Lesson Plan 
Progressive Newspapers

Subject: U.S History                                              Date to be Taught: 11/11,13,15,18
 

Objective: Students will be able to write a newspaper in the muckraking style and the students will also work in groups to improve their social skills.

Michigan Curriculum Standards:

Standard I.3  Analyzing and Interpreting the Past
All students will reconstruct the past by comparing  interpretations written by others from a variety of perspectives and creating narratives from evidence.

Standard SOC.II.1  Diversity of People, Places, and Cultures
All students will describe, compare, and explain the locations and characteristics of places, cultures, and settlements.

Benchmark SOC.V.1.HS.1  Locate information pertaining to a specific social science topic in-depth using a variety of sources and electronic technologies.

ISTE NETS Student Standards:
7.  Routinely and efficiently use online information resources to meet needs for collaboration, research, publications, communications, and productivity. 

10.  Collaborate with peers, experts, and others  to contribute to a content-related knowledge base by using technology to compile, synthesize, produce, and disseminate  information, models, and other creative works. (4, 5, 6)
 

Opener: I will review the muckraking section of the book and explain that the journalists wrote about reform issues during the Progressive Era.

Procedure: 

1. I will distribute a description of the project.

2. I will let the students select the members of their group ( 3-4) but inform the  students to choose wisely because this project is weighed heavily.

3. Students will write their names on a piece of paper indicating that they have their group.

4. I will explain the aspects of the project. ( See Handout)

5. I will answer any question the students have about the project.

6. We will head down to the computer lab.

7. I will inform the students to research the issue articles, biography articles, and editorial articles on the Internet. The issues include women's suffrage, child labor laws, meat packing laws, political corruption, prohibition, etc... . 

8. I will also tell the students that they will use Microsoft Publisher when designing the newspaper. In this program, there are several templates the students can use in designing the newspaper. 

9. I will inform the students that the project is due 11/20/02
 

Closure: Before the students turn their projects in, they will show the entire class their project and describe what articles they choose and why. I will inform the students that they have a test in a few days so they have to work on their homework packet.