journalism assignments for high school students

MULTI-SESSION SPRINTS

These playful multi-session sprints are packed with activities and exercises with an over-arching theme to get students thinking about journalism in new ways.

News Product Design Sprint

This two-session design sprint will help familiarize students with the design thinking process through a series of exercises geared towards imagining equitable, audience-first news products that serve their target audience’s information needs.

journalism assignments for high school students

Click above for the News Product Design Sprint Google Slide presentation

EXERCISES & ASSIGNMENTS

At Journalism + Design, we've developed exercises and assignments to reach journalism students in new ways. The activities below explore key principles and practices of journalism through a lens of playful experimentation. Students are encouraged to develop a journalistic process that includes acting collaboratively, thinking systemically, and always being imaginative.

These exercises and assignments are modular and can be used with any level of journalism student. Educators should feel free to tweak the specifics of the assignment while making use of the playful structure upon which they are built.

Fairy Tale Ledes

Students use classic fairy tales to learn what makes a good headline, what makes a good lede, how to judge which information is the most important in a story, and the role of perspective in news reporting. (Or, view in Google Slides ).

What Is News?

Students explore how to filter hard news from feature news, straight news from commentary, and fact-based journalism from opinion. (Or, view in Google Slides ).

Interviewing 101: The Sit-Down

Students observe interviews and understand what makes a good, empathetic interviewer, what makes a good interview question, and how to encourage an interview subject to open up. (Or, view in Google Slides ).

Interviewing 101: The Vox Pop

Students experience street reporting and develop a collaborative approach to conducting on-the-spot interviews with strangers. (Or, view in Google Slides ).

Interviewing 102: The Transcript

Students practice turning an interview into an original story by separating important ideas from trivial ones, identifying key quotes, picking up on nuance, and recognizing when to paraphrase. (Or, view in Google Slides ).

Story Development: Look, Listen, Map

Students develop story ideas by closely observing an environment or subject and applying different information-collecting techniques. (Or, view in Google Slides ).

The Elevator Pitch

Students hone their ability to pitch a compelling story and learn how to give focused and effective feedback. (Or, view in Google Slides ).

Meet the Audience

Students learn about the importance of knowing their audience and incorporating an audience perspective into the reporting process.

Empower the Audience

Students consider what the audience will do after consuming their stories, and explore how journalism can engage and empower communities.

Mapping and Observing

Students explore how deep observation can be a powerful tool for journalists and practice different methods of observation.

Mind-Mapping and Storyboarding

Students create “mind maps” of their stories, look for new ideas and connections, and create a storyboard based on their findings.

Systems Thinking: Visualize the Systems in Your Reporting

Students will understand how to trace individual events to larger policies, structures, and ideas, and think about ways that journalism could provide additional context for these events. (Or, view in Google Slides ).

Systems Thinking: Capture, Cluster, Connect

Students learn how to dig deeper into complex issues, to better understand the different forces at play and how those forces are interconnected. (Or, view in Google Slides .)

Systems Thinking: Stakeholder Mapping

Students continue to apply systems thinking to their reporting by identifying key stakeholders in a story and recognizing how that can deepen their understanding of an issue. (Or, view in Google Slides ).

Systems Thinking: Longreads Analysis

Students learn a new framework for understanding and analyzing stories through a systems thinking lens by reading and analyzing a long-form piece of journalism. (Or, view in Google Slides ).

Systems Thinking: Surfacing Underlying Patterns in a System

Students will discover the feedback loops that drive the systems they will be reporting on. (Or, view in Google Slides ).

Systems Thinking: Community Engagement

Students use their stakeholder maps to consider how reporting can better meet their information needs. (Or, view in Google Slides ).

Systems Thinking: Develop A North Star

Students are given the opportunity to think about what constitutes success for their work, and the role and impact reporting has in communities. (Or, view in Google Slides ).

Systems Thinking: What's at Stake and How to Address It

Using the map created in Capture, Cluster, Connect , students will use the SAT Model to analyze the forces in their system. (Or, view in Google Slides ).

Live Journalism Brainstorm

Students use a collaboration framework to develop a live event, learning both best practices for collaborating and how to turn journalism into an experience.

