• DAY ONE:
  Determine the difference between “News” and “Entertainment” through the development of appropriate definitions for each and the application of each definition to actual journalistic examples.

• DAY TWO:
  Compare and contrast various newspapers from around the world by visiting online Web sites.

Per class

• Dude! Where's My News? Answer Key  (View)

Per Student

• Cyber Cafe Follow-Up Activity  (View)
• Cyber Cafe Worksheet  (View)
• Dude! Where's My News?  (View)

• 1 Newspaper

• 1 Pen or Pencil

• Cyber Cafe  (View)
• Dude! Where's My News-ppt  (View)

Not Specified

• Indicators  (View)

• News - A report of what a news organization has learned about matters of some significance or interest to a specific community it serves
• Significant - A news event which has the potential to affect your life. It also includes news events, which you, the audience, may affect as well.
• Entertainment - A news item which has little significance to the audience but is presented anyway
• Domestic - Pertaining to the United States or local community

Set-up Directions:

Prior to the students' arrival, the teacher should have the PowerPoint presentation, Dude! Where’s My News?, loaded into the computer. The teacher should check to make sure the LCD Projector is running properly and that all internet connections are working. The teacher will also need to have run off a class set of the Dude! Where’s My News? worksheet. The teacher should also make sure that there is a class set (1 copy per student) of newspapers in the classroom. (Note: A class set of the local newspaper is usually free for the asking. Simply contact your local newspaper and offer proof that you are a teacher. They are usually more than happy to provide you with a set.)

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:

As students settle in for the period, begin by asking them if they have ever noticed that some things reported during a newscast don’t really seem like news? A few of them may respond in the affirmative and if they do ask them for some examples. If you class is truly “media literate”, they may cite interviews with celebrities, cooking segments, movie reviews, and follow-ups to the TV movie that just aired. If no one answers, you may want to provide some of the above examples. Ask your students how we know the difference between the “NEWS” and “ENTERTAINMENT.” To help get to the bottom of it, let your students know that you have prepared a PowerPoint with some interesting slides for their consideration. Pass out the worksheet marked Dude! Where’s My News? and announce that the class will need to jot down a few things on the worksheet as you go along. Make sure each student has a pen or a pencil and has a notebook open to take notes.

Activity 1 - PowerPoint: Dude! Where's My News?

Turn on the LCD Projector and make sure each student can see the screen. Let students know that they will be jotting down notes on the worksheet as well as in their notebooks for future reference. Begin the PowerPoint titled Dude! Where’s My News with slide #l. Pose the challenge question (on slide #3) and allow for a very brief class discussion. Advance to slide #5, which asks students to brainstorm a definition of the word “NEWS.” Have them do this by writing their responses in the first box on side one of their worksheet, Dude! Where’s My News?. Once a few minutes have passed, ask students to share their answers orally. This may be done one at a time, or they may turn to a partner and compare answers. Once a variety of answers have been given, share some actual definitions given on slide #6. Most of these single-phrase definitions are quite inadequate because they allow virtually any event to be called “news.” Slide #7 asks students their opinions of the first few definitions. In slide #8, we get a much better definition of the word “News” that is much more usable. Students will notice that in this definition, an event must have “significance” to count as “News." In slide #9, a definition of “Significance” is offered. You may want to have students write down these definitions in their notebooks. With this definition of “News” now in place, tell the class it is useful to think about how news and entertainment are different. In slides #10, and #11, the differences are discussed. After presenting these slides, pause at slide #12 and have students return to their worksheet. Ask them to put into their own words how “News” and “Entertainment” differ. Closure to this activity may be accomplished by performing the post viewing activity listed below.

Viewing Activities
What will your students be responsible for while viewing this piece of multi-media or video?

As described above, students will complete the worksheet designed to fit perfectly with the PowerPoint presentation. In addition, it poses a closure question in the form of an Extended Constructed Response (ECR) to be used as a post-viewing activity.

Post Viewing Activities
How will students utilize the information they gathered while viewing the multi-media or video?

As this portion of the lesson ends, ask students to review their answers orally with their classmates or the teacher may call on students for individual responses.

