as that which appears in the newspaper.
17. Interviewing- To use the computer to present interviews in a class newsletter.
18. Journalism Reporting for "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton- This exercise is used to introduce journalism writing to student through their observation of the events within the novel. The exercise is also effective in checking for reading comprehension on the part of the student.
19. Let the Games Begin- In this lesson students will analyze how the Times uses small feature stories to cover aspects of a major international event - the Olympics - before it actually occurs.
20. Making a Class Newspaper- To communicate class and school activities to other students, teachers, and parents.
21. Making the Personal Political- In this lesson, students identify controversial topics on which they have strong opinions and model their own persuasive opinion pieces after the featured article.
22. Mr. Smith E-Mails The Media(sm) presented by INFOSEARCH, Inc.- This site provides a graphical interface to let you send a "Letter to the Editor" to a variety of publications.
23. Newspaper Editorial Project- This is a long-term project using newspaper editorials to focus on analyzing persuasive text.
24. PROJECT: JOURNALISM- Providing 16 projects for thinking, problem solving, and creativity, this set of reproducible handouts assigns numerous tasks journalists perform daily to help students develop writing skills.
25. Student Broadcasters- This activity will give the students a chance to express their creativity through giving an actual news broadcast. The students will be in groups of three or four and will each be doing a segment of the broadcast.
26. Student Journalists Cover the Olympics- In this lesson students will analyze how the Times uses small feature stories to cover aspects of a major international event - the Olympics - before it actually occurs.
27. School News- This activity can be used for several purposes. It can be used to improve writing skills, speaking, questioning skills, and help to build self esteem. No special conditions are required.
28. School Newspaper Unit- Students will research and write articles that will be published in an electronic newspaper.
29. Student Newspaper Project- The "Student Newspaper" project is a program that describes the many facets of creating a newspaper.
30. Student Newspaper Project- Create a student newspaper.
31. That's News to Me! Learning About and Creating a News Media Museum- In this lesson, students learn about the Newseum and create their own museum exploring various aspects of news media.
32. Tragedy at Sea- In this lesson, students learn about the recent Russian submarine tragedy. Students examine the facts related to the vessel's sinking, then research the opinions of others regarding this event.
33. Understanding: Television- Producing a television show is a complex task that requires many skills, many people, and a great deal of thought and planning.
34. Using Editorial Cartoons to Explore History- In this lesson, students will assess the ways in which editorial cartoons, both current and historic, offer insight into events that shape our world.