In today’s digital age, it’s more important than ever for students to develop media literacy skills. With the constant influx of information from various sources, it can be challenging for young people to distinguish between real news and fake news. To address this issue, we have partnered with The Wall Street Journal High School Program to create Article of the Week mini-lessons that focus on different aspects of media literacy.
The first activity in our series is the Read-and-Respond exercise. Students are tasked with critically reading a news article and marking it with specific symbols to highlight key points and questions. This activity helps students practice their critical reading skills and encourages them to engage with the text on a deeper level.
Next, students will move on to the Article Overview Analysis. In this activity, students will examine the main purpose of the article and identify its key elements. By understanding the structure and purpose of a news article, students will develop a solid foundation in media literacy.
The third activity, Identifying Bias, challenges students to look for examples of bias in the article. By analyzing the language, images, and tone used in the article, students will learn how to recognize and critically evaluate bias in media content.
In the Developing Discussion Questions activity, students will create two questions based on the article that they find interesting or important. This exercise encourages students to think critically about the content and engage in meaningful discussions with their peers.
Finally, in the Discussion and Next Steps activity, students will have the opportunity to share their thoughts with their classmates and respond to each other’s questions. This collaborative exercise fosters a sense of community and allows students to practice articulating their opinions in a respectful manner.
After completing these activities, students can continue to access The Wall Street Journal High School Program for unlimited article access, print copies of the newspaper, informative podcasts and videos, and exclusive classroom resources. By incorporating these Article of the Week lessons into your curriculum, you can help your students develop essential media literacy skills and become informed consumers of news and information.