Activity 2 - Let?s Try Some Examples

Announce to the class that they will now be applying what they have learned to some real-life examples. They will be given 3 events that have been written by journalists, and their job will be to determine whether each is a “News” item or an “Entertainment” item. As you go through the next few slides, allow the class to debate each example. The first example on slides #14-#21 deal with the January 2002 incident when President G.W. Bush choked on a pretzel, fell, and bruised his face. On slide #14 there are 2 links to this story on the internet. Click on them and allow them to load. It is not necessary to read over both accounts. An extra is provided in case the first one fails to load properly. Slide #16 reminds students to think about the definitions worked on in class and apply them to their answers. Most students usually identify this as an “entertainment” item; however, slides #17-#20 challenge this assumption. In the end, it’s always a matter that’s up for debate, so be accepting of various answers in the room. The final slide for the example, #21, asks the student to identify where this story should go in the paper. Should it be in the “News” section or the “Style and Entertainment” section? This example is usually a great discussion starter for your first example.

Example number 2, slides #22-#25, involves Jennifer Lopez in a command performance for the Queen of England. The event happened in November 2001, and makes an interesting item for discussion. Be sure to click on the link in slide #22 and read over the story with the students. The slides will follow the same format as in example #1. Allow students to view Example number #3, slides #26-#29, which deals with the bombing of an Israeli bus in February 2004. The slides will progress as they did in the above examples. Be sure to have students record their opinion in the appropriate worksheet box. Most students will correctly identify this as a legitimate “News” item. This activity may be brought to a close by discussing the students' answers and orally reviewing the students' selections, asking students to justify their choices. After listening to other students verbally express their answers, some students may want to change their answers. As a closure activity, allow them to do this.

Viewing Activities
What will your students be responsible for while viewing this piece of multi-media or video?

Students are responsible for any activities they participate in while they are viewing. This may include a video guide to fill, making sounds or raising one’s hand while viewing, or a pause in the video where students trace something on the monitor. Possibilities are endless. This can also include the activities within an Internet-based activity. Be creative!

Post Viewing Activities
How will students utilize the information they gathered while viewing the multi-media or video?
Any activity that occurs after watching the video or viewing the Web site(s) belongs in this part of the lesson. This could be an extension activity, where students apply new definitions, or it could be a whole new activity. Perhaps the video/Internet prepared the students with the necessary background information.

 

Activity 3 - Looking At NBC-News

In this section of the PowerPoint, students will first look at some examples from local newscasts of “Entertainment” mixed in with “News.” Go over slides #30 – #33 with students. These slides point out that celebrities from reality shows are being featured on the evening news and asks students to comment on what types of hard “news” stories are being missed in the process. Allow students to react to these slides as this will provide material for the BCR (Brief Constructed Response) question posed at the end of their worksheet. Note: A Brief Constructed Response is an answer which usually consists of between 3-5 sentences in length and is modeled after the Maryland High School Assessments.

In slide #35, three links have been embedded in the logos of the most popular NBC News programs. Click on each logo to take the class to each of the show’s websites. Have a student come to the screen and point out all the items that he/she believes are “Entertainment” pieces and “News” pieces. Allow for class discussion during this process. As you make your way through the sites, have students jot down their own examples in the three boxes provided on the worksheet.

When finished, have the students reflect on what they have learned by having them answer (silently) the ECR (Extended Constructed Response) question at the end of the sheet.

Viewing Activities
What will your students be responsible for while viewing this piece of multi-media or video?

Students will complete the worksheet, Dude! Where's My News?, which corresponds with the PowerPoint presentation.

Post Viewing Activities
How will students utilize the information they gathered while viewing the multi-media or video?

When finished, have the students reflect on what they have learned by having them answer (silently) the ECR (Extended Constructed Response) question at the end of the sheet.

Activity 4 - Reading the Paper
In the time that remains, pass out the newspapers and have students take out their pens or pencils. Allow them a few minutes to skim through or read the paper. They should circle any items they see that they would class as “Entertainment” within the confines of the “News” section. For this assignment, they should ignore sections like “Style” and “Food” for example. If students do not have enough time to finish, allow them to take the papers home and do the assignment as homework. Ask them to bring the papers with them to class tomorrow.

