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News Bias Then and Now

Lesson Author
Course(s)
Required Time Frame
1-2 Days
Subject(s)
Grade Level(s)
Lesson Abstract
Students will discover and turn in examples of bias in the news media.
Description

Students will discover and turn in examples of bias in the news media (television, internet websites, newspaper, etc)

Rationale (why are you doing this?)

Students should be able to identify bias in the news media.

Lesson Objectives - the student will
  • Be able to discern a news story that is biased
District, state, or national performance and knowledge standards/goals/skills met

1.    principles expressed in the documents shaping constitutional democracy in the United States

      7. evaluate the accuracy of information and the reliability of its sources

Secondary materials (book, article, video documentary, etc.) needed
  • Recent example(s) of a book, newspaper article, website that illustrates the objective.
Primary sources needed (document, photograph, artifact, diary or letter, audio or visual recording, etc.) needed

De Bow’s Review
Southern and Western States
Volume XI, New Orleans, 1851
AMS Press, Inc. New York, 1967

"Diseases and Peculiarities of the Negro Race" http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h3106t.html
James Henry Hammond advocates slavery 1858 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h3439t.html

Fully describe the activity or assignment in detail. What will both the teacher and the students do?
  • The students will, after the teacher gives several examples and explains bias can be not only what is said, but what is not said, etc., select a current news story that illustrates bias in the news, and either write a descriptive paragraph, or present their example to the class, time permitting, that details and explains their selected example of biased news reporting.
Assessment: fully explain the assessment method in detail or create and attach a scoring guide
  • This particular assignment will be a participatory-type assessment, as many students: 1.  may or may not have the cognitive abilities to successfully complete this higher-ordered effort, 2.  may or may not have access to the internet at home