"Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;. . ." Why is this guarantee of free speech and a free press the First Amendment to the US Constitution? Why are these rights so essential to a...

The debate over the integrity of stories in media is not new. Young journalists analyze historical sources that reveal freedom of the press controversies and draw parallels to challenges freedom of the press faces today. 

How can social media help or hinder civil dialogue? How can information shared on social media be verified? As the investigation of media reports of the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown continues, class members read...

Young journalists use the E.S.C.A.P.E. (evidence, source, context, audience, purpose, and execution) strategy to evaluate historical and contemporary examples of bias in the news. The class then uses the provided discussion questions to...

One picture but a thousand stories. As a part of a case study of how the death of Michael Brown was reported by professional news sources and on social media class members examine the reactions of various groups to a photograph taken by...

As part of their continued investigation of the reporting of the shooting of Michael Brown class members analyze photos of Michael Brown and the social media response to these images. The class then develops a guide they...

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....

Have your young reporters research contributions of the ancient Egyptians, draft scripts, and broadcast their stories live on the Nile Network News. Depending on class size and age, topics may be brainstormed or assigned. The detailed...

Seventh graders study events leading to, during and resulting from the American Revolution. They review elements of a political cartoon. They create and dramatize a scene from a Revolutionary War novel.

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 research the development of satellite technology over the last 50 years students explain how the enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 changed the rules for corporate ownership of multiple media outlets.

Students, in groups, research apartheid and its effects on South Africa. They present their information to the class.

After listening to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech, young historians research information about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, possible motives for the attack, and the consequences of the attack. Scholars...

Seventh graders produce a newscast from an Ancient Roman city. In this journalism and history lesson, 7th graders work in groups to dramatize a historical event from the Roman Empire. students sequence the events, role-play, and create...

Students research the events of a specific year of the Cold War. For this Cold War lesson, students investigate the causes of the Cold War and highlight the events of a particular year.  Students create a...

Students investigate the effects of television and radio on culture. In this journalism lesson plan, students consider how electronic media has shaped journalism as they create timelines that feature the changes and compare and contrast...

High schoolers research the life of Henry Luce, Time Magazine's founder, and examine the impact his magazine has had on the way American's see the world. They create a photo-essay, magazine or video to present their research.

Students explore U.S. History by reading biographical text in class. For this Benjamin Franklin instructional activity, students read about the famous American's first job and the transition he underwent from printing to politics....

Fifth graders create multi-media newscasts based on their knowledge of Civil War battles of the ironclad ships.

Students describe the relationship between animals and humans. In this biology lesson, students research about the history of horses in America. They present a mock news broadcast about their research.

Learners compose a multi-media newscast on various subjects relating to WWII to demonstrate their knowledge and ability to research.

Learners develop an understanding of the problems of the illegal international trafficking of women into the U.S. They locate nations where trafficking originates. They explain their solutions to the problem in short essay format.

Students explore 1920s America. In this American history instructional activity, students research primary and secondary sources in order to examine the events and noteworthy people of the time period. Students use their...

Students identify and assess the impact of unions on workers, management, and community. They listen to radio stories, students are asked what can they conclude about the impact of unions on the lives of the workers, management, and...