Jacob’s Ladder Ledes

Students use a different aspect of their stories to rewrite their ledes, learning how to be flexible and gaining a better understanding of narrative structure.

Layouts and Wireframes

Students use wireframes to scrutinize the underlying structures of their news sources and how those structures determine what types of stories can be told.

Newspapers and Community

Students will explore how community newspapers have historically served their audiences.

Journalism Ethics

Students explore a professional code of ethics and think through scenarios for how and when these principles apply.

Style Guide, Style Hunt

Students will understand why journalism makes use of style guides and how to sort through various online style guides for different topics.

Developing Community Agreements

Students and faculty create a set of classroom guidelines for effective communication in person and virtually, with the goal of building inclusive, equitable and trusting learning environments.

EVALUATION RUBRICS

These evaluation tools can help assess student understanding of design processes and how they are applied to journalism practice. Use them at the end of a project as a tool for assessment or reflection.

J+D Process Rubric

A tool to evaluate student understanding and use of the integrated design and reporting process.

J+D Self-Assessment Rubric

A tool for students to evaluate their own performance on a team in a collaborative project.

J+D Collaboration Peer Assessment Rubric

A tool for a students to evaluate teammates’ performance in a collaborative project.

Want to use the J+D model for your own exercises? Here’s an Activity Template and Checklist to help you build your own.

Have questions? Feedback? We’d love to hear about your experience using these activities in your classroom, and get your thoughts on what we could improve. Email us at [email protected] or fill out this form .

Want updates about our work? Sign up here.

Lesson Plans

Hey, we moved, for all updated lesson plans, visit storymaker , a dynamic resource platform designed for educators to help your students become confident, powerful storytellers..

Every year, Student Reporting Labs releases prompts on different topics or themes tied to national and newsworthy issues, and asks participating Labs to create digital stories around these topics with specific instructions and guidelines. SRL releases MOST of its prompts at the same time… Read More

Special Unit: Making Sense of Coronavirus Through Storytelling and Media Making

With many schools closing and teaching moving online, PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs has created a special unit that covers the basics of local community journalism, storytelling, scripting and video editing. These are tough times for everyone, and your stories will add a uniquely critical perspective to coronavirus… Read More

Lesson 1.1: What is Newsworthy?

2Subjects: Journalism, Language Arts, Social Studies Estimated Time: One 45-minute class period Grade Level: Upper Elementary, Middle and High School Materials Copies of Worksheet 1.1 for every student Warm Up Activity News and Information 1. Ask students “What news stories are important in your life?” and write their… Read More

Lesson 1.2: What Makes a Good Video Report?

Subjects: Journalism, Language Arts, Social Studies Estimated Time: One 45-minute class period Grade Level: Upper Elementary, Middle and High School Overview Students will learn about components that make up a good video report and how to provide feedback effectively. Materials Copies of Worksheets 1.2 A and … Read More

Lesson 1.3: Journalism Ethics

Subjects: Journalism, Language Arts, Social Studies Estimated Time: One 45-minute class period Grade Level: Middle and High School Materials: Worksheet 1.3 Overview Students will explore, engage and develop a thorough understanding of the theories and ethics related to journalism. Warm Up Activity General Ethics Ask students “What are ethics?” “How can… Read More

Lesson 1.4: Copyright & Fair Use

Subjects: Journalism, Language Arts, Social Studies Estimated Time: One 25-minute class period Grade Level: Middle and High School Overview: In developing video packages for the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs program, your students may want to incorporate copyrighted materials, including photographs, music, film or video clips. To help them decide when and how to… Read More

Lesson 1.5: Broadcast News

Subjects: Journalism, Language Arts, Social Studies Estimated Time: One 45-minute class period Grade Level: Middle and High School Overview: Students will identify structural features of broadcast news and then compare different news sources. Materials Make copies of Worksheet 1.5 for students. Warm Up Activity What is broadcast news? Ask students… Read More

Lesson 2.1: Finding Story Ideas

Subjects: Journalism, Language Arts, Social Studies Estimated Time: One 45-minute class period Grade Level: Upper Elementary, Middle and High School Overview By generating news story ideas from their own life, students learn how news develops from people’s natural curiosity about the people, places, events and situations of daily life. Materials: Worksheet 2.1, Student Reporting… Read More

