The Latest
Start the year strong while
promoting students’ press rights
by Lindsay Coppens The Harbinger Adviser, Algonquin Regional High School, Northborough, Mass. Although we may want to jump right into the business of putting out the first print issue or filling the website with killer content, there are steps you as an adviser can take at the beginning of the year to help your publication’s staff…
Asking questions never goes out of style
by Stan Zoller, MJE A Chicago TV station has the call letters WMAQ. Its origins go back to the 1922 when The Chicago Daily News started the station. Its call letters were known to mean “We Must Ask Questions,” which today would not only be known as solid journalism, but also fact checking. The Daily News…
For your next editorial,
stand up for journalism
by Candace Bowen, MJE It’s not too late. Even if you weren’t back in school by mid-August or hadn’t started publishing yet, it’s not too late to follow the Boston Globe’s campaign to get publications everywhere to write editorials arguing against President Trump’s frequent assertion that journalists are the “enemy of the people.” “We propose to…
Fighting fake news one Tweet at a time
Title: Fighting fake news one Tweet at a time Description: The principle of freedom of speech allows Americans the right to express opinions without censorship or restraint, and social media provides a 24/7 platform for that purpose. According to Pew Research, approximately two-thirds of Americans report that they get at least some of their news…
Statement of importance of student journalism
Title Statement of importance of student journalism Description A lesson on writing an editorial to explain the function of scholastic media. Summary This advanced lesson will take students through examination and discussion concerning the importance of journalism so students can write an editorial explaining their points. When students publish, they may send the article for…
Time for informed civic engagement
2018 is the season of the which by John Bowen, MJE Student journalists must learn to face key questions this fall, not only in terms of scholastic media but also in terms of informed civic engagement: For example, which information inundating them deserves their belief and active support and which deserves their active skepticism: •…
Ways to celebrate Constitution Day 2018
The Scholastic Press Rights Committee is again excited to provide lesson plans and activities to help you celebrate Constitution Day and the First Amendment. Constitution Day recognized Sept. 17 each year, and we have a trove of new and archived lessons and activities to help you raise awareness of the First Amendment’s rights and applications…
Constitution Day quiz competition
Title Constitution Day Quiz Competition Description Have students compete (either individually or in groups) to demonstrate knowledge about the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights Objectives • Students will demonstrate knowledge of the history and content of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. • Students will assess their own level of familiarity with the Constitution…
Letter to editor
Write a Constitution Day Letter to the Editor Use this assignment to have your students engage with your local newspaper to share their free expression experiences as a student in your school or community. Objectives Students will explore the rights of the First Amendment and discern how it impacts their lives. Students will engage in…
Student Expression Rights (What are they, exactly?)
Title Student Expression Rights (What are they, exactly?) Description Students zero in on how the First Amendment protections apply to student speech, especially when it comes to walkouts, dress and publication related to protest. Objectives Students will understand how the First Amendment was applied to students taking part in walkout protests in 2018….
Constitution Day highlights from previous years
As we brainstormed ideas for this version of Constitution Day, we realized how many previous activities and lessons were still relevant today. Here are our top eight. If you’d like to revisit the previous years’ lesson and ideas, we’ve included links to each year at the end of the page. Celebrating Constitution Day (Lori…
What are ethics?
Laws indicate what journalists must do, while ethics indicate what they should do. Rooted in ethics, responsible and free journalism adheres to applicable laws and operates using professional standards to enhance student media’s reach and impact. Journalism, truly the cornerstone of democracy, starts at the scholastic media level, where students learn the legal and ethical…