journalism lesson plans for high school

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University of missouri, resources for high school teachers.

Missouri School of Journalism high school journalism project: Free, online teaching resources for scholastic journalism teachers.

Choose from 25 modules to help you teach skills used in journalism, yearbook and related topics.

Individual module landing pages set you up with an overview of the lesson’s activities:

• Complete lesson plan
• “Do” activities
• Worksheets, examples and answer keys to support activities
• Readings and resources
• Various types of formative assessment
• A summative assessment at the end of each lesson in the form of a 10-question multiple choice quiz with feedback on correct and incorrect answers
• The plans also state the learning objectives to which those activities and readings are aligned and sets the expectations.

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Lesson 1: Journalism

Lesson plan.

What separates journalism from other kinds of information out there? Would you know reliable reporting if you saw it? This lesson introduces students to journalistic standards and ethics. Students learn basic markers of high-standards reporting based on the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. They flex their new skills by analyzing a variety of examples to identify what reliable reporting looks like.

Web Activity Link: https://www.icivics.org/node/2518248/resource

Got a 1:1 classroom? Download fillable PDF versions of this lesson's materials below!

This resource was created with support from the Raab Family Foundation.

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Teacher Resources

Get access to lesson plans, teacher guides, student handouts, and other teaching materials.

• Journalism_Lesson Plan.pdf
• Journalism_StudentDocs.pdf

I find the materials so engaging, relevant, and easy to understand – I now use iCivics as a central resource, and use the textbook as a supplemental tool. The games are invaluable for applying the concepts we learn in class. My seniors LOVE iCivics.

Lynna Landry , AP US History & Government / Economics Teacher and Department Chair, California

Related Resources

Lesson 2: misinformation.

Lesson 3: Bias

Lesson 4: opinion & analysis, mini-lesson a: monetization.

Mini-Lesson B: Satire

Mini-lesson c: algorithms & you, mini-lesson d: privacy policies & you, newsfeed defenders.

NewsFeed Defenders Extension Pack

See how it all fits together!

Teaching Journalism: 5 Journalism Lessons and Activities

You and your students will absolutely love these journalism lessons! The beginning of a new school year can be hectic for journalism teachers who are tasked with simultaneously teaching new journalism students who don’t have any journalism experience while also planning and publishing content for the school newspaper.

If your class is anything like mine, it is a mix of returning and new students. This year, I only have three returning students, so it is almost like I am starting entirely from scratch.

Here are 5 journalism lessons to teach at the beginning of the year

1. staff interview activity.

One of the very first assignments I have my students do is partner up with a fellow staff member that they don’t know and interview them. This activity works on two things: first, it helps the class get to know one another. Secondly, it helps students proactive their interviewing skills in a low-stakes environment.

For this activity, I have students come up with 10 interview questions, interview one another and do a quick write-up so that students can have practice recording their interviews.

Before this activity, I go over interviewing skills with my students. We discuss the dos and don’ts of interviewing, we brainstorm good interviewing questions, and we talk about the need to go beyond simple answer questions.

2. Staff Bio

Another great activity for the beginning of the year is to have students write their staff bio. This provides students with an opportunity to write in the third person while also providing the most important information.

For my staff bios, I give students 80-100 words. I have them write their bios in the third person and in the present tense.

3. Collaborative News Story

For our first news story of the school year, I like to write one collaboratively as a staff. We go over the basics of journalism writing and then write together in one Google Doc. I do this as a learning activity so that new staff can see how we write journalistically. First, I have students work together in small groups to write the lead. Then, as a class, we craft one together. From there, we move on to building the story.

As we write the story, as a staff, we can then see what kind of information we need. I assign small groups of students to interview people and find quotes. Those groups then add that information to the story.

Once it is written, we edit and review the story together before it is published. This activity is particularly helpful because students get to see how we format quotes in our stories, how we refer to students and teachers in our stories, and how we go about the news-gathering process.

Once our collaborative story is done, new staff then have the green light to begin writing their own stories.