Lesson 2.2: Interviewing: The Art of Asking Questions

Developed by Renee Hobbs Subjects: Journalism, Language Arts, Social Studies Estimated Time: One 45-minute class period Grade Level: Upper Elementary, Middle and High School Overview Students practice calling a source to conduct a phone interview in a role-playing simulation activity. They learn five characteristics of good interviewing and five characteristics of being… Read More

Lesson 2.3: Facts vs. Opinions vs. Informed Opinions and their Role in Journalism

Subjects: Journalism, Language Arts, Social Studies Estimated Time: One 45 minute class period Grade Level: Upper Elementary, Middle and High School Overview: Students learn why many people like opinions more than facts and reflect on the negative and positive consequences of this tendency. Then they practice three strategies for determining the difference between the… Read More

Lesson 3.1: Production

Subjects: Journalism, Language Arts, Social Studies Estimated Time: One 45-minute class period Grade Level: Upper Elementary, Middle and High School Overview: In this unique set of video tutorials produced by Gil Garcia of Austin High School, students learn about the different roles associated with video production, how to scout a location and set up,… Read More

Lesson 3.2: Team Work and Planning

Subjects: Journalism, Language Arts, Social Studies Estimated Time: One 45-minute class period Grade Level: Upper Elementary, Middle and High School Overview Working in groups can be challenging for even the best students and so helping kids learn how to work well together can be an invaluable lesson not only in journalism but… Read More

SchoolJournalism.org

Journalism tips and lesson plans.

Staff Organization and Adviser Assistance

Below, you will find ASNE lesson plans created prior to 2016:

Journalism Fundamentals Lessons

Getting Started Lessons

Specialized Writing Lessons

Multimedia Lessons

Social Media Lessons

Design & Data Journalism Lessons

Organizing Staff

Staff Organization

Interactive resources you can assign in your digital classroom from TPT.

Easel Activities

Easel Assessments

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free journalism assignments

All Formats

Resource types, all resource types, results for free journalism assignments.

Fairy Tale Newspaper Article (creative writing, template, & editable rubric)

Visual Journal Assignments Collection 1: Art Elements and Principles of Design

Word Document File

Also included in: Visual Journal Assignments Bundle for High School Art

HUGE Theatre Drama Teacher's Toolkit Bundle--Games, Journals, Worksheets & More!

Freedom of the Press Student Journalists - Broadcast Journalism

Also included in: Introduction to Broadcast Journalism Bundle

Mass Media Studies Unit: Nine Lesson Plans & Prezis

Journalism Beats Reporting Assignment

Nellie Bly Investigative Journalist Writing Assignment Questions Gilded Age

Squiggle Stories Creative Writing Journal and Printables

8 Restaurant-Themed Writing Choice Menus -- For Writer's Notebooks & Journals

Broadcast Journalism Web Portfolio

Also included in: Broadcast Journalism Project Bundle

Civil War Diary Assignments

Easel Activity

Also included in: American History II Curriculum

Halloween Writing - Newspaper Article (prompts, template, & editable rubric)

Awesome Editorial Persuasive Writing Assignment

Christmas Writing Activity: Newspaper Article

Also included in: Christmas Writing Activities BUNDLE: Middle and High School Holiday Writing

Activity: Pick Six Cold War Terms

Visual Journal Assignments Collection 4 for High School Art

Free Writing/Journaling Topics

Wonders Unit 1 Daily Writing and Reading Response

Visual Journal Assignments Collection 3 for High School Art

$Math Labels for centers or stations (that match my FREE Daily Five style labels)$

Math Labels for centers or stations (that match my FREE Daily Five style labels)

Independent Reading Novel Journals

Mass Reflection (Journal) (Catholic)

Also included in: Catholic Faith Resources BUNDLE!

Visual Journal Assignments Collection 2 for High School Art

Digital Photography Project, Winter-Themed Activity with Literary Quotes

Also included in: Yearbook Curriculum BUNDLE+ for Student Journalism Publications

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5 of the First Activities and Lessons for Journalism Class

Here are the first five activities and lessons I am focusing on to help jumpstart my journalism class.