 

Wrap Up:

Ask students to share their responses to the ECR question. They may want to read aloud their answers or simply summarize them orally.  Be sure to answer the daily challenge question.

Set-up Directions:
Today, students will be working in your school’s computer lab. It is vital that a few things have been done in advance. First, make sure the computer lab has been reserved and there is enough room for everyone. Secondly, make sure that the PowerPoint presentation marked Cyber Café has been loaded onto all of the computers. Students will need to access it to link to newspapers around the world. Also make sure the handouts labeled Cyber Café Worksheet and Cyber Café Follow-Up Activity have been run off and are available for everyone.

 

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:
As students arrive, check to make sure they have their newspapers from yesterday. Toward the end of class yesterday (and for homework) students were supposed to circle any “Entertainment” news they found hiding among the real “News” features. Tell them that today they will be going over their newspaper findings and setting up a “Cyber Café” in the school computer lab. While there unfortunately will be no coffee consumption, let them know that they will have the freedom to search the world over for interesting news items.

 

Activity 1 - Dude! Where?s My News (Conclusion)
Ask students to take out their newspapers from last night’s homework. Take about 10 minutes to discuss students' findings. Review with students the definitions established for “News” and “Entertainment.” Allow them to voluntarily share what they discovered. The teacher may also want to share observations from a variety of newspapers he/she may have picked up previously (optional). Ask students if they notice any trends. Do all news media tend to mix in “entertainment?” Ask them if they believe foreign newspapers will be different? Do they think the content of “News” will vary based on the definition of “significant?” Tell them that they are about to find out.

 

Activity 2 - Intro to the Cafe!

Pass out the worksheets labeled Cyber Café Worksheet. Explain to students that a PowerPoint presentation has been loaded onto each of the computers in the school’s computer lab, effectively turning it into a “Cyber Café.” Their job will be to log on, open the PowerPoint (marked Cyber Café), and surf news around the world. As they surf, they must keep track of their activities and discoveries on the worksheet provided. Remind students that the worksheets will be collected at the end of the period, and that they will return to the class about 15 minutes before the end of the period.

Prior to leaving for the lab, go over the worksheet with the students. Tell them that as they surf through the sites hyperlinked in the PowerPoint, they should follow the directions found on the worksheet. For each grouping of geographical newspapers, they should select the appropriate number of examples and answer the questions as directed.

Remind students that they will be directed to summarize lead stories from around the world and compare and contrast the items chosen as lead headlines for each. Can the differences they found be explained by the “significance” each has for its location? Also remind students that they will be asked to comment on the amount of “NEWS” vs. “ENTERTAINMENT” found in global newspapers.

 

Activity 3 - The Cyber Cafe!

As students enter the computer lab, allow them to log on and follow the directions on the screen and the worksheet. Allow about 1 hour for students to surf and read. Most of the links should work perfectly, but occasionally one is down. Should this happen, encourage students to find another paper to explore.

Viewing Activities
What will your students be responsible for while viewing this piece of multi-media or video?

Students will complete the worksheet, Cyber Café Worksheet, which corresponds with the PowerPoint presentation.

Post Viewing Activities
How will students utilize the information they gathered while viewing the multi-media or video?
When finished, have the students reflect on what they have learned by having them answer (silently) the ECR (Extended Constructed Response) question at the end of the sheet.

 

Wrap Up:

Allow students to return to class. In the time that remains, have students discuss the answer to the ECR question posed at the bottom of the worksheet. Take turns going around the room in search of responses. What was the most interesting story they encountered? Did different newspapers have different accounts of the same event? What could explain this? Review the terms “News and Entertainment” and ask students what trends they saw in foreign newspapers.

As the lesson ends, reread the class challenge question: What is the definition of news and how does its coverage vary around the world? As you pose the question orally to the class, have them take out a sheet of notebook paper and compose a response. Have students read their responses upon completion.