4. The News Determinants

You can also read more in-depth about the news determinants with this blog post about teaching the five news determinants .

5. AP Style Writing

As students are writing their first stories, I like to teach students about AP Style . I use this instructional presentation, and students assemble their AP Style mini flip books that they use as a reference all year long.

The news determinants and AP Style lessons are included in my journalism curriculum with many other resources that will make teaching and advising the middle school or high school newspaper much easier.

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Lesson Plan November 17, 2017

The Paradise Papers: A Lesson in Investigative Journalism

Printable PDFs/Word Documents for this Lesson:

• Full lesson for students [PDF] [Word]
• Project Description for the Paradise Papers [PDF]

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

• Describe the process, identify the purpose, and evaluate the impact of investigative journalism
• Evaluate the use of different types of media in acheiving particular aims
• Create a resource that clearly and engagingly conveys information about the Paradise Papers

BREAKING NEWS! On your desk, you will find an envelope with a number written on it and a note card inside. On that note card, there is a tip —a piece of news about your school, neighborhood, or community that someone powerful doesn't want you to know. Your source (the person who left the envelope for you) has chosen to remain anonymous, meaning you don't know who they are. Your source's information might be true or untrue.

1. Brainstorm on your own:

• What steps could you take to determine whether this information is true and what the fuller story behind it is?
• What would be the benefits and drawbacks of keeping this information secret while you investigated it further?
• If you shared this information, who would be affected and how?

2. Find a partner who has an envelope with the same number as your own. Take 3 minutes to merge the steps you brainstormed into a single action plan, and discuss how you can most effectively work together. Then, take another two minutes to discuss what you will do with the information once you have thoroughly investigated it.

3. Discuss as a class:

• What advantages and disadvantages can you see to working with a partner on your investigation?

A few students should share their tip, plan for investigation, and plan for distributing information. The class can then discuss the potential impact of that story.

Introducing the Lesson:

UNESCO defines investigative journalism as "the unveiling of matters that are concealed either deliberately by someone in a position of power, or accidentally, behind a chaotic mass of facts and circumstances - and the analysis and exposure of all relevant facts to the public."

Investigative reporting projects can begin in many ways. Sometimes, a journalist notices a problem or something suspicious themselves and decides to research it some more. Other times, they receive a tip from a source and work to determine whether it is true and what the full story is. In still other cases, a source might provide a leak (send secret information), supplying all the necessary documentation, but requiring the journalist to piece together a narrative from the information and find a way to present it to the public.

• Are you familiar with any investigative journalism stories?
• What do you think is the difference between investigative journalism and other types of journalism?

Today, we are going to learn more about investigative journalists and their work by examining the Paradise Papers, a project from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). This project exposes how political leaders, businesspeople, and the wealthy elite around the world use offshore entities to avoid taxes and cover up wrongdoing. With about 400 journalists working on 6 continents and in 30 languages to examine 13.4 million files for nearly an entire year, it is one of the largest investigative journalism projects in history.

Following this lesson, you will create a resource to clearly and engagingly convey information you have learned from the Paradise Papers to a lay audience, a vital part of investigative journalism.

Introducing Resource 1: " The True Story Behind the Secret Nine-Month Paradise Papers Investigation "

1. After watching the video, work individually or with a partner to create a short summary of what the Paradise Papers are and why they matter.

2. In the video,  ICIJ Deputy Director Marina Walker says, "At ICIJ, the mission is to uncover those urgent stories of public interest that go beyond what any particular journalist or media organization can accomplish on his or her own." Consider:

• What is the ICIJ? How does it differ from other news outlets/organizations you are familiar with?
• How would you define a "story of public interest"?
• Why does the ICIJ work with journalists based all over the world?

