12th Grade World News Comparison Lesson Plan

Topic: News Comparison

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to compare news stories from American media outlets with news articles from international sources.

Materials

• Access to media outlets, including American and international sources
• Handouts with news articles and headlines
• Computers or tablets for students to access the media

Warm-up

• Ask students if they are familiar with the concepts of "media bias" and "media outlet." Ask them to give examples of different media outlets, such as television channels, radio stations, or newspapers.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of media bias, explaining that it is the tendency for news outlets to have a perspective or a point of view on a topic that influences the way they report on it.
• Explain that media outlets also have different audiences and different business models, which can also influence the way they report on news.
• Show examples of American and international news stories on the same topic and have students analyze the differences in the way they are reported. Ask students to consider the perspective or point of view of the news outlet and how it may influence the content of the story.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in small groups to find news stories on the same topic from American and international news outlets. Have them analyze the stories and compare them to identify differences in the way they are reported.
• As a class, discuss the differences and the implications of those differences on the way the audience views the topic.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose a topic of their own choice and find news stories on that topic from American and international news outlets. Have them analyze the stories and compare them to identify differences in the way they are reported.
• As a class, discuss the differences and the implications of those differences on the way the audience views the topic.

Closure

• Review the objectives of the lesson and discuss the importance of cross-cultural understanding and the role of media in shaping our view of the world.
• Ask students to reflect on the implications of the differences in reporting they observed in the news stories.

Assessment

• Observe students during the independent practice activity to assess their understanding of the concept of bias in media reporting and their ability to compare news stories from different sources.
• Collect and review the written reports submitted by students as a formative assessment of their understanding of the topic.