Outlines an approach for teaching journalism students to write editorials by following a five-step sequence: gaining readers' attention, indicating a need for action, leading readers to agree with a proposed action, enabling readers to visualize the proposal successfully enacted, and cementing readers' favorable attitudes into fixed beliefs. (TJ)

Suggests ways student reviewers of rock music groups can write better reviews. Among the suggestions made are that reviewers occasionally discuss the audience or what makes a particular group unique, support general comment with detail, and avoid ecstatic adjectives. (TJ)

Discusses the U.S. public's fascination with the judicial system and high-profile court cases. Highlights several trials that have been deemed the "Trial of the 20th Century." Explains that there are certain dramatic and societal elements inherent in particular cases making them high profile, such as religion, racism, revenge, scandal, and fame.…

Teaching strategies to involve students in discovering practical applications of the First Amendment are described. Activities include opinion surveys, court simulation, and role playing. (KC)

Surveys the author's contribution to the Center for Social Studies Education curriculum on the Vietnam War. Focuses on "How the War Was Reported," a unit which raises four questions concerning the responsibilities of the government and the press for keeping the public informed. Encourages use of the curriculum in teaching about the…

In this unit of study high school students read and discuss U.S. newspaper articles reporting the trial and execution of the French king Louis XVI. Students look for key words and phrases that might indicate a subtle favorable or unfavorable opinion. (RM)

The author suggests contemporary Iran as an excellent subject for a case study in secondary social studies. He considers some of the issues which students might analyze: journalistic bias toward Iran, pluralism in Iranian society and Islam, sociopolitical factors which affect modernizing nations, and the causes of revolution. (SJL)

Suggests that students can learn to recognize media bias by studying media reports of current events or historical topics. Describes a study unit using media coverage of the second anniversary of the Palestinian uprising against Israel. Discusses lesson objectives, planning, defining bias teaching procedures, and criteria for determining bias. (DK)

This teaching guide on global awareness contains 15 media-related activities for students in grades 6-12. The objective is to help students see how the media affect their opinions and the roles the media plays in world affairs. The activities are divided into five sections. The first section contains a general survey of the students' knowledge of…

Editorial cartoons are useful resources for middle school and high school classrooms. They reflect multiple viewpoints about events in history and incorporate visual counterparts to literary elements, such as irony and symbolism. They appeal to visual learners and challenge students to use analytical thinking skills. The cartoons of Hugh Haynie…

This issue of "Teachergram" addresses media-related issues such as the kind of world picture Canadians receive from mainstream media, the ability of television to describe the complexity of world events, and the claim of distorted and simplistic portrayal of developing nations. Students are encouraged critical perspective--to help them…

This curriculum unit for high school government or civic classes was developed as a requirement of a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship seminar in Indonesia. It deals with aspects of political control that the government exercises over citizen rights. The unit compares the situation in the United States, where the Bill of Rights guarantees the freedom of…

Presents two lesson plans to help students understand how news managers exercise judgment, how the media shapes public perception of people, places, and things, and how to recognize the importance of balanced news coverage. Each lesson includes objectives, a scenario, discussion questions, activities, and an evaluation. (LS)

Asks secondary students to compare the real Scopes trial to the fictionalized version presented in the movie "Inherit the Wind," with their textbook and Web site versions. Intends for students to learn about key facts, arguments, and outcomes of the trial and to understand significant individuals' impacts on the trial's events and…

This program examines the changing relationship between the military and the press. In this episode leading journalists and military public affairs officials debate uses of censorship, access to the battlefield, and the impact of live television on military operations. The study guide offers questions to use before viewing the video, questions to…