3. This video introduces many reporters and shows them doing the behind-the-scenes work of investigative journalism. Discuss as a class:

• How would you describe the day-to-day work of an investigative journalist, based on what the video showed? What are their workplaces like? Did anything surprise you?
• What skills do you think are essential for an investigative journalist to have, and why?
• How does the job differ for journalists in different countries?
• What are some of the dangers of investigative journalism, and how do journalists cope with them?
• Investigative journalist Will Fitzgibbon mentions ICIJ's emphasis on releasing all information simultaneously as a team. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to reporting this way?

Introducing Resource 2: Paradise Papers

1. Read the project description of the Paradise Papers on the Pulitzer Center website. Discuss: how do the summary and statement of import you wrote with your partner compare?

2. Next, explore the interactive within the project, " Paradise Papers: The Influencers ."

• What is your initial reaction to the interactive? How does it make you feel?
• Click through to read the stories about Wilbur Ross. What sections are included in the story, and what purpose do they serve? Do you find the information convincing? Easy to understand? Interesting?
• Take a look at one of the supporting documents . What is your initial reaction? How does it make you feel?
• What do you think the purpose of this interactive is? How effective is it in serving this purpose?

Activity and Discussion:

1. Summarize each of the following political cartoons in your own words:

It's unlikely that any private citizen is going to sit down and read 13.4 million files, no matter how significant their value. As such, it is the job of the investigative reporters involved to mine that data for digestible, engaging stories that the public needs and wants to hear.

2. Explore the Paradise Papers investigation on the Pulitzer Center and ICIJ websites. Make a list of the different ways the ICIJ has found to tell this story.

3. In small groups, compare your lists. Consider:

• For each item on your list, who do you think the target audience is?
• What do you think are the most effective ways in which the stories of the Paradise Papers have been told thus far?
• Can you identify any audience(s) these stories are unlikely to reach as a result of the ways it is currently being told?
• What additional ways would it be possible to tell these stories?
• What impacts have the Paradise Papers had already, and what further impact can you foresee?

4. Each group should share their main takeaway(s) from their conversation with the class.

Extension Activity:

1. Building on your final discussion, identify a target audience that you think should know about the Paradise Papers investigation. Create a resource that summarizes the following in a way that will resonate with your target audience:

• What are the Paradise Papers?
• Why are they important?
• How did journalists investigate the story?

You can create a video, infographic, lesson plan, or any other resource. You may alternatively plan a large-scale resource (for example, a museum installation or a play) that you describe in detail but do not execute.

2. Present your resource to the class. Following your presentation, discuss the strengths, weaknesses, and possible impact of such a resource.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7

Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.2

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

Examples of tips you can write in students’ envelopes include:

• The company that supplies your school cafeteria with vegetables has continued selling spinach that might be contaminated with E. coli bacteria despite a recent recall.
• The recycling at the biggest company in your town does not actually get recycled at all; instead, the company sends it off to the landfill while claiming state tax benefits on the recycling equipment and process costs they don’t, in reality, have.
• Maintenance staff at your school is being paid less than minimum wage.

Ensure that students know these are hypothetical examples and not real tips.

To better understand the purpose/impact of this type of reporting and to contextualize the Paradise Papers, it may be useful for students to have some background in U.S. investigative journalism history. To assign as homework or review as a class, this list of noteworthy moments for investigative reporting in the U.S. from the Brookings Institution is one starting place.

Introducing Resource 1: “The True Story Behind the Secret Nine-Month Paradise Papers Investigation”

Depending on time constraints, students can be assigned to watch this video before class, or an excerpt (i.e. 0:00-12:50) can be screened.

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REPORTING FEATURED IN THIS LESSON PLAN

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Paradise Papers

ICIJ's global investigation that reveals the offshore activities of some of the world’s most...

Paradise Papers: The Influencers

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Lesson of the Day: ‘Chasing the Truth: A Young Journalist’s Guide to Investigative Reporting’

In this lesson, students will learn how two Times journalists helped ignite the #MeToo movement. Then, we invite students to join a live Jan. 27 panel with the journalists and ask them questions.

By C. Ross Flatt

Note: This Lesson of the Day, along with a related Student Opinion prompt , “What Do You Want to Investigate?,” will help prepare students for our live panel with Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey on Jan. 27. Register here .