1. staff interview activity, 2. staff bio, 3. collaborative news story, 4. the news determinants, 5. ap style writing.

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Missouri School of Journalism

University of missouri, resources for high school teachers.

Missouri School of Journalism high school journalism project: Free, online teaching resources for scholastic journalism teachers.

Choose from 25 modules to help you teach skills used in journalism, yearbook and related topics.

Individual module landing pages set you up with an overview of the lesson’s activities:

Please contact Associate Professor Amy Simons at [email protected]

Get started today!

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The hidden life of Rosa Parks

lesson duration 05:00

471,231 views

How close are we to uploading our minds?

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What makes you special?

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The Psychology of Listicles

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Ugly History: The 1937 Haitian Massacre

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Where do new words come from?

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How to spot a misleading graph

lesson duration 04:10

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What is McCarthyism? And how did it happen?

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How do US Supreme Court justices get appointed?

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How to recognize a dystopia

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How does the Nobel Peace Prize work?

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The history of the Cuban Missile Crisis

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How to use rhetoric to get what you want

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How Americans got stuck with endless drug commercials

lesson duration 09:12

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How to fly around the world without fuel

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How interpreters juggle two languages at once

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Dr. Sally Ride on Dumb Questions

lesson duration 07:05

108,801 views

Should you trust unanimous decisions?

lesson duration 04:03

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The psychology of narcissism

lesson duration 05:10

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The controversial origins of the Encyclopedia

lesson duration 05:21

419,133 views

How statistics can be misleading

lesson duration 04:19

1,236,197 views

Let's make history…by recording it

lesson duration 03:18

208,236 views

What "Orwellian" really means

lesson duration 05:32

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How false news can spread

lesson duration 03:42

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IMAGES

High School Journalism Student Workbook 2009 ed
Exploring the impact of Princeton's summer journalism program for high school students
Journalism Activities & Lessons Bundle: Beginning & Advanced Students
10+ Best Journalism (high school edition) images in 2020
Journalism Personal Profile Lesson and Story Assignment
Keeping High School Journalism Class on the Cutting Edge

VIDEO

I taught my first college journalism class
Career In Journalism ?
Academic Writing Center: Mitigating Students' Writing Challenges
Summer Journalism Institute 2010
Journalism
Photo Essay: Back To School Jam

COMMENTS

Exercises & Assignments
EXERCISES & ASSIGNMENTS · Fairy Tale Ledes · What Is News? · Interviewing 101: The Sit-Down · Interviewing 101: The Vox Pop · Interviewing 102: The Transcript · Story
Lesson Plans
2Subjects: Journalism, Language Arts, Social Studies Estimated Time: One 45-minute class period Grade Level: Upper Elementary, Middle and High School
Journalism Tips and Lesson Plans
Journalism Tips and Lesson Plans · Let the Games Begin! · Create a Snapchat Filter · Building a Broadcast Studio · Life Lessons Thanks to Yearbook · What's the Big
High School Journalism Teaching Resources
Attached you'll find a journalism curriculum I've complied along with lesson plans. My students really enjoyed this class. For only $7.00!
Free Journalism Assignments Teaching Resources
Browse free journalism assignments resources on Teachers Pay ... in an advanced high school course for students of applied journalism
5 of the First Activities and Lessons for Journalism Class
1. Staff Interview Activity. One of the very first assignments I have my students do is partner up with a fellow staff member that they don't
Resources for High School Teachers
News writing · Opinion and reviewing · Photography and cutlines · Reporting and interviewing · Research · Social media and digital tools · Sports writing · Story ideas
Reliable Reporting & Journalism Lesson Plan
This lesson introduces students to journalistic standards and ethics. Students learn basic markers of high-standards reporting based on the Society of
Media and Journalism Lessons
TED-Ed lessons on the subject Media and Journalism. TED-Ed celebrates the ideas of teachers and students around the world. Discover hundreds of animated
High Five: Unit B / Table of Contents
Lesson 7: The First Amendment and School-Based Publications ... Type of news Story idea for middle school students in the. LOCAL newspaper. Inform. Persuade.