Lesson Pan Studying Current Events:

Lesson Pan

Studying Current Events: Curriculum and instruction modifications

Appropriate for all grades with modifications

Overview of activity, purpose of activity, rationale behind choice: Students are encouraged to read the newspaper regularly, to build a sense of civic obligation, to learn about current events, and to think critically about important issues. Students will learn to speak persuasively about these issues, and to think critically about their own opinions and the opinions of other students. Awareness, civic-mindedness, and learning to be a critical consumer of the media are important challenges for all students.

To identify issues of interest and importance.

To understand the difference between fact and opinion.

To respond creatively and critically to the news.

Activity: Students must bring in a news article on a particular assigned topic that they find interesting. An example of an assigned topic might be the election, global warming, or the war while the article might be about Barak Obama's speech in Germany, Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," or the controversy over the Iraq War. They will have to identify whether the article is primarily based in fact or opinion and answer questions about the article on a homework worksheet.

An ESL student will be able to select an easier article in terms of his or her vocabulary. An ADHD child will be able to select a shorter article, so he or she can focus on the content, while a gifted child can select a more challenging article. The student with the learning disability can make use of the time at home to get additional time to go over the article to ascertain its meaning.

Then, the students will be divided in class and assigned to a group in which they will create a mini-newscast of the different issues presented by the articles of the individuals in the group. Students must present a newscast with both fact and opinion but the opinions must be identified as editorials. Students will play different roles in the newscast -- one student may be the anchor, the other a business reporter, the other a human interest and editorial commentator.

Students with reading difficulties can still participate in this hands-on activity, even if they have difficulty with English, with concentrating for a long period of time, or with reading in general, but brighter and more engaged students can use the assignment as a way of responding creatively to the news.

Resources and materials: Students must have access to online or real-life newspapers. Before they break up into groups, a monitor should be present to show students an example of a nightly newscast, which they will be replicating. If the students' own newscasts are to be televised, this will require a camera as well.