Lesson Overview

Featured Article: Chapter 1 of “Chasing the Truth: A Young Journalist’s Guide to Investigative Reporting” by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey

Chasing The Truth Chapter One: The First Phone Call

An excerpt from “Chasing the Truth: A Young Journalist’s Guide to Investigative Reporting” by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey.

In 2017, The New York Times broke the story that Harvey Weinstein, one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood, had for decades been paying off women who accused him of sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact. The article, written by the investigative reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, was the first of many that exposed decades of abuse perpetrated by Mr. Weinstein, as well as the system in Hollywood that helped cover up his actions and silence the accusers.

Their groundbreaking reporting led to Mr. Weinstein’s ousting in Hollywood and eventual imprisonment, helped ignite the #MeToo movement, and inspired reporting on sexual abuse and cover-ups across many industries — including television, the tech industry and academia. Jodi and Megan, together with a team of colleagues, won the Pulitzer Prize for public service.

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Journalism Teaching Activities

An introduction to journalism and news teaching activities. This is a free teaching unit that requires critical thinking and exposes students to news, news sources and how to write the news. Writing a good news lead and using the inverted pyramid structure to learn how to write news for both print and televised. A grades 7-10 teaching unit aligned to the ELA standards. These free journalism and media teaching activities are available in both google apps and print format.

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Media literacy resources.

Looking for free resources on fighting fake news and developing your students' media literacy skills? Here are some highlights from our activities, lessons, case studies and guest blog posts.

Fact Finder: Your Foolproof Guide to Media Literacy

Bring the road-tested tools of journalism from the newsroom to your own news feed. Create a complete course of material on today’s media literacy essentials or sharpen a specific skill, from finding quality news to reporting it.

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Students learn a handy acronym to help them remember six key concepts for evaluating information, then test the concepts in teams.

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Students dig into an article to determine whether they can trust the information by verifying the evidence it presents.

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Photo Ethics: Points of View

This case study explores a journalist's duty to present multiple points of views while sharing the news.

Photo Ethics: Diversity

This case study explores a photojournalist’s ethical duty to be fair, accurate and clear.

Here’s What We Think, Editorials and Opinion Articles

In this activity, students learn the purpose of editorials and opinion articles and evaluate their effectiveness.

The Speed of News: Are You a Star Reporter?

This activity introduces students to the variety of places a good reporter goes to for information and the importance of documenting sources.

Civil Rights: Reporting Out

Students prepare for a lifelong practice of civic engagement by identifying, analyzing and reporting about a contemporary civil rights issue.

Photo Ethics: A Photograph’s Integrity

This case study explores a photojournalist’s ethical duty to be fair, accurate and clear, specifically in regard to manipulating photographs.

‘Sources’ Video Lesson

Five journalists look at the use of anonymous sources and the impact they have on the public’s perception of the news media.

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SchoolJournalism.org

Reporting and interviewing lesson plans, asne lessons created for use with the reporting & interviewing training module.

Day 1 Reporting and Interviewing lesson Reporting and Interviewing PowerPoint – Day 1 Snowball Collateral

Day 2 Reporting and Interviewing lesson Reporting and Interviewing PowerPoint – Day 2 One Word Interview Person Poem Guidelines My First Interview

