Students increase their awareness of persuasion tactics used in "junk mail" advertising.

Students develop criteria for determining statements of opinion. They practice discerning statements of opinions in advertisements.

Students demonstrate understanding of main points of the Deseret News article, and identify the verb(s) of each phrase to aid in listening comprehension.

Students examine advertisements from magazines. They are asked questions about each ad and what perceptions they get from the advertisement. They also identify the goal of the ad.

Students discuss the relationship teenagers have with the television. In groups, they watch different excerpts from various television shows and note every instance of violence including children. They also discuss the instances of...

Students examine photographs, paintings and drawings convey meaning and mood. The ability to 'read' a picture is an important literary skill. This activity gives students the opportunity to tell a story through pictures by creating a...

Students examine an editorial point of view in journalism and explore how this contributes to the West's understanding of events in the Middle East. They discuss the concepts of objectivity and subjectivity, and how tone and vocabulary,...

Students examine the newspaper. In this writing purposes lesson, students read the newspaper and discuss the purpose: to inform, entertain and persuade. Students identify facts and opinions. Students write an article and discuss acts of...

Ninth graders study different types of propaganda and select an issue that is significant to them.  In this exploratory lesson students design and create posters on the topic of their choice and write a narrative describing it. 

Fifth graders write about a holiday. In this language arts instructional activity, 5th graders write about a holiday they choose. Students write comments and questions for their Chinese colleagues using a blog site.

Free speech, privacy, and cyberbullying are the focus of a series of activities that prompt class members to engage in discussions about these interrelated topics. They view a segment from PBS’s series on bullying, read...

Several New York Times articles were used to create informative reading material. Kids click on each of the embedded links to access a resource related to Syria and the Middle East conflict. They then answer the nine questions. Note:...

In December of 2011, the New York Times released an article describing new investigations of old Antarctic explorations. Your class will read the article then answer 12 related comprehension questions.

While this New York Times resource posted several months ago it could still be a useful learning experience. Learners practice using the Times's Campaign 2012 Politics section to help them answer 16 questions about the Republican...

Learners elucidate themselves by writing up to six entries in different formats. Some formatting choices include a dictionary, encyclopedia, or atlas entry, a magazine article, a newspaper article, and a table of contents. Some...

Learners take a critical look at the ways in which the president interacts with Congress in order to make political and economic decisions. They use a series of well-constructed discussion questions to guide their thinking as they...

Is global warming all smoke and mirrors? Find out what your scholars think with this handout, which has them analyzing two political cartoons on the topic. Background information gives context, detailing the computer hacking during the...

A large pig labeled "Stimulus Package" wrapped in an American flag is the primary image on this political cartoon. Ready for analysis, this worksheet provides learners with the opportunity to understand the pros and cons of US spending...

A link to a beautiful Animoto presentation is included, giving examples of primary sources that a student might want to contact when doing research. Using the Topaz Internment Camp in Utah as a sample topic, middle schoolers view a slide...

Today's blog topic is robotic limb replacement for amputees. Upper graders read the related article and argument, then compose a blog response that addresses the questions provided. This is a great way to get kids thinking about ethics,...

Why is online privacy so important? Explore privacy with a group assignment for which pupils create word clouds with words they associate with privacy. A discussion and online activity follow. Learners will read articles, explore the...

Introduce your class to the concept of copyright with a series of activities. Pupils first learn about copyright laws and fair use, putting their knowledge to the test with a quick categorizing task. They then watch a video and answer...

Following a site's community guidelines is just one step toward being an excellent digital citizen. After a brief introductory video, small groups come up with their own community guidelines and present their ideas to come up with a...