Journalism for Serious Students

The way in which we absorb news is morphing, with a heavy emphasis on technology. As journalism changes, newspapers remain important primary document resources. Archives of print media help us trace trends and ideas in history. There are numerous resources available to teach students about the value of journalism and how to be critical consumers of news. Here are a few.

• Newseum is an interactive museum in Washington D.C. that offers five centuries of news history. There are also links at the Newseum website that have good teaching tools. Under the Education link, the section titled Resources for Teachers has some great lesson plans for grades 6-12 that highlight the headlines and front pages of newspapers. Today’s Front Pages is a very interesting section where you will find the day’s front pages from more than 800 newspapers around the world.
• Hsj.org/ is a wonderful resource for learning and teaching all aspects of journalism. The High School Journalism: Lesson Archive section contains lots of ideas to teach about advertising, bias, copy editing, critical thinking about the media, decision-making, design, diversity, editing, editorial cartoons, editorial writing, entertainment journalism, features, First Amendment, graphics and design, interviewing, journalism ethics, journalism history, libel, news values, online journalism, photography, reporting, story ideas, and more.
• The New York Times Daily Lesson Plan is an archive of lesson plans that blends daily news with higher-level thinking skills. The site contains excellent ideas for teaching students to analyze what they read and see. The site also contains a parent section with discussion ideas.

Is your student interested in a career in journalism? If so, check out the Broadcast Media and Journalism Career Guide.

How to Use and Create Virtual Museums

With the Internet, the world is virtually at our fingertips. Children are often interested in a wide variety of topics—many that would not normally be taught in school. Virtual museums allow students to pursue many of these topics by “visiting” collections around the world. Even by just browsing museums, a young person may become interested in a topic that he had not previously considered. Here are some excellent ways to access online museums.

Museum of Online Museums 

This site provides a long list of links to online collections and exhibits covering a vast array of subjects, from classical art to architecture to mundane collectible objects. Links include MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art), The Smithsonian, Vintage Advertising Archives, and Postage Stamps of Israel.

Art and Museums Online 

Here you will find links to The Getty, The Guggenheim, The Library of Congress, and also to digital art.

Aviation History Online Museum 

This is a specialty site that has great pictures and history.

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If virtual museums pique your interest, consider creating a virtual museum with gifted students. Look at the article, Building a Virtual Museum Community, which describes how a school district and museum partnered to develop of a virtual museum devoted to local history at the turn of the 19^th Century. The article discusses strategies needed to cultivate such a relationship.