Other ASNE Lessons

• Rotation Interviewing Exercise By participating in a structured interview of each of their classmates, students will learn to identify types of interview questions that yield better answers, demonstrate a professional approach when meeting an interviewee, recognize how time constraints affect interview questioning, and recognize the difficulty in getting to source for interview.
• Lesson Plan for the First Day of Class A lesson for the first day of class: Don’t give out a syllabus — make ‘em interview you for it!
• Getting to Know You A good lesson plan for the first few weeks. It asks students to interview fellow students and identify the “false fact” through careful listening and cross-checking.
• Out of Your Comfort Zone Students learn to use their innate skills to improve their interviewing and reporting talents.
• Covering a Presidential Election A multi-day lesson that asks students to look at presidential debates for issues of interest to teens then research and write articles about what they heard.
• Basic Interviewing and Reporting Basic skills are the foundation of journalism. Improving writing and reporting will impact the quality of the student newspaper. With a clear understanding of basic interviewing and reporting skills, students will gain confidence in their abilities.
• Mock (or Shock) Interview This lesson plan with help students understand the importance of preparation prior to a difficult interview. They will also recognize the importance of sympathy and empathy. Note-taking, fact-checking and writing leads will also be emphasized.
• Mall Trip: Interviewing and Reporting Exercise A role-playing exercise evolves into a news story. Students play roles of mall denizens and interview each other for individual points of view. A teacher-turned-police chief delivers the press conference.
• Interviewing basics and profile article practice This lesson gives students information and insight on how to research and prepare before an article, what stellar interview questions are, how to create a conversational atmosphere with their interviewee, and how to use material given to write an eccentric profile article.
• News: Researching, Interviewing, Reporting and Writing A lesson that gets at the heart of reporting and writing an article and goes through all the steps of doing so.
• Interviewing Prep This lesson incorporates activities to help students learn the process of interviewing – beginning with preparation.
• Effective Interviewing After having students watch television interviews, they are asked to come up with interviews of their own using open-ended questions and a conversational style.
• The Locker Exam – Getting the Details and Asking the Right Questions ;  The Locker Exam – Getting the Details and Asking the Right Questions (supplemental 1) This multi-faceted lesson plan is designed to help students use details to develop open ended, viable interview questions through observation.
• Generating Open-Ended Interview Questions Open-ended questions force the interviewee to explain and talk more — giving reporters more to quote. This lesson asks students to interview inanimate objects to hone their skills at open-ended questioning.
• Interview Scenario This plan hones your students’ ability to listen and ask the right questions. Seven role-playing scenarios allow them to ask questions about a news event and write stories based on their questions.
• Oral Histories of World War II A unit designed to introduce students to techniques of transcribing and conducting oral interviews. By interviewing people who lived during World War II, students will gain an understanding of this generation.

News Gathering and Reporting Tools

• “Blottr is a user generated/citizen news service. As citizens upload their (breaking news) stories, journalists can see these stories collected on the Blotter site.”
• “ Geofeedia allows a user to search and monitor social media contents by location. A user can mark the location they want to gather crowd contents that are uploaded on Twitter, Flickr, Youtube, Instagram and Picasa, and gather them realtime.” Poynter’s News U hosted a webinar on how to use Geofeedia .
• “ Google Alert  provides e-mail updates of relevant Google results (through the web, news, etc.) based on queries that are hand-picked by the user. As such, the Alert can be used to monitor the development of a news story or event. The alerts can be provided daily or as they happen and come in different formats.”
• Knoema  offers a vast global database of information and statistics.
• Mention  finds keywords or phrases on social platforms. It also scans blogs, forums, videos and images. You can download it as a program on your computer or as a mobile app. You can select the keywords and have Mention alert you, or you can watch a live feed.
• Overview is a free tool for journalists that automatically organizes a large set of documents by topic, and displays them in an interactive visualization for exploration, tagging, and reporting.
• PANDA is a newsroom data solution that can email you when information that’s relevant to your community and your publication becomes available. It also makes it easy to save data and to subscribe to searches. Poynter’s New U held a webinar on how to use PANDA .
• ProPublica’s Online Data Store sells a wide array of data sets accessed from FOIA requests for a one-time fee. It is invaluable for data journalists.
• Storyful is a website dedicated to bringing journalists accurate information as it emerges on the Internet in real time.
• WolframAlpha  does dynamic computations based on a vast collection of built-in data, algorithms and methods and returns referenced answers instead of just searching the web.
• Any social media platform!

Be sure to check out Schooljournalism.org’s tech tools page for other useful online news gathering and reporting tools.