LESSON PLAN ā¢ INQUIRY MODEL
The Journalist: Media Literacy 101
Create a classroom newsroom. Students learn how a news article, an op-ed, and an editorial differ in purpose and tone, research and verify the facts behind a SIMA film, and write about it as journalists.
Students Will
- Tell apart news articles, op-eds, and editorials by purpose and tone
- Research a topic and verify its sources
- Write persuasive and informative texts
- Collaborate in a newsroom team
- Present their work
Preparation
Review the resources at the end of this page. Find one current example each of a news article, an op-ed, and an editorial. Select three films on topics you want students to explore (suggested films below), or let students choose.
AT A GLANCE
FOR
High school and higher education (journalism, communications)
TIME
Three class periods, plus writing as homework
FORMAT
Three groups, or individual (see alternative)
FILMS
Three films, one per group. Suggested films are listed below
YOU’LL NEED
One example each of a news article, an op-ed, and an editorial; Writing a Headline worksheet
SUGGESTED DISCERNMENT LENSES
Evidence and Position
Step 1: Inside the newsroom
Share your three examples. Students read each for tone and purpose. On a whiteboard, make three columns: News Article, Op-Ed, Editorial. Discuss:
- What is the purpose of each type?
- Who writes it: a reporter, an outside contributor, or the publication itself?
- How does the tone differ?
- Where does each one keep facts and opinions separate, and where does it mix them?
- Tip: If these terms are new to students, assign a short reading before class.
Step 2: Watch the films
Before viewing, introduce The Discernment Protocol. For this lesson, we suggest emphasizing the Evidence lens (what supports the film’s claims?) and the Position lens (who is telling this story?). Students can also use the SIFT Worksheet to record their reactions.
Screen the films. After each one, give students time to discuss their reactions.
Tip: This reflection is where students make an emotional connection to the issue. Good journalists notice that connection and then check it against the facts.
Step 3: Research and verify
Divide the class into three groups. Each group takes one film and its issue and completes a KWL chart on a large sheet or whiteboard:
- K: What we know. What the film showed us.
- W: What we want to know. Questions the film raised.
- L: What we learned. Answers from research.
- Groups research their questions. For every fact they add to the L column, they record the source and answer: Who published this? How do they know? Can we confirm it in a second source? Groups also read the film’s filmmaker Q&A to understand how the film was made.
Step 4: Write the headlines
Using the Writing a Headline worksheet, each group writes a headline and subheading for a news article, an op-ed, and an editorial about its film’s issue. Groups present their headlines and explain how and why each one differs.
Step 5: Write the piece
Each student chooses one format (news article, op-ed, or editorial) and writes a 300 to 500 word piece about the group’s issue, using only facts the group verified in Step 3. Students exchange drafts for feedback and revise.
Alternative: individual version
Each student chooses a film about an issue they care about and a format. Students research, verify, and write individually. This covers more films and works well as homework.
Take it further
Publish the strongest pieces in the school newspaper, website, or newsletter.
For higher education: students pitch their story to a mock editor (the instructor or a guest), defend their sourcing, and revise before submitting.
Next lesson: The Narrator: Media Literacy 102, on how purpose shapes the meaning of images.
Suggested films
- Return of The Rhino (6 min)
- The Invisibles (10 min)
- CherƔn The Burning Hope (14 min)
Browse all SIMA Academy films. Go behind the scenes with the filmmaker Q&A.
ā CHANGEMAKER AWARD
Students, educators, and institutions who take their learning further can apply for the SIMA Changemaker Award.
Standards Alignment
Global competence: OECD PISA Global Competence; Asia Society Center for Global Education; UNESCO Media and Information Literacy.
Common Core (US):
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.1: Write arguments to support claims using valid reasoning and evidence.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.2: Write informative and explanatory texts.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.8: Gather information from multiple sources and assess their credibility.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats.
International Baccalaureate: MYP: Language and Literature; Individuals and Societies. DP: Language and Literature; Theory of Knowledge.
