Objectives

• To challenge students to become aware of what thorough news story coverage involves
• To challenge students to write scripts for news stories in a creative, entertaining way
• To make students aware of current issues and events for the Ports of Call for Pride II.

Appropriate Grade Levels: 4 - 8

MSPP Outcomes:

Economics

• Explain how the exchange of goods and services connects Maryland with the world.

Geography

• Locate places and natural features by interpreting and constructing maps using directions, legends, grid systems, boundary lines, and scale.
• Examine the impact of geography on the industrial growth and economic prosperity of communities in the state, nation and world.

Peoples of the Nation and World

• Examine decisions made by citizens of Maryland and the United States in terms of consequences for other peoples of the world, and vice versa.

Economics

• Using case studies, cite examples of economic interdependency among world communities.

Geography

• Locate places and natural features by interpreting and constructing maps using directions, legends, grid systems, boundary lines, scale and political units.
• Analyze the influence of transportation and communication on the movement of people, goods, and ideas from place to place.
• Compare regions on a state, national, and global basis.
• Analyze ways in which different cultural groups view environmental decisions.

Peoples of the Nation and World

• Evaluate consequences of individual and collective decisions in promoting peace or precipitating conflict.
• Analyze current world issues from different perspectives.

Introduction:

This lesson is designed to give students the opportunity to read local newspapers from Ports of Call for Pride II's Asia with Pride trip. The Web sites link students to regional newspapers allowing students to get a feel for the culture of the local people. Students will be expected to complete a worksheet designed to document their findings about a "segment" of the news for a designated region.

Teacher Background:

This should be an on-going lesson. Once the lesson is explained to the students, they should be able to go to the computer and complete a News Segment Worksheet on their own. It is a good idea to put a folder of blank worksheets at the computer or at a designated location to be conveniently picked up by the students. You may consider requiring one completed sheet every 2 weeks. This will give student the opportunity to complete a News Segment Worksheet for each of the Ports of Call.

A follow-up lesson called Lead Story Broadcast Live is intended to be used as the ship nears the Port of Call.

Materials Needed:

Copies of the News Segment Worksheet
world atlas and/or Baltimore Sun Supplement map of Pride II's Asia with Pride trip
Internet access

Prior to Beginning the Lesson:

It is a good idea to have students watch a local news broadcast -- a 1/2 hour segment is fine. Have them record the following information to be shared in a class discussion:

1. How are the news stories divided? (segments, i.e., local news, national news, international news, sports, weather, traffic, business and finance, etc.)

2. How does the station "capture" the audience? (personalities of the broadcasters, switching from segment to segment, interjecting personal comments or opinions, video clips, pictures, maps, etc.)

3. How do you think that news editors decide what stories are interesting to the audience? (What's important to the local audience, what is covered in the newspaper, etc.)

   After they have viewed local television news, ask them to view a 1/2 hour national news broadcast. You might also want them to compare print news coverage to broadcast news coverage. Ask them to visit the Web site for , the New York Times or Washington Post.

Teaching tips and Options

1. Question #4 on the a News Segment Worksheet asks students to write a script for their news article. You may want to assign this for homework.

2. Ask 4 or 5 students to get together to form a news team. Have them take turns reading their scripts as though it were a live broadcast.

Teaching tips for Extension

1. Make the broadcast team a formal lesson. Encourage students to prepare props for their news broadcast. Revisit all of the reasons we watch a particular station. Include as much of this as possible in the student broadcast. Be sure students include a variety of news segments for each broadcast team.

2. If technology is available, allow student to record a news broadcast and then play it back for the class.

3. Ask students to compare newspaper coverage of a major international story from different Ports of Call. They could also compare the coverage of a story from the Baltimore Sun with the local coverage, or with CNN's coverage. We highly recommend CNN's Web site.

How will you know they've done a good job?

News coverage will be:

• accurate
• bias-free
• interesting to view/read
• include factual details

Thoughtful Application:

Choose one of the Economics, Geography, or Peoples of the Nation and World indicators listed at the beginning of this Teacher's Page. Ask students to write a news story which describes the impact of the event on the Maryland community. How would you re-write the story? Would you emphasize the same information? What additional information would you need to research?